3-15 vs 4-20

[sclancy27]

I shoot a 2-10x up to 600 yards, so 15x is plenty for ranges 300-600. Save your $$$ and the weight of the bigger scope. As someone else said, having some FOV to find the animal again for a follow up shot is helpful.

 

[npaden]

Split the difference and get a 2.5x-18x Swaro.

 

[std7mag]

I think competative shooting calls for different scopes. Sighting on a target with an aiming point at long range is somewhat different than shooting at a target with no aiming point, like a deer! Something I do with my variable scopes is I hunt with them on the lowest power. Better field of view and faster getting on target. Longer shot where a higher power might help you have time to make the adjustment normally. On the 50yd or less shot you probably don't. Take your rifle to the range and handling off hand at 100yds on high power see how long it takes you to get on targer and how much you actually move around. Then try it on the lowest power and you'll be able to see what i'm talking about!

Yes, to some degree there is a difference between a hunting scope, and a competition scope.
But the differences in glass quality are getting smaller.
Also a lot more FFP scopes used for hunting these days, where you used to only see them at competitions or military.

Your analogy of setting a scope to high power and aquiring a target offhand doesn't hold water.
Yes, it's a true statement.
But not practicle, or widely done by someone that's tried it once.

The difference between 3 vs 4 power is negligible at close distance. Where the vast majority of people would have their scope set for close quarters, or while walking.

The extra high end power when you have time to set up, and longer distances is not to be overlooked.

Can you hit a deer at 600 yards with a 4 power scope?
Yes. Depending upon the shooter.

Being able to pick WHERE on the deer at 600 yards only comes with higher magnification.

 

[Flatrock]

I have a 22x power and have found I don't like that much power when hunting. If it's cranked all the way up, it's harder than I would have expected to find animals in the scope. Even when they're out there 500 yards. The main benefit to me IMO on the higher magnification is that you can kind of use your scope in place of a spotter if you need to get a better look at an animal that is out there a ways.

 

[Don Fischer]

Yes, to some degree there is a difference between a hunting scope, and a competition scope.
But the differences in glass quality are getting smaller.
Also a lot more FFP scopes used for hunting these days, where you used to only see them at competitions or military.

Your analogy of setting a scope to high power and aquiring a target offhand doesn't hold water.
Yes, it's a true statement.
But not practicle, or widely done by someone that's tried it once.

The difference between 3 vs 4 power is negligible at close distance. Where the vast majority of people would have their scope set for close quarters, or while walking.

The extra high end power when you have time to set up, and longer distances is not to be overlooked.

Can you hit a deer at 600 yards with a 4 power scope?
Yes. Depending upon the shooter.

Being able to pick WHERE on the deer at 600 yards only comes with higher magnification.

The idea of a 4x scope at 600 yds being good to go depending on the shooter is a great point. My origional scopes years ago were all 4x. Difference between them and my 2 3/4x just isn't much. I would not shoot at an animal at 600yds with a 4x scope but then again I wouldn't with a 20x scope either. When I got my 6.5x06 going I put that 4 1/2-14x scope on thinking shooting target's to 500yds it would make a difference. Didn't really as as much magnification as I ever used with it was only 8x and could probably have done as well with 6x. What I ended up with after putting it all together was a huge scope on my rifle. Keep in mind it was huge to me as as much as I'd ever had before it was 3-9x. Then with the 3-9x I hunted on 3x and used 6x for sighting in, made seeing the aiming point better. At 3x the 1" Aiming point pretty much disappeared brhind the cross wires. using the 2-7x I also use the 1" aiming point but with anything below that these days I switched to a 2" aiming point, I can see it well enough through ny 2 3/4x scope.

At longer range say 600yds, I doubt the ability of say a 9x scope to define well a 1" aiming point. While something larger would be easier to see. Shooting that 6.5x06 with the 4 1/2-14x scope my targets went to 3" aiming point and 8x to clearly define it. The problem for me with seeing to well is like shooting at the 1" point at 100 yds with a scope on 9x. Problem is I see to much of it and see to much of my own movement in the scope nd as a result don't shoot as well. I recall trying to shoot another guys 22 match gun in Europe at the indoor range. He had a 20x scope on it and try as I did I could not hold on the target as well as it seem's looking through the iron sights of my own rifle. Deal was the magnification not only made the target easier to see but also my own heart beat! Didn't bother the guy using it, he was used to it! I think all it shows is that the ability to see better may be good and may be bad and that depends on the guy doing the shooting!

I think what a lot of people look for in a scope is some kind of advantage to make up for less than great shooting skills. And if people put in the time at shooting skills it just may overcome the need for more power in a scope. Most of us really don't have the skills of a competative shooter yet we attempt to make up for it by using more scope than we can actually use!

 

[elevatorman]

I personally would look through both first. I have a nikon Monarch 5-20 that on paper sounds great. But when you get over 15-16x it starts to get a little blurry. So 16-20x is magnifying a little more but it's a wash because it's blurry. If the scope your looking at remains crystal clear all the way to 20 and it has good turrets to adjust POI then yes I'd most definitely switch.

The little extra magnification helps. I have an AR that for many years has had a trijicon 1-4 scope with the tritium triangle reticle. It was setup for two legged threats and has served as my fox/coyote gun for years. However that rifle I could only get 3-4" groups out of at 100 yards. Just assumed it's not an accurate rifle. I just pulled that scope to stick a cheap 3-9 Bushnell with regular duplex reticle so I could install an infrared camera behind the scope (infrared flashlight on rail and screen on top of scope, the foxes are done now, night vision is like cheating) and just sighted it in THROUGH the camera/screen which is a little blurry but the extra magnification really helped, I just found out that same rifle/ammo now shoots 1.5" groups.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Question for you all, does the extra 5x make a meaningful difference at 300-600+ yards?

Thoughts?

NOPE. I'd say take heed to what maybe the Army snipers figured out.

 

[std7mag]

I have a 22x power and have found I don't like that much power when hunting. If it's cranked all the way up, it's harder than I would have expected to find animals in the scope. Even when they're out there 500 yards. The main benefit to me IMO on the higher magnification is that you can kind of use your scope in place of a spotter if you need to get a better look at an animal that is out there a ways.

That's what binos & spotting scopes are for!!

How many people have you scoped while doing that?

My hunting buddy gets teased by me all the time for his Hubble telescope (6-24 power for shooting within 70 yards) on his woods rifles.
He never took his binos with him, prefering to use his scope.
I've since gotten him out of that habbit! He carrys binos now.

 

[Farmerj]

NOPE. I'd say take heed to what maybe the Army snipers figured out.

All we used out to 600 M with an M4 was the Trijocon ACOG TA01-NSN. All whopping 4X.

The snipers has 10X fixed scopes on the M24 SWS.

 

[elevatorman]

All we used out to 600 M with an M4 was the Trijocon ACOG TA01-NSN. All whopping 4X.

The snipers has 10X fixed scopes on the M24 SWS.

THIS is why I'm a huge fan of 2-something zoom range scopes. And a trijicon 1-4 triangle reticle on my people/fox rifle.

When I turned 18 I bought a 5-20 zoom nikon Monarch. I struggled and missed a couple opportunities in the thick woods where shots are regularly 30 to 50 yards finding moving deer in my 5x scope. It aint been mounted on a gun in 10 years. I use it as a spotting scope now to check targets. Then used 3-9s. Good but I wanted better. Then got a 2-12 vx6 for my rifle. So much better for woods hunting. And I've never shot at 900 yards but I've ranged deer at 900, zoomed up to 12 and even with the thick duplex in that scope, it's more than enough to see and place an accurate shot at that distance on a whitetail. Got a 2-10 for my muzzleloader after that. I mean even at 900 yards, I don't think 10 or 12x zoom will be a limiting factor. So for the average Joe, needing a 3-18 zoom scope to shoot a deer a 300 yards is unnecessary, but they've been convinced it's what they must have or they'll be limited to 100 yard shots!

I think high zoom is a fad that is hindering far more hunters than it helps.