VOTE-What scope power range?

[Couch11b]

Just wondering what everyone's favorite power range is for hunting and long range shooting out to 600-800 yards. Chose between 3-18/ 4-24/ 5-30. We will assume all objectives between 50mm and 56mm Just curious what everyone is using. Thank you!

 

[MudRunner2005]

I mostly use Vortex HS-T scopes, and all of mine are 6-24x50 MRAD. I don't know if i'd call it my "favorite", but it is the most commonly found magnification range on my rifles.

 

[Rick Richard]

I still find myself setting the magnification at 12 -14X at those distances so I don't loose the animal in the scope. On the other hand, target shooting is a different story...like as much magnification as possible.

 

[Tnwhip]

wish I had a 4x24 got several 6x24s

 

[antleredacres]

wish I had a 4x24 got several 6x24s

3-18 or another choice 3-15. Lower power for close shots and the upper end of 18/15 is plently for an accurate shot on big game.

 

[Couch11b]

Thank you for all the replys picking the brand and picking the power range has been the biggest difficulty I've had to choose when setting up long range rifles

 

[Canhunter35]

I've got several 6-20x. Would take lower mag before a higher magnification. So 3-18

 

[Rich Coyle]

Sight fascinates me. You asked about 600-800 yards. I have 20/20 in my shooting eye and yet when I compare scopes with someone else they need less magnification than I do to see the same detail. Most likely I would set the magnification ring on at least 25X and maybe even up to 30X for that range.

To go slightly further in the conversation I like at least twenty feet field of view at 100 yards for the lowest setting in a scope. I think mine has about twenty-two feet on 4 1/2X. Don't know what it is on 30X.

 

[dmoon]

This topic always comes up with the group of guys I shoot/hunt with. Many of them always want the 3x bottom end (not saying anything is wrong with that), because they can never find anything in the scope on "high power". I have started wondering over the years how well their rifle stock/scope set ups fit them. Watching many of that group over the years shooting they always seem to have to be readjusting their cheek plant on the stock to see through the scope in the first place. I personally like to have the 30x for those longer shots if I have time, but usually have my scope set on 12-14x even for close shots. (close meaning 80-100 yards)

 

[Aoudad shooter1975]

I'm fond of the highest maginfication o can get...

 

[Couch11b]

Really the only time I use the highest power 20-30 is when I'm trying to see my shots on paper or target shooting at long ranges. Other than that I find that I'm more steady when shooting around 12-15 power. Seems like when I'm at the highest power I can see my self shaking and I try to adjust for it and it'll mess my grouping up.

 

[Legionnaire]

I only have one scope that goes up to 25X; most top out 15-18X. So I voted 3-18.

 

[memtb]

Just wondering what everyone's favorite power range is for hunting and long range shooting out to 600-800 yards. Chose between 3-18/ 4-24/ 5-30. We will assume all objectives between 50mm and 56mm Just curious what everyone is using. Thank you!

Don't use any of those, we (wife and I) use 3.5-10's. For your survey, I choose the 3-18....for our hunting (big game) it would be the most logical for timber/brush short range shots.

 

[lancetkenyon]

For a 600-800 max hunting range, I would definitely say 3-18x.

I regularly shoot my rifles from 500-1800+, and have some scopes that are "only" 3-15x. Some are 3-20x, some are 5-25x, and one is 6-24x. My dedicated LR hunting rifles (.300RUM w. 5-25×56 Premier Heritage for elk, 6.5SS w. 5-25×56 S&B for deer/antelope, 600+ yd) run 5-25x. My lighterweight carry elk rifle (7RM out to 1100 yards) wears a 3-20 S&B, my lightweight mountain carry do-it-all deer/elk (.280AI out to 900-1000) is topped with a 3-15x Premier Heritage Light Tactical. My heavy weight target/varmint/moderate deer rifle (6.5 SLR to 800 for deer, 1300 for varmints, 1800 for paper/steel) wears the 6-24x Kahles.

All that being said, I shot 2 coyotes, 1st round hits, @ 1365ish with my .300RUM last elk season with the 5-25×56 Premier Heritage set on 17x. Plenty of magnification, but still gave a decent FOV for watching the second yote trot off and make the fatal mistake of stopping to see what happened to coyote #1.

I think optical quality can overcome more magnification in a lot of cases. I can definitely see much better and clearer with my 3-15x50 Premier than with my cousins 6-24x50 Vortex PST. I can see 6.5mm holes in a target @ 400+ with my Premier on 15x, but lose the holes @ 300 with the Vortex PST at any mag range.