What power scope do you use ?

[brstevns]

What power scope do you like for 100 to 200 yards. When I was young a 4x would do, now that I am approaching 70 it takes a little more.

[ShooterAZ]

Most of my rifles have scopes that fit their intended uses (for the most part). For most woods hunting a 3x9 fits the bill well for me, but for wide open country deer/antelope hunting I'll opt for a little higher power like a 4x12. On my Varmint rigs I use a Vortex 6.5x20. For 100-200 yards though, I think I'd still probably go with a 3x9. Some like fixed power scopes too, but I like the versatility of a high quality variable scope. A side parallax focus on the higher power models is a nice feature to have.

[rfd]

IMHO, a lot depends on what type of gun and what are your usage requirements for it and at what distances. a fave of mine is the SWFA SS 10x42 for rimfire or centerfire bolt action, any distance out to at least the longest i've used it, 700 yards. hard to beat that scope for its value, quality and price point. fixed power scopes are more rugged and simplistic to use, and back in the day were the faves of military snipers who typically fared well with 6x to 10x glass. the SWFA SS was originally a Navy military contract scope, too.

[country gent]

That depends on the rifles and intended uses for them. On my BPCR rifles its 3/4" tubed 6X scopes ( rules for BPCR silhouette). for hunting rifles it van be from 1 .5 X to around 6X varmint and target rifles or rifle strictly for use on the range 20-36x. I prefer 1" tubes and medium sized objectives. My favorite long range or testing scope is a 6-20 lepould target with side adjust parallax. On period guns a unertal in 15-20X does very good. I have a few scopes. But made my own mounts for a lot of rifles and move scopes from rifle to rifle. Once mounted and sighted the settings noted in my range book they repeat very well.

[tazman]

I am finding as I get older the higher magnifications make things much easier to see.

[GBertolet]

I too, prefer the simplicity of a fixed power scope. My favorite at this time, is the 6x36 Leupold scope. Ample magnification for detail, while still giving a decent field of view. Many people that have variables, just leave them on one power anyway, while the rest tend to fiddle with them too much.

Trouble is, the fixed power Leupolds, are seldom on sale, while the variables often are.

[Rick Hodges]

For my hunting a 2-7x does very nicely. For varmit/prairie dog, woodchuck A 3-9 is better. I don't like anything over 10 power. The 2-7 works on big game to 400yds or so and I don't shoot at game any further than that.

[dverna]

Our camp rules are 8pt or better. So I need a higher power scope to see the racks even though ranges are normally under 275 yds with most shots under 150. For hunting does, a fixed 4x would be a good choice. I have a 4-12 mounted on the deer rifles.

[USMC87]

I use a Meopta meopro 6-18x50 on my 7mm mag for whitetails, If I were to pick a favorite scope it would be a 4-16 x 50.

[GhostHawk]

I don't get a chance to do much shooting over 100 yards much these days.

I'm split about half with 2x Red Dot sights which do quite well @75 yards and not bad at 100.

The other half vary from 1.5x5, 3x9's and a pair of 4x12's on my 2 best long range guns. Those higher power variables can walk all over those 3x9's at 100. I'm not 70 yet but in 4 short days I'll only be 3 years short of it.

RedDot sights are all Truglo, scopes are mostly Simmon's which have been good for me. And at around 60$ if I have to replace one It does not hurt so bad.

[NyFirefighter357]

I use mostly use 2-7x's or 3-9x's. My rifled shotguns have 2-7x's as I am known to have let the deer climb into my stand before I shoot them, at the same time I have a 200yrd range with them so I like to have the 7x for the distance shots. I also use 2-7x's on the 22LR. Most of my centerfire rifles have 3-9x's one or two have a 4-12x. Not many places you can shoot more than 200yards or so here unless your hunting a field. Also most of my guns came with the scopes on them already and they seem to be matched perfectly for my usage.

[brstevns]

I am liking what I am hearing.

[Texas by God]

My long range rifle( 25-06) wears a 4x12 Redfield, my truck gun 22-250 a 6x Burris, my 30-30 bolt gun gets a Weaver K4 for deer and a K10 for targets. The .250 Sav has a 3x9 Redfield; my .300BO and 7.62x39 ARs wear 4x Nikon and K4 respectively. The other ARs, M1 carbine, single shot 44-40 and Win 94 are peep sighted.
6x has always been my favorite scope overall.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[brstevns]

Was going to put a 2to7 on one of my rifles and was wondering if it will work with my tired old eyes.
Going to give it a try and see how I do. Most of my shooting now days is punching paper at 100 yards and a few times a year at 250 yards

[Drm50]

My woods rifles LVs have reciever sights for average shots 100yds or less. I have a few pumps & autos with 3x.
My BAs from 308 through 338 have mostly Leupold 6x. Small bore Varmit guns have from 10x to 16x. My 22s I hunt small game with have 4x top shelf models. I can abide varibles, had bad experiences with them back in 60s and don't trust them. If I could only have one scope would be 6x Leupold.

[FerricOxide]

Pretty much 4-12 or higher though I have a 3x9 on my 22lr, 17hmr savage and my 30-30. I've got a few 2 though 4x fixed power scopes, old weavers and bushnells. Considering 99% of my shooting is targets, they are kinda useless. Better than irons but you still have to use the spotting scope at 100 yards to see your group.

[M-Tecs]

I use 1x to 40X depending on usage. For deer rifles 2.5 to 8 or 3.5 is the most common for me. For Antelope I prefer 6.5 to 20 mostly for judging the horns. My 17 HMR are mostly Weaver T-10's Most hunting handguns for me are 2x with a couple of 4x and on my XP100R 223 I use 4 to 12.

[Petrol & Powder]

There are several inescapable compromises with optics. One of those compromises is field of view is affected by the amount of magnification. In fact, everything in optics is a compromise: Weight, light transmission, field of view, eye relief, cost, magnification........it is all a compromise. No single aspect can be changed without affecting some other aspect. There's no free lunch when it comes to optics.

There's a tendency to seek higher magnification than needed and there is also a tendency to be fearful of fixed power scopes.

Pick the least amount of magnification you can live with and if you can live with a fixed power scope - you are better off.

[RU shooter]

Old 2.5x weaver on my deer rifle and a 2.5x prism on my AR

[redhawk0]

Most of my long range deer rifles (100-150 yards...I don't shoot beyond that)....are topped with 3-9...walking kept on 3...in the stand set at 5....if I see one from a long way out I'll bump it up as necessary.

redhawk

[cwlongshot]

For me its completely determinant upon caliber, firearm and use.

Overall “deer hunting” its a Leupold 2x7x33 VXII. But long range guns would get more power and some close (er) range guns, have fixed 2 3/4& 3x too.

But a target RF would see a gross overs scoping. IE 4x12 or 6x18 Cheap scope with focus adjust.

Lever actions dont get optics, they get a peep Site.

Close range Varmint rifle will have a red dot cause shots are usually close and quick.

I have begun to change my open site hand guns to red dots as sites are harder to see. Just last saturday, my 10” 218 bee ‘temder barrel got a Ultra dot. Its shooting 2” @ 100 again!!!

CW

[Tripplebeards]

My goto optic lately has been Nikon pro staff 5, 3.5x14 40 mm with the BDC recital. I have also gone to quite a few 2.5x10 pro staff 5’s and Monarchs as well. I have a lot of 3x9 leupolds and a few 2x7’s as well. I don’t like the 2-2.5 power on my lower power optics and bump them all up to 3/3.5 so it looks like there is some magnification through my optic. It’s almost like 2/2.5x looks farther way then normal eye sight when looking through my optics no matter what brand. I put a pro staff 5 2.5x10 40 mm on my 35 whelen carbine last year and like it a lot. More of an entry level optic IMO. Think it was around $189/$199? I normally pic out an optic to match it to my rifle weight, length, and looks so I don’t pic out an optic that looks out of place(to large for the gun). Also I gauge it on my hunting style with the particular gun, game, and average distance I know I’ll be dispatching animals with it. A good quality 3x9 would be a good starter optic for you IMO. I can say I have fallen in love with the Nikon line with the front adjustable objectives. I can really adjust to a crystal clear sight picture VS non adjustable front objective optics. I’d tell you visit you local gun shop and look through a few brand with and without front adjustable objectives before buying. I hated the adjustment in the front when I was a kid because my eyes were young. I just had lazik and need readers now but can see clearly a country mile. Before it was the opposite. Front adjustable objectives dial in for me to correct this. I still see just fine with fixed optics but the ones that adjust work better for me.

[DocSavage]

I've 3-9 power of most of my rifles,the exceptions are my 308 that's a Burris 8x32 and my 1874 Sharps has a 6 power Malcolm style made by RHO sadly he is out of business.

[white eagle]

I hunt mostly whitetail from a tree stand waiting and watching
longest shot would be a touch over 200 yds. no need for fancy
so a 3x9 variable mainly Ziess but an occasional Leupold
for my predator rigs I like mo power again variable in the 5x15
or 6x18 power range

[scattershot]

I use a 4x, and have for years. Since I started hunting prairie dogs, though, I have gone to a 3x9. I never had much use for anything over 4x. I’m 73, BTW.

[Slugster]

Just about all of my rifles wear a 3x9 or 4x12 variable. Have a .44SRH with a 4 power fixed. I don't do well with open sights like I used to. Old eyes and trifocals are not conducive to accurate shooting, at least for me. YMMV.

[Life Member]

I was using 6x now I like up to 18x If the size of the scope isn't an issue go big

[Rich/WIS]

My big game hunting is for deer and ranges are short, 100 yards and usually less. Have a Redfield 3X9 on my 243, the upper power in case I take it coyote hunting. Other wise stays on 3X. Have a Leupold 1.5X5 on my Ruger #3 in 30/40 AI which I usually hunt deer with, set at 3X. My old and much modified Rem 513 22 has a BSA 3X9 with the AO but seldom gets the high settings except when at the range. Bought it strictly for the AO feature which I now realize I could probably live without. Could use a fixed 3X or 4X for all my deer and squirrel hunting and shooting and not be handicapped.

[444ttd]

back in the day, i liked to use swift 3-9x(swift was an over the counter warranty, but not now). it was set at 4x. today i use leupold 2-7x and peep sights. the scopes' is 3x while hunting and shooting targets it is set at 6x. i hunt deer/black bear close up, 50+/- yards. i use redfield(30-40 krag) and a williams(35/30 win) and a 98 mauser(8x57) lyman peep sights.

my 20 vartarg is a 6-18x swift. it is set at 10x.

[robg]

22rf 4x16 223/308 3x9 /45-70 2x7 don't need more as the holes are nice and big

[375supermag]

Hi...
Having been blessed with poor eyesight my entire life, I have worn glasses and contacts since I was 8 years old.
Never could shoot iron sights very well because of my eyesight.
I found that a 3x9 power scope allowed me to not only shoot better but allowed me to see antlers on deer that I could not see even with glasses or contacts. I suddenly became a fairly decent rifle shot...amazing how much better one can shoot when you can actually see an in focus target.

I also had my eye doctor fashion me a pair of glasses to allow me to see the sights better on handguns. Once he did that, my handgun shooting improved dramatically. I went from being non competitive to actually winning matches over the course of about a year.

Unfortunately as I aged my eyesight has gotten a bit worse as far as being able to focus the front sights on handguns, so I am no longer able to shoot handguns competitively. I can still shoot handguns fairly well but I simply am no longer able to focus the sights and target well enough to compete.

As far as preferred scopes, I use Leupold and Vortex scopes in the 3x9 and 4x12 range. Usually one inch tubes with either 40 or 50mm objective lenses.
I have a red dot on my SBH in .45Colt and a green laser on an M&P40.

[curioushooter]

Perhaps 10% of my shooting opportunities occur at ranges beyond 100 yards, so I greatly prefer low magnification scopes. I have an UltraDot on my Contender which I think is perfect! I have fixed 2.5x on most of my rifles. I have a 3.6x on my 22 "squirrel" rifle. I have a 1-4x on my 30-30, which I pretty much leave on ~3x. I have a 2-7x on my "varmint rifle" which is a CZ527, and I leave this one on 7x pretty much. It is the highest magnification scope I use, and I do appreciate that greater magnification in this application when I almost always use shooting sticks and I want to plug the smaller target of a coyote at ranges of about 150-200 yards. Beyond 6x I find the wobbling that goes on in an offhand position irritating, and I couldn't imagine having a use for it on deer. I am pretty much a Leupold guy. I've bought other brands, even ones of the same price point, but always found them disappointing. Really wish they had a 2.5x20 Ultralight with the Firedot for reasonable money.

[Reverend Al]

I worked for 38 years in the sporting goods trade and sold more scopes than I can possibly remember. My advice was always to consider a variable power scope for a hunting rifle. If you are in thick brush and the shots you might get are short range keep the scope dialed down to it's lowest power (2X on a 2x7, 3X on a 3x9, 4X on a 4x12, etc.). If you get an opportunity for a longer shot (200 yards for example) then after you get into a solid kneeling or prone position (since you definitely shouldn't be shooting 200 to 250 yards offhand!) then you have time to turn up the magnification.

Having said that I personally have several guns with fixed, low powered scopes on them, but they are .22's and a fully rifle 12 gauge shotgun and they are all generally shot at fairly short distances. My larger calibre hunting and target rifles wear variable power scopes such as 3x9's, 3.5x10's, 4x12's, or even 6.5x20's based on the rifle's intended use and the practical range of the cartridges that they are chambered in.

[GARD72977]

I am only a target shooter so my criteria is somewhat different. It depends on the target and the rifle.

I have a Anschutz 1712 in a Pharr style stock that has a Fixed 25x Leupold. The target is Silhouette or A23 targets. The stock is very comfortable for offhand. I find the 25x very usable and gives a lot of feedback on my steadiness and trigger discipline. I see everything that happens. This set up is rewarding and ultimately frustrating when things aren't going right.

I shoot a Ruger No.1 in a 30/30. The gun is a light sporter and does not hold well offhand. It wears a 4x Burris mini. I shoot paper and 8" plates @ 200 yds off -hand. The set up works. More scope would not be an advantage because the gun is hard to shoot offhand. It does manage to hit the 8" plates a good precentage of time. I suffer from flyers that are my fault.

I shoot a High power Ar15 4x Vortex that weighs 13 points off hand @ 200 yds at paper. The 10 ring in the official target is fairly large. 4x is the most power that's legal and I really don't feel like a higher power scope would be an advantage because of the target size.

I won't list every gun I shoot but I tend to like high-power scopes on guns with stocks and enough barrel weight to hold well off hand. A regular hunting gun will not been it from extra power in offhand shooting. It is very fristrating to have a light gun wander using a high-power scope. Most of my future projects are trending toward lower power scopes.

I am mostly a offhand shooter (90% or more). Just wanted to add a different prospective to the conversation. Your shooting platform and target have a lot to do with scope slection. The 3-9x40 is popular for a reason, and there is a reason I don't own one......

[brstevns]

I am finding this all very interesting. I have worn glasses since I was 4 years old, would be legally blind without them.

[Eddie Southgate]

I use everything from a 1.5 Lyman Alaskan 3/4" with a post to a 36 power . Depends on where, on what and why it's being used . A good 3X9 30mm Weaver, Nikon , Redfield or Burris would be hard to beat . The brighter the view the better for older eyes, light transmission is more important than power on days with low light .

[Tom W.]

6x Leupold on my 30-06 A.I. and an old 4x Tasco in my 30/30 A.I.
I had a 4-12 x on the 7 mm RemMag that I had but sold the whole rig.
When I had my single shot Savage I had some monstrous high powered scope to shoot 1k yards with....10 x - 30x or some such....

[Wayne Smith]

I have a 2.5-7 on my 45-70 barrel of the Encore, a 3-9 on the 25 Krag AI barrel (because I've never invested in a 4-12!) and open sights on the 500S&W barrel.

[Lloyd Smale]

normal deer season what ever gun I have has the scope cranked down as low as it goes. For field shooting in crop damage season most of the time my guns are set at 6x. Ive shot deer from 50 to well over 500 yards set on 6x. A bit more might be advantageous at the 400 plus yard shots but I rarely looked through the scope and thought I needed more and fool with it. Unless you have a rock steady rest any more then 6x can amplify movement and even your breathing enough to make you loose confidence. 6x and let my brain deal with the rest of it works for me.

[rfd]

i'm with lloyd - for a small to large game Hunting rifle there's not much more needed than a good fixed 6x scope. for the target/dinger folks off a bench or bipod, out to 1000 yards or less, quality fixed 16x glass is the most that's needed. variable power scopes have their place, sometimes; but for the most part the better value/durability/quality will be in a fixed power scope.

[W.R.Buchanan]

For 100 to 200 yards I use a Red Dot Optic. If you want to shoot at Flies then a higher power optic is in order, if you are shooting at steel targets or game animals under 200 yards then the red dot is definitely the way to go. It provides the quickest target acquisition there is.

Try one and see for yourself. https://www.amazon.com/Bushnell-Red-Dot-Sight/dp/B07T92TD5L

$80 is a cheap way to figure this out for yourself.

Randy

[brstevns]

Have never tried a red in my 50 something years of shooting. How will do they work for target shooting ?

[brstevns]

Have never tried a red dot in my 50 something years of shooting. How will do they work for target shooting ?

[W.R.Buchanan]

They aren't meant for Shooting Groups or Bullseye Shooting more of the types of shooting that benefit from Target Acquisition Speed like timed shooting events.

You can shoot groups if you develop some technique which I have explained in detail many times on this site.

Here's a pic of a group I shot with my Mini 14 at 100 yards. So it can be done.

Randy

[41MagnumPassion]

I personally use a fixed 10x for those distances on varmint light animal / game. Big game, a 1.5 to 8 or a fixed 2 1/2 depending rifle. I have a 9x36x44 for target work but have to be honest I shoot the best with it set on 18x for dist out to 400 yards. Don't do any long long range anymore, having to much fun shooting cast bullet revolver on plates and silhouettes.

[jonp]

3x9 on my bolt hunting rifles. Levers and AR's get less or more depending. Levers no more than 4x as they are deer stand/heavy swamp rifles for me although considering that use I have ghost rings on a few and a red dot on one.

Clarity of scope beats magnification every time. I have a 6x24 scope upstairs that I can't see anything through and was a total waste of $450. I've gone to all Nikon glass as the clarity vs price is exceptional imho except for my 416 where I got a Leopold to get the reticle I wanted. Buddy of mine hunts all of North America and won't use anything but Leopold. Don't scrimp but you don't need a $4,000 scope to go deer hunting either.

[jonp]

For 100 to 200 yards I use a Red Dot Optic. If you want to shoot at Flies then a higher power optic is in order, if you are shooting at steel targets or game animals under 200 yards then the red dot is definitely the way to go. It provides the quickest target acquisition there is.

Try one and see for yourself. https://www.amazon.com/Bushnell-Red-Dot-Sight/dp/B07T92TD5L

$80 is a cheap way to figure this out for yourself.

Randy

I'll second this for closer shooting as I've tried out a few cheaper ones just to see how they work and they are very fast especially in low light. I have an Eotech 512 on one AR and it's quite the thing.

[Zingger]

After growing up with the 3-9 variable of various quality and name, I have gradually made the switch over to 6x fixed for the deer rifles. This seems to hold the best balance of zoom, field of view and lastly, the lack of a zoom ring to change your hold-over. I do use a 2-7 on my CZ527 in 7x62 and find it completely adequate. The varmint calibers (22-250) wear a 4.5-14. But for our shooting of deer in ND, the ranges of 75-300 yards it is hard to beat a fixed 6 for fast acquisition of target and ease of use. The 6.5 Swede fleet (ha!) in the arsenal as well as my Rem700 in 8Mauser wear them and I would trust those calibers to deliver the goods.

[gumbo333]

2 x 7 or 3 x 9 x 40 are usually very affordable for most bolt guns. 1 x 4 or 1.5 x 5 x 20 for levers. i'm also an old glasses wearer. But for fun I do have a couple 6 x 18 and 6.5 x 20 x40 on 223's for target and varmint fun. Get the best you can afford and see thru good. I had a 6x Weaver for years too, cant go wrong with a simple single power. Think Leupold, Burris, Nikon and Weaver have all made very good scopes.

[Nodakjohns]

My .22 has a 3-9×40 nikon. My .270 wears a 3-9×50 leupold my sbl 45-70 has a 2-7×32 burris scout scope

[brstevns]

They aren't meant for Shooting Groups or Bullseye Shooting more of the types of shooting that benefit from Target Acquisition Speed like timed shooting events.

You can shoot groups if you develop some technique which I have explained in detail many times on this site.

Here's a pic of a group I shot with my Mini 14 at 100 yards. So it can be done.

Randy

Where can I find those post?

[W.R.Buchanan]

You'd have to search them out. I have no idea where they are now.

The quick answer is that you place the top edge of the dot on the lower point of a diamond shaped target to index it more accurately. If you try to use the dot itself and center it up on a bullseye type target the best group you will get it the size of the dot. IE: 3MOA Dot=3 " group.

On the target I showed I was using the Right Edge of the Dot on the left point of the diamond, and looking for dead on at 100 yards. I was about 1" high but that was good to go for that rifle.

Please understand,,, This takes a little practice, but proper indexing of your sights on a target is the key to seeing exactly what your gun and you are actually capable of. This is true for ALL types of sights be they Iron or Optic, and once you understand how to do it your shooting will dramatically improve.

I am 70 next month and shoot mostly Iron Sights and Red Dot Sights and I wear glasses and have old eyes, none of which matters.

It's all about how you do it!

See my signature.

Randy

[brstevns]

You'd have to search them out. I have no idea where they are now.

The quick answer is that you place the top edge of the dot on the lower point of a diamond shaped target to index it more accurately. If you try to use the dot itself and center it up on a bullseye type target the best group you will get it the size of the dot. IE: 3MOA Dot=3 " group.

On the target I showed I was using the Right Edge of the Dot on the left point of the diamond, and looking for dead on at 100 yards. I was about 1" high but that was good to go for that rifle.

Please understand,,, This takes a little practice, but proper indexing of your sights on a target is the key to seeing exactly what your gun and you are actually capable of. This is true for ALL types of sights be they Iron or Optic, and once you understand how to do it your shooting will dramatically improve.

I am 70 next month and shoot mostly Iron Sights and Red Dot Sights and I wear glasses and have old eyes, none of which matters.

It's all about how you do it!

See my signature.

Randy

Thank you Sir
I was thinking it might be something like that. Still very interesting.

[mattw]

My bench guns get a 6.5x24 or 8x32, with good optics. My eye sight is bad enough that I use 1 or 2 MOA red dots on most everything else. I find that cheaper, lower powered scopes will not allow me to focus on the cross hair and the target.

[lightman]

Like many of the others have stated, I choose the scope to match the caliber and intended purpose. I have 1.5-5's on my 22's and 45-70. My go to deer rifle ( a 308 bolt gun) wears a quality 3-9. My magnum rifles have scopes in the 3.5-10 to 4.5-14 range. My varmint rifles have scopes in the 3.5-15 to 5.5-22 range and my Bench rifle wears a 10-60. I carry my hunting rifles with the scope on the lowest power and increase it if I have the time or the need.

[brstevns]

How about the Red Dot and Halographic sights?

[W.R.Buchanan]

My eye sight is bad enough that I use 1 or 2 MOA red dots on most everything else. I find that cheaper, lower powered scopes will not allow me to focus on the cross hair and the target.

Mattt: you need to focus on the Crosshair, Dot or Front Sight ONLY. Your target will always be blurry to some extent. Once you STOP shifting your focus back and forth your shooting will improve.

Dots are all about quick target acquisition and less about precise shot placement. Not saying you can't slow down and get good shot placement, but on Moving targets or targets that you only have a brief window of opportunity to make the shot the Red Dot sight is the hot tip.

Once you get the hang of snap shooting the actual "thinking" part of the exercise becomes unnecessary. The shot is broke as soon as the dot is on the target. It becomes dot bang, dot bang, dot bang. Contemplating the shot or studying the sights only wastes time. You already decided to shoot or the gun wouldn't have been pointed at the target in the first place.(Rule #2 Never point a gun a anything you don't intended to destroy!) so there is no point in waiting around. Once the dot is on the target the trigger finger reacts automatically. There is no thinking involved,,, only reaction.

How do you think the USPSA guys can shoot 5 targets in 1.5 seconds? I assure you that they are not spending any time thinking about sight alignment, or trigger control. It is all about Sight Picture, and let fly as soon as the sight picture is there! Same with using a Red Dot or Scope.

This takes a little practice, but you CAN DO IT!!!.

I am going to a Front Sight Rifle Class and Shotgun Class at the end of Oct. My rifle has a Red Dot on it. The Shotgun has Open Rifle Sights with a big green FO Front Sight which is just like a dot type sight. By the time we're done with the rifle class, my "Dot Bang" will be fully tuned up. Then when the shotgun comes into play there is even less of a reason to worry about shot placement as you are covering an area with the round as opposed to a point with a single bullet. Thus following shots become much faster...

Hope some of this helps a little.... It gets really fun when you can rip of a bunch of aimed shots really fast and actually connect!

Randy

[W.R.Buchanan]

There is a Show on the Outdoor Channel called "Wild Boar Fever" which is sponsored by Aimpoint and illustrates the use of Red Dot Sights on Bolt Action Rifles for shooting running wild boar in Europe. The Principle of the show is a German Prince with 4 or 5 names but his basic name is Franz Albrecht. He is good and can run a bolt gun really fast and seldom misses. This show shows Red Dot Sights in their highest and best use, and is a good Illustration of how effective the system is on moving targets.

There is a new show on right now with him called "Buffalo Fever" with him shooting some German Custom Gun Maker's ornate double rifles with Aimpoints on them. Last night's episode had him shooting a Buff twice with his .470 NE and then hitting it two more times while it was running. He hit the thing 4 times in about 15 seconds and that included a reload on the gun!

I have 6-8 Red Dots mounted on all my Carbines and PCC.40 and Scout Rifle. I have seen them on Shotguns both Field and Trap guns. I have seen them on lots of Pistols now and had one on my Glock 35 for a while. Probably going to put it back on the G35 soon.

With the Red Dot on the G35 using the 1 Shot Pistol Brace I shot a round of Short Range Silhouette,,, 10/10 on chickens 50M, 9/10 on pigs 100M, 3/10 on turkeys 150M, and 6/10 on Rams at 200 Meters. This was with a .40 Cal Glock Pistol! see pic below.

They work really well guys.

Randy

[Mike Kerr]

I switched bolt action rifles to a fixed 6x. It sure made everything more uniform and consistent. I am four years your senior Randy and I agree that the diminished eyesight problem with aging eyes can be mitigated by consistent indexing of the cross hairs or dot or post or whatever your index item is. I also agree that your signature message provides some words of wisdom applicable to the use of aging eyes.

[Lloyd Smale]

yup hands down best bang for the buck are most manufacutres 3x9s. Id like a straight six myself but anymore the only ones that make them are the real high end companys that I cant afford. With something like a leupold you can get a 3x9 with better glass then they use in there straight 6 and get it much cheaper to boot.
3x9 on my bolt hunting rifles. Levers and AR's get less or more depending. Levers no more than 4x as they are deer stand/heavy swamp rifles for me although considering that use I have ghost rings on a few and a red dot on one.

Clarity of scope beats magnification every time. I have a 6x24 scope upstairs that I can't see anything through and was a total waste of $450. I've gone to all Nikon glass as the clarity vs price is exceptional imho except for my 416 where I got a Leopold to get the reticle I wanted. Buddy of mine hunts all of North America and won't use anything but Leopold. Don't scrimp but you don't need a $4,000 scope to go deer hunting either.

[one-eyed fat man]

I have three serious hunting rifles, all Model 70 Winchesters. The .257 Roberts Featherweight mounts a long discontinued 4 power Leupold compact with a plex reticle. The .30-06 has Herters 3x9 with a Shepherd reticle. The Model 70 in .375 H&H wears an old steel tube 2.5x Weaver with a plex reticle. There is an M-4gery that sports an M68 red dot. A vintage AN/PVS-2 is sometimes mounted on an M1A with mixed results. While I can no longer hear the characteristic high pitched whine of the power supply, I believe that the coyotes can, even at a couple hundred meters.

[Gaterskiner]

I also have old eyes. 68. Minimum 2x7 for hunting type rifles. Have a couple 4x16 on varmit type rifles and A 6x24 on my Ruger presision rifle. one target .22 with a 36x. cant hit anything with irons anymore

[brstevns]

I also have old eyes. 68. Minimum 2x7 for hunting type rifles. Have a couple 4x16 on varmit type rifles and A 6x24 on my Ruger presision rifle. one target .22 with a 36x. cant hit anything with irons anymore

Well I am 69 can't see the iron sights anymore myself. I have 4to 12 on most of my rifles because they are the cheaper scopes but work for me. Have 1 6 to 24 I use on a 17 rem . thinking of putting a Red Dot on a squirrel rifle but not sure.

[Gaterskiner]

i like the idea of a red dot. but when i look through one i see a campfire instead of a dot. damned old eyes.

[W.R.Buchanan]

gater: you are probably not lined up behind the optic properly. All of them will distort the dot image if you are not directly behind and in line with the Optic. Makes a huge difference.

Randy

[MT Gianni]

For small game and varmits I like a 3x9 or 4x12 at 100-200 yards. Gophers can hide behind grass clumps not seen in 4x . For big game I use currently, 3x, 4x, 6x, 3x9 and 2x7. When walking in open country or broken hillsides I keep a scope on 5 or 6. In the timber it is on 3 or 4.

[roysha]

I have 22 Leupolds, well over half of which are 3-9s. All are the old gloss VX-II, Compact EFR, and 3-9 AO. The rest are a mixture of pistol scopes, a couple of fixed lower power, and both fixed and variable varmint/target type scopes. My favorite of then all is my first Leupold. purchased in 1969. It is the 3-9x40 VariX II with the old CPC reticule. It's on my 270 but since I don't hunt anymore, it seldom gets used.