OK I am buying a Trijicon accupoint, but having a hard time deciding between a 1.25-4 or a 3-9

The primary use WON'T be dangerous game, but mostly deer and maybe a couple bear, pigs.

I'll be shooting my game anywhere from 6-350 yards.

Is the 3 power in a 3-9 to high for 6-15 yard shots where it might not have enough field of view to even see the top and bottom of a deer.
Is the 4 power in a 1.25-4 too low to make those longer shots at 200-300 yards?

Please no other suggestions for different scopes as I'm hooked on the accupoint and I think the 2.5-10 version has too big of objective and cost too much more.

I am also looking for your experience using 4x magnification for longer shots and 3x magnification for very close shots

Question:
given my caliber, ranges I'd be shooting and mixed wood and open field,
Would you choose the 1.25-4 or 3-9?

Choices:
1.25-4 x 24 Accupoint triangle
3-9 x 40 Accupoint triangle

 

I have a 3-9X Leupold on my 375 H&H. I vote more magnification. You can't hit what you can't see...

Rich

I picked the 3x9 for my current .375 but went with the duplex reticle with green dot on mine.

Leup 2.5x8 would have been a good choice (assuming ring spacing worked) for me but I wanted illumination.

I have made a ~200 yard shot with a .375 with the Leup 1.5-5 cranked up on a red deer hind but could have used more mag. In Africa on plains game (with different rifles) I do not think I went over 6X.

Real close -- be sure you have it dialed all the way back.

I have shot a pig on the run at IIRC 30 yds or so, scope was a 3-9. no problems. 'cept for the pig.

I have shot deer at 40 - 50 yds with a 4x, it was fine.

3x being low enough, no need for less.

4x is enough for 200 yds. maybe even 300.

but there is no way a 3-9x is better for 6 yards.

if you are serious about 6 yds, then go low. 4x will get you to 300 yds better than 3x gets to to 6 yds.

Strangely, the more I shoot, the more I appreciate LESS magnification.

With the exception of my AR15 which I set up for Varmint Hunting and used a Burris Sig Select 3-12x44, my most powerful scope is a Leupold VXIII 2.5-8 and it's more than enough to 300 yards.

Really, it depends on what you are shooting at. My .375 H&H I stuck a Burris Euro Diamond 1-4 e-Dot scope on it. It's more than enough to 200 yards for paper punching 4" bullseyes.

So, what if I'm using a 4x scope on a target with a 16" kill zone? I think 4x would be more than enough.

My 7x57 (on the way) will wear an FXIII fixed 6x.

My Bob wears the Loop 2.5-8

My .350RMag wears a Zeiss 1.8-5.5.

My .35 Rem levergun has a 1.5-5 Burris Fullfield...and it stays at 1.5x for the most part.

High Power scopes have their purposes, sure. But you just don't need the power when you are looking at a 400# + piece of African Game that has a 16" kill zone.

Besides, I personally have no business shooting at game over 300 yards. I'm just not that good - and no scope is going to make me any better.

3x is really not that much magnification for close shots but if you're planning on making a bunch of 5-10yard shots my vote is for the 3-9x with a small reflex sight bolted to the top for the close ones.

I mount 3-9x40 MC Zeiss Conquests on the 9.3x62 and .375 H&H. For larger rifles whose primary purpose is damgerous game I usually mount a 1.8-5.5 Zeiss or a 1.5-5x Leupold. The backup scope for the .458 is a 2.5x Leupold Compact.

When I scoped most of my rifles I machined the custom mounts so that I could move scopes around without adjusting the spacing of the rings. Thus I am able to "borrow" scopes as spares for travel.

Well, I got a NIB red 3-9x40 off Ebay for $438. Got it in the mail and I love this thing. It's burning red in the sun, bright red in the shade, and the perfect brightness in the dark where it's still a visible red triangle, but very dim. I mounted it to my Marlin 22 because I'm waiting for my 375 ruger to get back from repair and took it out in the woods plinking. I pretty much kept it a 3x magnification and the thing is so so very quick to pick up target, lock, and shoot. I tryed practicing with both eyes open and I think even if a deer is too close for 3x mag, then I can still keep both eyes open and see a whole lot more than just tan fur.
The only thing I noticed was that you could turn the focus in and get it almost focused perfect, but it would stop before you could get it perfectly focused. I sent it into trijicon and they are going to inspect it in depth for me because I bought it off ebay. Awesome scope though

You can still shoot with both eyes open on 3x. 3-9x40 is THE general purpose workhorse.

yep, both eyes open at 3. because the triangle is so eye catching and the reticle is not cluttered, you can follow with both eyes and when you stop scanning your dominant eye will automatically zoom and focus into the scope. It's pretty cool. and if i want I can keep my eye from focusing in where both eyes appear to see the red triangle, but then it will hit a couple inches to the right at short range