Sambarman338, That scope is a 2 3/4X Burris Fullfield I've owned for 30 years. Killed a lot of game using it including several elk and it still works as good as when new.

Late to this thread but just a few personal observations and experience. Your mileage may vary.

I've seen more lost shots because of too much magnification than any other reason. By far.

Magnification does not make up for lack of skill with a rifle.

With few exceptions my hunting rifles carry scopes with no more than 6x magnification and I normally carry them set lower than that. 1x (unity power - no magnification) is what you need for fast, close shots or running shots 100 yards and under. A reticle or dot is faster than open iron sights, although my hunting rifles have iron sights and the scopes are in QD mounts.

I can ring an 8" gong at 300 yards all day with 4x, just how tiny is the vital area on "big game" that someone needs 14x?

A big scope is far more susceptible to being knocked around and takes more recoil pounding. Far more importantly, it upsets the balance and handling of a well-fitted rifle. If you shoot from a bench or fixed rest, it makes little difference; if you are a rifleman, gun handling makes all the difference in the world.

That said, I don't shoot at animals in the next time zone. I rarely shoot beyond 350 yards and usually much less, often very much less. If someone shoots at game at 500 yards and beyond my experience doesn't really apply - and I'd rather not be in the field with them. Not knocking them, just don't have any interest in being a part of that. Call it range shooting or sniping, it's not hunting.

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Dean:
Sambarman338, That scope is a 2 3/4X Burris Fullfield I've owned for 30 years. Killed a lot of game using it including several elk and it still works as good as when new.

Thanks Joe, that may be as good as it gets these days.

Yes Steve, even 1x can increase your effective range, as it provides a single sighting plane and an aiming mark more incisive than a bead.

When buffalo hunting recently, I was instructed to shoot a bull supposedly 100 yards away. Strangely, the 0.1" bead covered three-quarters of the buff, robbing me of any feeling of precision (or of the range estimate).

Low-powered scopes work better for me.

Unless I'm sniping at prairie rats at 500-yds, the max on my variable scopes is 5x, and preferably I'll take a good 1-4x with excellent glass.

As always, YMMV.

Being in the shooting and/or hunting business for many years and the 1950s were my later years not earlier years I have seen more scopes fail, of all makes and sizes, than I have seen guns fail..and the number of guns Ive seen fail that had iron sights was very very few indeed, I could count them on one hand..The peep sight which I really like is more likely to fail than a shallow V on a DG rifle for what that's worth...

Bottom line, It is what it is and that ain't gonna change..

On the plus side for scopes, most of todays hunters shoot them better, and many are sighted in by someone else btw, like the guide or PH on arrival to camp isn't uncommon...shooting skills vary from piss poor to outstanding and Irons are mostly used by PHs and guides and an old worn out booking agent! ...

So who all is still using low power rifle scopes this year?

Last fall I used my Browning BLR in .308 with a Leupold FX-II 6x36 on a nice whitetail buck. That scope on that rifle makes for a very nice looking rig & 200 yards was no issue.

I have a handful of the Leupold 2.5-8x36 scopes...but am considering getting a few of the 30mm vx3 4.5-14's. Sometimes it is nice to have the extra zoom.

I used a 1-6.3x24 this year for moose. I believe this scope will stay paired with this particular rifle.
The distances that I shoot the 1-4 types would still work very well. 10x are my highest power scopes.
Though when in the limited visibility areas, I like the more spacious field of views on the straight tube scopes that I have.
The 1.5-6x42 and 1.5-8x42 are pretty do it all scopes for my uses.

I confess to not having read the whole thread, so this may have been stated already:
Like many, I grew up with low-powered scopes (2x and 4x) and now consider a 6x adequate for my hunting out to 300 yards.
The difference between now and a generation ago is that we did not handload and develop loads.
An 8x and better yet, a 10x, certainly makes load-development easier.

quote:

So who all is still using low power rifle scopes this year?

Checked the zero on my Sav. 99 300sav with it's 1.5x5 Burris.

Dead nuts.

Tomorrow it will be carried for Wis. deer firearms opener

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:

quote:

So who all is still using low power rifle scopes this year?

Checked the zero on my Sav. 99 300sav with it's 1.5x5 Burris.

Dead nuts.

Tomorrow it will be carried for Wis. deer firearms opener

Recapping my 19 July 2019 post on this thread, excess magnification is the bane of the rifleman. And in many hunting situations 2.5x is excess and causes lost shots on game. I've seen it over and over. Even 1.5x at times. With few exceptions, my scopes start at 1x - unity power - or I mount red dots. My hunting scopes do not go above 6x, including my squirrel rifle which makes head shots at 75 yards. If you can't ring an 8" gong at 300 yards all day with a 4x scope, magnification is not your problem. Learn to handle your rifle and to shoot, then add more magnification if you'd like. Of course, if you're hunting prairie dogs at 400 yards, you are in different arena. Same if your sport is making tiny groups on paper an 800+ yards.

Each to their own and good hunting!

quote:

Originally posted by Steve up North:

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:

quote:

So who all is still using low power rifle scopes this year?

Checked the zero on my Sav. 99 300sav with it's 1.5x5 Burris.

Dead nuts.

Tomorrow it will be carried for Wis. deer firearms opener

Recapping my 19 July 2019 post on this thread, excess magnification is the bane of the rifleman. And in many hunting situations 2.5x is excess and causes lost shots on game. I've seen it over and over. Even 1.5x at times. With few exceptions, my scopes start at 1x - unity power - or I mount red dots. My hunting scopes do not go above 6x, including my squirrel rifle which makes head shots at 75 yards. If you can't ring an 8" gong at 300 yards all day with a 4x scope, magnification is not your problem. Learn to handle your rifle and to shoot, then add more magnification if you'd like. Of course, if you're hunting prairie dogs at 400 yards, you are in different arena. Same if your sport is making tiny groups on paper an 800+ yards.

Each to their own and good hunting!

To be clear, I'm not criticizing anyone's choice in sighting equipment. Life's too short and folks have their own ideas. I have a couple rifles with fixed 2.5x scopes. I just have to understand their attributes, good and bad, when I'm in the field.

Good hunting!

I will be using my Renner 7x57 with a 2.5X Leupold, 7/8s tube Alaskan and my newly purchased Sav. 99 30-30 with a Lyman peep sight, neither will fail me..

I would like to take this opertunity to digress a bit on this scope issue in that at 100 yards "off hand", I will shoot better groups with a low power scope or peep sight than with a 6X scope for instance and up, and the more power I shoot in a scope the worse off my off hand shooting will be, and Im willing to put out that challange to anyone..
That magnified wabble makes one grab at the trigger, hold until fatiqued, eye goes out of focus, when the cross hairs float by the target. and the more power the more that becomes problematic in that the power will magnify the wabble by X times the power...Try it before you speak!!

I find the low power scopes and peeps by far the better option up to 200 yards, the scopes in reasonable, say 2x7, 2x9, an option beyond 250 yards or there abouts..No use for more in a hunting rifle and the 4X is my all around choice. Im capable of a 400 yard shot under good conditions with a rest with any scope. My 30-30 Marlin with a 3X Leupold and sighted in3" high at 100 yards, dead on at 150 yards, 6 inches low at 200 and a foot low at 300, not quoted figures but actual sight in at targets..Makes the 30-30 a 300 yard gun..Naysayers hate to hear that, but it works..My deer hunting is limited as a rule to 300 yards, elk at 400 yards, self imposed limits and mostly with 3X to 4X scopes. I still use the O'Connor 3" high at a 100 with all my guns, even with the scoldings I get!

Nothing as disturbing as a nice light featherweight hunting rifle with a damn 4x16 or whatever monster to off set the balance of such a rifle, and I have seen that too often in my years in the hunting business, and a lifetime of hunting..

Just food for thought, not an arguement, to each his own suits me just fine..

quote:

Originally posted by Buglemintoday:
So who all is still using low power rifle scopes this year?

My Savage 24V (6x45mm) carries a peep sight on the barrel where the leaf sight was, and a 2-7X Weaver in QD mounts.
It's the first one I got set up for lead-free, good for maybe 200 yards. The hills around here are brushy, not likely to shoot further.

Aperture sight works fine for me but only at close range - 100 yds would be a stretch. Sure like the simplicity of these.

Determined I don't really need my 44 magnum Deerfield Carbine scoped. Suited for close range hunting anyhow. Deadly on Deer.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I will be using my Renner 7x57 with a 2.5X Leupold, 7/8s tube Alaskan and my newly purchased Sav. 99 30-30 with a Lyman peep sight, neither will fail me..

I would like to take this opertunity to digress a bit on this scope issue in that at 100 yards "off hand", I will shoot better groups with a low power scope or peep sight than with a 6X scope for instance and up, and the more power I shoot in a scope the worse off my off hand shooting will be, and Im willing to put out that challange to anyone..
That magnified wabble makes one grab at the trigger, hold until fatiqued, eye goes out of focus, when the cross hairs float by the target. and the more power the more that becomes problematic in that the power will magnify the wabble by X times the power...Try it before you speak!!

I find the low power scopes and peeps by far the better option up to 200 yards, the scopes in reasonable, say 2x7, 2x9, an option beyond 250 yards or there abouts..No use for more in a hunting rifle and the 4X is my all around choice.

Nothing as disturbing as a nice light featherweight hunting rifle with a damn 4x16 or whatever monster to off set the balance of such a rifle, and I have sees that too often in my years in the hunting business, and a lifetime of hunting..

Just food for thought, not an arguement, to each his own suits me just fine..

Based solely on my experience, agree 100%. I have seen more bad shots and more missed or lost shots on game because of too much magnification than any other single cause.

Want to learn to shoot off-hand? Use a .22 at 25, then 50 yards, with open sights or a low-power scope.

But, again, each to their own.

Good hunting!

I've been running 1.5-5x Leupolds on many of my hunting rifles. They work well for following moving targets with both eyes open & can be mounted low. The eye relief is generous, so they are on everything I own 33 cal. & larger. A few 2-7x on other rifles. A 6x on the rimfire 22. My eyes are getting older, so may bump up to more magnification in the future, at least for shooting paper.

2-7's cover the majority of my needs perfectly with Leopold's (now discontinued) VX-R 2-7 Firedot being my personal favorite.

I've got a Leopold 1.5-5 on my 375 Ruger
NECG receiver sight on my 30/06
Leopold 2.5-8 and 3.5-10 on my 6.5CM's
Leopold 2-7 & 3-9 on a couple 270's and a newly acquired Trijicon Accupoint 3-9 on a 270.

If Trijicon would make a Accupoint 2-7 with a 30mm tube it would be the cats ass IMO.

On my 300 Win plains game rifle I have a 1.5-6 Zeiss Victory HT. While I agree that more power can make load development (IE: Bench Rest.) shooting easier, I still shoot minute of angle off the bench at 6 power. Since this is a hunting rifle, that level of precision is more than adequate for me for load development and I do not wish to suffer the field drawbacks of weight, bulk, perceived wobble at higher powers, higher mounting that compromises cheek weld, etc common with the currently popular large objective higher power range scopes.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Knight:
I think a whole lot of folks are interested in the Long Range aspect of hunting/target shooting. A lot of folks spend far more time at the range than hunting, even coyotes and varmints. That's fine for them, but I just can't get into it. The last 2 "big scopes" I had was a Leupold 4.5x14AO with the dial "CDS?" turret on a Mod 700 300 RUM. The other was a Bushnell 5.5x20 on a 6mm Varmint rifle. I quit shooting prairie dogs when the boys grew up and I realized that "IF" I ever shot a deer or an elk "over a 1/4 mile away" I would have to go over there and get the thing! I just don't hunt that way, never have. For one thing, when you get over there, its difficult to find them, even if they DRT. I did that with a big cow elk up what looked like an 80 deg ridge ( it was steep!) at 250yds. When I got up there, it took me awhile to find her. She was one game trail "above" the one I thought she was on! A million tracks in the snow too. So, its too easy to lose a fine animal doing that stuff. I 'suspect" the TV show LR shooters have about a dozen "spotters" and back-up shooters! Just me and maybe another guy....nah.

I noticed the same thing when I shoot rocks at long range. You think you know what it looks like, but when you actually get there it looks completely different. Had the same issue with a deer I shot from high up looking down - the terrain below "looked" flat but when I got down there it was anything but. It does help to shoot an azimuth to the shot and once you are in the general area to use both. I am surprised no one has put a GPS into a rangefinder so that it will help you navigate to the target, but you can do the same thing on your iPhone albeit a bit clumsily.

I have and use a Swarovki 4x32, Weaver 3x20 and Zeiss 1.5 to 6x42.
I think the 4x is sufficient for 90% of the hunting situations that arise.

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
... I am surprised no one has put a GPS into a rangefinder so that it will help you navigate to the target, but you can do the same thing on your iPhone albeit a bit clumsily.

That's an interesting idea but l can't see how it could be done. My new ethics preclude me from using electrical stuff to hunt game - but l guess finding wounded/dead animals might be different.

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
... I am surprised no one has put a GPS into a rangefinder so that it will help you navigate to the target, but you can do the same thing on your iPhone albeit a bit clumsily.

That's an interesting idea but l can't see how it could be done. My new ethics preclude me from using electrical stuff to hunt game - but l guess finding wounded/dead animals might be different.

It is 30 year technology in the US Army - back in the day the GLID replaced FOs for artillery - just zap the target with a laser and it identifies the grid coordinate using your know position, the distance to the target, and an internal compass. A few seconds later, "incoming!"

I use a simpel 4x36 Nickel scope on the.333cal

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
... I am surprised no one has put a GPS into a rangefinder so that it will help you navigate to the target, but you can do the same thing on your iPhone albeit a bit clumsily.

That's an interesting idea but l can't see how it could be done. My new ethics preclude me from using electrical stuff to hunt game - but l guess finding wounded/dead animals might be different.

My Garmin has a feature called Sight n Go where I can project a waypoint any distance and direction I want. So if i shoot an animal and it’s in a valley/draw/whatever and I can see it, I can range it then project a waypoint that distance in my GPS. It would be helpful if you could not get to the animals in a straight line.

quote:

My Garmin has a feature called Sight n Go where I can project a waypoint any distance and direction I want. So if i shoot an animal and it’s in a valley/draw/whatever and I can see it, I can range it then project a waypoint that distance in my GPS. It would be helpful if you could not get to the animals in a straight line.

I used this feature to help locate my mule deer buck last year. It took me to with in 50 feet of the dead deer.

Favorite hunting scope is 2.5-8x36 leupold.

The majority of new hunters fall into the trap of more is always better. Latest long range shooting craze has guys thinking they need over 20x to hunt deer or elk

quote:

Originally posted by Ben351w:
Favorite hunting scope is 2.5-8x36 leupold.

The majority of new hunters fall into the trap of more is always better. Latest long range shooting craze has guys thinking they need over 20x to hunt deer or elk

I think this may be the all best all around scope for 99% of the time. If fact, I have one in my safe that is in search of a rifle to be used on.

I have got an older Leupold fixed 4x on my 7mm Mauser Rem, 700 Mountain Rifle and that's all I will ever need. I would like to find an older Leupold 2.5X for my Ruger M44, which is currently over scoped with Leupold 2-7x. I just like keeping thinks as simple as possible.

Jay

I have 4 of the 2.5-8x36 Leupolds that need to be put on scopes. They do look nice when on the gun. Not too big, and a good field of view. The low power helps a lot at fading light if you are having trouble finding the animal in the scope.

I'm finding this pretty common in the last few weeks. My 10x42 EL Swarovski binoculars are just too good.

I think I must have a dozen or so scopes in this class. I much prefer the 1.5-6x42 Euro scopes because they come with outstanding glass and coatings, reticles designed for lo light work and no compromise in daylight. The lone exception is a Leupold VX 3 1-4x20 which sits on a 336 Marlin that is never used for low light work, it's weak spot. Those Euro 1.5-6x42 scopes are really superb for low light work, And The Zeiss Duralyt 2-8x42 is not far behind. There's a couple of 2.5-10x42 scopes which are among my favorites. These scopes are always set at low power and only cranked up if necessary.

Having used them for a lot of years, the combination of habituation and older eyes has made it much more difficult to use lesser scopes. The consequence of which is that I now move one of them rather than compromise when low light work is needed.

Years ago, variables were more expensive so either 4x or 6x were the popular choices. Seems West or East hunting was a major consideration.
Back then Weaver scopes were made in El Paso Texas and were pretty much the "poor man's scope".
I now pretty much use Leupold 3x-9x.

Once on EBAY someone listed a Leupold under "Leopold". The Leopold stuff was art stuff etc and nobody else bid on the scope. It was a 1x 4x and I thought it would be great on a Savage 24V 20 gauge and .222 thinking the 1x would be great on a shotgun. Worked out that the shotgun portion would be low--not regulated.

I generally hunt at 6.5 power. But when my rest is steady and I have time with undisturbed game........well I dial up to 20x and hit where I want.

The old days are past.

Y'all have fun.

Shot a decent Wis. 8pt white buck on the 2nd day of season.

We had a half inch of fresh snow that morning. at about 330pm my son said he noticed a big track going by one of the stands.

I decide I should follow it and shoot what was at the end of it if it was a buck.

I cut the track crossing a logging road. Circled the area it went into found it crossing another logging road. Circled back on another logging road found where it crossed into another small area.

Started to circle that area found where he hit another road and he was walking on that road heading north.

I hadn't went 25 yards when I see a deer bedded about 40 yards away. The deer was looking right at me. The head was some what obscured by brush.

I carry my scope set at 1.5x when stalking I turned the power up to 5x and could make out antlers. Dropped the cross hairs onto the neck touched off the shot.

DRT with a broken neck.

The 165 cor-loc. at about 2400fps out of my Sav. 99 300 did its job.

Just a suggestion to all for better clarification on the numbers presented:

Those who post only something like 3 x 9, or 6 x 42 are leaving the rest of us guessing, "Is that 3x - 9X, if so what is the size of the objective lens?" Or, a 6 x 42, is that a 6x to 42x or a fixed 6x with a 42mm lens?

Usually it's written this way: 3-9 x 40mm, understood as a variable 3 - 9 power scope with a 40mm lens. The size of the lens is important because that determines the diameter of the exit pupil going into the eye. That's significant because during daylight hours the eye pupil will only dilate to about 2 - 3mm. During the last 1/2 hour of hunting (after the sun sets) a healthy eye may dilate from between 5 to 7mm, which lets in more light.

So, a fixed 4x by 20mm has a constant light beam of 5mm, more than enough for daylight viewing. That should be written as 4 x 20mm. BUT, if more magnification is wanted or needed for determining antler details at a particular distance after the sun has set, a fixed 4x by 20mm will not give the same amount of light or magnification as a 3 - 9 x 40mm set on 6x. You'd have 50% more magnification and 33% more light (objective lens divided by magnification)

A greater lens diameter, plus a higher magnification has its place! I've done a lot of black bear hunting over the past 40 years, and most of the large ones come late to baits. Sometimes that's in thick woods which blocks a lot of natural light anyway and especially when the best bears show. I've found fixed 4 power x 20mm to be totally inadequate for such scenarios. The larger the lens the better for brightness and magnification. In DIY bear hunts over bait, I set the baits anywhere from 65 to 130 yards. My preferred scopes have been 2 - 7 x 35 or 32mm as in my Nikon 2 - 7 x 32 on my .458 Win -- previously on a Ruger #1 in .45-70. It's very bright and tough. It was previously on my Ruger .45-70 and now on my Ruger #1 in .458 Win. It has proven to be one of the very best I've owned since I started using scopes. I've also used many 3 - 9 x 40mm's.

Bob
www.bigbores.ca

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
...
It is 30 year technology in the US Army - back in the day the GLID replaced FOs for artillery - just zap the target with a laser and it identifies the grid coordinate using your know position, the distance to the target, and an internal compass. A few seconds later, "incoming!"

Thanks, if employed only to save waste or misery, it might be worthwhile.

I use a 2-7 for PA hunting with a 30-06 and 30-30 then have a 1.75-6 on my 375 H&H for Africa

2x7 Leupold is the most common scope I have on my rifles

If I use a varible for big game of any kind, it will be a 2x7x28, the 28 is discontinued, but its the same size as my 4x28s, so it'll do, but I see no advantage..It has been said that I can't "place my bullet at X yards out yonder a ways..and that a big power scope allows that, and that statement I challange, the X on the heart, lungs, neck or head is the same, scope power does not change a damn thing other than creating a situation wherein some folks start grabbing the trigger as the X floats by, that is caused by excitment, blood flushing , and the jitters that makes one grab at the trigger..The smaller power scope makes one take careful aim and gives one the confidence that he is holding true or the X won't be on target, so he makes a good trigger pull or so it has seemed to me over the years as I watched hunters shoot at game..
Anyway its been an interesting conversation, I doubt if many or any have changed their mind to any great degree...

Last year I watched a hunter with a 6x18 or 16X? scope on a Savage fwt rifle shoot a deer at 75 yards from a deer stand and turned it on to highest power, to quote make a clean shot, a bit off towards the guts, but the 300 Rem mag did the job..God bless Texas, some still go for bigger is better..and he was dressed head to toe in cammo!! I recall hoping the dogs didn't cock a leg and piss on him for a stump...

If I'm shooting paper from a benchrest, shooting out to 300+ yards, I really enjoy using high power scopes. My favorites are my Sightron SIII 8-32X56 or a SWFA SS 10X scope I have on another rifle I shoot mostly from a bench.

When I'm hunting give me a fixed 4x (love my old Weaver) or 2-7x3? variable power scopes every time. On my 2-7's I usually leave them somewhere between 3 to 5 power depending on where I'm hunting. I don't want to twist anything or look at a level, When I see game, I just want to aim (where I think I need to aim) and pull the trigger. Guess I'm a bit old fashion but, I'm nearly 70 so that's OK.

Depends entirely on the range at which shots are likely to be taken and the game being sought.

Low power scopes, both fixed and variable, have their places. Dangerous game anywhere, for example.

But so do variables with 10-25x high end magnification. Argali in the Tien Shan mountains, for example.

The only real answer here is Depends, not boxers or briefs.

quote:

Depends entirely on the range at which shots are likely to be taken and the game sought.

For woods hunting a 1.5 to 5 or 6 is great.

I have a lot of 3x9s and have used them very successfully in the woods also.

My NO.1 S in 06 wears a compact 3x9 Burris it was my go to hunting rifle for a couple of decades I killed a lot of game with close and far.

Far more important is the set up.

Having the scope properly placed has a lot more to do with using it then the power. With in reason.
A 12lb varmint rifle with a 4x16 is not what a call a reasonable carry rifle where one might have make a fast shot.

Then practice I am throwing my rifle to the shoulder a lot and practicing getting the cross hairs on target.

I have no problems getting the cross hairs on flushing grouse.

I have had a lot people tell me they can not find game with their scope.

Then I look at the set up to high to far forward to far back.

Then I ask them when was the last time you practiced.

I normally get a dumb look practice.

Most haven't picked up their rifle for a year.