What is the motivation that a few have with the 6X riflescope obsession?

Unless you have poor eyesight you don't need to start at 6X minimum magnification. There are takebacks to hunting with a fixed 6X on it's field of view and on moving game.

The Leupold 6x42 rifle scope has a field of view of 17.30 feet at 100 yards. I don't know how big the deer of elk are you are hunting, but I have never had any issues using a 6x on my 3006, 338 win mag of 375 H&H. Used the 338 and 375 both in North America and Africa without any problems.

The field of view of a Leu. 2-7X
Field of View at 100 Yards:
44.6' @ 2x
17.8' @ 7x

When the game is closer in the forest, say 40 yds and moving a larger field of view is wanted.

The size of the game does not matter.

a good driven hunts scope should have ~ 100 ft FOV at 100 yds.

There are some that will have up to 40 METERS!

Hermann

I have never had a problem with the 6x from maybe 20 yards on out to 300 or so yards. Don't shoot much past 300 yards, I'm a better hunter than that. I practice quite a bit too. Use what you like, that's why there are so many out there. I use varibles too, but I like the fixed power scopes because they are simple and rugged.

quote:

Originally posted by Savage_99:
What is the motivation that a few have with the 6X riflescope obsession?

Unless you have poor eyesight you don't need to start at 6X minimum magnification. There are takebacks to hunting with a fixed 6X on it's field of view and on moving game.

A variable with a 6x minimum magnification would definitely be too high for anything but varmints or target shooting, but I'm wondering if what you have noticed is stuff about variable scopes with 6x multiples, that is 1-6x, 2-12x 3-18x etc.

As an old-timer, I don't really see the need for such large ranges and have real worries that there may be significant downsides to stretching them that far. I suspect they can only be achieved in long erector tubes that would add unnecessary leverage against the mechanism under recoil inertia. The scope makers generally don't talk about it but Swarovski make much of their having employed four helical erector tube springs to withstand recoil, but only in their Z5 and Z6 lines - the 3x-multiple Z3 models are apparently fine with an old-fashioned flat spring.

Many people only hunt from blinds and never shoot at a moving animal offhand. They call it hunting but it is more like sit and snipe.

I have never seen anyone that used a 6X fixed except on a varmit rifle. You can easily shoot big game with a 2.5X to 350 yards without out the need of a variable or a 6X.

Some fixed 6x benefits.

1. Less lenses than a variable, better light transmission.

2. Less mechanicals (simpler) than a variable.

3. It's always at the right setting.

4. Allows you to buy superior glass at bargain pricing.

5. On big game they give up nothing at long ranges, as compared to higher magnification variables.

The downside to a fixed 6x scope is when you have a pissed off charging bruin within yards of having you for lunch, and closing the gap.

quote:

Originally posted by Rub Line:

The downside to a fixed 6x scope is when you have a pissed off charging bruin within yards of having you for lunch, and closing the gap.

That's why they make see-thru mounts/rings :-)

quote:

Originally posted by richj:

quote:

Originally posted by Rub Line:

The downside to a fixed 6x scope is when you have a pissed off charging bruin within yards of having you for lunch, and closing the gap.

That's why they make see-thru mounts/rings :-)

Even simpler, shoot w/both eyes open. Sam

I don't use a fixed 6 much, but I do have a few.

One thing that I can say is that I spend a whole lot of time carrying a variable set on 6 power, and that includes a whole lot of shooting in the bush. Sometimes its turned up a lot higher than 6, even in the bush.

Hitting large game animals at bush distances is easy with low powered scopes or even iron sights. Hitting little holes in the brush, or missing those little twigs that you can't see with a low powered scope is somewhat harder.

The chances of having to clobber a charging buffalo, elephant or grizzly are miniscule. Most will never get the chance to hunt them, never mind have a problem with one. On the other hand, who has never had a shot deflected by an unseen twig?

I've already said that I don't hunt much with fixed power scopes, but if I were to start it would far more likely to be with a 6 than a 4 or 2. Its not that hard to find a target when you shoot with both eyes open, but but shooting between the sticks is easier with more magnification.

6x scopes are not ideal for any hunting I've done. And they can never be as versatile as a variable IMHO.

Over here in the uk the 6x42 has been the go to for a long time. It's simple, can be mounted low, has excellent light transmission and can be used on anything from a 20 yd rabbit out to a fox or a roe deer at 250yds. We don't shoot very much running game with a rifle - far to densely populated for that - with a rifle it's a stationary shot with a solid backdrop first and foremost. We tend to go for top end German glass as we are mostly only allowed 2 or 3 rifles ( we have to show good reason) and with deer, certainly roe and lowland farmland shooting they are taken at last light. Legally we can shoot deer up to 1 hour after sunset and before sunrise.

But though there us a tendency now for top end variables 4-12x50 seems the norm - I replaced a6x42 on my 243 with a4-12x50 Swarovski I was given as a thank you by a friend, but it sits at 6 power most of the time.

I started with a 4x32, but did switch to a6x42 as I was mountain stalking and that little extra mag helped.

quote:

Originally posted by Dogleg:
... Hitting large game animals at bush distances is easy with low powered scopes or even iron sights. Hitting little holes in the brush, or missing those little twigs that you can't see with a low powered scope is somewhat harder...

That's interesting. At least up to 6x most things at a distance can be in focus at once. Beyond that power, twigs on the way to the target might get fuzzed out, as with binoculars.

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:

quote:

Originally posted by Dogleg:
... Hitting large game animals at bush distances is easy with low powered scopes or even iron sights. Hitting little holes in the brush, or missing those little twigs that you can't see with a low powered scope is somewhat harder...

That's interesting. At least up to 6x most things at a distance can be in focus at once. Beyond that power, twigs on the way to the target might get fuzzed out, as with binoculars.

Depends on where the twigs are situated. If close to the animal higher magnification can be very helpful. If midrange or close to shooter.....not so much. I took out a branch just 6 feet from the muzzle b/c magnification was set too high. I've also slipped a projo through brush close to deer thanks to high magnification.

Sam

My problem would be winding up to 6x to take the shot.

Because I'm more likely to spook a stag than spot one hiding behind the twigs, I keep my scope set on 2.5 or 3x. Were I to see a part of an animal behind brush, I probably would not even think to wind up and, if I did, fear the critter would slip away while I was at it.

Recently I took an old variable to pieces and was dismayed at the moisture danger the long slot between the power ring and scroll assembly constitutes. Therefore, unless the bush is quite dry, I now put a strip of electrical tape around the ring, which makes momentary changing of the power even less likely.

I could understand them not being much use in dense eastern woods. But in wide open areas I like them just fine. I usually like 3X9 V scopes, but I do have one fixed 6 Weaver. It can be more cost effective to get a fixed power scope to hold up under heavy recoil, they are sometimes more suitable for lightweight mountian rifles and in some hunting situations simplicity can be an asset. I would take a fixed 6 over a variable power AO scope for hunting almost anytime.