What power scope for long range

griaguns

griaguns

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I have 2 scopes one is 10X tactical mildot and the other is a 20 X tactical mildot I find that I get a lot of mirage with the 20X at over 300yrds ..What do the 1000 yrd shooters use .What would you use if you had the choice of these 2 scopes.Graham
 
Your find the BR long range guys stick to variables in the 20 - 32x range.

Personally, I've used the 5.5-22x56 Nightforce pinned at 22x and have since gone to the 8x32x56mm.......... I range between 22 - 32x.

Less power works but being able to shoot in mirage is a good thing!
 
I started with a NIMROD 6X40, BDC for 7.62x51 M118 SB or 168 Match, Range finding reticle 200 to 1000 Meters.
My eyes are getting tired, so I may have to move up to at least a 10x.
 
I limit the upper end to 16X with quality optics. More is simply not needed or at least can be used under heavy mirage. I will use as much as my scopes allow when mirage is light though.

You can't hit what you can't see, so choose what works best for you from your available choices. 10X works well IF you can see and engage the target you want at the ranges you want to shoot at.

More importantly then mag is the size of the reticle. I will not use a reticle that covers my target. The dot or cross hair must be smaller. Too much aiming error otherwise.

There is no one right answer...

Jerry
 
I think you'll find all kinds of replies out there. Fortunately, there are some people who just cannot handle higher powered scopes. Just perfect:D :D
 
There is no question that many factors influence final scope useage. I would say there is very wide variety of magnifcations being used by snipers all over the world and in no way limited to a fixed 10x. USOPTICS and Nightforce supply high powered variable scopes for all kinds of applications.

I suppose some people would find the Schmidt and Bender 4-16 too high a power as well.
 
mysticplayer said:
I limit the upper end to 16X with quality optics. More is simply not needed or at least can be used under heavy mirage. I will use as much as my scopes allow when mirage is light though.

You can't hit what you can't see, so choose what works best for you from your available choices. 10X works well IF you can see and engage the target you want at the ranges you want to shoot at.

More importantly then mag is the size of the reticle. I will not use a reticle that covers my target. The dot or cross hair must be smaller. Too much aiming error otherwise.

There is no one right answer...

Jerry
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The more of your posts I read the more I wish I could make the Summerland Shoot. Would love to send some rounds down range with ya sometime Jerry.
 
If I had to go with a fixed power fro 1K shooting it would be a 10x.
However, this is a place where a variable is in fact great , because you can turn down the power as the glare , mirage, etc. warrants.
Being able to use Mirage and to shoot through it are two great tools for LR shooting, and it taakes a very long time and a high round count to learn how to use mirage to adavantage IMHO.

In the afternoon I am turned down to 10X sometimes, but often turn the scope up to about 20X to see what is really going on out there.

And of course, when the sun is almost down, you can turn down your power and keep shooting.
In the summer we can shoot at the Outpost of the Empire till almost 23:00 hours , depending on the temperature and water level, so it make sfor some interesting light changes!
Cat
 
Well said cat, and just to elaborate if I can with a bit of Mirrage or a touch out of focus you can actually track the bullet travel through the air for easier corrections if needed. Mirrage can be a good way to read the wind on a hot day all so, the faster the mirage waves in the scope the faster the wind.
 
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If you were to survey the guys shooting 1,000 yard F class the majority would be using 16x or more. Some would be at the extreme end and a few would be using 10x but what determines the choice mostly is budget. It is better to be shooting a 10x $250 scope than sitting at home looking at a $2,000 scope wishing you could buy ammo.

It is also worth remembering that a Mildot presents many more sight pictures than the obvious 'cross in the middle', which reduces the absolute need for magnification.

If Mirage gets to be a nuisance, 'cross in the middle' does not work well all the time anyway.
 
Around here in the spring on a warm day and lots of snow on the ground the air appears to be liquid. Under such circumstances a variable is the only answer.

When I really began long ranges shooting I used a 3-9X hunting scope, but with the vertical adjustment cranked up to the top I still had to hold nearly a full diameter high in order to get hits with my '06. I shot quite a lot of ammo in this fashion, and I learned quite a bit about wind, range estimation, mirage, and the limitations of my abilities and my equipment. High magnification in your scope may not be necessary to make long range hits, but reliable, repeatable adjustments are a must and the cheap scopes cannot compete in this regard. I'm about making long range hits at unknown ranges rather than shooting groups at 1000, but at least now my gear is up to it.
 
Boomer, your bang on. We have a super selection of variables today and they are my favorite due to the flexiblity. Its nice to know you have the horse power when you need it!

I recall one BR competition where the mirage conditions at 200 yd were absolutely horrible. You can imagine what it was like with a 45x. At that time I sure wished I had a variable or even a 20x would have been better......
 
If you were to survey the guys shooting 1,000 yard F class the majority would be using 16x or more.
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Colour me in this crowd. I have only shot for a few years in this discipline, but over time bumped up the scope magnification despite mirage. I am now at 36X. Last year I was limited to 18X, and I felt under-powered. The year before...14X.

With the new target dimensions (V-bull will be 0.5 MOA at 1K) in some F-class competitions, high power scopes help for target definition. Apparently some of the American F-class shooters have been holding their Nightforce scopes at 42X in heavy mirage with good success. They have learned to read conditions with this power.

Now, for long range precision shooting I prefer the 4.5X14. I like the field of view. You only need 1 MOA precision at 800 meters in order to be successful. But your wind (and mirage) reading skills must be up to the task.

Obviously my opinion differs greatly than most, but this method seems to work for me.

Terry Perkins
 
Terry Perkins said:
Colour me in this crowd. I have only shot for a few years in this discipline, but over time bumped up the scope magnification despite mirage. I am now at 36X. Last year I was limited to 18X, and I felt under-powered. The year before...14X.

With the new target dimensions (V-bull will be 0.5 MOA at 1K) in some F-class competitions, high power scopes help for target definition. Apparently some of the American F-class shooters have been holding their Nightforce scopes at 42X in heavy mirage with good success. They have learned to read conditions with this power.

Now, for long range precision shooting I prefer the 4.5X14. I like the field of view. You only need 1 MOA precision at 800 meters in order to be successful. But your wind (and mirage) reading skills must be up to the task.

Obviously my opinion differs greatly than most, but this method seems to work for me.

Terry Perkins
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Sheeze Terry another light bulb turned on! been at 36 for a few years now... mirage... what mirage? haha...
 
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