What power scope do you prefer for 800-1000 yards?

[eric1115]

2x per hundred yards at most. I'm almost always 1.5x per hundred, often less. People are always uncomfortable when they first turn the magnification down, but almost always shoot better (especially field shooting where you need to spot your own hits/misses, make follow up shots, etc.)

How do you compensate for wind? I and everyone I know that does it well, holds wind in the reticle rather than dialing wind. What do you do on mid range shots where you don't want max magnification? This is a question I've never gotten a great answer on from guys who are SFP fans, and the main reason I use all FFP scopes. There's often enough wind that you need to account for it at say 300 yards. Even a 3-9x has you at double where I want to be for magnification. 18x? Forget it. I'd prefer to be around 5x.

 

[TimberHunter]

Thanks all for the info.

I’ve always wondered about the fixed power say 12x SWFA scopes. I know they are reliable just some hesitation on the fixed zoom part if I did run into sub 50 yard shots (not ideal but I’m wondering if it is still do able). I know they have the 3-15 but I know MOA and can do MOA mental math quickly when needed


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[Lawnboi]

Thanks all for the info.

I’ve always wondered about the fixed power say 12x SWFA scopes. I know they are reliable just some hesitation on the fixed zoom part if I did run into sub 50 yard shots (not ideal but I’m wondering if it is still do able). I know they have the 3-15 but I know MOA and can do MOA mental math quickly when needed


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I’m not sure I’d do a 12 but you could do a lot with a 10x.

People talk magnification in close quarters like it’s all about the scope but fail to realize that target acquisition is a skill, just like any other fundamental of shooting. This is something I never practiced before becoming a competitor and shooting on the clock. Being able to place or hold your rifle in a natural way, and not have to search for a target is a skill every hunter should be practicing.

 

[JohnJohnson]

People talk magnification in close quarters like it’s all about the scope but fail to realize that target acquisition is a skill, just like any other fundamental of shooting.

Especially for close up stuff it can be as simple as just keeping both eyes open (which you should anyway) which makes it much easier to get your scope on things.

 

[TimberHunter]

Good points ^ I don’t practice it but have built my skill set over years of bird (quail chukar) hunting so I usually acquire targets very quickly in scopes (usually not searching around)

I’m one of those that wonders if low mag would make shooting long range more difficult? I currently use 15x and 16x SFP scopes to shoot from 300-600 yards.


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[Lawnboi]

Good points ^ I don’t practice it but have built my skill set over years of bird (quail chukar) hunting so I usually acquire targets very quickly in scopes (usually not searching around)

I’m one of those that wonders if low mag would make shooting long range more difficult? I currently use 15x and 16x SFP scopes to shoot from 300-600 yards.


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For larger targets and moving animals I don’t think so. Lower magnification means seeing what happens through recoil is easier.

 

[TimberHunter]

For larger targets and moving animals I don’t think so. Lower magnification means seeing what happens through recoil is easier.

But is there a point where too little mag won’t let you see impacts? For example at 800 or 900 yards is 10x or 12x going to be too little to see hits on rocks or game?

Essentially trying to decide between a SWFA moa fixed mag or a Trijicon credo 2.5-15. Two very different prices but my main concern is that the scope tracks well


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[Lawnboi]

But is there a point where too little mag won’t let you see impacts? For example at 800 or 900 yards is 10x or 12x going to be too little to see hits on rocks or game?

Essentially trying to decide between a SWFA moa fixed mag or a Trijicon credo 2.5-15. Two very different prices but my main concern is that the scope tracks well


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I don’t shoot animals that far so may be the wrong person to ask.

Even shooting long range, especially from positions other than prone, with decent sized targets im never above 10-16x even way out there. More magnification is only nice for small targets and distances where I wouldn’t be shooting at an animal.

For me the ability to get on target, make a shot, spot a hit, track and potentially follow up do more for me than more magnification.

Currently my main hunting gun wears a 4-32 nx8, that scope never goes past 12x unless I’m shooting zero on paper at 100 yards. Or making sure I’m not about to shoot a spike.

 

[hereinaz]

I have 3-18 power scopes on my long range hunting rifles. I reached that based on considerations below.

Mainly, what power I shoot is balancing enough magnification to see the vitals and maximum field of view after the shot. If I have good spotters I trust, I can use more magnification.

That said, I am comfortable shooting at 10-12 at mort hunting distances. I shot a fixed 12x SWFA at 1000 and with a good aimpoint could shoot nice groups.

Magnification helps at close range to shoot tiny groups. Magnification helps at all ranges to shoot tiny groups.

If magnification makes it feel like you wobble too much, then you wobble too much. Some say that turning magnification down helps, and it probably does, but it isn’t because of anything related to the magnification per se.

Mentally, IMO, lower magnification helps not to see the wobble because an unskilled shooter will do the wrong things to compensate for the wobble like try to time a shot and jerk, which is worse than lower magnification and squeezing.

The scope is a tool and high magnification has pros and cons.

Pro- you can see where you are shooting.
Con- you have less field of view after the shot.
Harder to find target
Magnifies mirage
Weighs more.
Costs more.
Clarity goes down as magnification goes up with all glass and especially worse as glsss gets lower quality.
Optical/color aberrations go up as magnification goes up.
Light transmission goes down as magnification goes up.

 

[IslandBoi]

But is there a point where too little mag won’t let you see impacts? For example at 800 or 900 yards is 10x or 12x going to be too little to see hits on rocks or game?

Essentially trying to decide between a SWFA moa fixed mag or a Trijicon credo 2.5-15. Two very different prices but my main concern is that the scope tracks well


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which one did you end up going with?

 

[JollyRoger]

I shot 700, 1031, 1296, and 1750 this week with a SWFA 5-20. However, I think my highest magnification for the mile target was around 12x. I had to be zoomed out enough to use the full 10mils on the reticle since I’d ran out of elevation.

The other targets were shot between 6x and around 8x. Targets were all 24x22” plates.

All that to say… unless you’re shooting prairie dogs or tiny targets at that distance I think 15-16x is fine.

 

[TimberHunter]

which one did you end up going with?

I picked the SWFA 10x just because I couldn’t decide. Very impressed with it overall while using it in my first PRS match today. May upgrade in the future but awesome scope


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[khuber84]

4-20 or 3-18, turn up magnification to see mirage if there is any to observe wind, turn down enough but not too much, to get some detail for spotting bullet impact, ensure parallax is good, and send it. I'd say prob 12-15x for that distance hunting. When I first started shooting a lot of long range targets under stress, I ran 10-12. But as I got better at natural point of aim and aligning rifle with target before getting in the scope, I run 17-20X more now, as I'm not hunting for targets in my field of view.