Variable Power Scope and Hunting Magnification

[General RE LEE]

What is everyone’s preferred baseline magnification on your variable power scope? Do you have it set on 4x? 6x? I generally keep mine set on 4x and zoom if necessary. I ask because I’m taking my son youth hunting this weekend and I think 5x magnification on FFP reticle (Burris Veracity PH) will be just about right for him to pick up the rifle and shoot out to 300 yards.

 

[justinspicher]

I usually keep mine on the lowest setting until I need more magnification. I’ve found that to be the easiest way for me to identify critters through the scope.

 

[sndmn11]

5x magnification on FFP reticle (Burris Veracity PH) will be just about right for him to pick up the rifle and shoot out to 300 yards.

Simce he is the shooter and skilled enough to hang out to 300 yards, does he get a say in the decision?

 

[JRMiller]

I always leave mine on lowest power until I know I need higher.
I prefer all mine scopes to start no higher than 3x, but that's just me.
Been quite a few times where I unexpectedly stumble on an animal that's <50 yards and sometimes there is such a thing as too much magnification.

 

[Jdeck09]

3-18 or 4-20/24. I'll keep everything on 3-4 until I find an animal.

 

[waspocrew]

Keep on lowest, then increase when on target if needed.

 

[KenLee]

4x unless I know game regularly cross at 200 yards or more, then 6x

 

[Skerhunter]

I use 6-8x typically unless I expect a sub 50 yard shot, but I don’t have any issues getting into position and finding animals in my scope.

My experience hunting with others though tells me it should be 2-4x max until they are comfortable, especially in hunt scenarios where they are excited.

 

[BluMtn]

I was always taught to keep your scope on the lowest setting. If you are in a situation that requires more magnification you have time to turn it up. I learned that lesson the hard way in my early youth. In the 60's our group was brushing a large timbered canyon during elk season. I had an old redfield 3x9 scope on my rifle and had it on 9. As I got within about 15 yards of this downed log a bull elk jumped up in front of me and started running down the hill. I had my gun at the ready and threw it up and all I saw was brown in my scope, by the time I got the power turned down on my scope the bull was gone. All my father said was "that's why you keep the power turned down". Lesson learned.

 

[BradArnett]

What power does he use while practicing at 300yds?

 

[Chris in TN]

I have scopes that start at 1.5-2.5x but have never in 40 years of hunting really needed anything less than 3x or more than 16x. And I think 95% of my experience with a rifle would have been fine with 6x-12x.

A basic 4x-12x will serve most needs. Hunting from a stand, leave it on 5x-6x and turn it up for longer shots. I don't buy the theory that 8x-9x is sufficient for longer shots as most of the animals I've shot in my life weren't wearing steel plates painted white. Many of them have stood in weeds or cornstalks or in very low light where there's an optimum balance between magnification and brightness. But even with that, at no point ever have I thought I needed more than 16x (I have one scope that tops at 18x and it actually annoys me) and I'd have lost nothing if every scope I owned was a 4x-12x. In the woods, leave it on 4x, if you're hunting a big opening with little chance of a close shot, leave it on 6x. Don't overthink it.

 

[TaperPin]

For new hunters I use electrical tape and lock it down at 6x. I simply say they can shoot at any power they want when on their own and it’s one less thing to think about, but what I’m really thinking is we’re not going to lose an animal because they take their focus off the animal fiddle-dinking around, maybe even losing the animal in the scope as it slowly walks behind a tree. New shooters are overwhelmed just trying to get the shot off, so complicating it is asking for trouble.

More magnification is not going to make the rifle shoot better - 6x resolution is easily good for 1/2 MOA.

 

[JimIsland]

I have scopes that start at 1.5-2.5x but have never in 40 years of hunting really needed anything less than 3x or more than 16x. And I think 95% of my experience with a rifle would have been fine with 6x-12x.

A basic 4x-12x will serve most needs. Hunting from a stand, leave it on 5x-6x and turn it up for longer shots. I don't buy the theory that 8x-9x is sufficient for longer shots as most of the animals I've shot in my life weren't wearing steel plates painted white. Many of them have stood in weeds or cornstalks or in very low light where there's an optimum balance between magnification and brightness. But even with that, at no point ever have I thought I needed more than 16x (I have one scope that tops at 18x and it actually annoys me) and I'd have lost nothing if every scope I owned was a 4x-12x. In the woods, leave it on 4x, if you're hunting a big opening with little chance of a close shot, leave it on 6x. Don't overthink it.

Same here. I am blessed to own a bunch of hunting rifles and the one that gets used the least has 16 zoomies. 90% of the time I'm grabbing a rifle with 10 or 12 zoom on the top end, and never wished I had more. Even with the 10 and 12 power, the only time I really crank it that high is to be able to tell a spike from a doe at last bit of light.

 

[LongWayAround]

I think 4x is about right for a starting magnification.

Also, the biggest thing for me finding targets is shooting both eyes open. I tend to think most people who have trouble finding targets or having too much magnification are pirate-eyeing their scope. I would have been way ahead of the learning curve if I had been taught that as a kid rather than learning as an adult.

 

[flyfisher117]

Maybe it’s from all of my time hunting coyotes with a 6-24 or hunting deer with fixed 6 or 8x

I usually just leave all of my rifles on the 6-8x range. Even my new 2-15s or 3-18 etc. it’s just comfortable to me

 

[Dave Thomas]

I keep mine on 3 or 4. I can always turn it up if I need to if deer is further out. Where i hunt I'm as likely going to have a 20 yard shot as I will a 200 yard shot.

 

[hibernation]

6x is fine if I'm in more open country, but if I'm still-hunting thick timber I leave it around 3-4x.