Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Survey - fixed 6x users - have you ever NOT harvested b/c you had a 6x?

Just wanted to get a little insight as although nothing is perfect, somehow I believe the 'anti-6x' guys are ill informed.

SO, if you ever FAILED to bag a big game animal using a Fixed 6x, chime in, details if you want. Thanks.

I missed a chance to shoot a buck from a treestand once because of a 4X. The deer came in behind me and I had to wait until he got past me and I moved a split second too soon and he saw me in his peripheral vision and bolted and all I saw was fur in the scope and couldn't break the shot. A 1-4x on one power, a ghost ring, or a scout scope and he'd have died.

A 2.5x scout (or 1-4x variable) a fixed 6x and a fixed 10x, depending on your location in the US, covers about all the bases.

When I was about 14 I had a 722 with a 6X as my only CF rifle. I was in the woods in VT deer hunting with my late dad and a couple of does came towards me running fast.

I tried to scope them and could not get them in the scope.

That set me off as intimidated by that scope. Perhaps it was just me.

I did get a lot of chucks with that rig.

Why bother with a 6X scope unless you have poor eyesight?

Crickets are chirping over here...

Went to Africa with a 2.5-10x on my .300 H&H. Shot two Kudu, Blesbok, Springer, Steenie, Wartie and Impala...my scope never went over the 6x setting except once. That was on the Blesbok that walked in front of me at 30 yards...and I still had the damn scope set at 10x from a range sight in!

The reason I like variables is that I like to test my loads at the range for accuracy and I do better on 10x than 6x. For hunting purposes 6x is fine. My Kudu were both shot at 280 yards - I used 4x on one, 6x on the other.

6x works fine for hunting. Enough so that I've considered a 6x Loopy for my lightweight rig because it shaves 4 or 5 oz off over a Conquest 3-9x40.

Now whether one likes fixed power scopes in general is another story.

NOPE! Not big game, nor small game. I much prefer a fixed power scope.

Ed

I have always been a variable scope user, but I used a fixed 6 on a borrowed rifle in Africa recently and it was great!

I took about 18 animals with it at varying distances and never needed anything else.

I appreciated the fact that it took out the additional "which power to use" decision making element and allowed me to simply focus on the task at hand, (shootin' stuff).

I am now wanting to purchase a couple of Leupold 6 x 42's.

I was a variable addict for years as a kid lost a shot playing with the range selector but trying a Leupold 6x change that, now half my rifles have either 6x36's or 6x42's including a new fx-3 6x42 CDS. I have shot pigs at 15 ft, jumped my biggest CA mulie at 20 yards and whitetail at 300 yards all at 6x.

I also swapped the 3-9 on my 35 Whelen for a fx-ii 4x33 and range tested it to 300 and hope to get to use it in 10 days when deer and bear season open in D9 zone.

Ed, do you prefer a 4X or a 6X ?

Mark

Yes, fast moving wildboar at close range for lack of orientation as to where I am on the boar.

You just can not win.

With a 2,5x you will find far off animals to small, with a 6x you will find animals close by to big and with a variable you are constantly worrying about your settings.

:-)

No....near or far.

Never lost a deer using 6x and probably never will because I really like having 10-12x scopes.

20mph will get you there also...just sayin.

Have a bunch of fixed 6X's, and have never failed to kill an animal cleanly with them. Use them a lot in Wyoming and back East in the woods.

Have bought about 4-5 used ones here at the Fire, and love them. I do send them back to Leupold for a check-up before mounting them.

I keep my variable scopes at 6X when hunting, and can't recall ever increasing the power. Have decreased them to 4X or 3X for some woods hunting, but that is about it. Can't say that reducing the power of the scope helped make a shot that I could not have made at 6X.

God bless the fixed 6X's!

Steve

Stoney, too funny man. Just a survey, curious.

No doubt where some hunt in really thick stuff, a fast handling 12 bore w/Buckshot would be best!

Enjoyed the replies gang. CMG, sounds like you need a good 4x

I still think some of the "Fixed 6X" users feel bad about themselves what with them having poor eyesight and they use the F6X as a sinner would wear a hair shirt.

A few others may feel superior and tout the F6X using it as a handicap showing how much better they are!

In both cases it's a never ending fun time. LOL

Yup, clearly they're compensating...........

I've had a hard time finding game in a scope regardless of it's magnification. Some of those I didn't get a shot.
This is why I appreciate the large eye boxes that Leupold puts in their scopes.
The two best mulies I've killed got up at 40 yds, and at about 20, maybe 25 yds. Of the two, the 40 yd. shot was tougher, due to the small eye box in the 4X scope. In contrast, the 20-25 yd. shot was easier, in spite of the shorter range and the fact that I was using a 6X Leupold. E

nope...

I don't know exactly how many big game animals I've taken with fixed 6's or variables set on 6x, but it must be well over 100. The ranges have been from 10 yards (on a running feral pig that weighed close to 250 pounds) to around 450. Never had to pass up a shot because the animal was too close or too far.

Currently have three big game rifle each with a Leupold 6x36. Never a problem.