What is your highest power hunting scope?

[Seedy Character]

Which rifle I carry depends on the game and terrain, that determines the scope.

3-9x42
4-12x44
4-16x50
6.5-20x50

Higher powers increase precision at longer ranges. Never felt handicapped by lowest setting, except once. Walked up on huge rattlesnake, coiled and ready, 4' away. That 3x was useless.

 

[Bartojc]

I have three 3-9x on three "hunting rifles", and one 1.5-4x. When I hunted Wyoming I could have used more magnification, but in MI 9x is more than enough for 99+% of the locations I hunt. I typically have it set at 4x and seldom move it.

-Jeff

 

[zdc1775]

My highest power scopes are two 4-24x50 on a 22LR and 6CM but those are really precision rifles that I just like to use occasionally for hunting when I know I'll be hunting in an open area. My actual dedicated hunting rifles mostly have scopes with a low end of 2-3X and a high end of 10-15X.

 

[.45Coltguy]

3-9x40 Leupold Vari-X II. It usually stays on 4x. Two Weaver[Japan] K4's and a Weaver Classic V[Japan] 1-3x20. Also a Weaver[Japan] 3-9x38 in the safe.

 

[Random 8]

My highest low on a big game rifle is 4X Weaver K-4. I have a fixed 6 Chinesium scope on a .22 Bolt action that sees general pest control and small game hunting. The rest range from 1.5-3X on the low end.

Thinking back, I don't think I've ever shot a deer at higher than 5X, and this includes some pretty long shots to 300 yards, and a couple of successful hail Mary's out to 425 on known wounded deer with the fixed 4 Weaver.

Even on longer shots, even when I've had time, I never felt the desire to crank the power up to 9 on my power line rifle for a shot. 4.5-5X, which is my compromise woods/open setting for this rifle where shooting may be close or far, has felt good on the hold, and good on the shot. I usually only hit 9X when looking at a grouse or squirrel.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I had a Vortex 6X-24X-50mm ffp on my 770. 1st time in the woods. I realized it was to much. I put a buck masters 3x12x44 on it. If i take it out this year. I also have my 760 with the irons and see through rings for real close shots. And a 3x9x40. I think it's a Tasco or Busnell. It's been on that rifle a long time.

 

[jmorris]

I have far more low magnification optics but have used up to 36x killing stuff.

I also generally keep them at their lowest setting, if variable.

 

[Chuck R.]

My highest power big game scope is a Leupold VX6HD 3-18X on a 300WM

I also use:

VX6HD 2-12x42 on a .270
VX3HD 2.5-8x36 on a .260
VX3 2.5-8x36 on a .350RM (also has 1.25-4 Swarovski)
Swarovski 1.5-6 on an 8x68S

Varmint stuff is a different story, highest magnification is a 20X.

 

[marksman13]

I’ve got a couple Leupold VX5-HDs that are 3-15. That’s really all I can ever see me needing and they are too much scope for most of the hunting I do.

 

[41 Mag]

I've got from 1x4 up to 5.5 x 24 but for the most used power range it would probably be between 2 & 4x. It is nice to be able to crank in on something for a good look once in a while though.

 

[Trampstamp]

Iron.

 

[Okie_Poke]

My hunting rifles all wear 3-9x40, 3.5-10x40, or 3-15x44 scopes. I had a 2-7 for a while but have put it on my daughter's 22. I like having a 2 or 3 power on the low end, and I keep the scope set on that magnification unless a specific need for more magnification arises. The 15 power scope is nice for doing load work-up and shooting from a bench, but it would be a very rare shot for me in the field to use anything over 9x or 10x.

 

[Captcurt]

I have a 6-18X Vortex on my B14 Bergara 6.5 CM, a 4-14X Legend on a 700 Remmy 243, a 2-7X Leupold on a Savage 300WSM, and a 3-9X Leupold on a M18 Mauser 6.5 CM. The Mauser gets most of the work now days. Probably 75% of the time. If the deer are hitting the fields, the B14 gets the nod.

 

[Thomasss]

Peep for muzzle loading, Straight 3X full size Weaver for .22LR (no parallax either), 3x9 Leupold Rifleman for deer and my brother prefers a 2x7 Leupold for his Tikka T-3 for deer. No scopes for my handguns, but my brother has a Crimson Trace for his Sig 320.

 

[Varminterror]

My go-to hunting scopes for nearly 30yrs have been 4-16x44mm, but I do often hunt with scopes with top end magnification 24x, 25x, or 30x. The last several deer I have taken have all been shot at 12-18x

I shoot both eyes open, so even in dense cover, I use the same scopes I use for competition and plinking, so it would be foreign for me to use anything else. I have LPVO's, red dots, and prisms, but my native tongue is magnified optics.

 

[EIB0879]

4.5-14x 40 mm Leupold Vari X III

 

[CoalTrain49]

Years ago I hunted in AZ a lot. That's open country and a 200 yd shot is not uncommon. I never felt a need for anything above 6x. Times have changed however and 3x9 is hugely popular. That's why they cost less than just about any other power scope. I have a 4x12 on my precision rifle. For 200 yds I usually set it at 8X.

If you can't hunt with a 3x9 you probably shouldn't be hunting. There. I said it. Fire extinguisher at the ready.

I always used 8x binoculars to help me find what I was looking for but a 9x scope will work. It's just a PIA.

 

[red rick]

Mine is a Leupold VX3 3.5-10x40 , but I mostly use a 2-7x33 .

 

[FL-NC]

Due to the terrain and conditions I almost always find myself hunting in Fl., a 100 yard shot on a deer is on the long side. 30-50 is much more typical. I am capable of hitting much further and would welcome the opportunities to do so, but the reality is that closer shots are what is happening on the ground. So, I generally have my scope dialed down in the 3x or 4x setting. FWIW, I have very successfully engaged enemy to 400 yards many times with a M4 using a fixed 4X ACOG. Which is what I am holding in my avatar.

 

[21H40]

I've got a classic Nikon 3-9 x40 on my Browning. I've been told that it should serve me fairly well in the lower 48, but I've only used in in Alabama. The woods were thick enough - and ranges short enough - that 3x was plenty.

 

[sage5907]

When I started big game hunting Jack O'Conner was a good source of information so to follow him I began using the Leupold M8 4 power scope and it was light and worked well on shots out to 200 yards. My eyes were sharp and I could easily shoot MOA groups at 100 yards. I was basically an open country hunter both in Oklahoma and Colorado and I quickly found that I needed more power so after about 15 years I started changed my rifles to the Leupold M8 6 power. O'Conner was smart but one size doesn't fit all and everyone needs to find out for themselves. The 6 power was also light and worked well for shots out to 300 yards especially when my rifles doubled as a predator rifle hunting mostly coyotes. And, after another 15 years I started changing my rifles to the Leupold European 3 to 9 power with a 40 MM objective and I fell in love with them. Now I have several rifles and all of them have the 3-9 variable that weigh about 13 oz. I have had people tell me that there is no advantage in using a 30 MM tube but even though I disagree I don't have a problem with them doing what they want. Like Clint Eastwood says the 30 MM tube gives me an edge. I hunt with the power set of 6 and sometimes I raise it to 8 for a long shot but changing the power doesn't happen very often because many of my shots are in dim light. Today I most often hunt in open country but even when I hunt in broken land with trees and deep canyons I still hunt on 6 power. Over the years I have made several running shots on animals at both 4 and 6 power. I tribute my success at quickly finding the sight picture to my early years as a quail hunter where the barrel goes where the eye goes. I shoot my rifles every week all year long and I know when a rifle feels right. I have a particular dislike for long heavy rifles with big heavy scopes.

 

[Gun-Reck]

Old 3-9's, but rarely turn them above 6.

Have newer 2.5-8's and even a 2-7.

Aperture sights, and variable power scopes set on low, cover most of my field shooting, out to confident ranges.

 

[sage5907]

Years ago I hunted in AZ a lot. That's open country and a 200 yd shot is not uncommon. I never felt a need for anything above 6x. Times have changed however and 3x9 is hugely popular. That's why they cost less than just about any other power scope. I have a 4x12 on my precision rifle. For 200 yds I usually set it at 8X. If you can't hunt with a 3x9 you probably shouldn't be hunting. There. I said it. Fire extinguisher at the ready. I always used 8x binoculars to help me find what I was looking for but a 9x scope will work. It's just a PIA.

There's a lot of wisdom and experience in what is said here. He says I never felt a need for anything above 6x. I agree because when a long shot presents itself on a game animal it usually comes in dim light when anything higher than 6 cuts down on the ability to see. Moving game animals rarely give the opportunity to change scope settings. I also have had several 4 x 12 scopes and I quickly found that for target shooting the 8x gave the best sight picture because it does not intensify movement in the sight picture during the firing sequence as seen in higher power settings. I say this as a hunter and not a target shooter and I use a shooting stick during practice. I agree with the fire extinguisher comment because I personally don't want to shoot at a big game animal further than 400 yards. I do some taxidermy work and when animals shot at long range are brought to me I usually find more than one bullet hole in the cape. Also, when a hunter walks upon an animal taken at long range it's like you never shot the animal because walking up is the first time you have seen the animal with your uncovered eyes. A big part of the hunting experience is seeing the animal with your eyes and going through the experience of firing the shot. I think this opinion goes back to my years of bow hunting.

 

[tactikel]

Deer rifle 3-9 x variable, varmint rifle 15 X fixed. Deer rifle set up for brush 1X (red dot).

 

[redneck2]

For prairie dogs 6.5-20 x 40 or 4-14 x 50

For deer 2-12 x 42 or 4-14x40