Question scope use

[Lloyd Smale]

yup if you cant kill deer at 300 yards with 9x its time to go to the eye doctor or take that blister pack tasco off and buy a good scope. One of the longest shots ive made on a deer was 524 with a yards according to my range finder. Gun was my 7stw. Deer dropped at the shot and my buddy asked where my scope was set for a long shot like that. I looked and it was set on 5x. Sure didn't look in the scope and think that I needed to turn it up. thought never crossed my mind. I usually leave them all on 6x figuring if I need more I can turn them up but other then just playing around and trying higher power leave them right there. Don't even know how that one got down to 5x.

You say your old 3 x 9 doesn't cut it anymore. Question: How old is your scope? The improvements in optics has been stunning over the last several years. Some of my old scopes are dark and difficult to use anymore. Even my Leupold's. They've aged. I've aged. I've noticed vast improvements with some new scopes like those made by Vortex. It hasn't been so much any increase in magnification, but improvement in light transmission. Overall I use a 2 x 7 for most hunting, until I get into a planned long distance environment. Then it's usually a 3.5 x 10. Most of my serious hunters have a Vortex 2 x 7. It's the clarity and modern reticles that work for me, even though I use tri-focals to eat breakfast.

[Drm50]

Question to guys who shoot a lot of deer at 300+ yards. Are you shooting supported. Longest shot
I have ever made on a deer was 250yds with 308 M70/ 6x. The deer that I have shot supported were
shot off Round bales with 270 Ruger/ 6x and were damage permit deer, still none exceeded 300yds.
The longest shot I ever made was on a groundhog at 600yds off sand bags and was more or less luck
With my 243/ 12x at 400yds GH was dead meat, 600 was a Hail Mary. Were I do my deer hunting
long shots aren't common because of terrain. Here in Ohio we always saw deer at 300yds+ in farm
fields. Way out of range for slugs and now with our rifle season we are only allowed strait cased 38
cal min cartridges. Our average shot is still going to be 100yds or less. Unless you are going to hunt
fields from stand it's not practical to sight in these type of rifles for long range. I was forced to put
a 2x8 on my Ruger #3/ 375win because of eye relief/ position of rings. Off a rest I would feel Ok to
take 250yd shot but wouldn't trust futher. I don't like the scope for in the woods would much rather
have 3x for my area.

[brstevns]

300 yards would be just paper targets. Here in MO, I am lucky to shoot 150 on Deer. Could never aford a high class scope, Have used Bushnell,Tasco and BSA scope for years

[Shopdog]

I've gotten two nice used older scopes the last month or so. A 4-12X40 Bushnell 3200 Elite and a bit older Bausch & Lomb 3-9x40. Both made in Japan,both in perfect condition. Both priced right. The former was around a "buck"... the latter was around a case of beer$.It was sold on epay as "parts only".Which is what I got it for.... once here,the only thing wrong was both the elevation and windage adj had been gently turned all the way out. So seller assumed it was broken?

Point being..... if you educate yourself on quality optics,are patient, willing to shop,there are some great deals around.

The better quality the lenses,and their coatings... the less power they need. The above 3-9 B&L is slap amazing @150 yds.

[Gunners Mate]

same deal old eyes here also. I like any thing from 6 x 18 to 6x25, I hunt South Texas with long senderos and 3x9 just does not cut it, also like above poster said, I do not carry the big Binos and spotting scopes any more, a carry a compact bino and thats for scanning brush. I also really like being able to see the bullet holes in my target at 100-300 yrds at the range, I can see the bullet splashes on steel at 1000 with my Vortex, I believe its a 6x25

[Petander]

It's more about the quality than magnification.

I have broken countless clays @ 300 m with a 2,5-10x50 Karl Kaps. I sold that scope with a rifle and have missed it ever since. A sharp image,no parallax... I do have a 6-24x56 Zeiss but that Kaps was very nice for hunting. A sharp,thin,clear reticle and a quick turret. I took a moose and a couple of deers with it @ 200-350 m.

[Lloyd Smale]

personal I wont shoot deer further then a 100 yards off hand. If there out past that range you probably going to have time to find a solid rest. if I cant I let them go. Have I shot deer father off hand. yes. But ive also done some pretty lengthy tracking because of poor hits and anymore just don't do it. Off hand more power, at least to me, makes it actually harder. Every shake tremor or breath is just amplified and what it does to me is make me take so long to be confident in my aim that I get tired and shake worse. Now with a solid rest that isn't a problem but even then ive shot deer out past 500 yards at 9x and even 6x and never remember thinking that deer was hard to hit because it was just so small. Get up past about 14x and even your breathing with a solid rest will have you second guessing. Its why military snipers put so much store in breathing control and even there heart beat. My guess is theres more poor shots made due to much scope power then not enough.

[dverna]

I just got a Vortex Viper 2.5-10x. Most of my shots are under 150 yards but i also need to get out out past 300 on the power lines. I do not need 10x to make the shot but to judge the rack on bucks. Echo what others have said about good optics.

But I do not shoot targets with that setup so maybe not a good comparison for your needs. If targets only and off a rest, I would put a fixed power scope on the gun....minimum 12x