How much zoom do you like on a 500 yard hunting shot?

[PathFinder]

Not over 8x, closer to 6x most of the time.

 

[ChrisAU]

I’ve taken a few animals with a 3-9 at that distance give or take, but I do find myself liking 10-12x now.

 

[Wrench]

This rifle has a 2-8×32mm zeiss with target turrets. I routinely shot our steel course with it. Moa sized targets were in trouble to the 800 line.

 

[MallardSX2]

I would set on 12x.

 

[270-300]

Ive made ine 487 yard shot on an animal. Was an antelope. I set my scope at 16x. It does go higher. Im not against long shots. I just rarely need more than 200 yards here in wyoming. Even the open flats of carbon county. The next year after that 487 yard shot, I shot a mule deer on the same ridge at 85 yards. Which is the long way of getting to my next point, you can always made do with less mag, but when your scope has no low end and the elk comes walking through at 60 yards your screwed.

 

[270-300]

This rifle has a 2-8×32mm zeiss with target turrets. I routinely shot our steel course with it. Moa sized targets were in trouble to the 800 line. View attachment 1025797

Ive kind of settled on 2.5-10 for big game and 4-16 for varmits. So im right there with you.

Im sure someone else who thinks he is the only one in wyoming who hunts and uses the internet will tell me how every shot on game here is 1,500 yards and it takes a 30x scope to be in the game.

 

[270-300]

8x is plenty to kill big game out to 500. Leupold is the red flag in the equation.

Why do you not like leupold?

Im bot bashing you, I have one leupold on a rifle, seems solid, i appreciate its made just a thousand miles away. Optically though, I have scopes half the price that are just as clear and more bright.

 

[EdP]

I don't dial so I'm usually on max magnification for shots beyond 250yds and using the BDC subtensions. I have no problem putting good hits on the lifesize steel coyote gong at 500 yds at the range with my .30-06 and 3-9 Leupold. Never had a failure to hold zero either. I'm not a Leupold basher like so many on here, but if I was going to buy a new scope it would be a Trijicon.

That's right, I'm not shooting a CM or PRC or going after moose with a .223, and my scopes are not all NF or SWFA and I still kill stuff. I guess that makes me an enigma on Rokslide, but I am pretty old.

If you don't dial you need to consider the loss of field of view with the high magnification scopes because you are pretty much committed to the max magnification for shots beyond your max point blank range. I have found 9x to be the minimum and12x to be the max I want on my big game rifles. The extra magnification of a 16x is not going to help you make a better shot on a deer at 500 yds but it will make it harder to find that deer in the scope for a follow up shot if needed.

 

[Kaleb]

Because of where I live and hunt animal shooting at 500 is very rare for me. I can count on one hand how many deer I have shot hunting in the 400's. Culling is different and sometimes purposefully set up at that distance. I think it's always been 9-10x but that's because the scope I've used the most is a 3-9. I'm sure if I was using a different scope at the time I might turn it up a little bit more.

Shooting steel I normally turn them up but it will still range from 6x to 15-20x depending on which rifle I pick up.