What scope power magnification/diameter for western big game up to 500 yard shots?

What scope power magnification/diameter for western big game up to 500 yard shots?

  • 3-9x40

    Votes: 4 1.7%

  • 4-12x40

    Votes: 21 9.0%

  • 4-16x42

    Votes: 51 21.9%

  • 6-18x44

    Votes: 9 3.9%

  • 5-20x50

    Votes: 27 11.6%

  • 6-24x50

    Votes: 14 6.0%

  • 3-18x50

    Votes: 69 29.6%

  • 3-15x44

    Votes: 38 16.3%
  • Total voters
    233
USAFRet said:
Anyone have any experience with the Sig Sauer Whiskey6 3-16x44?
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I do not have any experience with that brand of scope but I wanted to share with you my feelings on that choice. 3 power on the low end may be to much depending on where you are hunting in Africa. We hunted buffalo in the Limpopo district of South Africa, and it was so thick, and the grass so tall (lots of rain) that quite honestly open sights would have been a better alternative to scopes. I had a large bull at 12 yards and could only tell it was a buffalo because after about ten minutes it finally stood up an came out of the bushes where we could get a good look at it. I kid you not it looked as big as a **** tank when it came out and before it moved we could only see a few black spots. I am not trying to sway your decision just give you real world information on what I experienced personally. Good luck with your decision and with your hunt.
 
USAFRet said:
Looking for what folks would choose for magnification and optic diameter for western big game no more than 500 yards. Please feel free to add why and what scope you use in the comments.
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fixed power 6x, Weight, durability, brightness, and simplicity. Learn your wind holds and holdovers at your zero as well as getting one you can dial.
 
Last edited:
I picked up one of these on sale at Sportsman's a month ago for my Bergara 6.5 CM. It is pretty impressive. I did not think it might be a good elk scope, but the comments and votes have me thinking of getting another for my 280AI.

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USAFRet said:
Also looking at the Steiner Predator 4 4-16x50.
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The real issue here is what are you planning to hunt? Big Bitie Stuff needs low power, fast response, big FOV. Most DG scopes start at 1 power, and hover around 1.25-1.5. My Swarovski Dangerous Game Reticle choice was 1-8 the dg reticle is circle dot. Fast and efficient. Love it. On the budget end the Leupold 1.0 or 1.5 -5 are great choices on the VX5HD line. Oddly - my longest South Africa Hunt shot is 475 yds with a Sako Safari model in 375 H&H on a Blue Wildebeest. One shot, over and done - with the Swaro 0.75-6 Z8. My PH and the crew thought I had lost my mind taking that animal at that range. 2 days later - same model scope on my 416 Rigby on a big zebra at 425. No problem - one shot. 'Doo doo' happens fast in the bush - this is not like what we know as western or plains hunting. Clarity and field of view are serious requirements - especially if the something you're on can bite back.

I never lacked for mag power in Africa on the 375. My 338 WM, on the other hand, had a Swaro 2-12. I typically used that from the battery on lighter game and potentially farther shots. Worked out great. Frankly - I can't imagine running a 4x anything as the starting power in Africa. You've got to find the animal quickly - and probably on the run.
 
BigDon said:
The real issue here is what are you planning to hunt? Big Bitie Stuff needs low power, fast response, big FOV. Most DG scopes start at 1 power, and hover around 1.25-1.5. My Swarovski Dangerous Game Reticle choice was 1-8 the dg reticle is circle dot. Fast and efficient. Love it. On the budget end the Leupold 1.0 or 1.5 -5 are great choices on the VX5HD line. Oddly - my longest South Africa Hunt shot is 475 yds with a Sako Safari model in 375 H&H on a Blue Wildebeest. One shot, over and done - with the Swaro 0.75-6 Z8. My PH and the crew thought I had lost my mind taking that animal at that range. 2 days later - same model scope on my 416 Rigby on a big zebra at 425. No problem - one shot. 'Doo doo' happens fast in the bush - this is not like what we know as western or plains hunting. Clarity and field of view are serious requirements - especially if the something you're on can bite back.

I never lacked for mag power in Africa on the 375. My 338 WM, on the other hand, had a Swaro 2-12. I typically used that from the battery on lighter game and potentially farther shots. Worked out great. Frankly - I can't imagine running a 4x anything as the starting power in Africa. You've got to find the animal quickly - and probably on the run.
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No biting and no Africa. Deer hunting with a chance of pronghorn, mules deer and elk in the future.
 
USAFRet said:
No biting and no Africa. Deer hunting with a chance of pronghorn, mules deer and elk in the future.
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USAFRet said:
No biting and no Africa. Deer hunting with a chance of pronghorn, mules deer and elk in the future.
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Then you've got lots of choices. I just didn't want to see you get in a jam.
 
My question is have you been to any western states hiking and done any vacation to where you think you might hunt. The west is a very big area and the topography changes quite a bit. For Antelope hunting weight really wouldn't be a concern and a heavy rifle setup wouldn't be much of a problem.
However you go after mule deer in high alpine hell hole you'll want to throw that 9lb rifle right off the mountain after 3 days.
For me as I get older above 50 I lean more towards low light visibility vs magnification.
And I prefer a wider field of view to track the game animal As I'm generally alone and won't have a spotter.
Everything has its pro's and cons, so having more than one tool in the shed comes in handy if you know what you'll need for the type of terrain and game animal.
For me I don't have deep pockets so I tend to purchase scopes in the 500 dollar range.
I sure would like to have tier one glass but that's out of my budget had I have no problem hitting out passed 1000 yards with my swfa 10x.
I don't think hitting a deer at 500 yards with 4 power is a huge obstacle.
Hunters around my father's age hated variable scopes due to reliability the only thing he had on his rifles were fixed 4 and 6 power scopes. And I started out with the same never had a problem with them other than the clarity of glass.
 
Rotten said:
My question is have you been to any western states hiking and done any vacation to where you think you might hunt. The west is a very big area and the topography changes quite a bit. For Antelope hunting weight really wouldn't be a concern and a heavy rifle setup wouldn't be much of a problem.
However you go after mule deer in high alpine hell hole you'll want to throw that 9lb rifle right off the mountain after 3 days.
For me as I get older above 50 I lean more towards low light visibility vs magnification.
And I prefer a wider field of view to track the game animal As I'm generally alone and won't have a spotter.
Everything has its pro's and cons, so having more than one tool in the shed comes in handy if you know what you'll need for the type of terrain and game animal.
For me I don't have deep pockets so I tend to purchase scopes in the 500 dollar range.
I sure would like to have tier one glass but that's out of my budget had I have no problem hitting out passed 1000 yards with my swfa 10x.
I don't think hitting a deer at 500 yards with 4 power is a huge obstacle.
Hunters around my father's age hated variable scopes due to reliability the only thing he had on his rifles were fixed 4 and 6 power scopes. And I started out with the same never had a problem with them other than the clarity of glass.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the question. I lived in AK, CO and UT over a 10 year period. I hunted the mountains every season. That being said, I am now 100% disabled. Any hunt I do would be a disabled veteran hunt and I already have the connection to hunt WY, but it is a matter of timing. Truth be told, I have never shot an animal over 150 yards. I bow hunted most of my adult life but had to hang it up a few years ago after neck surgery and torn shoulders.
I have some deeper pockets at the moment, until there comes a time in the near future I will be on a fixed budget, so I want to get my lifetime stuff now and not worry about it. My problem is buying things on sale just because they are a good deal. Hard to get out of living like an enlisted military member.
 
USAFRet said:
Thanks for the question. I lived in AK, CO and UT over a 10 year period. I hunted the mountains every season. That being said, I am now 100% disabled. Any hunt I do would be a disabled veteran hunt and I already have the connection to hunt WY, but it is a matter of timing. Truth be told, I have never shot an animal over 150 yards. I bow hunted most of my adult life but had to hang it up a few years ago after neck surgery and torn shoulders.
I have some deeper pockets at the moment, until there comes a time in the near future I will be on a fixed budget, so I want to get my lifetime stuff now and not worry about it. My problem is buying things on sale just because they are a good deal. Hard to get out of living like an enlisted military member.
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Hahaha old habits die hard. Thank you for your service and sacrifice to our country. If you're in the beehive state and need help with anything let me know be more than glad to help.
 
4-20x52 is my favorite hunting optic variable. Since it wasn't in the option list, I chose the 5-20. The 3-18 is an equal option. I prefer a low minimum and decent high power option. I have a couple Leupold 4-20x52 VX5HD scopes. Probably my favorite. 4.5-14x50 is a close second and own a couple of the Leupold Mark 4 versions. They seem to work for me from 0 to well over 1K yards.
 
As someone mentioned, a 2-10 is plenty for 500 yards. I like a higher magnification for zeroing in and getting the best accuracy from the optic at 100 yards. Once it's zeroed, I rarely use more than 12-14X out to 600. My son has a 4.5-14 on his 260 and regularly kills ground hogs out to 1000 easily. Crosshairs aren't thick and don't cover the entire animal at 1000. I prefer a bit more at 1000 cause I have some to spare.
 

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