Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Scope Rant- Fixed Powers

Yeah….. But higher magnification doesn’t equate to better shooting capability.

Yes, of course not, and excellent point by you. BUT, shooting skill is not the point of the discussion, unless I missed something. The point was what magnification is needed for one to exploit his shooting skills. As you mentioned, increased magnification does not increase shooting skill.
But, assuming shooting skill and doping ability is adequate, my point was just that 9x ought to be enough, since it does, inarguably, make a critter at 900 yards appear as large as he would at 100 yards with irons.
That's all,
Rex

Lots of good scopes in the used market
I hear you about the Wanda be snipers
I sent back a nice little compact 2x7 Burris
Had somthing doll oat IH around in it
White a letter please repair I don’t want a new scope if it not repairable please send it back I repaired. Simple right
This was on a sweet nice wood ADL in 222 rem
They sent back a 4.5x 14 hosious mat black thing with huge knobs I couldn’t put that on that 222
I gave the scope away in discuss and silt the rifle.
They claim that all the build now.
Made in China to boot.
I’ll use a Japan scope but usa for me thanks

My primary hunting rifle wears a FX-II in 4x. I've never seen the need to jack that up and the zero has stayed put for 10+ years, 180s are 2.5" high @ 100, and 200s are dead-on.

Sure,
Simplicity, been using a variety of variables for years to include dial ups. Nothing against them just want one that is point and shoot.
Want to try it in 6x as it seems like plenty for shots out past my limit on game yet not so much that I can't get on a deer at 50yds.
Weight, the intended recipient is 8lbs naked.
It's not going on a "swamp rifle". I have rifles for that.
It is going on an old MK V in 270WBY and it just seems appropriate.
The goal is to zero high steppin 130s at 300yds making it very easy to "hold" out to 400.
I plan on having fun with it.

Swfa is supposedly coming out with a new line of scopes with more of a hunting focus some time in the next year

Shooters: I buy 3x9 scopes because that’s what they mostly make.


Scope makers: We make a lot of 3x9 scopes because that’s what guys scope their rifles with.

I've a number of variously powered variables, mostly Leupolds. I'd trade every one of them even up for 6X40ish,good fixed scopes , including Tasco WC. My fav is a 6X40 fixed (gasp) WC Tasco. It's been with me for 30 years or so, still going strong. Right now it's on a (more gasp!) Remington 770 in '06. MOA + /- groups. My biggest bull caribou ever was 2 years ago, with this rig, at about 360 yards. Both tifle and scope were adequate for the task.

I've also a fine-crosshair Leupold 3X fiixed I should put on something. Probably the currently scopeless .243. So I can use both. It came on the '94 my oldest brother had for 25 years after my folks died and he , as executer of the will, gloomed it. I got it back when he died, tookmthe scope off and re-installed the aperature sight.

The longest shot I ever made was with an old steel-tube Weaver 3X9, set on (whoops!) 3X. I saw where the first round kicked up snow on the hillside below the cow caribou. Kentucky windage put the 2nd round through both shoulder blade. I'd forgotten it was set on 3X for shooting several caribou at 20 yards or so a couple hours before, as they bolted out the top of a ravine.

I don't know the (pre-rangefinder) range, but the 25-06 was zeroed 5 1/2 inches high at 100 yards, I I was holding 2nd shot just over her up-right head and ears. A fur piece, anyway.

I should get that now loose crosshair fixed again , I guess...dunno if I still can

.But yeah- pretty much what ironbender said. I hate anything labeled "tactical", and 3X9 scopes are creeping up on it... not that I'll quit using them.

I find I have my variable scopes set to 7x almost all the time where I hunt. Most of my scopes are 2.5-10 or 3.5-10. So it isnt a crazy thought I could get by just fine with a fixed 6x. Since I have never had an issue with a scope due to it being variable I have never given a fixed power much thought. My rifle spend a lot of time getting bounced around on a atv on rough logging roads so I have been really surprised I haven’t
Had more issues over the decades based on all these failures I read about. I use them for hunting only and not that many rounds run through them so maybe recoil is harder on them than being beat to death on an atv.

Question to ponder: Is a fixed 6x brighter than a 3-9x?

Doug at Camera Land met the call for a "good fixed power 6." He found it was just a call. Not enough serious shooters were serious enough to buy them. Leupold stopped offering 1/2 minute dot 24x silhouette scopes . Then stopped offering custom shop changes too. There's too many tacticool scopes out there. But plenty room for 10 more every year. Reality, mate. She's a harsh mistress.

Notwithstanding glass quality, etc., the answer would lie in the size of the objective lens of each and on what power the variable was set so as to determine the exit pupil.

Huh?

Did you just have a stroke right before typing that?

It will have fewer lenses, so all else being equal it ought to be. All else being equal it should also be lighter and, having fewer moving parts, there's less to go wrong.

It’s true enough that a fixed 4x is plenty good enough for aiming at critters and my 2.5x-8x is set on 4x most of the time.
What 4x doesn’t do is help me see which of a few deer weaving through brush is the one I want to shoot at or whether there is a suitable path for the bullet to travel through.
I have often been thankful for the easy advance of the power change ring to help me make that decision.
That being said, I wish there were still sights available like my 45 year old B&L Balvar that fit low to the rifle and were as reliable as this one. It’s not as bright as the new high tech glass but I haven’t had to take the adjustment caps off for years and then it was to adjust for a different bullet.