Fixed 6x experiences?

I have several fixed power scopes at 4x and 2.5x. The former have never given me the problem that made Cummins4x4 give up his 6x. The latter have had me thinking a couple of times not that it was necessary to have a 4x but that I would have been glad to have one.

I have thought about trying a fixed power 6x and am not ruling it out yet. Last season I took a whitetail with a 1.5-6x variable using the 6x setting and thought afterwards that 4x would have been enough for that shot with that gun but I probably wouldn't have tried the shot with the any of my guns that have a 4x (Lee-Enfield No.4s.)
 
philthygeezer said:
To those of you who have used such scopes: did you find the configuration has any drawbacks? How did you use your 6x?
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When I started hunting in mid 80' I had K6 and 30-06 for couple of years until I realised the best outcome comes from bush & mixed terrain hunting where the animals hide during legal daylight hours. Now 308, 35Rem, 358W and 35Whelen with 2,5x and 4x light, compact and long ER scopes are staple of my hunting rifles. Some more power is needed for varmint and target shooting so I have couple of 10x and 12x straight power scopes on those rifles and nothing higher b/c no matter sensible objective dia all scopes with less than 4mm exit pupil are dim no matter what the advertisement says.
 
I find 6X the minimum for decent target rifle shooting. 10X is better.

For standing shots, I find 6X the maximum i can handle.

For hunting and games where I have to find the target in a hurry, 4X is max for me and I prefer 3X.
 
I have a number of Hunting Rifles that wear that excellent 6x42 Leupold.
I have yet to run into a situation that made me wish for less power, but of course, I live in the west, where many shots tend to be longer.
I shot one moose at 34 yards with one of these...worked fine.
I also shot a muley at 600 with the same optics on a 270 Winchester.
While I do own 4 variables on hunting irons, [1 - 3x9 Mk2 Leupold; 2 - 3.5-10 Leupolds, and one 4.5-14 Leupold] I usually just leave them at 5 or 6x for hunting and use Good binos for spotting/assessing.
Varmint rifles are different. I like 6.5-20 VX III glass, and own several
Target rifles get fixed powers, usually, with 10X being the lowest and 36x the highest.
Regards, Eagleye.
 
Hunting 6x...not good.
I find a 2-7 variable or similar is best...walk in at 2x..crank up if the animal is 100+ meters away

Tactical 6x at 200 meters-600 meters is great ( 400m is about right for 6x )

Long Range 6x at 600m-1000m is too light a magnification....you need 10x plus for that.
 
My old pa when he bought the Schultz $ Larsen new in 1965 used a combination of 3X9X40 Scopechief with knock off rings and a top of the line sights.
This was a great combination. Scope wet, muddy or failed, whack the scope and over it goes to reveal the sights.
 
dan belisle said:
I have numerous 6x Leupolds on numerous hunting rifles. I find it a good combination for most hunting. - dan
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^I agree with this, depending on your terrain, use, size of your prey and ballistic energy.
My .222 Remington 788 has had a Leupold 6x42 Compact on it since 1988.
For use on the South Saskatchewan prairies, shooting jackrabbits, foxes and called-in coyotes there was no equal. Only in the last few years since I've taken up gopher shooting again have I had pause to consider replacing it with more powerful optics, due to aging eyesight.
I hesistate because it's served me so darn well, over all these years.
 
I've got a couple Leupold fixed 6s and am impressed with just how good they are for a good price. Especially the FX 111. Haveing said that, I don't really want to settle for "good for most things" when I can have "Good for everything" with a variable. The sixes migrated to my kids guns, where the simplicity of the set it and forget it 6 is working well.
 
I have a couple of FXIII 6x42s,I use them interchangeably with other rifles mounting variables,I've never had a problem close in or way out,but I don't use them on my black timber rifles.My closest kill shot was just over 50yds,it was no problem with the 6x. Mur
 
I used a straight 6X on my main deer rifle for years. I mainly hunt deer in the open prairie, so it worked well. I would have preferred something different for the times that I was in the mountains in heavy bush though.
 
I have a Leupold 6X42 with heavy duplex on a Vanguard in 300 Win. The two go together like peaches and cream. Also have new mfg Weaver 6Xs on a 30-06 Husqvarna and a 222 SAKO.

All of them work just fine.
Ted
 
I run Leupold 6 x 42's on everything. I started out with fixed 4's when I was young, migrated to variables and then came back to the 6 x 42 Leupold. I like them because they're tough, light (for the size of the objective), and best of all quite economical considering the 6 x 42 is top of the line Leupold.
 
I have a .270,a .280 and a .30-06 with 6x Burris Fullfield scopes which always worked out well for me, even at close ranges when I shoot from a hide. The light gathering and additional magnification are excellent for precise shot placement around the edges of legal first/last light.

As I recall I took the following animals using these scopes;
.30-06:Alberta WT buck @ 150yds, Alberta MD buck @ 30 yds, Alberta MD buck@225yds, SK WT doe @ 50 yds, MB WT buck @ 100yds

.270: Alberta MD buck @ 50 yds, Alberta MD doe @ 30yds, MB WT buck @ 50yds

.280: Alberta WT buck @ 100 yds, SK WT buck @ 75 yds, MB WT buck @ 125yds

My only variable is a 3-9x Redfield Widefield on a .25-06 which I normally leave at 6x. I've taken an Alberta MD doe with this @ 50 yds and a MB WT doe @ 25 yds

I have several fixed 4x scopes on hunting rifles which work out equally well, but I do like the extra magnification and light gathering with a 6x. The Widefield still gives adequate field of view. I avoid variables-not enough time to #### with them when a shot comes at close range where several seconds is sometimes all you get.
 
I've got a Redfield widefield 2.75 power fixed with a post recticle I'd sell for $135 for any of you guys out there that prefer a lower powered scope for a hunting rifle. Better yet, I'd trade this scope and some cash for a Leupold 6 x 42 if you want to get rid one.
 
I for one preffer fixed 6s as they seemed the best all round for hunting etc, from 25m to 400m. I used to use 6Xs for everything at one stage, but eventually moved up to 10X for target work, and other ranges for various other things. My biggest problem became finding great cheap 6Xs. The Leupy 6X42 is a nice scope, and I would consider one, if your budget is bigger consider many of the European brands, who still tend to do excellent 6, 7 and 8 fixed powers, as well as 10X. You may have to look a little harder, and spend more, but folks like Wolverine (site sponsor) can land you a great euro 6X for a fair price.
Nikon used to do a great big 6X which they since dropped. I always found, as with all scopes, the best glass you can get is what you should get. Some of the cheaper ones on the market lack the clarity, which I find with a low power fixed scope comes back to haunt you quickly at range.
 
I prefer the fixed 4x in an all-around big game scope. 4X is more than enough magnification for 400 yards on deer or moose size animals and still usable in wooded areas for 30-40 yd shots. .

6x works great in open country, and I would choose it if I wasn't planning on hunting in close cover.
 
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