how much magnification is needed?

[Kman]

How much do you need? I plan on buying a Long Range scope soon and I'm looking at the Leupolds. They have the Long Range scopes I'm looking at in 14, 20 and 25 power. I know that the Canadian sniper kill (2600 yards or so) in Afgahn was made using a Leupold Mark 4 16x scope. If you're hunting Elk and moose out to 1500 yards and White tails and blackies out to 1000 yards how much magnification do you need? If a man size target can be hit that far out with a 16x scope wounldn't that be enough? I wish there was a way or a program one could run that would show you how big a 10inch target appears in your scope at various ranges.

Let me know what you have to say guys. Hunting season draws near.

 

[ewallace]

I use a 8x32 Nightforce. The Leupold LRT in 8x25 would be a good choose or a 5.5x22 Nightforce with its 100 MOA of elevation would be a fine scope for long range shooting. You don't need a lot of power to shoot 1500 yards the Min I would suggest would be 10 Power for big game the Pic is my Nightforce set on 32 the target is 4 foot in diameter the distance is 1680 yards.

Crow Mag

 

[DANTEC]

I use mostly IOR 16 x that far enought for 1 mile shooting on rather big target ( 300 yards meters or bigger ), if you hunt a elk is not a PD and you surely not need to count how many pils they have in furr

over you get mirage in mostly weather condition

I have too 8.5x25 LR lepupold but I use them at 20x power max

good shooting

DAN TEC

 

[MachV]

DANTEC is on to something with the IOR16x.I use numerous Leupolds and a couple of Nightforces but for the $ the 16X is a great scope to 1500 on prairie dogs.Past that it takes good weather conditions and a little more power to see them.Personaly I wish IOR would make a 20x fixed,all of my long range rigs would ware one!!
CJ

 

[DANTEC]

dear MAch V

I agree with you that a 20 X wil be a dream in IOR brand and if they can make a35 mm main tube that probably make the very best long range scope for real long range

good shooting

DAN TEC

 

[Mysticplayer]

Kman, I use a B&L 4000 6X24 for my LR hunting out to 1000yds. I usually set it at 12 and forget about it. I have shot to 1800m with a Tasco 10X with good results on stumps.

You need to decide what you eyes like. I feel that as long as the resolution is there to put the crosshair into the correct third of the boiler room, that is the mag I need. That usually relates to 10 to 16X. Anymore and field of view is small and you may not see the hit during recoil.

Good luck...

Jerry

 

[Kman]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I'll take a good look at the 20x LR leupold scope. Looks like it might be a winner. I'd like to hear what people have to say about the Target Dot type reticle. I know DC uses them on his LR Leupold. They make sence to me as the obstruction of view with only a dot is much less then with the mil dot reticle for example.

Cheers

 

[Mysticplayer]

Dot reticles are very nice except when light is dim. They are mounted on very fine crosshairs and may make finding the reticle difficult. Try on in the evening against a stand of trees or dark building, you may find the reg. crosshairs better. I do.

Jerry