High power scopes?
- Thread starter BeaverMeat
- Start date
Mumbles Marble Mouth
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Lower Mainland
The high magnification is used to identify your target. Then power down to appropriate magnification to take the shot. Less movement involved. You already see the animal, chances are its somewhat close and you don't need to take a moment to take your view off the animal to pull out a set of binoculars to potentially alert the animal you're there. I hunt with a 2-10x40 Bushnell Elite 4200 and I've had to power it up on a group of 4 black tail that was only 30 meters away because it was very early in the morning and I couldn't tell if one of them was a buck. Turned it up to 10 power, saw one is a 2x2, turned down to 2 power, and popped him in the lungs. Was quick only took me about 5 seconds to identify it was a 2x2 and that deer didn't have a clue I was there. Pulling out a pair of binos would of for sure alerted him or at least one of the three doe he was with. Using a scope to identify your target is fine. Using a scope to glass a clear cut is not. That's where binos or spotting scopes are much better.
Fair enough,
If you paid nothing for your rifle/scope, have free gear (pack/binos/meat cutting tools), and only shoot one/or two rounds a year from that rifle. Then your cost summary makes sense.
I guess this has veered far enough off track.
See, I think wounding 1 in 5 dinner animals (your 80% chance on running game based on your skills...or lack of) has no excuse whatsoever for that practice.
Maybe 200 years ago when you didn't eat if you didn't bring home dinner, you would take a shot at everything that moved, but as someone else already mentioned there are grocery stores now, meat isn't scarce.
Gotta wonder if you even hunt when you come up with things like that.
elimsprint
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Kelowna, BC
Hunting from a blind or stand isn't hunting? Since when?
So, you haven't fired 20 rounds in 6 years?? You think that much shooting makes you capable of giving advice?
Your posts are starting to look pretty silly.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
I put a 4x12 on my deer rifle because I shoot it at the range during the off season, sure a lower power would be fine in the hunt in my area but it's nice to have more magnification at the ranger shooting targets.
I have now read everybody's opinion on scope size and magnification and have yet to read much in the way of common sense..........My scope powers are set up for specific rifles and cartridges which are in turn set up for specific hunting conditions and animals.
My .470 NE which will never fire a shot at an animal beyond 100 mtrs but very well may at 10 mtrs wears a Leupold 1-4X20.
My 358 Win with it's ballistics and short barrel wears a Leupold fixed 4X
My black bear swatter Mod 7 KS in 350 RM wears a 1.5-5 Leupold Vari-X III which I have found to be adequate out to about 250 mtrs on this rifle. Never found I wanted more......It has also been used at 8 feet, very successfully.
My working 375 H&H wears a Zeiss Diavari 1.5-6X42 and has been used on game out to 300 mtrs quite successfully
My super light 300 WSM wears a 3-9X36 Leupold compact Vari-X II.....I would have a little more but I will not give up the weight or size and 9 power takes pretty much full advantage of the WSMs ballistics.
My 340 Wby wears a Zeiss Diavari 3-9X42 which quite nicely fits this package and makes good sense with the ballistics of the 340
My 9.3X300 WM wears a Leupold Vari-X III in 2.5-8X36 and makes a nice all around package, with 270 gn bullets at 3000 fps.
My 378 Wby wears a Leupold 3.5-10X40 Vari-XIII because that's what I bought it with on it, but I would probably change it to a 2.5-8 Vari-X III when I go to hunt with it, for the game and country I'll be hunting.
My 257 Wby wears a Leupold Vari-X II in 6-18X40, but I have never hunted with it, however it would be my choice for pronghorn or desert mulies if I were to go for them.
In fact most of my hunting rifles wear 2.5-8X36...3-9X40...3.5-10X40 Leupolds. I bought 6 Leupold 3-9X40s at one time when they were on sale at WSS, I consider them to be the most useful and universal scope today.
Anyway you guys get the drift.........when I go hunting I choose a rifle and scope combination which I feel best suits the animal and terrain I will be hunting. But I very seldom hunt big game with any scope bigger than 10 power and I very specifically hate scopes with 50 and 56mm objective lenses, they put the scope much too high for normal hunting rifle stocks and look awful, and in my opinion are not necessary. I have hunted Africa where hunting at night is legal and done a lot and I feel a 40 mm objective gives all the light gathering one's eye can use. When it is in front of truly quality glass such as Zeiss Victory Diavari series scopes.
My 300 Wby that has been all over the world and has been the tool I have used most extensively for my primary hunting rifle did all this with a Zeiss Diavari 3-9X42 and I don't think I ever felt myself wanting more.
My .470 NE which will never fire a shot at an animal beyond 100 mtrs but very well may at 10 mtrs wears a Leupold 1-4X20.
My 358 Win with it's ballistics and short barrel wears a Leupold fixed 4X
My black bear swatter Mod 7 KS in 350 RM wears a 1.5-5 Leupold Vari-X III which I have found to be adequate out to about 250 mtrs on this rifle. Never found I wanted more......It has also been used at 8 feet, very successfully.
My working 375 H&H wears a Zeiss Diavari 1.5-6X42 and has been used on game out to 300 mtrs quite successfully
My super light 300 WSM wears a 3-9X36 Leupold compact Vari-X II.....I would have a little more but I will not give up the weight or size and 9 power takes pretty much full advantage of the WSMs ballistics.
My 340 Wby wears a Zeiss Diavari 3-9X42 which quite nicely fits this package and makes good sense with the ballistics of the 340
My 9.3X300 WM wears a Leupold Vari-X III in 2.5-8X36 and makes a nice all around package, with 270 gn bullets at 3000 fps.
My 378 Wby wears a Leupold 3.5-10X40 Vari-XIII because that's what I bought it with on it, but I would probably change it to a 2.5-8 Vari-X III when I go to hunt with it, for the game and country I'll be hunting.
My 257 Wby wears a Leupold Vari-X II in 6-18X40, but I have never hunted with it, however it would be my choice for pronghorn or desert mulies if I were to go for them.
In fact most of my hunting rifles wear 2.5-8X36...3-9X40...3.5-10X40 Leupolds. I bought 6 Leupold 3-9X40s at one time when they were on sale at WSS, I consider them to be the most useful and universal scope today.
Anyway you guys get the drift.........when I go hunting I choose a rifle and scope combination which I feel best suits the animal and terrain I will be hunting. But I very seldom hunt big game with any scope bigger than 10 power and I very specifically hate scopes with 50 and 56mm objective lenses, they put the scope much too high for normal hunting rifle stocks and look awful, and in my opinion are not necessary. I have hunted Africa where hunting at night is legal and done a lot and I feel a 40 mm objective gives all the light gathering one's eye can use. When it is in front of truly quality glass such as Zeiss Victory Diavari series scopes.
My 300 Wby that has been all over the world and has been the tool I have used most extensively for my primary hunting rifle did all this with a Zeiss Diavari 3-9X42 and I don't think I ever felt myself wanting more.
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M12shooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- East St. Paul, mb
Mig its the way this dude hunts. Crawled through the hills, froze my but sitting on the ground or a stump, leaning on pasture line fences for 35 years. Prospect of relaxing in a wooden blind with a touch of heat sounds fine to me as I near 60...
Lol..... I won't question your marksmanship skills, since I know you practice other disciplines....
That being said, here are some additional "costs".....
1- your time, time is money
2- butchering (either you do it yourself or you pay someone to do it), your time or money..
3- the cost of your .270 setup divided amongst how many deer you shoot
4- time spent scouting and researching
5- peripherals (wrap, knives, tape etc....)
- Location
- In the shadows of the Rockies
The Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 1.75-5x32mm is another decent compact scope. Entirely adequate magnification range as previously mentioned. Very good brightness and clarity with ample eye relief. Got my 375 H&H Magnum Sako Kodiak sighted in and will see how the RainGuard HD coating performs on an upcoming hunting trip because it's now monsoon season. 
Seriously dude, I shoot over 5000 rounds a year. lol... A hunting rifles isn't something I use for fun at the range. I got my Cadex for that...lol...
I shot ONE cold bore shot every years with my .270 to confirm zero and the rifle goes back into the case
Yes I did forget the couple of bucks for the tags... Im so sooooory ... Call the wanbulance...lol...
The Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 1.75-5x32mm is another decent compact scope. Entirely adequate magnification range as previously mentioned. Very good brightness and clarity with ample eye relief. Got my 375 H&H Magnum Sako Kodiak sighted in and will see how the RainGuard HD coating performs on an upcoming hunting trip because it's now monsoon season.
I'm curious how it holds up on that 375. Chinese scopes and recoil don't seem to get along... I just killed a 4.5-14x44 Legend on a 7mm mag Vanguard which isn't a heavy recoil gun.
