Why are fixed power scopes pushed so heavily for hunting?

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Please explain to me why folks profess that a 4x or 6x scope is all that you need to hunt animals out to 400-600+ yards.

Saw another thread where some folks recommended a 6x. So I took a look at several photos I have taken of Coues through my SLC 15s out to about 1000 yards. In many cases, there'd be no way I could have found the Coues with a scope that has 40% of the magnification and realistically less clear glass.

For those that recommend 6x scopes and shoot animals out to 600 or so yards, do you wait for the animal to completely get into the open and provide a clear outline before taking the shot? Or are you actually able to clearly see the animal that is mostly obstructed by vegetation/shade?

 

[WeiserBucks]

In my opinion there's two types of people who recommend a fixed power scope. Those who don't want the weight of a variable and those who don't trust the durability of a variable. The latter of which is no longer an issue with modern, high quality optics.

 

[n816kc]

And there’s the fiddle factor. Fixed simplifies things, get crosshairs on, settle and squeeze. With the variable, for many, there is always the desire to dial in more magnification. Extra time, getting back on the animal, dialing in a little more, sometimes results in rushing the shot or losing the shot opportunity. Been there. The older I get the more I like it simple, 4 or 6 power hasn’t cost me a shot yet.

 

[prm]

I don’t know of many pushing a 6x as the ideal solution for hunting at 600yds. I think it can work at 600 though. A scope is just a sight, if you can’t see the target and place the reticle with a 6x I’m not sure how more Xs is going necessarily improve that. If the target is obstructed you’ll know with the 6x, though maybe not with as much detail as with more Xs. But enough of a difference to allow a shot with one that you wouldn’t have with a 6x seems unlikely to me. For my hunting a 6x is plenty, though if I were planning on shooting at 600 I’d get a variable with more Xs and an appropriate reticle.

 

[6mm Remington]

It's hard to go wrong with a good 4x or 6x scope. That is all I used until just recently a couple years ago when I had a 280AI built. I put a 4.5-14x40mm Leupold with the B&C reticle on it. I really like that scope as well. Even though the new variables are virtually bullet proof, they do have more moving parts than a fixed power scope and by that fact alone they are more susceptible to having a failure than a fixed power.

Want to know what setting I have my variable set at when I'm hunting...................6x ! I can always crank it up if I need to for a shot, but that is what I carry it around at. Hard to beat a 6x36mm or 6x42mm Leupold!

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

While I appreciate the responses, I guess it comes down to what you hunt, where you hunt them, and what distance you shoot at them.

I know that all of my rifles' scopes are at their lowest magnification until it is time to shoot and then I magnify to what I need to make the shot. Most of the Coues that I have killed have been obscured by vegetation to some degree. This is probably due to finding a shooter in the AM, bedding them, and then shooting them the moment that they stand up. And they usually bed during the day in vegetation of some type for shade.

All images were taken through my SLC 15s. Any blurriness is due to my phone's camera. These are gimmes and the Coues are in the open.

Here is a bedded buck right at 650 yards. Shortly after this he got up, moved over the ridge, and bedded down in some nasty stuff. I did range him while deciding if I wanted to shoot him. I did pass but another guy shot him. Small rack but did have a rear-facing kicker on each beam.


Here is a doe and fawn that are around 600 or so yards.

 

[Formidilosus]

Please explain to me why folks profess that a 4x or 6x scope is all that you need to hunt animals out to 400-600+ yards.

Saw another thread where some folks recommended a 6x. So I took a look at several photos I have taken of Coues through my SLC 15s out to about 1000 yards. In many cases, there'd be no way I could have found the Coues with a scope that has 40% of the magnification and realistically less clear glass.

For those that recommend 6x scopes and shoot animals out to 600 or so yards, do you wait for the animal to completely get into the open and provide a clear outline before taking the shot? Or are you actually able to clearly see the animal that is mostly obstructed by vegetation/shade?

First-

People are not recommending fixed 6x scopes for dedicated long range or specialized uses. They’re recommending a particular scope for general purpose or to fit a price bracket.

The first requirement for a scope is for it to function without question. If it’s to be used beyond 200-300 yards, then it must dial and return to zero consistently and correctly. There are legitimately only a few scopes that do so regardless of price.


Understanding that the vast majority of people when they say “out to 5-600 yards” really mean “I shoot animals at 200 but I want to be able to shoot farther”.
The fixed 6x and 10x SWFAs, which are the only fixed powers that are repeatedly recommended, are due to performance and cost. 10x is a bit too much for general hunting, 6x is acceptable for almost all medium and big game out to around the 600 yard mark. Not too much power for close shots, just enough to shoot deer/antelopes at the far end. Shooting targets- as far as you want. These scopes are offered because of reliability, simplicity and price.

Reliability: As above, there are truly very few scopes that when seen in large numbers don’t fail often. SWFA fixed powers, 1-6x, 3-9x, 3-15x and 5-20x. Nightforce. Bushnell LRHS/LRTS, Swaro X5, S&B, Minox Z5 are generally good.


Simplicity: If someone is asking “what scope”- no offense, they are almost always short on skill and ability for what they are asking. People have this idea of what shooting long range is. They’re almost universally incorrect. Here’s a simple question- why do people miss shots on animals or wound them?

That answer is NOT due to lack of magnification.




Price: In the sub $500 range there is one- the fixed power SWFA’s. Or on sale or used 3-9x SWFA. That’s it.




Second-


Judging what can be seen or done by a through the bino/scope picture is not reality. Mathematically, a 6x scope at 600 yards makes the target appear as if it were 100 yards unaided. It isn’t quite a perfect relationship due to atmospherics and actually looking through 600 yards of light/haze/dust/etc, but it’s close. I would also submit that Coues deer at longer ranges fall more towards the specialized side than the general. If I were doing a dedicated coues rifle, a fixed 6x would probably not be what I would choose. Still, if most shots are 0-400 with a couple past that, a fixed 6x is quite adequate.



Third-

Are you say that you shoot at animals at 600 yards that are mostly obstructed by vegetation?

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

First-

People are not recommending fixed 6x scopes for dedicated long range or specialized uses. They’re recommending a particular scope for general purpose or to fit a price bracket.

The first requirement for a scope is for it to function without question. If it’s to be used beyond 200-300 yards, then it must dial and return to zero consistently and correctly. There are legitimately only a few scopes that do so regardless of price.


Understanding that the vast majority of people when they say “out to 5-600 yards” really mean “I shoot animals at 200 but I want to be able to shoot farther”.
The fixed 6x and 10x SWFAs, which are the only fixed powers that are repeatedly recommended, are due to performance and cost. 10x is a bit too much for general hunting, 6x is acceptable for almost all medium and big game out to around the 600 yard mark. Not too much power for close shots, just enough to shoot deer/antelopes at the far end. Shooting targets- as far as you want. These scopes are offered because of reliability, simplicity and price.

Reliability: As above, there are truly very few scopes that when seen in large numbers don’t fail often. SWFA fixed powers, 1-6x, 3-9x, 3-15x and 5-20x. Nightforce. Bushnell LRHS/LRTS, Swaro X5, S&B, Minox Z5 are generally good.


Simplicity: If someone is asking “what scope”- no offense, they are almost always short on skill and ability for what they are asking. People have this idea of what shooting long range is. They’re almost universally incorrect. Here’s a simple question- why do people miss shots on animals or wound them?

That answer is NOT due to lack of magnification.




Price: In the sub $500 range there is one- the fixed power SWFA’s. Or on sale or used 3-9x SWFA. That’s it.




Second-


Judging what can be seen or done by a through the bino/scope picture is not reality. Mathematically, a 6x scope at 600 yards makes the target appear as if it were 100 yards unaided. It isn’t quite a perfect relationship due to atmospherics and actually looking through 600 yards of light/haze/dust/etc, but it’s close. I would also submit that Coues deer at longer ranges fall more towards the specialized side than the general. If I were doing a dedicated coues rifle, a fixed 6x would probably not be what I would choose. Still, if most shots are 0-400 with a couple past that, a fixed 6x is quite adequate.



Third-

Are you say that you shoot at animals at 600 yards that are mostly obstructed by vegetation?

Thank you for the info. That was what I was looking for.

To answer your question about shooting animals that are partially obscured by vegetation, the short answer is "yes" if the conditions are right. The wind has to be right. At a minimum I do need to see the head and enough of the shoulder area. The animal does need to be (mostly) stationary. And I need a steady shooting rest. If anything is not "right", then I'll pass and wait it out to see what will happen. I've passed on more shots than I've taken.

 

[Kimber7man]

I’m a fan of the fixed S&B PMII 10x42. Form might attest that it’s pretty much bulletproof. It’s not $500, but it’s worth every penny I paid for it.

 

[Macegl]

I have 2 6x36 leupold's, for the way I hunt I prefer them to my fixed power scopes.

That being said, if you frequently take shots at game partially obscured by brush at 600 yds, I would not recommend a 6x scope.

I probably wouldn't ever shoot past 400 and even then only when an animal is completely unobstructed. With a 6x scope that dialed 600 would probably be doable but not ideal.

 

[WCB]

I like magnification. My scope is rarely if ever below 6x...most the time 10x or higher depending on scope. I've shot fixed scopes 4x,6x and 10x. They "work" but I see zero negative to having more magnification especially the farther out game is.

People that use time or simplicity itself as a reason....? you literally twist a ring less than a second and you never have to take your eye out of the scope.

As far as failure goes...buy a reputable well made optic and take care of your equipment and you shouldn't have a problem. Ask these guys what vehicle they drive...If its a 1970s manual ok they at least practice what they preach.

I worked with rifle scopes and i would say roughly 85+% of failures were user induced and a tiny percent of what wasn't had anything to due with the magnification system. The vast majority had to do with poor mounting and people cranking on the turrets passed design specifications, or people that must be horrible shots or had a crappy shooting rifle thinking it wasn't holding zero.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

I see zero negative to having more magnification especially the farther out game is.

spotting impacts (or misses for adjustment) and maintaining target acquisition through recoil are the main two reasons I use the minimum amount of magnification possible to complete the job. On 6-7lb hunting rifles in standard chamberings I struggle above 7X to keep it in the scope and spot my hits. YMMV

 

[h2so4]

View attachment 164575

Here is a doe and fawn that are around 600 or so yards.
View attachment 164574

Ok- I give up. can you point these little fellas out?

 

[Hill Difficulty]

Comparing 2 fixed makes mentioned, a 6x Leupold and a 6x SS w/MQ are not in the same league in terms of long range capability. Have/had multiples of both. I still own one Leupold (it's a 6x36) because it's the only Leupold I ever owned that will still reliably track and RTZ.

Have sort of a weekly ritual of shooting an 10" plate at 600 yards, often behind a 6x MQ. It's odd to miss. Until you look through a 6x MQ you won't be able to appreciate how the reticle + big eye box + FOV all work together to make things easy. For me, looking through a 6x Leupold duplex at a 10" gong gets limiting at around 400. Still a great hunting scope to own, but nothing like viewing through a SS.

Two things for the OP: 1) No matter what your heart thinks it might want or need, looking through any scope is sensory - if your eyeballs & brain don't like it you'll suffer. Some scopes are done right, most aren't. 2) A variable can get you in jams that can cost you opportunities. I own 3 terrific variables but am very intentional about keeping the mag ring where it needs to be.

If I were a Coues hunter I wouldn't hesitate to run a 6x, while I try to be realistic about how things are more likely to shake out in the real world (cuz odds are that most opportunities will be within a stone's throw of 250).

Hope this helps!

 

[biking_2003]

One thing I didn't see mentioned is that any given fixed power scope that is the same price as any given variable power scope will generally have better quality glass than the variable.

Overall, I'm a fan of lower power scopes, both variable and fixed, for their simplicity, lighter weight, and ability to do all I want for my style of hunting. I like to get close and don't have to be able to spot the eyeball of a deer in brush or give or take an inch off a pronghorn horn. You just have to figure out what works best for you, ultimately, but I will always recommend lower power fixed and variables with some caveats.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

To the OP- I've both asked and pondered this for a looong time. I'm in your Camp. You couldn't GIVE me a fixed anything. Having lived near the NM Bootheel for a decade, I get where you're coming from. And having hunted multiple states....still feel the same. This quickly turns into the "Best Grizzly Gun" type inquiry with opinions from dudes who have never seen one or live in Ohio......

Comparing utilizing a 6X on a static steel range with white targets is a non issue. Throw in grey tones, brush and take out the mowed green Ft. Benning grass....and stuff is way different.

If the goal is ethical and humane hunting.....why would you need to spot a miss? Better well be there or you shouldn't have taken it.

Knowing several guys with Book heads re: Coues deer.....you'd have to toss a rock and additional 200 yards to be within a stone's throw of 250

If I'm burning $6000 on a hunt, or even my precious leave to go hunt.....I am sure not going to limit my options with a fixed anything,

 

[16Bore]

What you can do with a $259.99 SWFA is laughable. Exit pupil and adjustable parallax is something to consider.

 

[Oregonmuley]

I’m a fan of the fixed S&B PMII 10x42. Form might attest that it’s pretty much bulletproof. It’s not $500, but it’s worth every penny I paid for it.

+1 If I ever had to live with one scope on all my rifles, that would be the one.

 

[Millerish]

Right tool for the job is dependent upon the individual and whether they are right or left handed. For pistol and black powder cartridges that are more of a "short range" I prefer fixed. For long range cartridges, variable is definitely the way to go.

 

[silasbowhunter]

Ok- I give up. can you point these little fellas out?

I couldn’t find any of them either lol

I think a fixed has a place. If I’m hunting and never going past 400 yards I’d had a 6x. My eyes are poor. A lot of times I crank my scopes up to look at things all the time therefore I have variables and like em around the 14-18 top end.


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