Your thoughts on Higher powered scopes?

budlight

budlight

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On my good rifles I have 50mm, 56mm, 60 mm objectives and 6X or so to 24X or so. They are also all Mil dot. As I try to shoot small things farther and farther away I can see the need for 8x-32 or 10x-40. I'm always up at near 24X

Yes I'm over 50 and I just don't think that things are as clear as they used to be. I even have to put on reading glasses to see up close.

So you guys that do long range varminting have you gone to higher powered scopes?
 
Until recently I had never owned anything over 16x and got along just fine out to 1,000yds. The only reason I now have 20-25x scopes on a couple of rifles was because I got them as package deals and/or at real bargains.

A few weeks back I had a one shot kill on a bobcat at just shy of 900yds with a 4.5-14x44 zeiss conquest.

I've shot a truck load of prairie dogs out to six hundred yards with the same scope and it's little brother the 3.5-10x44 conquest as well.

I really see no value in scopes with greater than 20-25x for hunting even for varmint hunting.

I definitely prefer the 50-60mm objectives though for their light gathering superiority.

My latest scope acquisition is an IOR Valdada Tactical 4.5-14x 50mm with the lighted MP-* Reticle and it will soon find a home on the .260 while the 4.5-14x44 conquest that's on it now will move to the new .220 swift as those two will be my primary med-long range varmint killers.

The thousand yard guns will each be wearing a 6.5-20x50 Leupold 30mm Target scope and a 6-25x50mm Mark 4 with lighted TMR reticle.

If I can't see what I want to shoot well enough with those I don't need to be shooting at it anyhow.
 
I use higher power scopes like the 8.5x32 and the 5.5x25 when hunting for the following reasons:

1.I use lower powed binocular, such as 8x10 power to cover a wide feild of veiw.

2. If I find some animal moving or otherwise of interest, I switch to the rifle scope on whatever power is needed to confirm that the animal is something I want to shoot. I have seen small bucks shot by someone looking for a doe, because they could not see spikes with low powered scopes.
 
WildRose said:
A few weeks back I had a one shot kill on a bobcat at just shy of 900yds with a 4.5-14x44 zeiss conquest.
Click to expand...

This I find to be nearly absurd. I just went out and lasered around down below my house. As luck would have it there was an shed behind this house that lasered in at 856 yards. I got out my spotting scope and started looking for something Bob Cat size. That is when I saw a young boy and smaller dog in that back yard. I went in a got 4X-12 scoped rifle and on 12 power no kid or dog. The cross hairs probably block 6 feet or more in both horizontal and verticle. So I got a 6X-24 and turned it up to 14X Still very wishful thinking. At up around 24 power the cross hairs might cover 12+ inches. So a Prarrie dog you would not really even see the dog you would be guessing as to the center of your X.

I decided to by an "F" class type scope 10X-40 and I will see for my self out at the range
 
budlight said:
This I find to be nearly absurd. I just went out and lasered around down below my house. As luck would have it there was an shed behind this house that lasered in at 856 yards. I got out my spotting scope and started looking for something Bob Cat size. That is when I saw a young boy and smaller dog in that back yard. I went in a got 4X-12 scoped rifle and on 12 power no kid or dog. The cross hairs probably block 6 feet or more in both horizontal and verticle. So I got a 6X-24 and turned it up to 14X Still very wishful thinking. At up around 24 power the cross hairs might cover 12+ inches. So a Prarrie dog you would not really even see the dog you would be guessing as to the center of your X.

I decided to by an "F" class type scope 10X-40 and I will see for my self out at the range
Click to expand...
Then perhaps you need better eyes.

Maybe you should perhaps attend a 1000yds open sight national match sometime and then get back to us on what is or isn't possible.

Better yet read this article:

http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek085.html

You'd be really surprised what people who actually spend more time shooting rifles than questioning others can do with one.
 
Last edited:
Well I read the article. They opted for 17 power and I would bet some super fine crosshair fixed power scope. I don't have spotters when I shoot. Mr. Prarrie dog doesn't hang around to long when I doing my spotting shots. I also shot expert for many years in the military with m-14 with peep sights. At 300 with peeps sites. You had no idea where they went until the spotter called them back.

Does your 900 yard bob cat call you back and walk the rounds in?

http://www.6mmbr.com/optics.html
 
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budlight said:
Well I read the article. They opted for 17 power and I would bet some super fine crosshair fixed power scope. I don't have spotters when I shoot. Mr. Prarrie dog doesn't hang around to long when I doing my spotting shots. I also shot expert for many years in the military with m-14 with peep sights. At 300 with peeps sites. You had no idea where they went until the spotter called them back.

Does your 900 yard bob cat call you back and walk the rounds in?
Click to expand...
No he was too busy hanging dead in the tree in the pictures... .

To believe that what is possible is limited by what one's own personal limitations is the height of arrogance.

Thousand yard kills were being recorded long before the first scopes of greater than 10x were even available.

As for PD hunting if you can't see your own misses kicking up dust at 400yds through a 10x you definitely do need better eyes.
 
By the way what power did he opt for for his 1000ys iron sight again?

You started this thread askign what other's thoughts on higher power scopes are. If you didn't want other's opinions why is it you solicited same?

Are you just looking for an argument?
 
I use 5x20 Huskemaws and a Nightforce 5.5x22 with an NPRR2 and have no problem at all resovlving the crosshairs on the vital area of game the size of bobcat, woodchuck, etc. at 1000 yards. For my 60 year old eyes this top end power works well especially when mirage is present. Sometimes I will back off to around 15x if the mirage is really bad, and can still do OK at this range.
 
budlight said:
This I find to be nearly absurd. I just went out and lasered around down below my house. As luck would have it there was an shed behind this house that lasered in at 856 yards. I got out my spotting scope and started looking for something Bob Cat size. That is when I saw a young boy and smaller dog in that back yard. I went in a got 4X-12 scoped rifle and on 12 power no kid or dog. The cross hairs probably block 6 feet or more in both horizontal and verticle. So I got a 6X-24 and turned it up to 14X Still very wishful thinking. At up around 24 power the cross hairs might cover 12+ inches. So a Prarrie dog you would not really even see the dog you would be guessing as to the center of your X.

I decided to by an "F" class type scope 10X-40 and I will see for my self out at the range
Click to expand...

No idea what *** scope you're using that the crosshair COVERS UP 6 feet at 900 yds...but i called Leupold 2 weeks ago questioning a reticle change in my 6-18X Leupold. When asked how large was my crosshair...he told me they cover ONE TENTH of an MOA. ( Like .10 at 100 yds...and .9 at 900 yds)??????
 
Sully2 said:
No idea what *** scope you're using that the crosshair COVERS UP 6 feet at 900 yds...but i called Leupold 2 weeks ago questioning a reticle change in my 6-18X Leupold. When asked how large was my crosshair...he told me they cover ONE TENTH of an MOA. ( Like .10 at 100 yds...and .9 at 900 yds)??????
Click to expand...

A *** scope with lighted cross hairs.
 
budlight said:
This I find to be nearly absurd. I just went out and lasered around down below my house. As luck would have it there was an shed behind this house that lasered in at 856 yards. I got out my spotting scope and started looking for something Bob Cat size. That is when I saw a young boy and smaller dog in that back yard. I went in a got 4X-12 scoped rifle and on 12 power no kid or dog. The cross hairs probably block 6 feet or more in both horizontal and verticle. So I got a 6X-24 and turned it up to 14X Still very wishful thinking. At up around 24 power the cross hairs might cover 12+ inches. So a Prarrie dog you would not really even see the dog you would be guessing as to the center of your X.

I decided to by an "F" class type scope 10X-40 and I will see for my self out at the range
Click to expand...
was the scope first focal plain or second?
 
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