Are hunting rifles over scoped?

You will find that glass quality means at least as much as "power" - a 10x Leica binocular will reveal a lot more detail than a Bushnell 20x spotting scope. I suppose one of those things you have to actually experience to realize what "good" is...

It also helps, a lot, for hunting, to learn and practice to shoot with both eyes open. It might sound like impossible, but your brain can very much learn to have two different images coming at it from your two eyes, and make sense of it. My last elk was on the move, about 125 yards away in bush, and I got it with a fixed 6 power Leupold scope. It is possible that my off eye closes at moment of firing, but I don't think so?
 
OP, I wouldn't disagree with you but I have a different perspective - I feel like with your logic, you'd be fine with buying and using a Chevy Colorado to tow your trailer simply because that truck has the towing capacity to manage it - without considering that upgrading to a quarter- or even half-ton might be more practical for towing.

There was a time when a 4x or 6x fixed was the best option for the budget, but for that same/similar budget nowadays (adjusted for inflation) you can now get a pretty nice 3x-9x. More versatility for the same, or a slightly higher budget.

So why settle for the smaller truck? Even if settling for the smaller truck with less towing capacity might work for you, the versatility may work better for someone else.
 
Most of my rifles wear 3-9’s, a couple have 3.5-10, a 2.5-10, and a couple 4.5-14. And a few with open sights. I rarely carry open sighted rifles when I hunt anymore, my eyes are no longer up to the task. And while I agree that 14 power is probably overkill, that’s what I find myself using most of the time. We have lots of point restrictions around here, my binos are 10 power, and while I normally have a spotter in the truck, I don’t carry one with me. That bit of extra magnification is really handy when trying to count points five minutes before dark....
I’ve also found that I almost never use anything but the lowest or highest power on anything. If it’s close or gotta be fast it’s low power, if I’ve got the time I crank it all the way up.
 
I’ve been getting into dialing elevation, and practising shooting at long range and to do that reliably most scopes start at 20oz and up. Seems to be whenever I go for a big hunt my rifle is wearing a 2.5-8x36 leupold, or more recently a 6x36. My sheep partner thinks I’m nuts and has a big scope with 16x higher end, but always seems to be on 4 power when the blasting starts. They way I look at it is if you can’t hit a big game animal at 100 yards with open sights (theoretically, I know some peoples eyes won’t do it anymore) then you need to practise more. That same sight picture will take you to 400 with a 4x and 800 with 8x! Way further than I’ll ever shoot.
 
Most of mine are between 1.5-9. Starting to get warm spot for 2-10 series for big game and 3-15/4-16 for varmit. Get a lot a bugging around here since I do use a lot straight 2 1/2 and 4
 
Currently rocking a 2.5-10x40. It snagged me 2 deer last season so I can't complain. If anything I just want a bigger lens (50) with some better glass for more light transmission. Saw a buck in the last 10 minutes of legal shooting time but didn't feel comfortable about taking the shot with that low light.
As far as more magnification, I will never sneeze at being able to reach out farther for a clean kill. At the end of the day it comes down to shooter preference and comfort.
 
I have a 1-4 leupold on my x bolt 30-06. Light & doesnt make the rifle feel top heavy. I use 4x for targets sometimes, but mostly carry it on 2 or 2.5. If im worried about a bear up close i may set it at 1x.
 
BTPhonehome said:
OP, I wouldn't disagree with you but I have a different perspective - I feel like with your logic, you'd be fine with buying and using a Chevy Colorado to tow your trailer simply because that truck has the towing capacity to manage it - without considering that upgrading to a quarter- or even half-ton might be more practical for towing.

There was a time when a 4x or 6x fixed was the best option for the budget, but for that same/similar budget nowadays (adjusted for inflation) you can now get a pretty nice 3x-9x. More versatility for the same, or a slightly higher budget.

So why settle for the smaller truck? Even if settling for the smaller truck with less towing capacity might work for you, the versatility may work better for someone else.
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I’m really not. I’m opting for a diesel Toyota Land Cruiser. Something that is reliable and doesn’t require shoulders on the trail to get around on. Case in point. Last night I shot my 30-06 prone with the 6X scope. The aiming point subtends 4” at 400 yards. Here is a four shot witnessed (I had four loaded rounds as this rifle was an afterthought for this range session) group shot with a fairly stiff half value cross wind. It’s 3/4 moa.

CNZJS01.jpg
 
Dogleg said:
Nobody has been able to explain to me what magical things I would be able to do with a fixed 6 that I can't do with a variable set at 6.
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Hunting from a truck all the time you have a point. But my 6X scopes have over 1000 horse miles on them and they have yet to lose zero. Not only that, comparable models are always brighter in a fixed power option.
 
6 would be too much in too many situations for me.

I have a fixed 2.5, a 2.5-10, a 3.5-18 (wish there was a 1.7-10 type scope in the Z5 range) and another 2.5-10 on the rifles I’m likely to hunt with.

If I had the money to burn I’d run 1-8 Kahles/Swarovski on the three and a 1.7-13 on the longer range gun.
 
One of the advantages to a fixed power scope is there is never a moment of doubt considering your zoom when a shot presents itself. What you see is what you see, no stopping to zoom in or out, no forgetting it at high magnification when you step into the bush. Versatility is there for sure with variables, but fixed powers do have certain advantages.
 
chuck nelson said:
Hunting from a truck all the time you have a point. But my 6X scopes have over 1000 horse miles on them and they have yet to lose zero. Not only that, comparable models are always brighter in a fixed power option.
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You make valid points. However, the options for fixed power scopes are pretty limited these days so you're more than likely going to have to use an older model or pay quite a bit. I see only one 6x scope on Leupolds website, and its $520USD msrp which is a lot of money for a fixed power scope considering what is available in a variable at that same price.

You might get a more rugged, lighter weight, clearer scope for the price, but if my variable is rugged enough, light enough, and clear enough, why would I bother with a fixed?

I see fixed power having a place where shots are quick and something like 2-4x is all you'd ever want, but I just don't see a fixed 6x being a better choice than a 3-9x, at least not in the places I tend to hunt. I Leave it on 3x and crank er up if I need it.
 
It really depends on what you use the rifle for. Say it's on a moving target, you will need low magnificition and large field of view. To shoot a groundhog @ 300 meters, you just need a high magnification and a small field of view.

I myself, much prefer a low magnification when hunting big games, as per the distance is not much of an issue where I hunt. If I was hunting the mountains, then, it might be different.
3X is pretty much the biggest magnification I use on big game hunts. And even if I have to take a 300 meter shot, I usually don't go for more. The 3X is very popular for one reason, though, and it's because you won't see your sights through it. A low magnification of 1.5 / 2 X will produce a sight image in the scope (if you have sights, of course), but personally, I do live with it.
 
Complex question with no correct answer. What works for one person won’t for another and “hunting rifle” encompasses too many variables.
 
TT1900 said:
Complex question with no correct answer. What works for one person won’t for another and “hunting rifle” encompasses too many variables.
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Agreed. Hunting can be anything from gophers to deer to antelope to elephant. I ran across this guy a while back. It was worth my time to listen to what he had to say. He's had lot of experience and has a dry sense of humour.

htt ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8PEHNsZFCA
 
I way prefer overscoped than underscoped. Our wet damp winter days just don't have the light or clarity. I also like parallax when hunting. Threading a bullet through branches is so much easier if you can run a parallax check from the animal back to see if anything is in the line of sight. In this picture I re-positioned three times to get a clear shot at a Sika lying under a gorse bush at ~ 270m. My favourite hunting scope is the PMII 3-20x50 Ultra short.
Another thing, with FFP scope one can quickly check on the animal if the wind guess +- is within the kill zone. Sometimes windy on the Atlantic coast.
edi

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