Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Variable vs fixed rifle scopes

Is there a difference between a variable scope set to 6x vs a fixed 6x scope.

Yes, even with all things equal (objective lens diameter, materials, craftsmanship, and engineering). Whether or not your eye will see the difference is another thing.

Yes, the ocular X ring on the variable scope will have numbers on it.
Also the scopes might be slightly different in color

I figured it was not a variable until I started twisting the dial.

I would have been as well off for twenty years if I had just been equipped with a straight ten X for my only rifle. When it had a 2.5-7x32 I never took a shot but at 7X. Then a 4-12x40, many, many dead deer. One at 10 yds, another at 15 yds. Sure enough, the scope was on 12X each time.

A guy could do anything that needs done out to 500 or even 600 yds with a 6X.

I shoot variables but i might use them all season and never come off 7x. I’m a eastern guy hunting mostly in pine woods or clear cut edges. My shots are 20 yards out to 220 most around 75- 150. I could very likely do very well with a straight 6x.

If the reticle is a FFP reticle and exactly the same subtensions between both, it should look the same.

If the reticle is a SFP reticle, the subtensions will be different across the power settings so the reticle would appear different at different power settings.....unless the subtensions listed were at 6x in the variable, but usually they will be at the highest power setting of the variable scope.

As far as the image brightness, assuming the same lens coatings, exit pupil, etc in both scopes, the fixed power should allow more light to pass through because there are fewer lenses for the light to pass through. Anytime light passes through a lens, some light is lost. I don't know if it's enough to notice, but fewer lenses means less light reflected on each surface.....so the fixed should be brighter if all other factors are the same.

I’ve always believed that variables were weaker. I prefer fixed power scopes.

If both a fixed power and variable are built to same level/engineering/design/materials, the fixed has fewer points of failure, so it should be less likely to fail.

I started rifle shooting in the 1960's with fixed 4x and 6x scopes, once I got my first Weaver V-4.5 I never looked back at fixed scopes. I now run a number of 1-4x20mm and 1.5-6x40mm scopes and they never come off of the bottom end until I see game that warrants more X's.




I no longer hunt big game but call coyotes all over the west and do a little ADC work for a rancher if asked. I did work with a couple of 2-12 scopes the past two years and am liking them also.

DAveinWV- funny. Smart@$$ but funny.

What JCMCubic said is right. Fixed 6x should be a little brighter. I used to shoot only fixed 6x and had Weaver, Meopta, Leupold, and Burris. No two had quite the exact same view. Brightness was my primary reason for going fixed and consistency was ....a thought. One important feature that was at a premium back in the day was fully multi coated lenses.

Within the last .....15 years say ...could be longer they pass so quickly nowadays....competition in rifle scope brands became wonderfully beneficial. By the time the Leupold Vx-3 came out it offered a plethora of features like better erector setup, glare cutting internals, and full multicoating's that gave a noticeably brighter images than prior variables I tried. I compared it in the field to at least one fixed 6 and no longer saw the brightness benefit where I once did with a simple Weaver K versus a Vari-x.

While I thought I would like having 3-9 for 9x at range time I discovered going into the field at 3x really opened up my view and retained that generous eye box familiar to those using fixed 6x's. This has turned out to be the real benefit. I know you can use a fixed 6x for almost anything but now....I don't. I see so many guys leave the range at 9x and go into the field with it staying there though.

To say I never felt ham stringed by a 6x was almost true but I once had an axis deer show up within a few yards of me. I think a 3x would have been a benefit. I went and bought an open site lever- hey good excuse- for those type shots. Just things to ponder.

If there is a variable scope on my rifle, it is set at 6x. I much prefer the fixed power scopes. They are now a thing of the past. Used ones have become pricey!

I like fixed power scopes and would buy nothing else, given the choice. Sadly, few good fixed power scopes are available anymore. I also prefer scopes with duplex reticles or a single dot. Getting harder to get those too. GD

Didn't intend to be a smart azz. Thanks for the recognition!
Not everyone can discern the difference between different optics as well as others.

I haven't seen a fixed power scope in stores of shops for years.

I have some variables but I love my fixed powers and have more of them than anything else.
They say everything comes full circle so give it another 10 or 15 years and fixed powers will probably be all the rage!

A VXlll has 9 lenses...an M8 has 5...I'll let you decide what effect that has on the transmission of the light.

I am not a scope expert, but in comparing the 8x56 Schmidt & Bender Klassik to the 3x12x50 Klassik set on 8 power, the fixed 8 power scope is seen as the better of the two in low light, but by a small factor.

If I could only have a fixed power scope for all hunting, it would be a S&B 6x42 Klassik.

As good as scopes are today, I've gotten to where I use relatively few fixed powers anymore. I do think they are an inherently more durable design, simply due to less moving parts.

When it comes to a variable scope set to 6x versus a fixed 6x scope, there are a few things to consider. With a variable scope, you have the flexibility to adjust the magnification, allowing you to zoom in or out depending on your shooting needs. This can be handy for different distances or targets.

On the other hand, a fixed 6x scope offers simplicity and reliability since it stays at a consistent magnification. It can be a good option if you typically shoot at a specific distance and prefer a straightforward setup.

Ultimately, it boils down to personal preference and how you plan to use the scope. If versatility and adaptability are important to you, a variable scope might be the way to go. If simplicity and consistency are more your style, a fixed 6x scope could be a solid choice.

Anyone want to trade their 6x scopes for some 3x9’s? I’m your huckleberry.

A variable scope has more glass and moving parts, a fixed X scope "should" be brighter all things equal. At one time, I was a fixed X fan having the following on my rifles but have since gone to variables as they better fit my hunting needs. When boots on the ground, I always keep my variables on the lowest power, once "hunting" I set to 6 or 7X and adjust based on conditions.

Leupold 6x36 (the only scope I ever bought used and it was a good one)
Leupold 6x42 (several)
S&B 6x42 (two)
Swarovski 8x56 PH (super bright in low light)

All have gone to other shooters, some from this forum, I just prefer variables these days, mostly Leupold 5HDs.

I hunt out west, all over Montana and have always had variables, 2.5-8 or 3-9. After one time walking into a bedded herd of antelope with my scope left a nine power, seeing nothing but blurred shapes as the whole herd bounded away, I always keep my scope dialed all the way down. I have never dialed it up over five, so I could live with a fixed four power.

succinct!

The biggest difference is when you want more power than 6X you can only do it with the variable.

If you can’t hunt without misusing a variable scope, you better stick with the straight power.

I currently have 10 centerfire rifles that I hunt with. 1 has iron sights, 4 have variables & the other 5 are fixed scopes. All of the variables start between 1.5x ~ 2.4x so none of them have overly powerful magnification ranges. A lot of this reflects the shorter ranges (sub 250 meters) that I hunt at and the fact that I personally prefer to keep things simple. I mostly hunt with single-shot falling blocks. Large zoom ranges and adjustable turrets would provide me with features that would be of limited use based on the way I hunt. Whenever I buy a new rifle, putting a fixed scope on it is always something I consider. My fixed scopes are 3x, a pair of 4x, a pair of 6x & one 8x56 and I really do like them all. I totally understand why some hunters prefer scopes with a lot more adjustability but for me personally, I'm happy with the way I do things.

That is a bigger requirement than manipulating a variable power scope. Known ranges and sight settings are critical to hit anything at varied distances.

I enjoy the gun as much or more as the game, but it is more critical to know sight settings than the power on a variable scope…

Hey shrapnel, those are some great photos! Thanks for sharing. I do enjoy seeing other hunter's successes especially when it's different from what I'm doing. While I favor fixed scopes, I do wish my terrible eyesight was good enough to feel comfortable hunting with iron sights more often. But my lack of ability to see clearly at some of the distances I encounter is definitely a weak point with me.

I told myself, I wasn’t going to allow my eyes to get that sensitive, but I have been wearing bifocals since I was 45. I do have progressive lenses and I can still shoot iron sights quite well.

I love guns and shooting, so I have to balance between old guns with iron sights and new guns with scopes. I also live where I would vacation, so I don’t have to go far to shoot or hunt…

Great Pictures Shrapnel. Lucky guy to live in MT. I wanted to stay out there in 1976 when my cousin and I are spent 8 weeks camping x country. Had a gf home, now my wife of 46 years!! Hope to take the camper out west next spring and possibly Alaska.

I bought a 6x42 and 8x56 both S&B’s this year, like them a lot. Also have a S&B variable 2-12x50 coming in today from Eurooptic to mount on a new SAKO S 20 .30-06.