Are hunting rifles over scoped?

In my limited experience lots of hunters use too big of gun/scope for the area they Will hunt.

On the other hand, I have seen plenty of shooters use inappropriate equipment as well...

But hey... use what you want... just don't be an idiot.

For example. If you are recoil shy don't hunt with a large caliber that you have questionably zeroed.. I have seen it.

Or don't put a 10x on a rifle where you're hunting dense bush.

Or make sure you learn your ballistics, so you are not missing an easy shot..... more to say... shoot within your skills.



What makes a good marksman? Knowledge, experience, practice.

What makes a good hunter... knowledge. Experience. Practice. Patience.
 
barry1974w said:
No, it makes you less precise.
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Great observation.

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Lots of pros and cons to a bigger scope on a light rifle,

I find now as I’m getting older and (older eyes) I prefer more power at the top end of a variable scope for load development/precise zeroing and long range shooting but in saying that I prefer a scope with a max of 4X or 3X at bottom end as when hunting as I like the larger field of view on low power for quick target acquisition at close range, try finding a deer quickly on 3 power and then on 10 power and you will see the difference,

I have many lightweight rifles from 5 to 7lbs on their own with no scope and many folks are critical for guys adding a heavier scope to a light rifle, my line of thinking is if you start with an ultralight rifle and add a scope of 16-22oz ie-3-15x44 or 4-16x44 you still have a lightweight rig with the option of more power at your disposal, best of both worlds imho.

On the flip side of course you could shave off 6-8oz off the weight of your lightweight rifle with a 3.5-10x40 scope which is more than adequate for hunting, also some find a light rifle top heavy and tippy from side to side with a heavier scope.

In the end it’s all a matter of personal preference and what’s good for me won’t be for the next guy !
 
Buckmastr said:
So shooting big game at long distance with a low power fixed scope doesn't make you a better marksmen? Or hunter?
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Marksman, sure, assuming you get tight groups and cleanly and reliably take the animal. Hunter, I’d say not. The best hunters in my mind are the guys who can stalk in close without alerting their quarry.
 
Most every hunter that I see is carrying a scoped rifle , and using a 3 x 9-40 power scope . The only exceptions seem to be guys with lever action rifles who seem to rely on open sights . The 3 x 9 -40 scope seems to be popular because many guys don't want to carry binoculars , so their scope doubles for glassing .
 
I have two hunting rigs, one with a 2.5-10x50 Nikon prostaff 7, the other with a 4-24x50 strike eagle, the latter I haven't hunted yet, and the 2.5-10x50 Ill admit is a bit bulky/heavy but its pretty good for low light and havent found it to be too much magnification even with shooting game at 20 yards or so.

Used for the bush of northern alberta for bigger ungulates and prairie and mountain hills for smaller game. The strike eagle is on the "too much scope" side of things for thick woods but i'm able to have a choice which I want to bring.
 
Ive frequently cranked up scopes for short shots in the bush. Sure big game animals are big targets at close range, but the holes in the bush are often tiny and the friggen twigs are randomly placed. Its a lot easier to miss those when you can see them.
 
There is absolutely nothing wrong with magnification. I just feel in many cases simple wins. I just got back from shooting a few rifles one of which was my 30-06 that I just posted that group of. I’ve drug it around since that other group was shot and it’s had several rounds down the bore (more than 50). Here is the group I just shot with it off my pack. For all intents and purposes, nothing has moved. Now I’m not saying that is unique to fixed power scopes or that scope. But I have seen such consistency from them over the years that I have a ton of confidence in them.

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Took the 3-9x40 off my 9.3x62 and put a fixed 4x28mm leupold on it. Lighter , more streamlined and also more practical for the use of a 9.3 thumper.
Have a 3.5-10x40 on both my 30-06 tikka and 6.5x55 Sako AV , the magnification suits the mpbr of those calibres.
I actually shoot best at short range with iron sights so just ordered a Zastava m70 in 9.3x62 so I now have two thumpers , one with 4x and one with irons for the thick brush.
 
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Fun ideas, for me I like more power. If it’s bear in heavy alders that requires low power and less bulk. A pronghorn on the prairie I want more. Head shots on gophers are easier at distance with 12 x than 3x. The reason a vast majority of scope hunters use 3-9 is they work in most conditions. For range work I’m looking for a 36x , gophers 4-16 & 6-24, deer,moose,bear, depends where I’m hunting. I guess I saying no one answer for best. Your eyes, your hunting condition & style of hunting.
 
Are you suggesting we should only use good enough equipment and anything better makes one less of a skilled hunter? All things being equal and you can afford it, why not use the best gear possible?
 
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Dogleg said:
They don’t add 10 points to the antlers or 50 pounds to the carcass if you shoot it with a lower power scope, or a smaller cartridge. There isn’t a special rate at the butcher shop or taxidermist if you have a fixed power scope, and attaboys for the same are also rare. The club doesn’t have a special trophy for people who never take their variable off 3 X either.

The “mine’s smaller game” is just a variation of the “mines bigger game”. ;)
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This post sums up the thread quite nicely. I had the same distinct impression its an ego thing.

Maybe we should replace all the schmidt and benders pm2s with their variable magnification for some no name 6x for our snipers since apparently thats all they will ever need out to 500 yds.
 
Dogleg said:
They don’t add 10 points to the antlers or 50 pounds to the carcass if you shoot it with a lower power scope, or a smaller cartridge. There isn’t a special rate at the butcher shop or taxidermist if you have a fixed power scope, and attaboys for the same are also rare. The club doesn’t have a special trophy for people who never take their variable off 3 X either.

The “mine’s smaller game” is just a variation of the “mines bigger game”. ;)
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Well said, I concur...
 
One of my favourite quotes by Ross Seyfried.

“Perhaps my most succinct quote is, “you cannot buy skill.” I firmly believe that. I began to form the opinion in my competitive pistol shooting days. At the time, and for quite a while I lived on top of the hill. I watched others, who were actually more technically skilled than I, begin to approach the level that could possibly beat me. They were close, very close but one by one I watched them get to the top of their game and never be able to beat me. The reason was that they thought that as they reached that upper eschelon, they had to buy the new widget, holster or fashion-pistol, and that it would be this, and not pure practiced skill, that would best me. When I saw them go for the gear, I knew I still had them. They gave up their thinking that they could beat me by practicing harder and learning their game better, and vested their faith in what they thought was superior equipment. They failed because they gave up on their own ability to keep doing the next thing right. Gear was not the answer.“
 
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