Sometimes I think my scopes hurt me a little when I'm developing a load for my rifles. Just wondering how many people out there build a load with a different scope and then switch to the one that they will use on their rifle for whatever. I usually like regular or heavy duplex for my riflesl and tend to keep the power range around 9X or less.

I've been thinking hard about picking up a target scope with either a fine or target dot cross hairs. Sometimes I think my other scopes cover up too much of the target to help me get the best groups I possibly can. This really doesn't affect my hunting rifles but I'm kind of dissapointed in my varmint and small bore rifles that I feel could just do better.

I've been looking at the Weaver T Series or the Leupold fixed power target scopes. Thinking a 12 or 24X power would be the way to go. I do want it to handle recoil as well because I might just get a wild hair and try it out for my larger bore rifles just for fun. Heaviest recoiling rifle I have at the moment is a .375 Ruger.

Thanks!

ive got an old el paso weaver wideview variable 3x-9x, fine crosshairs,.... i use it because i don't particularly like the fine crosshairs to hunt with....it has a ton of ring marks, bad blue, but it always adjusts well, its clear as a bell, and has handled recoil from my .416 rem mag down to a .22 hornet...these old steel scopes were heavy, and they worked...

It is easier to use a higher X scope when developing loads, especially when my aging eyes are not quite as sharp as some years ago. Sometimes I switch back to a lower X, other times I leave the scope on the rifle depending on what max range I may be hunting. Example I use a Zeiss Conquest 4.5 X 14 on my Winchester model 52 C in .22 LR. This is plenty of X out to 100 yds or so. On my Sako .17 Rem I use a Leupold 8 X 25 with hunters reticle. On my .22 Mink I am using a Swarovski 6 X 18 TDS reticle. Works well for me out past 200 yds. Try a higer X for load development. It should help!
Jim

I have an old Weaver T12 (one of the old steel tube ones that Chill Wills used to drive nails in borards) that I use for load developement.

Using a higher powered target type scope for load development isn't a bad idea, particularly when the hunting scope you will use is of limited power. However, if your hunting scope has as much as 9x available on the top end, it is doubtful that you will gain much improvement in the way of group size with a more powerful scope.

Test firing has indicated that group sizes with hunting rifles tend to improve a little up to around 7x, at which point they begin to level off very rapidly and don't change appreciably as power goes above 10X.

The most important factor is your scope's accuracy and repeatability. An 18X scope with a slightly wandering zero provides you with less useful information than a 4X that stays on the money.

I find basically no difference in group size as long as max power is 6x or greater. I would never switch scopes back and forth to work up a load. Sounds like a lot of trouble with no positive gain.

Hi my hunting scope is zeiss 3-12x56 with a german number 4 but I have a weaver T-36 for load testing. They are on EAW swing of mount so just 5 seconds to switch scopes. Always returns to zero