Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Scope Power Setting & Group Size

If you use variable power scopes,at what power setting do you shoot your tightest groups?

Just for giggles today, I shot groups at 9x, 6x, and 4x on my 3-9 Conquest. Interstingly, the groups got tighter as I went.

I then tried the same experiment with my 2-7 Viper, using 7x, 6x, and 4x. I noticed the same thing.

I'm beginning to think I should chuck 'em all, & go back to fixed 4x's! In the field, I've always got 'em dialed-down to the lowest setting, anyway.

What are your experiences?

FC

The opposite ........................DJ

Most definitely, opposite as well.........

Yep

As long as I can see well enough to center the crosshairs of what I want to hit the magnification does not really matter to me. I hunted this season with a 3.5x10 set on 6x and never saw the need to move it.

I shot this with a .308 at 100yards while testing a used 2x7 sightron, one shot each at 2x, 5x and 7x, I guess the scope passed the test(thanks LubbockDave)

Maybe you could go to a ghost ring setup and shrink those groups some more..........<g>


Roy

6x usually does best for me. More don't tighten things up.

It depends on how well the reticle/target/magnification/distance combination works. With an appropriate target I can shoot sub-1" groups at 300 yards with a straight 6x Leupold on my 223.

Some of the best groups I've ever got came with a fixed 4.More power has never really helped me, out to 200 yards at any rate.

When my groups decrease in size with decrease in magnification, I usually find that I need to pay better attention to my rest. Image shake from a marginal rest may be getting you at higher magnification. Usually I typically sight in at 4-6x, since that is almost always where I shoot. You have to be solid when you shoot at high magnification if you want the benefit of the power.

I'm always shooting MPAJ so I guess that explains why I like less.

If you have a solid rest and can return your rifle to the same position after each shot then high magnification always benefits group size.

Otherwise, Benchrest shooters would be using 4X scopes instead of 40X & 45X scopes.

I'd be careful of absolutes.

4X seems to be where I do best.I cant explain it but when I go higher my groups get bigger.My nephew is the same way,he found out a couple weeks ago at the range with me.I dont know why but it is so.

Using a bench rest, consistent rifle and ammo, tighter groups with higher magnification. I did this once with a good Anschutz rimfire shooting ten 5 shot groups at each magnification. I think I used 4x, 6x, 9x, 12x and 16x as I had a 4-16x scope on it. Group averages varied in general about like the difference in MOA covered by the reticle on the target. Anyway, without all the extra info, more mag meant more precise aiming which meant aiming error was reduced, and groups were tighter.

Now using targets with large crosshairs printed on them has allowed me to line up the outer crosshairs a bit more precisely and shoot smaller groups than I thought likely using only 4x or 6x.

I shoot the best at 10x ,I use my variables all the way from 3x-10x in hunting situations.

I was; I preceded my statement with two caveats. If you can shoot your rifle with the same technique and precision as a benchrest competitor, the added magnification will always help you by aiding in precise bullet placement.

I'm thinking we ain't talking about 15 pound rail guns and concrete benches here.

Must be the 'Hunting Optics' that gave that away, obvious for some, not so much for others.

I'm pretty sure that "Most" of us here understand the concept of an analogy and that Benchrest Competition is all about group size......................DJ