good scope magnification for hunting?
- Thread starter oneill
- Start date
Most all my shots I leave the scope on 5 unless im getting way out there. So no i wouldnt say it was too much.
Last edited:
Depends on where your hunting. Some places I'll use a 2-7 where I have shots that are under 50 yards. Other places where I have some open fields I typically use 4-12 because I like the 12x to use for identification...but then typically shoot it at 8x. My son learned the hard way that a 6-24x is way to much when a deer steps out only 50 yards away so he only uses that in the open fields now.
It'll work, but its probably not ideal for most. Field of view is a tad narrow for close shots and moving targets. I'd think in terms of at least 30' at 100 as a minimum and 40' or more is better. With the new 5x and 6x erector scopes out now, there's no reason to sacrifice. A 2-10x or even 12x is easier to live with. Check out a Burris Six X if you haven't.
Yes i have higher magnification but mainly only max it out when i cant make something out
Take it FWIW but I've used the following in GA
3-9x40
3-9x50
6-24x40
My favorite of all of these was the 3-9x50. I always keep it on 3-5 power while sitting in the stand because any higher and your not going to find them as fast when you pull the gun up on them. Then zoom in accordingly. I really had no need for the 6-24 but my barrel is 26" on my 7mmMag and a short scope just looked downright goofy; however, I made a 210 yd shot with it. I was hunting a wide open clear cut. However every other deer I've killed has been with a 3x and never zoomed in past 6.
3-9x40
3-9x50
6-24x40
My favorite of all of these was the 3-9x50. I always keep it on 3-5 power while sitting in the stand because any higher and your not going to find them as fast when you pull the gun up on them. Then zoom in accordingly. I really had no need for the 6-24 but my barrel is 26" on my 7mmMag and a short scope just looked downright goofy; however, I made a 210 yd shot with it. I was hunting a wide open clear cut. However every other deer I've killed has been with a 3x and never zoomed in past 6.
I use 2x7 power. When I am firing I don't move above 3 power on shots of 150 yds and below. When you use the higher powers it shows your movement too much. I use the highest power only to identify the animal. When you shoot your rifle at the range don't try to bring target too close with scope and you will shoot better. Experiment at the range and see if it is better for you that way. Of course if you are making 250+ shots you might need more than that. Where I hunt there are not any shots longer than 150 yds. Good luck!
