Is 20x enough scope for 500 yards?

[7mmRemMag]

Ive used a 12x Leupold and killed mule deer size game out to 500yrds but I Agree with what everyone is saying. I wish I would've had more power to really see what I was shooting. The last one I killed was a good one and I knew it even from that distance but there was no way I could tell how many points at that distance with only 12x

 

[silvertip-co]

In spite of what the experts on this forum will tell you, a 10x scope is plenty of glass for 1k shooting. Its a shame some company doesnt make straight 10x mildot scopes for a fair price( NOT 1200.00) for those of us on workingman budgets. A Weaver T-10 would be just the ticket if it had mildot reticle, but many shooters do fine with it with the dpx or fine CH or CHdot. Weaver T10s and Redfield 3-9x40 Accutracs were among the first sniper scopes used in RVN in the 60's and 70's. Most were zeroed at 500y. So ditch the 28-50x80 multi-ranging super side focus and go with a straight 10x.

 

[liltank]

In spite of what the experts on this forum will tell you, a 10x scope is plenty of glass for 1k shooting. Its a shame some company doesnt make straight 10x mildot scopes for a fair price( NOT 1200.00) for those of us on workingman budgets. A Weaver T-10 would be just the ticket if it had mildot reticle, but many shooters do fine with it with the dpx or fine CH or CHdot. Weaver T10s and Redfield 3-9x40 Accutracs were among the first sniper scopes used in RVN in the 60's and 70's. Most were zeroed at 500y. So ditch the 28-50x80 multi-ranging super side focus and go with a straight 10x.

SWFA SS 10x is quite the bargain for the scope. A lot of guys use them and like them. They won't break the bank either.

 

[jesterg]

I hunt wit a leupold 6.5-20 and have shot several game animals at 730 and 752 yrds plus. You will be fine if your limit is 500. But I think you should stretch out and shoot at least 1000 . i can shoot under 9" at a cool grand with my loupoldvx3..

 

[Sully2]

Ive used a 12x Leupold and killed mule deer size game out to 500yrds but I Agree with what everyone is saying. I wish I would've had more power to really see what I was shooting. The last one I killed was a good one and I knew it even from that distance but there was no way I could tell how many points at that distance with only 12x

Isnt that what a spotting scope is for???

 

[Sully2]

I want to shoot at 500 yards, will a 20x scope be enough power to see that far. (Zeiss conquest)

Also, how thick of steel do I need for a target to hold up at that range.

Thanks

I have the same scope...3 of them now in fact...and it depends on your target! Prairie dogs at 500..?? Nope.. Groundhogs at 500...yes. Mule deer...certainly.

The secret to the steel target is to let it "swing" free via 2 chains. ( Mount it in a Y with the chains) It deflects..and 1/2" is plenty. Mount it solid...you have to be so thick you cant carry it.

 

[angus-5024]

The secret to the steel target is to let it "swing" free via 2 chains. ( Mount it in a Y with the chains) It deflects..and 1/2" is plenty. Mount it solid...you have to be so thick you cant carry it.[/QUOTE]


good advice.

 

[82ndreddevil]

I want to shoot at 500 yards, will a 20x scope be enough power to see that far. (Zeiss conquest)

Also, how thick of steel do I need for a target to hold up at that range.

Thanks

For an Army or Marine Sniper a fixed 10x Leupold M3A was sufficient for 1000 meters. If you ask a police sniper he will tell you that you need 14.5x to shoot 100 meters. Haha, im not joking. The only time I have used anything with that much magnification is for shooting prarie dogs. The only issue is that the scope I was using had 6x as its lowest setting, may not be ideal for some close range scenarios.

 

[7mmRemMag]

Isnt that what a spotting scope is for???

Yep that's exactly what it's for. But unless your with someone else it's kind of hard packing it and humping it up a mountain with so much gear. On that particular hunt I was flying solo so I didn't have one on me. Plus I had to do all my DOPING on my own. Ranging adjusting etc. it takes double the time because normally with a spotter your hunkering down setting behind your gun while the spotter calls out the range and MOA. Unfortunately I had to do all of that on my own before setting in for the shot and a spotting scope would've probably cost me my trophy. By all means if the animal gives you enough time and you can pack the extra equip... I'm a believer in having and using one. We use it all the time hunting from our bench rest table here in Texas.

 

[ipopum]

It may depend on conditions at the time. In bright sun you need less X's than on cloudy overcast days. I have done a lot of shooting in prairie dog towns in the last 20 years. One of my 223's has an old made in Japan Bushnell 3x9 but it is very clear. I have killed p dogs out to 564 yards. My other p dog guns have 4x16, which are usually set on 10 to 12 power. These are not high priced scopes so image suffers at higher settings. The other factor to consider as power goes up the area you see at 3, 4 or 500 yards goes down. This is another reason my p dog scopes are set at 10 to 12 power. This is just my experience yours may vary.

 

[angus-5024]

I was able to count points on a deer two seasons ago at 680 yards with 10x binos. It took awhile, and was mid day but it worked. If lighting is marginal or the range is a little farther then you'll be SOL. I carry a spotter even if it means packing the thing 9 miles (funny thing about above mentioned example was that we were going for water so didnt bring the spotting scope!)

 

[COBrad]

I used a Zeiss Conquest 4.5-14x44 for several years and shot too many marmots at ranges out to the mid-700's to remember. Never felt like I needed more scope. I use a 6-24 on my prairie dog rifle but only really need that much magnification out past 600, and even then the mirage is usually so bad I end up shooting at maybe 16 power at best.

 

[silvertip-co]

you need at least 40x

 

[bruce_ventura]

Using a rifle scope for resolving target details (like the number of points) at long range is difficult at best. A spotting scope usually has the advantage of larger objective, higher magnification, less glare, and intrinsically higher resolution due to lower off-axis aberrations. If you need to save the weight or time and use the rifle scope to see details, your will need a properly mounted scope and intrinsically good optical performance.

Most long range rigs are set up with insufficient cant or elevation bias in the base. The elevation adjustment is then cranked up to 25-50 MOA to get the correct point of aim for a long range shot. Even in the center of the erector field of view, the objective is off-axis, which degrades the resolution due to optical aberrations (image blur).

If you want to play that game, you should reduce the elevation adjustment, which means increasing the base offset angle. Keeping the elevation adjustment below 20 MOA is usually sufficient to minimize off-axis aberrations. That may result in a large elevation adjustment in the opposite direction to get an accurate point of aim at 100 yds. That's ok because it's a short range shot where resolution isn't needed.

Using good glass to begin with also helps a lot. The better the optics, the better the "correction" of these aberrations will be in the optical design. In this case good usually glass means three lenses in the objective, instead of just two, and a properly optimized optical design, which takes experience.