Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Are we over scoping our hunting rifles?

Agree and it would perhaps be interesting to know what he would prefer today.

I am not saying that because he used one particular piece of equipment that all should, or it is the best choice for all. However, it is obvious from his experience and success what can be done with equipment that many today consider inferior.

From observation, I also know most of our younger hunters have never even attempted to use a fixed low power scope for any BG hunting and subsequently have yet to have seen it all.

Or mastered the fine art of shooting irons at long range.

Most of my range shooting is load development, steel targets at 500 an 600 or clay pigeons at the same ranges. For load development and the clays the variables get cranked up as far as they will go. My favs are my Leupold 3.5-10x and Burris 4.5-14 scopes. For hunting they crank down to my preferred 4.5 just fine and provide more x when needed.

I think a higher powered scope is a definate DISADVANTAGE when shooting from field positions. Sure, if you are in a stand and have a solid rest, I guess it doesn't make too much difference, but from a field position a lower powered scope settles down and one simply shoots...quickly.

I have to admit, I don't shoot much with people and I definitely don't hunt with people, but if the average person takes as much time to make a shot as lots of these guys on television seem to take, (yes, I know it's television)then it is a wonder anyone ever kills anything.

Shrapnel- that thing looks friggin prehistoric. Are you hiding your pants in the photo for a reason? I would be! Congrats -what a beast.

I always post that picture because the deer is massive, I got it off the internet and it has nothing to do with anything. Sometimes these threads get so long about who's dad can beat up who's dad, I post that instead of a smiley or a -1...

"Agree and it would perhaps be interesting to know what he would prefer today."

Whatever the highest paying company that he represented wanted him to sell would be my guess. I know it is archery, but take Chuck Adams who did the Grand Slam in jeans and flannel now pushes camo and expandable BH's. I would bet he would have a variable something on a 270 WSM.

I always thought most people over-scoped their hunting rifles until through sad circumstances I had to use a buddy's rifle topped with a 4-12x to shoot cross canyon at a deer (360 on the rangefinder). After never using anything greater than 7x before I was sold on the higher magnification...especially when I realized that his 4-12x weighed the same or a bit less than my old Burris 2-7x. While I am sure that my 2-7x was fine for that shot, it was a whole lot easier with the higher power (no pun intended!).

I have carried all sorts of rifles with about any power range there is and I have really begun to like the Zeiss Conquest 6.20x50 it does everything I want it to do and then some I have shot 30 yards to 1,100 yards, very clear even at close range. Yeh it's a big scope but it hasn't held me back in any way.I have though been very disapointed in 3-9x40, 3.5-10, 2-27x33 etc. There has been many times where I wish I had more magnification.With the 6.5-20 you have a ton of versatility.I doubt I will mess with any thing less than4.5- 14x anymore.

Good post!

JOC mighta jumped on the variable bandwagon, but I doubt like hell he would ever use a SS/Synthetic rifle.Just was not his cup of tea,and since he killed BG animals on several continents,and all over this one as well,he'd likely laugh when someone told him that wood/blue does not work.

Using fixed 4x to 4.5-14x, I can�t recall that the difference in scope height has ever made a difference in outcome.

The longest I ever watched an animal before pulling the trigger was about 6 hours, from 11:30AM until just past sunset. The hardest part was waiting for a good opportunity and a closer shot. More typical were the last two elk (2010 and 2011). The first I had time to circle a large stand of trees, work my way through part of it, setup on sticks and take my shot, range 282 yards give or take (don�t have access to my notes here at work). The second I watched the elk come in from over a mile away, moved a quarter mile to a more favorable position, set up on sticks and waited another 15-20 minutes for the elk to come back into view and shooting range, about 260 yards. In 2009 I turned down several shot opportunities at ranges from 50 yards to a couple hundred yards in hopes my son-in-law would get his. (We both went home empty handed instead, with neither of us firing a shot.) In 2007 I had time on the first elk to get into a sitting position and lift my head from the rifle several times as I watched a string of elk, finally choosing one that was approaching an opening through the trees, range about 125 yards. The second elk in 2007 was 25 yards after I turned down a shot at about 25 feet. 2006 was not unusual, either � my buddy got his elk down, after which I borrowed some sticks rather than assemble my folders, took a sitting position, and put one in the boiler room of a cow at 260 yards .

The story generally isn�t much different for deer and antelope � find animals, stalk, set up in a sitting position with sticks, fire. Last year�s deer was different, plenty of time for sticks but no need. In 2008 I spent far more time crawling a couple hundred yards through the sage than I did setting up for my two deer, one after the other. One antelope last year, two the year before, one each in the two preceding years, plenty of time on all.

Finding game has always been the bigger problem � in what to do afterwards, scope height has never concerned me.

Granted, I�m not shooting fleeing animals in heavy timber where 25 -50 yards is a long shot.

My first couple of big game kills were with a 4x scope. As soon as I could afford more, i bought more.

Hand O'Connor a Conquest, and it would probably blow his mind.

Yes

Especially on leverguns big scopes can be a detriment. Levergun stocks are made for open sights generally speaking. If you do not get your scopes as low as possible, then you will be picking your head up off of the stock every time you shoot. This is not a good recipe for consistent shooting. It is simply not possible to get a 50mm scope low enough on a levergun. It is quite easy to get a 20, 28 or 32 mm low enough.

JOC killed almost everything with a Lyman Alaskan 2.5X with a 5 (yes FIVE) inch dot and crosshairs.

I doubt he would wet himself over a larger scope (as good as it is) since it really won't do anything for 99% of hunters that an All Weather Alaskan could not. (Except miss a shot because the hunter set it at 9X, forgot it, and then jumped a buck @ 20 yards)

As Finn said:"Big game to far away to be killed with a 3X scope is....too far away."

Magnumtitus, Hugescopeitis and Tacticalitis are all modern maladies perpetuated by skilled marketing and taken hook, line and sinker by those who spent their youth playing video games instead of hunting cotton tails with a single shot iron sighted 22 rimfire.

See em' every year. Nice folks from "back there" who leave the 270/30-06 with a low power scope at home because all the Experts say "Antelope are killed @ 600 yards" and "Elk are bulletproof".
Both statements are pure BS, especially if you have a good outfitter.

If you are a successful hunter of Whitetails "back home", have a good outfitter and know your weapon, your "deer" rifle will serve you well.

80 yards with a 45 caliber iron sighted Alex. Henry replica muzzleloader (near my home in the sagebrush sea)

18 paces with a 61 caliber 1809 British Baker flintlock (guided hunt in ID)

Lots of stalking, wind reading, using cover, in other words: "hunting".

Then there was this smaller Elk. 250 yards, 400 Whelen and "only" a 2.5X Leupold Alaskan (a modern attempt to replicate the great Lyman Alaskan. It failed because "everyone knew" a 2.5X 7/8" tube scope was insufficient, now try to buy one !)

The older I get, the more glass required!

..........Some older eyes cannot make due with a 2.5x or a 4x for those longer shots. Overscoping in certain respects because of eye issues is and for group development can be justified.

I prefer matching a scopes magnification to a cartridge`s capabilities and best overall hunting situations.

3x9 sits on a 300 WSM.
4.5x14 is atop a 338-378 Mk5
1.5-5 is mounted on a 375 Ruger Alaskan.

Perhaps my 338-378 might be overscoped a bit but it`ll do just fine. At 200 yards and beyond, I like the 12x-14x at the range.

Unless there are eye issues, the 3x9s and greater magnifications for hunting using cartridges like a 30-30, 358, and 45/70 etc,,,,is overscoping. Those magnifications exceed imo, their range capabilities.

The more that one over magnifies on a hunting target, there is usually more scope wobble to deal with.

Let your eyes and the cartridge you`re using determine what scope magnification is the best with either a fixed or a variable scope.

If someone is shooting p dogs or doing "long distance" all the time, then I can see the need for high magnification scopes. For hunting deer/elk/bear class animals from 10 to 400 or even 500 yards, I've never seen the need for anything greater than a 9 or 10 power scope.

Wherever did you get the idea that I was referring to scope height making any sort of difference?

Lower powered scopes settle down on target with less crosshair movement and the shot is quicker. It has nothing to do with height of the scope.

Oh, and I may have shots up to 300 yards or so, but it is a see deer stepping across the road in the pine plantation, deer is now gone never to be seen again kind of deal in not much longer than it takes to type this sentence. You've got to see him, then be on him quick and shoot quick or you'll never see him again.

I am one who prefers the higher magnification variables. I am not saying I am right and you are wrong but most of my hunting is done off shooting sticks. In practice I shoot better groups with my scope on 15 than I do on 2.5, 4,6 or nine. I don't think everyone is the same and some people look through a scope and search for the target,I don't have that problem and have shot many pigs running with a 25-06 on 20 power. Do I need it ? No but I like it and that is what matters. I like my 375 RUM with z6 2.5x15 illuminated in Africa and have shot dik dik up to buffalo and never turned it down. If I am going for a wounded buff I would switch to a double but I like the power.