High magnification range - advantages/disadvantages?

[orkan]

Not all wide ratio scopes have this problem. The Swarovski Z5 and Z6 scopes I've looked at increase the field of view all the way down to the lowest magnification.

So do Premier scopes. This is one of the big reasons why we push them over S&B.

 

[Matno]

Thanks Bruce! That's exactly the kind of info I was looking for. One of the main reasons I'm interested in a high magnification range is because I often combine still hunting with sitting on the side of a hill. For still hunting, I find that anything more than 4x makes it tricky to make a snap shot. The most important aspect of that lower magnification is the wider field of view. On the other hand, when I'm just sitting on the side of a mountain here in the Rockies, for long range shots, the higher the better...

Funny you would mention Zeiss since I just saw their advertisement this morning that specifically mentions their field of view. They say their field of view on the Z5 is "66% greater than a unit with 3x magnification." Not sure exactly what they're saying (seems like apples and oranges), but your post helped me make some sense of it.

 

[X-man]

To me the rifle and scope are all about committing to and meeting objectives.
Snap shooting with something you purpose built to shoot game at 1000 yards is just not reasonable.

It is an oversight to select a scope based on one shot/two extremes. You need to select a scope that is built for the long haul and will do its job well year after year in any kind of weather.

Everything in scope design is a trade off.

Nightforce has a little less field of view and magnification spread because that gives you more eye relief for your 338Lapua/50BMG while providing a generous eye box.
That generous eye box is easy to acquire and more than comfortable over a 100-150 round day of practice. Shoot a hundred round day with some of the crazy magnification ranged scopes and you will see what I mean as the scope blacks out at the slightest head/rifle movement and you have to reacquire your target for the 5th time.

With my 5.5-22X56 NF set on 5.5X I can hit a 14X14 plate at 1000 yards.
So why do I prefer my 8-32NF for shooting game at distance?
I want to see exactly what the animal is doing...is it relaxed? Is there another animal around?
What is the mirage doing? If the wind picks up or stalls I will often see it flatten out or boil before I feel it on my face....Knowing when NOT to shoot is the more important that any magnification range.

For those on a budget I would suggest something in the 4-16 to 6.5-20 range so you get the most scope for the dollar. Turret quality and repeatability are far more important than power.
Really tight budget? Go 10X power fixed.