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

[Cschoonover90]

Shhhhhhh. It's a secret!

What am I missing?

 

[Formidilosus]

What am I missing?

A near 1,000 page thread with hundreds and hundreds of animals from mice to walruses being killed easily with good bullets and the 223.

 

[grfox92]

223 on an elk at 510?!

Oh boy. 15 posts in. He doesnt know.

Sent from my SM-S931U using Tapatalk

 

[TheHammer]

At the range I like them as high as they go if I’m shooting for groups. On an animal at that distance I have used 12x and 10x.

 

[Buglebrush]

This is interesting to hear what people do, but if I'm hunting it's Max power at 500 Yards. In the past that was 16x, but now it's 22x. No need to spot impacts if you put him down on shot #1. I guess I disagree with anyone's take that says less than max magnification for a long range hunting shot. There's no way you're more accurate at 500 at 8x than 16x.

 

[SDHNTR]

This is interesting to hear what people do, but if I'm hunting it's Max power at 500 Yards. In the past that was 16x, but now it's 22x. No need to spot impacts if you put him down on shot #1. I guess I disagree with anyone's take that says less than max magnification for a long range hunting shot. There's no way you're more accurate at 500 at 8x than 16x.

You are incorrect. I’m not saying you couldn’t use a little bit more than 8X, but 22X is far beyond what is beneficial, and actually detrimental to hunting efficacy.

 

[mt terry d]

This is interesting to hear what people do, but if I'm hunting it's Max power at 500 Yards. In the past that was 16x, but now it's 22x. No need to spot impacts if you put him down on shot #1. I guess I disagree with anyone's take that says less than max magnification for a long range hunting shot. There's no way you're more accurate at 500 at 8x than 16x.

You only take one bullet when hunting?
Cool. THAT'S weight saving!

 

[Buglebrush]

You are incorrect. I’m not saying you couldn’t use a little bit more than 8X, but 22X is far beyond what is beneficial, and actually detrimental to hunting efficacy.

Aside from low light and spotting shots, why would you say 22x is "far beyond what is beneficial, and actually detrimental" for long range hunting shots? I reject the spotting shots reason, because in hunting my goal is always to maximize accuracy on the first shot. What am I missing in your opinion?

 

[SDHNTR]

FOV. Hit or not (and your rejection is based on fallacy btw) you need to see how that animal reacted and where it went.

And because 22X or 12 will not make any difference in hit rate on 8-10” vitals.

 

[MagnumHntr]

Aside from low light and spotting shots, why would you say 22x is "far beyond what is beneficial, and actually detrimental" for long range hunting shots? I reject the spotting shots reason, because in hunting my goal is always to maximize accuracy on the first shot. What am I missing in your opinion?

Have you actually shot groups at 100 and checked the difference in accuracy between 8X and 20X scope power?

 

[Buglebrush]

Have you actually shot groups at 100 and checked the difference in accuracy between 8X and 20X scope power?

I have not, but I have at 520 yards many times. There's a place behind my folks house that we shoot 520 at Clay Pigeons many times. I noticed a difference when I stepped up the magnification. My comments were only in relation to long range hunting shots, and in those instances I prefer more magnification.

 

[Buglebrush]

FOV. Hit or not (and your rejection is based on fallacy btw) you need to see how that animal reacted and where it went.

And because 22X or 12 will not make any difference in hit rate on 8-10” vitals.

I've never taken a shot over 500 where someone else or my phone weren't recording the results through a spotter or other optics. I've also never had an animal go more than a few steps on a long range shot. My perspective is to put accuracy on the first shot much higher than ease of follow up. I do shoot better at long range with more magnification, and I've put the rounds in to know that. I'm not saying I'm a superior shooter though. Thanks for your perspective.

 

[SDHNTR]

I have not, but I have at 520 yards many times. There's a place behind my folks house that we shoot 520 at Clay Pigeons many times. I noticed a difference when I stepped up the magnification. My comments were only in relation to long range hunting shots, and in those instances I prefer more magnification.

See that’s the thing, of course you can shoot better groups on a paper bullseye with more mag. But we don’t shoot groups when hunting. And of course you can hit a clay pigeon with more mag at long range because it’s so small. Both are irrelevant for hunting.

Put an 8-10” gong at the same range or something else that mimics the size of vital organs. 12x or 22x, there will not be a meaningful difference between hit and miss. And that’s what matters. Now add in the benefit of being to see where that animal goes and how it reacts to the shot AND the ability to get back on the animal for a follow up shot, and the combination of all those positives is where the magic happens.

 

[SDHNTR]

I've never taken a shot over 500 where someone else or my phone weren't recording the results through a spotter or other optics. I've also never had an animal go more than a few steps on a long range shot.

Yet.

 

[mt terry d]

Jim Shockey almost every time an animal doesn't drop at the shot,

"Did i hit it?!!! Where did it go?!!!

 

[HuntHarder]

I've never taken a shot over 500 where someone else or my phone weren't recording the results through a spotter or other optics. I've also never had an animal go more than a few steps on a long range shot. My perspective is to put accuracy on the first shot much higher than ease of follow up. I do shoot better at long range with more magnification, and I've put the rounds in to know that. I'm not saying I'm a superior shooter though. Thanks for your perspective.

I prefer more power at LR as well. On this site, most will tell you, you are doing it wrong. Just roll with it, it's easier than arguing preference.

 

[nm.otter]

I need enough to see my wobble zone. With practice, that became far less than I would ever have expected.

 

[BluMtn]

So for all you 700 yard 8x shooters. I have two spike bull elk cutting through the trees into narrow openings and then back into the trees. One spike has 1" forks on both sides (Illegal to shoot in SE Washington) When those spikes enter the narrow clearing at 8X which one has the 1" forks on both sides.

Same with Mule deer, when I am hunting in SE Washington we are a 3PT minimum. We have a lot of 3 and 4 year old 2PTs that I try to take out of the gene pool. At 500 yards can you tell if there is a 1" horn anywhere on that 2pt buck which would allow me to shoot it with your 8X?

I don't care what you use for a scope, it's a free country and you can use a papertowel roll for all I care. But there are different environments that we all hunt in.

 

[mt terry d]

So for all you 700 yard 8x shooters. I have two spike bull elk cutting through the trees into narrow openings and then back into the trees.

You don't have a shot regardless of what they are.

 

[SDHNTR]

So for all you 700 yard 8x shooters. I have two spike bull elk cutting through the trees into narrow openings and then back into the trees. One spike has 1" forks on both sides (Illegal to shoot in SE Washington) When those spikes enter the narrow clearing at 8X which one has the 1" forks on both sides.

Same with Mule deer, when I am hunting in SE Washington we are a 3PT minimum. We have a lot of 3 and 4 year old 2PTs that I try to take out of the gene pool. At 500 yards can you tell if there is a 1" horn anywhere on that 2pt buck which would allow me to shoot it with your 8X?

I don't care what you use for a scope, it's a free country and you can use a papertowel roll for all I care. But there are different environments that we all hunt in.

A rifle scope is not the tool for this job.