Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles fixed power scope for shots from 50-500yds?

Eremicus, just out of curiosity, what were you hunting given that you said you couldn't see over 15 feet due to darkness.

Give me a 3x, 4x, 6x or even a 2x7x33 and I am good to go..I am not anal over scopes as long as they have a standard or duplex cross hair. I can see a deer just fine to shoot at 800 or so yards as far as the scope is concerned..

In my mispent cowboy youth I shot a lot of deer and elk at some very extended ranges with 3 and 4 power scopes, and on an extremely rare ocassion I still might try a rather long 400 yard shot, but its not likely these days for me to shoot over 300 yards, I prefer to do my hunting before I shoot..I have seen too many legs broke with long range shooting, it just takes a slight error to wound at long ranges, and I learned that the hard way, I also noticed it bothers some of us and others it does not...

I like that. Can I use it?

It sure is often easier to hunt them while they are standing than to hunt for them from far - and sometimes not so far- after they fall down. Besides, after they're down, usually they don't give you any reaction clues to betray their whereabouts even if you virtually step on them.

I have two of the fixed 6x Leupolds on hunting rifles. One in .270 and the other in .257 Rbts. Both have been fine in my experience for shots out to about 350 yards on deer and antelope, which is my self-imposed limit. If you are actually wanting to shoot at 500 yards, then you may want/need more magnification.

Current mania is for higher power, but I'm hard pressed to really see a need for more power than 4x. Some specialty rifles might do w/ more power and heavier rigs, but for real hunting in tough country, anything more than 4x for big game is weight you don't need. I like the duplex reticle that doubles as a rangefinder.

4X for the East and 6X for the West was the rule 40-50 years ago. It is still good.

The only fixed power scope for centerfire rifles that I have ever seen on a store shelf was a used M8 6x42 that I bought.

That really is a great statement...meminds me of my Dad. The first time I ever took, and made, a long shot, I went home and bragged to him. His only comment was "Why didn't you get closer?". Old people used to be really stupid back then.

It's also funny how "old" people could ask a simple question like that and and it really was a multiple choice question which only allowed answers such as:

1. I did not have the skill or ability

2. I was too lazy

but not:

3. It was not possible

I couldn't agree more! Most hunters today seem to think the primary advantage of a scope is having unlimited magnification when, in reality, this is not the case. The real advantage is having the complete sighting picture on one plane. This being the case, a light handy 4x should be sufficient for most big game hunting.

I also like using my duplex reticle as a range finder. Mule Deer explains this system of range estimation very well in Nosler's #4 Reloading Manual.

M Bell

For a more informed answer, I'd ask "what is the intended target?"

4x East, 6x West? Keyboard swamp gas. Idaho is my home, where I hunt, often big game ranges are long. I have yet to find a disadvantage in the 4x scope. This includes some very long shots in the high desert big canyon country (Owyhee County).

True, it is still good.But the 4X ruled among guys like Page,O'Connor, and Keith and legions of others,who traveled all over the west and worldwide to hunt big game.Back here,mostly 2.5 with a bunch of 3X thrown in for good measure.A 6X was the scope for the specialist and really not that widely used,near as I can tell.In the 70's I used to put them on stuff like a 222 or 257 Roberts to shoot woodchucks out to 400 yards or so.

My rancher pal from Wyoming has 40-50 elk to his credit; and likely more big mule deer than many have ever seen alive.I showed up one year with a 2.5-8 Leup,and he said "what is that?".......I told him,and he said (like he was talking to a school kid)...."You know you don't need that damn thing ..."

I would have no interest in shooting game past around 300 yrds with a fixed 6x. 500yrds I like 10x-14x , I shoot 100 yard groups on 10x. I have noticed the 6x has become very popular though.

For most of my hunting in AL and TN a 4X is more than enough. I can see where a 6X would offer an advantage to hunters in more open areas.

Hard to beat the 6X. It will do it's job at most any range if you can do yours.

If we ever meet up, I'll show you just how worthless 4X is past 300 yards

I've found the same thing hunting in brushy whitetail habitat. Extra magnification is often most helpful when trying to thread the needle, and I've had to do that to some degree on 4 out of 5 of the last big bucks I've killed. I want that bullet dead on in such situations, not 2 or 3 inches high. It's also handy meat hunting when I want to break a doe's neck.

I know you're a turrets guy, and while I like them for some applications, I just can't find them as trustworthy as I like on the first shot after I adjust them. When I test them on paper, it's far too often that it takes a shot or two for the turret spin to settle the reticle to the POI I want.

So, for hunting, I've leaned more toward less cluttered ballistic reticles. Here's one thing I've started doing: I'll sight in dead on at 100 at max magnification on something like a Leupy LRD 3-9 or 2.5-8 B&C. When I hunt, I'll run it on 6x almost all the time. Still dead on at 100, obviously, but decreasing magnification makes my dots/marks pretty well spot on at 300, 400 & 500.

While not as precise as turrets, with the time I generally have when hunting and my lack of confidence in getting a perfect adjustment on the first shot after spinning turrets, I'm finding this to work out pretty well. I can range quick and hit vitals on deer sized stuff out to 500 and even usually 600 without too much problem, and can bracket things well enough on in between shots to be pretty effective for hunting situations.

Just thought I'd throw this out there in case it might help anyone, or give a little incentive to try something a little different.

DJ

Funny, I thought 6x was too much for close up and that the 6x36 could do everything the 6x42 could... Until I actually used the 6x42...