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

[USAFRet]

My favorite

ZEISS Victory HT 3-12x56 | The specialist for hunting in low light

Built with SCHOTT HT glass, this specialist for sitting game at night makes even the smallest targets visible after the sun has set.

www.zeiss.com

There he is! Thanks Nez! I will take a look at that one. Is that what you use for long range hunting? BTW, you know which rifle I am shopping for. Haha.

 

[marksman1941]

If you plan to use BDC… do a bit of homework on the reticle subtension for each scope you are interested in.
Some will fit the cartridge better or be easier to adjust your load to.
They are not all the same

One of the things I have done for certain hunting rifles that I don't plan to dial (or that have capped turrets) is print out a dope chart AND a picture of the reticle with drop on it, and tape both to the stock. It makes for an extremely fast reference point, and the reticle picture helps keep you from counting hash marks or bdc dots in the scope when you're trying to get correct holdover. For example, this reticle is from a Burris Veracity 3-15 (lovely optic honestly) on my .300 win. The holdovers do happen to line up well with my load data, but I still appreciate having a picture for quick reference. I can range, get yardage, check the stock, and shoot within a few seconds and skip the mental gymnastics of counting hashmarks.

 

[JakeC]

One of the things I have done for certain hunting rifles that I don't plan to dial (or that have capped turrets) is print out a dope chart AND a picture of the reticle with drop on it, and tape both to the stock. It makes for an extremely fast reference point, and the reticle picture helps keep you from counting hash marks or bdc dots in the scope when you're trying to get correct holdover. For example, this reticle is from a Burris Veracity 3-15 (lovely optic honestly) on my .300 win. The holdovers do happen to line up well with my load data, but I still appreciate having a picture for quick reference. I can range, get yardage, check the stock, and shoot within a few seconds and skip the mental gymnastics of counting hashmarks.

I hunt with the 2.5-15 veracity too and I really like it. I wish it was a little lighter, I have been considering a 10x because that should still be plenty, but the reticle is fantastic.

For small targets and plinking it's funny, 8 find 12 to be kind of a lot at 400 but 500-600 having 15 becomes very important to me. But I can still hit with it on 10x. Tgat burris reticle and a drop chart make hits at 500 fun and intuitive.

 

[marksman1941]

I hunt with the 2.5-15 veracity too and I really like it. I wish it was a little lighter, I have been considering a 10x because that should still be plenty, but the reticle is fantastic.

For small targets and plinking it's funny, 8 find 12 to be kind of a lot at 400 but 500-600 having 15 becomes very important to me. But I can still hit with it on 10x. Tgat burris reticle and a drop chart make hits at 500 fun and intuitive.

It is a dang heavy scope. That's my only complaint. But, it feels solid, it's held up well so far, and the glass is much higher quality than I expected. 15x on my Burris looks (subjectively) much closer/more zoomed in than 20x on my vortex strike eagle, just due to glass quality.

 

[RichCoyle]

Every scope I've owned with more than 20x has been less than useful past 20x. Eyebox gets small, clarity gets worse, spotting shots is rough. I could see a 3-18 being a sweet spot, as that's the range my scopes were normally used in, even if they went to 25x

I must have got the good ones.

 

[marksman1941]

I must have got the good ones.

Likely. I haven't dumped 2k on a scope in that magnification range yet

 

[alpineassassin]

SWFA fixed 6x to the 400yard line for me

 

[lancetkenyon]

Western big game @ 500 yds probably don't need a Superscope.
Now squirrels @ 500yds.................
Or for Lance Kenyon, a squirrel @ 1200 yds ....!

1201. Don't short change me...

 

[lancetkenyon]

That's more $$ and more weight to haul up a mountain. Good binos are a must, but a good scope with higher mag weighs less than a spotting scope and tripod anyday

Yeah, but you are not going to sit and glass for 8-10+ hours with a riflescope. Guaranteed.

Plus, I have had people "glass" ME with a riflescope, and I was not freaking happy about it.

 

[RichCoyle]

Yeah, but you are not going to sit and glass for 8-10+ hours with a riflescope. Guaranteed.

Plus, I have had people "glass" ME with a riflescope, and I was not freaking happy about it.

There's no way I'm packing a spotting scope in the woods when I'm walking and hunting. And on three occasions the eight power binoculars were not adequate to judge the antlers but the 25-power scope was.

 

[xsn10s]

Yeah, but you are not going to sit and glass for 8-10+ hours with a riflescope. Guaranteed.

Plus, I have had people "glass" ME with a riflescope, and I was not freaking happy about it.

Yup it's no fun. I had people cover me with their muzzles during training classes. One was a so-called Marine sniper. Another pointed his weapon at my back while loading. I was none too pleased with either of them.

 

[1wildcatfan]

3-12 has worked for me out to 550 on pronghorn and coues multiple times. Never needed anything more.

 

[lancetkenyon]

There's no way I'm packing a spotting scope in the woods when I'm walking and hunting. And on three occasions the eight power binoculars were not adequate to judge the antlers but the 25-power scope was.

My 15x56s and a tripod never leave my side when I am hunting now. No matter what. All day long.
I have a BTX/95, but those are either a roadside glasses or for climbing a hill to glass below. But you need them for pronghorn judging.

 

[memtb]

Lance, I know that you're a much younger and in much better shape than many of us……but, how far do you carry that set-up on a daily basis when hunting?

Even when I was young and in good shape……that's a lot to carry and put miles on during a hunt. memtb