Magnification per Yardage

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kis2

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This obviously depends on application, so lets say practical targets in some kind of field type match where time and follow up shots are a factor:

What's your rule of thumb for magnification level at 100, 500, and 1000 yards? Or distances in between those? Another way to ask this would be, what magnification do you need to meet the accuracy of your rifle at those distances?

I have my own ideas, I just want to see what everyone else is doing to compare. I've also been window scope shopping, and want to make sure I'm getting what I need in mag levels.

Thanks!
 
100-300y=1x
250-500y=1-4x
500y= anything from 3x to 20x
1000y= 32x
Click to expand...
I question that...

How accurate can you really be at 500 yards with only a 3x scope?
 
Is this going to be like the guy who says 10x at 500 yds isn't nearly enough, yet has no problem with shooting 1x at 50 yds? :)

All I can say is that I could have used a little more than the 9x I had shooting at prairie dogs up to about 400 yds.
 
100-300y=1x
250-500y=1-4x
500y= anything from 3x to 20x
1000y= 32x
Click to expand...

Nope. It may seem counter-intuitive, but, 32x is TOO MUCH magnification at 1000 yards due to mirage, and IF you are going to use that much magnification, it would be better used at close range.

Don
 
theres no "correct" answer because its entirely subjective........


one person might be comfortable shooting with 4X @ 100 yards where another person might like 20X @100....the bare minimum is enough so you can see the target.....but anything after that is up to the shooter..

its like buying a T-shirt.......at least buy a shirt that physically fits you.....but if you want a tighter or looser fit is entirely up to you.




as for what works for me......
it really depends on my mood and the weather honestly.

somedays at 100yds i like shooting at 6x....other days im at 20x
 
for me, it's not based on distance so much as target size. i have to be able to see the target. that's all.

i can see 10" steel plates at 500 yrds with a 4x acog just fine.
when i'm shooting bugs walking across my paper targets at 100 yrds, or 1000 yrd f-class, i crank the NF up to 42x (most days i don't have too much problem with mirage at that power)

if i'm shooting small plates like 3-6" (or balloons, eggs, bottles of tannerite, etc) between 300-600 yrds, i get as much magnification as i can.
if i'm shooting an 19x30" ipsc silhouette from 300-1000 yrds, 10x is fine
 
USSR said:
Nope. It may seem counter-intuitive, but, 32x is TOO MUCH magnification at 1000 yards due to mirage, and IF you are going to use that much magnification, it would be better used at close range.

Don
Click to expand...

It would of course be a variable magnification scope. I haven't seen a 32x that isn't.

It appears that 5-32x scopes rule F-class in my area.
 
x4 works pretty well at 100 yards for me shooting at a 6" target. You can probably extrapolate that out to greater yardages, but it seems like you don't want to go beyond x20 or x22 in general due to mirage.

Keep in mind that Palma shooters can hit a bullseye at 1000 yards with iron sights. It's hard to believe, but I've seen it.
 
More magnification simply doesn't give you more accuracy. Period.

Magnification does help with target identification tho...

Anyway, I'll play along...
100 - 4x
500y - ~7x
1000y - 10x

With good glass, I can see, align, and hit a ~2 MIL target (2 ft target at 300y or 2y target at 1000y) with a 4x scope.

If we're talking bench queens, and not practical rifles, then I'd want 12x for 100y up to 20x for 1000y (the more magnification, the better).
 
Man, this is really subjective. It also crosses over to what makes you feel comfortable too. For minute of angle size targets, I've been very happy with my 5.5-22X. For practical size targets, like game size targets and steel and stuff, I was really surprised at what I was able to hit with my 2.5-10X32.

I do have to admit that a lot of my shooting lately has been at paper and when doing that, you kind of crave magnification. More magnification just makes me FEEL as though I can be more precise when the size of the group can really mess with your head. When all you're doing is listening for the "ding" and the size of the group doesn't matter, I feel very comfortable with the 10X.

To be honest, the Nightforce 2.5-10X32 is my favorite scope of all that I've owned. It's pretty compact, has very good glass and is very tough. It's also what I would call just on the borderline of what you'd need to shoot tight groups at 100 yards for testing.

I know that you've been considering the 5.5-22X Nightforce. It's a nice scope, but it's a LOT bigger than the 10X and it weighs a good bit more too. If I found myself in a bind and had to choose between selling a 5.5-22X or the 2.5-10X, it would be a hard decision in deed.

Just to throw this in, I read that a general rule of thumb is 1X mag for every 100 yards for practical shooting.

Don't you just hate having to make these decisions? An easy answer would be to get both.

BTW, have you checked out the Vortex Razors? I know two guys that sold their Nightforces to get the Razors. They say that they don't regret it.
 
kis2, when I decided to buy my first PRH, I was trying to choose between the 3-15x and 5-25x models. I set up one of my Leupold Mark 4s on 15x to see if I could make out and hold on the center or edge of wheels on cars 1,000 yards away (ranged with my Swarovski). I realized that I'd have no problem holding on 10" targets with sufficient contrast to the background. So I chose the 3-15x PRH and found that I could easily see and hit a LaRue reactive target at 800 yards, but then I used that scope to shoot some F-Class matches and it sucked at 300 yards. I simply couldn't make out the X-ring, 10-ring or 9-ring and my scores reflected it. I then mounted a 6.5-20x Mark 4 on the rifle and it was night and day difference. I was able to make out the rings at 300 yards and shoot a 149-4X. I now have an 8.5-25x on that rifle but haven't used it in a match yet.

So my point is, for high contrast targets 15x is more than enough out to 1,000 yards, but if you're trying to get inside a 1/2 MOA ring in a large black boiling blob, you'll need quite a bit more magnification. This is why I no longer try to find one scope to do it all. However, if I had to compromise with just one scope, based on what I have, it would be the PRH 5-25x56mm because it'd work for everything that I do at present. The PRH 3-15x has found a permanent home on my AI AW which I'll use for practical shooting and my F-Class rig has the 8.5-25x Mark 4. Practical shooting and match shooting have different requirements in terms of optics, at least, in my experience shooting 300, 500 and 600 yard F-Class and "practical" shooting on steel out to 900 yards.
 
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I use 6.5-20X and 6-24X scopes on my rifles when shooting F Class at 1k. However, I always find myself turning the magnification down to 16-18X to dial out the mirage somewhat.

Don
 
thanks for the replies all, I know it's a bit subjective.

What I was sort of driving at is there has to be a balance between how precise you aim (meaning magnification here) and the ability to make quick follow up shots (having a wide field of view), and was curious how others approached that.

Paper is different than a practical field match obviously.

1858 - For the forseeable future, this will be my one and only high precision rifle and given my purpose, I think something that tops out around 17x would be good enough. My F-Class might suffer a bit though, I can see what you're saying.

Interesting thoughts everyone, thanks!
 
1-2@100yds 3@200yds 4@300yds 5@400yds 6@500yds thats about as far as i will ever shoot, please keep in mind that these are minimums.
 
Critter experience: 3X was plenty good for precision placement on a buck at 350 yards. Hit within an inch or so of where I intended. 7X was adequate for prairie dogs to 300 yards, by laser measuring.

Target: 10X let me get sub-MOA groups at my 500 yard range.
 
For field type practical shooting matches inside 1200 yards. I think a variable with 3 or 4 power on the low end and 14-16 on the upper end would be ideal. All that really matters is being able to identify the target clearly in your scope. If you can see the target, and it's within your dope, you can hit it.
 
it depends on the size of the target.

Maybe I can divide it like this:
Large target (deer)
-minimum power 3-5 up to 300 yards.
-5-10 up to 700 yards.
-over 10 past that.

Small target (small fox)
-minimum power 8-10 up to 300 yards.
-10-14 up to 600 yards.
-from 14 to max power over that along with a good prayer.

I am actually in the hunt ( and saving money) for a new one for a .338 lapua and I want to keep it very simple. Might well be a vortex viper pst in 4x16 magnification.... http://www.vortexoptics.com/product/vortex-viper-pst-4-16x50-riflescope-with-ebr-1-moa-reticle

I consider a good magnification range 3-12 or 4-16 to be practical in most scenarios up to 1200 yards, even more.

I also have a couple of 5-20 and 6-25 but the low setting is already too high for some scenarios and for long range I don't need that much. Only if I want to read a book at 300 yards or I forgot my spotting scope! lol!

I have seen through a benchrest that a friend uses up to x60 but those felt very estrange and are for very specific purposes. Seeing too much detail of the target can actually work against you as you do not see anything around of the target and whether there is something close that it is going to affect that target when the bullet gets there. It feels like watching a 52" flat screen 2 feet away. weird.
Seen "more" doesn't really mean that you can pixelate where the bullet is precisely going to hit. I see how some small varmint long range hunter might want to use a little extra power but x32 not for me. Everyone is different though so you should stick with what you like first and you are good at.

This really depends on the purpose but for me anything over 16 is rarely hard to justify in regular hunting and tactical scenarios.

Cheers,
E.
 
There is nothing subjective about shooting a target at 500 yds. using a 3x magnification. Heat waves are always a consideration with optics. If it was subjective, bench rest shooters and other professional competitive shooters wouldn't use high powered optics for seemingly close distances such as 200 yds. Try to shoot a single hole group at 200 yds. using a 3x optic, it isn't happening.
I live in Arizona and we have some pretty serious heat wave issues to deal with, but it doesn't become any easier to shoot 200 yds. much less 500 yds. with a low power scope of 3x. At 200 yds. 9x is just about as low as you would want to go if your trying to shoot sub MOA groups. And at 500 yds. a 9x optic seems almost useless unless your just trying to put them in a paper plate sized group.
 
I use a NF 8-42 to shoot at 100 meters normally cranked up to about 35x. But that is me.
 
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