# scope magnification???? opinions????



## jriggs (Jan 3, 2011)

*which power scope?????*​
1.5-6 power, old school guys know best 313.64%5-20 power, time to teach those old farts a lesson 627.27%3-10 power, can't we all just get along 1359.09%


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## jriggs (Jan 3, 2011)

i'm sure this has been argued back and forth many times...but i'm interested to see what everyone thinks.

i'm interested what you guys think...i have two scopes sitting in boxes at home and i'm not sure which one to put on a new rifle i'm having built. i have a 2.5-10x56 Trijicon Accupoint and a 1.5-6x42 Zeiss Victory that i love!!! the Trijicon has really good glass for the price point...actually great glass i think and the Zeiss is hands down awesome and really shines in very low light conditions. i was also thinking about getting a 5-20 trijicon sometime next month if i can dig up the extra fun bucks.

i was reading a couple of old school predator hunting books and a lot of those guys swear by low power scopes..because of the fast pickup you get of the target at low power and also shooting most animals within 100 yards.

now...some guys swear by higher power (4.5-14 or 5-20 scopes) which give a bigger picture and make it easier to pick out the little spot you're aiming for and of course...long range shooting.

i was also thinking....did a lot of the old school guys have to deal with scopes that had a hard time dealing with paralax at higher powers??? i know a lot of the newer designs reduce paralax and maybe that's a reason why you can run a 4.5 -14 without paralax adj and not have any problems.

what are all your opinions. the rifle is a .223 rem SVS and will be worked over and very accurate. so i feel like i might be pissing away all the accuracy work by running a lower power scope. but at the same time this rifle will mostly get used out here in the east and for the most part that means 100 yards or less when the dogs pop out on average...and that Zeiss Victory is SWEET!

riggs


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## headhunter25 (Feb 21, 2010)

I run a 1x4 on my .223 with good results. It's a Burris XTR with their XTR ballistic drop reticle. That said I still have good eyes.... I also use a 3x9 with BDC reticle on a 6.5 Grendel. I think peoples preference will be how well they can see. If I ever need another scope I will spend the extra bucks and make sure it's first focal plane. It takes alot of the guess work out of it using ballistic reticles.

Chris C.


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## bar-d (Feb 3, 2010)

My eyesight is getting worse all the time. Most of my scopes are in the 3-12 range. I do have a Ruger Model 77V .22-250 with a bull barrel that I have a 6-24 AO mounted on. It is my long range varmint rifle. Any thing 10 power and up, I make sure it has the adjustable parallax feature.


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## ebbs (Feb 7, 2010)

I'm a 3-10x guy myself. Though I do love a good low power scope for picking up targets fast. I'm also with HH25 though when it comes to first focal planes on the BDC scopes. They worthless otherwise IMO.

Hey jriggs, let me know if you go with the Zeiss on that 223. I've always been curious about the speed of those Trijicons, and 2.5x is plenty low enough power to start with!


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## El Gato Loco (Jan 15, 2010)

The more magnification, the better. I am NEW school.


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## ebbs (Feb 7, 2010)

Chris Miller said:


> The more magnification, the better. I am NEW school.


You're HOME school.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I have found that by properly adjusting the ocular lens on my scopes I can see just fine through them so I don't need so much power. The limitation is paralax, but that only comes into play after about 200 yds so I normally set my adjustment to about 250 and am good to 350 or so. My varmint gun, a .204 is set up with a 3-9x50 for those longer shots on prairie dogs, and it works just fine on coyotes too. The .223 wears a straight 4x, its not great at the range at 200yds but I don't shoot it for competition, only for paper at 100(big orange dot) I can definitly put the cross hairs on a coyote to 300 and the field of view is awesome. My .243 wears a 4.5-14x40 plenty of power for those dogs that may hold up at long range. I wouldn't go any more power than the 3-10 on a .223.


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## knapper (Feb 5, 2010)

I like the mid range powers on my long range rifle I have Lepoulde in 4x14 and find that it is clearer at 100 yds. that my other scopes, when I can't see the holes in the target I will use that instead of getting out a spotting scope, it is that much clearer. On one of my hunting rifles I use a 4x compact and that is good to 300 yds. on big game animals. Yes I am using it with something bigger than .223 cal. One other point is the objective lens being bigger and the tube being bigger help too.


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## RoughNeck (Mar 16, 2010)

Ive got them from 3-4.5 power and like them all, have a 4.5x10x42 on my RRA and really like it


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## ebbs (Feb 7, 2010)

Nobody's talked about fixed power being better for larger caliber rifles. I know that supposedly if you drop the coin on the right scope it doesn't matter if it's variable or fixed, but there's just something about a solid 6x or 4x scope that says stability to me.


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## poe (Feb 10, 2010)

I like the 5-20 power scopes. Right now Im actually using a 3-9 and a 4-12 but 5-20 will prob be my next purchase. My reason for this is because I could a lot of longer shots past 300 yards where the higher power is nice to have. Also I don't have any problems shooting 60 yards and out with a 5 power and anything closer I can use the shotgun. I can see how people that hunt in close cover would prefer the lower power but I hunt more in the wide open.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

As you said most shots are a 100 and under, I'd go with the lower power plus if you have any amount of buck brush around you'll pick out the finer details quicker and faster.


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## Bigdrowdy1 (Jan 29, 2010)

I have a nikon 3-9x40 scope on my 30-30,a 3-9x50 Leupold on my 25-06 ,3-9x40 Nikon on my 223wssm, a 4.5-16x42 Nikon on my T/C Icon PH 223 and a Sightron 4.5-14x50 on my R-15 223 . I really love the Sightron over All my scopes. The clearity outshines the Nikon and Leupolds IMO. It maintains zero and is great in low light conditions. I like the higher powers for sighting in as this builds my trust in my shot placement. I usually run or 4 to 6 power and rarely have to crank up the power for my shots out to 300 yds. I am OLD school in the fact I like CROSSHAIRS. The circles do not work for me yet. I have not used the Trijicon scopes though have looked through them and think they would work but wonder on hold over how they would be. My eyes are on the downhill slide and open sights are all but useless on rifles for me cannot focus on 3 things at once.I would recommend anybody look into the Sightron scope for the money, clearity and warranty that is in the market for a new scope. The Sightron II are really nice scopes. They have more expensive scopes available but they are out of my price range until them lottery ticket numbers match mine. LOL.


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## ambush (Feb 20, 2011)

Yes I agree optics are every thing . But since money does not grow on tree's - u need 2 look at the vortex line of optics !!!!!! 4x12x40 is incredible and would have to spend $200 or more to get equal optics in any other brand ... Look at the viper / the company and warranty are 2nd to none . hope this helps . I have 4 and my hunting buddy's all use them zero problems ..... fur down


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Their site says they discontinued, the 4-12x40.


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## ambush (Feb 20, 2011)

no sir , i just looked at the site .


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

The v-plex model is discontinued, the dead hold model is still being made apparently.


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## ambush (Feb 20, 2011)

yes sir , our rep even had trouble . thanks


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Personally I love my 3-10x50. Lots of light and good magnification. I however am not shooting out past 300 yards.

With that said...I would like to have a one that steps up to 20 power or more. The reason being is I would love to shoot out to 600 yards and that power will help with these tired ol eyes.


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## JTKillough (May 4, 2010)

I like to run my rig on a 5 power setting all the time. A lot of hunters have a hard time finding the critter at a high power setting, we are all different and I would suggest you take your gun out and see for yourself, how fast you can acquire a small target at say 100 yards. Thow it up to your eye and get the cross hair centered, time it and change the setting to a lower setting and see if you do better. I have run on 5 power so long that I have no problem getting on target almost instantly. It really comes down to feeling comfortable with your optics. Low power scopes are intended for thick low visibility terrain where the shooter needs a wide field of view in order to pick up the target. High power is intended for long-range work. I prefer a medium, I go to a lower setting if I'm hunkered down in the thickest thicket, and I have higher power settings if I need to take that critter out a extended range. If I was to pick one scope it would ba a 4.5-12, thats what "_I_ " prefer.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Well said JT, I'm right there with you.


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## SWAMPBUCK10PT (Apr 5, 2010)

I use 3x10x 50---most----but I found out not good enought for long range PD shoot'en so I bought a 6x24x50 Vortex----Haven't mounted it yet but it will be on my model 70 243 coyote the next time I'm in a PD town_________SB


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