16 power(Scope)??

[Ryan Avery]

I was asked this question twice in the last week. "How far can you shoot at deer size animals with a 16 power(scope)?" I would like to hear what you guys think?

 

[jmez]

About 150 yards. I'm not good with a rifle.

 

[wapitibob]

This year Antelope at 500 was cake with a 14x and I shot 1/2 minute dots to 1000 with the same scope. I don't see a quality 16x scope being the weak link with Deer at 1000.

 

[5MilesBack]

Only way to answer that question is to hit the range. Quite different for everyone.......regardless of the power of the scope.

 

[Sam Millard]

I was asked this question twice in the last week. "How far can you shoot at deer size animals with a 16 power(scope)?" I would like to hear what you guys think?

137 yards...

 

[Broz]

Reticle size plays a significant roll here. I remember when I got the first 7mm-300 built and had a scope fail. So I stuck an IOR SFP with a 2.5 x 10 x and an MP-8 dot reticle on it and zeroed it. My buddy and I then took turns sending 2 shots each at a steal target at 1180 yards. We drove up there and found all 4 shots went into .75 moa or less. So all 4 shots would have been x rings in the vital zone of a deer at 1180 yards with a 10 X scope. That said, I much prefer 20 to 25 x for this type of distance. But with a fine precise reticle 16X or even less is very doable.

Jeff

 

[Sam Millard]

I was asked this question twice in the last week. "How far can you shoot at deer size animals with a 16 power(scope)?" I would like to hear what you guys think?

In all seriousness, we shouldn't think of being able to shoot at deer sized animals, but rather at 10-12" kill zones on a deer size animal. Being able to shoot and hit a high contrast target like a painted steel plate or a bright rock on a hillside can be deceivingly easy with most any scope, given good lighting conditions and time to adjust your sight picture. Contrast that to trying to pick a spot for a clean kill on a deer, with poor light, no contrasting lines or colors to "frame" the target area, and a time limit to pull it off. I've practiced on rocks and plates with my 15x and 10x NXS scopes, as well as 8x and 10x Leupolds, out to 1200 yards or so. The targets were generally 1.5-2.0 MOA in size. I find it very hard to hold .5 MOA with those scopes, at any distance past 800 for the 15x, and 5-600 for the 10x. Being able to hold and hit .5 MOA consistently in the field is the standard I hold myself to, so those distances are the limits I set for myself with those scopes. I don't put those kinds of scopes on my rifles with the horsepower to kill cleanly past 800 yards, so it doesn't really matter anyway.

If you want to test yourself and your equipment, try shooting a 1" plain circle at 100 yards. If you and your rifle/scope can keep every shot in that circle, every time, you and your gear should be able to shoot out to 800 yards.

 

[Retterath]

i have a friend and also gunsmith that won back to back 1000 yard F class match with a 10 power scope. i use 15x max for all my hunting rigs, i usually only shoot to 1200 yards and 15x works fine for me.

 

[Justin Crossley]

If you want to test yourself and your equipment, try shooting a 1" plain circle at 100 yards. If you and your rifle/scope can keep every shot in that circle, every time, you and your gear should be able to shoot out to 800 yards.

That is probably way harder than it sounds. I'm going to try it next time I get my rifle out.

 

[pyroducksx3]

I shot my deer last year at 916 yards with a 14 power leupold. I never felt that I didn't have enough scope. However I have since switched to a 22 power nightforce and really enjoy the extra mag.