Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Survey #2 - what Scope Power used for big game killls ??

For me:

75% of my deer were killed w/4x and 6x fixed scopes.

There were a few killed w/open sights, 2x pistol scope, and 2.5x rifle. Also a few with fixed/variable on 10x, 2 kills w/vari on 14x and 2 using 24x.

My longest shot was 400 yds, 6BR, 6-24x 4200 w/mil dots...they made it a chip shot having practiced at the range.

Since I started 59 years ago most of my kills were with a 4X. Not because I wanted it but it's all we had. My first was with a 6X for the same reason.

When variables came out I got them. They are much more enjoyable and useful to me.

My last was with a 2.5-8 turned to 8X. I upgraded that recently to a 3-9.

Anywhere from 1.5-9 for me.

Couldn't quantify the exact numbers at each setting.

In the past ten years, mostly with a 6x Leupold.

Prior to that I used more variable power scopes. Don't remember using more than 6x to shoot game though, mostly had them dialed down pretty low.

Have also shot some deer, just using sights.

On my 3-9's when I hit the woods I am usually set on 5, why I don't know.

KC

Weaver K2.5 mostly...when I used glass. Only two exceptions, one a Burris 1.75X as I recall, a shotgun scope. The other a Leupold 1.75x6 VX3 as I recall. Rarely used the Leupold at more than minimum magnification.

Most rifle mayhem done with aperture sights or more recently a red dot.

Since I have 2-7x scopes mounted on many of my medium game rifles, they get the nod most often.

Jeff

The majority of mine have been 6X OR 8X.

Very few at 4X.

Some at 12X.


Up to 300 yds 6 or 8X is plenty to make a good shot.

From 300 out, I frequenty power up to see details of rack and don't bother turning down the ring.

I have 3 or 4 scopes that will group well enough FROM 4---12X I don't have to worry about what setting they're on.

For probably 25 years all I ever used was a Leupold Vari X 2x7. Plenty of deer were crushed via the intersection of those two wires.

Probably 10 years ago I started switching to 2.5x8 and for the last 5 or so almost all I buy are 3.5x10

All Leupold brand.

Lots of variable power scopes, with virtually every animal killed with the scope set on 6x. When I didn't have a variable power scope on the rifle, it wore a fixed 6x scope.

A 3-10 variable mostly.

I have several variables but they are usually set at their lowest power. I will say I don't believe I have ever used one set over 4x while hunting big game.

Without doing a proper tally, I'm going to estimate 80% of my big game kills have been with a fixed 4x scope. That percentage will likely decline over time as my primary deer rifle is no longer equiped with a fixed 4x and probably won't be again. My primary elk rifle on the other hand, will probably wear a fixed 4x for a long, long time. I kill more elk than deer, at least so far.

Ah hell, let's do the tally. I've got an hour left at work, and it's a slooow day.

1st deer: irons

2nd deer: 3-9x variable (I think)

3rd deer: 4x

4th deer: arrow

5th deer: 4x

6th deer: 4x

7th deer: 4-12x



1st elk: irons

2nd elk: 3-9x variable

3rd elk: 4x

4th elk: 4-12x variable

5th elk: 4x

6th elk: 4x

7th elk: 4x

8th elk: 4x

9th elk: 4-12x variable

10th elk: 4x

11th elk: 4x

12th elk: 4x

11/18 animals killed with a fixed 4x, I didn't count the deer I killed with my bow. That's 61% with a fixed 4x which is lower than I expected, I forgot that 2 of my elk were killed with other people's rifles and I also forgot I packed the 300 Savage for a few years that wore irons and then a variable 3-9x.

Generally 3-9 variables set at 5 for close shots and turned up to 9 for longer shots. However, when I know I'll be taking longer shots I grab the 4.5-14x40's and crank them up. This applies to last years buck that was taken at a lasered 600 yards....

3x9 Leupold ultralight set either on 3 or 9. No middle setting. This includes lots of jackrabbits. About 250-300 big game.

Wish there was a 3 or 10 variable. Notice OR !

I consider the Leupold 2.5-8x36 series the perfect hunting scope for the way I hunt and most of my big game rifles wear them. I'd guess the animals have been pretty evenly across that range.

I've always used 3-9's, 2.5-8's and 2-7's. If I've ever taken a shot at game at anything other than the lowest power I cannot recall doing it.

I've used all sorts of scopes to take big game, running from a few fixed 2-1/2x's to one 4.5-14x. The variables were generally set on relatively low magnification (the 4.5-14x was set on 6x), but not always. Have shot a few animals with variables set on their top end, but that was never more than 9x or maybe 10x.

Have killed a bunch of big game with fixed scopes from 2.5x to 10x, but most have been 4x or 6x. In fact I'm sure I've taken more game with fixed scopes than variables.

Last year I took 11 big game animals with the following scopes:

4 feral pigs--2.5-10x Zeiss set on 6x. The biggest was a trophy boar shot running twice, once at maybe 80 yards and once at 10 yards.

zebra, wildebeest, hartebeest, impala--All with a fixed 4x at ranges up to about 200 yards.

Cape buffalo--A fixed 3x at 30-35 yards.

Doe pronghorn--A fixed 6x at 175 yards.

Doe whitetail--A fixed 4x at 100 yards.

Buck whitetail--2-7x variable set on 7x, 30 yards.

I also shot another doe whitetail with an aperture sight and front bead at 50 yards. Usually I kill at least one animal each year with irons, and sometimes several more.

2x7, 1.75x6' & 2.5x8s for the vast majority. All game has been taken at reasonable range and have not needed higher power.

Anywhere from 2 power to 25