Unpopular opinion on scopes

Idk why people say “you don’t need that much magnification”, I’ve heard it on here.
I like to have the most magnification I can have shooting at a deer standing still.
I understand hunting in the woods or with a shotgun, but with a high powered rifle, I’m a better shot zoomed all the way in.
If he’s 100 yards or more which 99% of my shots are, I want to be able to see his shoulder the very best I can. I certainly can’t understand long range shooters who say “10 power is all you need”.
I don’t think I’ve killed a deer under 6 power in 15 years. My scope never goes below 8 most of the time. 6-24 would be my ideal scope if I had my rathers.

FFP sitting on 12 most of the time.

This is why I’m glad we have so many options!

I’m usually on the ground and Mine stays on 3.5-4.

I rarely crank it up unless I’m on powerlines l, but it’s nice to have the quick option.

Really depends the type of hunting. So much variety in topography, terrain and hunting styles.

Keep mine on 5/6 unless I’m on a greenfield but I agree with the OP, I want to see the ticks in their fur with my scope. May not always use it but it’s there if I need it

When I hunted a lot, I don't think I ever had a scope with a mag level over 9x. It always stayed on 9x, until it was getting really close to dark, then I'd turn it down to 6x to supposedly help with light transmission. I don't hunt much now. I do shoot quite a bit and most of that is .22 LR. I have 4-16 on one rifle and a ?x-24X on another. I shoot them on full magnification. The larger that the target appears, the more accurately I can shoot.

Careful now y'all gonna get 2Dogs fired up again lol. I prefer to have the extra magnification but quick follow up shots are more difficult at full zoom. Normally keep my scope at 3-4 unless I can see a long ways. I think 15-16 × is ideal.

If your deer come out and stay 150yds+, and you look at them through a 15x or 16x scope, lower magnifications just arent good enough any more.

I agree, you may not need it but I sure do prefer it

Even if I'm hunting a spot where I can shoot 300+ yards I keep my scope set at 6-8x. Use binos to spot and can zoom in once I've acquired the target with my rifle.

If I'm in the woods I keep my scope set at 2-3x.

Globe, I agree with you.

I keep mine on low power for everything under 200 yards. I don’t start cranking it up to 10 or more until he’s 300+

The higher power you go the more you can see the imperfections in your ability to hold still. I like to at least think I’m steady. There’s no need for high powers on anything less than 300, but then again, your preference may vary. If you like it on high power then use high power. I just don’t.

I tend to keep mine on the 5-6x range. There is many times I will zoom in, but most shots are made with this setting.

Up until this year, I don’t know if I ever shot a buck on anything less than 10x. It didn’t matter if it was 200 yards or 50. This year I started using a 6x scope on my 223 hunting rifle. After taking it out to 660 yards at the range, I realized that I don’t need the higher magnification in a hunting scope.

I didn't carry a rifle a single time this year but I normally use my 25.06 with a 8x56 fixed power Swaro for powerlines and fields and I use my 308 with a 2.5x10x50 for woods hunting. My 8x is fine for everything from 50 yards to 300 but FOV is pretty narrow.

Sounds like I'm not the only one who doesn't tote a Hubble when it's not needed.

BTW , I use a 2-7 VXR, it never goes above 5X. No need for it, longest shot possible for me is bout 125 yards across a plot.

For many years and many kills I toted a 1.5-5 Vari X III.

Until folks give it a test drive they’ll never believe it.

High magnification is a handicap to me unless I’m shooting from a bench or another rock steady rest. Like Matt pointed out, my “reticle float” with lower magnification is much more controlled than with high magnification. The more that reticle moves around the more likely target panic will kick in or the urge to jerk the trigger and could cause you to rush the shot.

My 2 cents

I keep mine mostly on 3 to 5 . Easier for me to shoot running deer . Course if he's standing still I'll turn the knob

6x is where mine stay. Used to stay maxed out.

I like a 3-18 scope but keep it on 6-8 power depending where I’m sitting. If 1 pops out 100+, I’ll give it a quick twist to 10-12 power. Have never shot one at 18 but like the additional magnification at the range.

Mine stays on 5x most of the time

I've killed deer 500yds with a fixed Kahles the darker it gets the lower the power you need to be able to see the more lenses and more magnification the worse your light gathering capabilities are.

Yep

This has nothing to do with hunting but I started out shooting 1k with a fixed 10x Super Sniper scope they are SWFA now but I had no problem hitting targets at that range

I prefer 4x16.

Keep it on 7 in the open but will crank to 12 for further shot.
I’ve cranked it further to check antlers, but I think I get too much float past x12
Most of my shots are from shooting sticks and not a solid rest. If I had a solid platform in a shoot house or bipod, I could see myself using a higher magnification.

The reason you hear that a lot on Aldeer is because a lot of people on here are cheap! They want to tell everyone how great their Simmons or Tasco 3x9x40 scope is! When we all know it is crap! I am like you and want the best I can afford and Love a high powered scope as long as a low power is still available. My favorite scope has become my 4-20x52 Leupold just for that reason. However, for hunting, I rarely dial it past 12-16x just because there is less forgiveness in the scope on eye relief and light gathering. But if at the range shooting at 600+ yards, I dial it up to 20x.

no need to waste money if it does the job . way they have legal shooting hours don't need much scope, those Simmons 3x9x50 pro staff aint that bad for a cheap budget scope . i prefer some thing else but they do work . at least the ones I've used in the past . i agree with the tasco ones i used early in my life just fell apart on the inside .

I’ve gone right the opposite direction. My favorite rifle now is a short 7mm08 with a 1.25x4 VXR Leupold. 95% of the time I hunt on 1.25x. I’ve shot 4inch steel out to 250 yards with it on 4x.

Imo field of view and quick target acquisition is way more important than counting the hairs on the shoulder before I shoot.

Big Bama boy
Are you saying you’d rather shoot steel at 250 with 4 power or are you saying “you can do it”?
Just curious why you would unless it’s a challenge?
I can’t imagine being on a shooting range with a bag and shooting on 4 on purpose.
I don’t have a problem personally with target float, I use Leupold 4.5-14 mainly and I always zoom to 14.
I don’t think I’ve ever even looked through a fixed power scope

You should look through a top quality , good glass fixed 6X . Careful though, you may ditch that variable .

Part of the reason I keep my scopes off the higher power settings are that I find all scope lose eye box forgiveness, and some of them quality of image, at the very highest end of their range. It’s distracting to me to have the image blacking out or darkening as I slightly shift around under field conditions. So, if the scope is 3-9x, I keep it at 7-8 for longer shots. For a 3-15x, I keep it at maybe 10-12x for longer shots.

In the woods I keep the magnification way down, like around 3x or so. I want the widest field of view possible so I can find a deer quickly in a fast developing situation. When I first started I kept the scope on very high power and then I missed opportunities on deer due to inability to even find them and put cross hairs on them when under pressure.

All that said, I’ve never owned a truly high magnification scope like some of these up to 24x. I would think those would be too physically big on a hunting rifle. But, I can always learn something new. Might be fun to have on a power line gun if the eye box issue was tolerable.

I’m saying that this happens to be on my woods gun. I take it where I might get a 50 yard shot. No it’s not the best tool for shooting at distance, neither is the 18” barreled rifle it’s on, but it’s capable if need be.

I’d feel perfectly fine taking a shot at a deer at 150 yards with this set up in an open field. I was shooting at 250 yards just for the fun of it and to see if I could. I could get pretty consistent hits with it on 4x.

If I knew I was planning on sitting the edge of a field, I have other rifles I’d take. One has a 3x9x50 and the other has a 4.5x14x50. Either would be a better tool for that job.

I can also hit a 4inch steel at 100 yards with my 22 that has a fixed 4x Leupold… probably 8 out of 10 times on a regular basis.

I just appreciate compact, lightweight rifles and scopes, and wide open field of view in the woods.

Gotcha.
I’m still in the market for a good high powered used scope but NOW I’m gonna have to at least look through a fixed scope.

I hunt with a 2x7 that I feel comfortable out to 350 with. I do have a 4-14 on a 300 win mag that I have never hunted with. But, the 14 power is capable to shoot farther than I ever will. My ling range friends that shoot 1000 yards only use 14 power and I dont plan to ever shoot at an animal that far away.

I hunt mostly between 2-4 power. If I think my shots will be 100+ I leave it on 4 power.

The conventional wisdom is that for quick shots it is best to keep it on a low power for wider field of view. I have not found that to be the case. When the target appears smaller it takes longer to get everything lined up. When running dogs I will usually keep it on about 7 or 8. It makes it easier to know where the crosshairs are on the deer and easier to pick the holes in brush to shoot through.

I may be repeating a lot of the above but "too much magnification" in my mind the concept is the opposite of what you would think. It negatively impacts the bottom end of the magnification range and it's usability for hunting.

I would really be concerned with what the low magnification setting are and how the scope performs at close range. That's where the wheels come off. It's not the top end powers where I think most would be saying you have too much magnification.

I can shoot 1,000 yards with fixed 10x it's not a big deal. It's easier with 20x. But if you have more than 4-5x on the lowest setting that's maybe going to be an issue. A lot of times I carry 2 rifles hunting one is a lever gun or carbine of some kind I can shoot one at 20 yards with if I have one come up close and that does happen quite often especially when hunting powerlines, etc. I have one stand I can see 1k yds but I have had many deer and some really good bucks run right under the window of the shooting house.

On the flip side of that, I found that on my .22 squirrel rifle when I switched from a 3-9x to a fixed 4x my hit ratios went way up. No more fumbling with the scope settings.

Their 6x scopes have been out of stock for forever, but SWFA fixed 6x in mil is a good one. They have their 10x mil scopes in stock, last time I checked. They’re a great scope, as well. A couple nylon washers will turn it into a zero stop, as well.

I don’t think you will be disappointed in SWFA scopes.

I was taught to shot on 5x when I was little and, many years later with a lot of optics riding rifles, I still shoot more often than not on 4-5x. That’s for anything from 100-400 yards. Most of my first optics were 3-9x. I’d use 9 to judge a deer and crank back down to shoot. About the only time I vary my choice is for long range target shooting or when hunting thick, close brush with a 1-4, or 1-6 set to 1x so I can shoot both eyes open.

Y’all remember the 56 mm 8x fixed power kahles ?

In today's market it's a big paperweight that's about it.

Fixed power scopes are for shooting targets at a range. No way in cornbread hail.... would I be out in the woods trying to deer hunt with a fixed anything.

GIven the options and quality of scopes on the market today vs when fixed powers were a thing 30 years ago.... Hail to the Naw!

Crazy like MTG.

I keep mine on the lowest setting all the time for quick target acquisition and wide field of view. If things happen fast, and they do more time than not for me, then I want all the advantage I can get. If things develop slowly and I need the extra magnification then I have time to turn the dial.

What is everyone's recommendation for quick target acquisition and the widest field of view? Most of my shots are under 100 yards. 30-50 yards in a 30 year old stand of pines. I'm usually firing a 12 gauge sabot slug or a .35 Rem lever gun. I fire a .308 when I'm sitting on a green field.

Depending on your budget, I'd suggest something in the 1-6X24 range. Vortex, Leupoold, Zeiss, all have offerings with several having illuminated reticles.

Trijicon too.

X2

Guess I’m double crazy GK.One of my favorites is an old 110 chambered in .243,topped with a 4.75x40 Weaver Grand Slam

hell, I still use a German pre-war(ww2) 7.5X56 WITH A HUGE POST , MADE FOR NIGHT HUNTING. WHY DO YOU NEED A VARIABLE FOR SITTING ON A GREENFIELD????

High power is great till you leave it on 12x and try to shoot a running buck at 30 yards in the woods.....oops!!!

Hunting conditions often dictate level of magnification. Not only max shot distance, but also if your scenario includes such things as antler/age restrictions and such. Unlike the TV shows, mature bucks seldom show themselves for very long in the open. By the time one uses binoculars to determine if the buck is a shooter, it's too late to pick up the firearm and have at it. I want enough magnification w/ FOV to quickly acquire/judge and shoot in quick order. Personally I'll go w/ a variable that let's me dial it up/down depending on the circumstances.

i hate variables because i'm a fiddler; just can't leave 'em alone. used a fixed 6x two seasons separated by years. five deer killed at 75 to 295 yards. no need for more. right now, i've a .308 with fixed 2.75, and .308 with fixed 4x. all i need, and i'm 72. i actually prefer open sights, just because ... variables also weigh more than fixed peers, and are far more complex ... two bucks i've killed so far this season are with a crossbow, and a peep sighted single shot .45-70.

The great news is they make a ton of different scopes to meet the needs of all of these different opinions!!!

Variable power scopes are nice but I will say walking around with your scope dialed up to 10+ will kill your FOV and can cause difficulties when shouldering for a moving deer

Variable hunting scopes outsell fixed power hunting scopes for a reason. Turning one up or down really ain't that complicated either.

We clearly need to get you some medication but at least I know your gun shoots good.

Fixed scopes and Dodo Birds about to be in the same category.

Fixed scopes are like a car with only 1 forward gear in a 5 speed transmission. You are not realizing its potential.

Since we’re driveling out our opinions:
The less Xs you can get away with on the top end, the better eyebox, edge clarity, stability in eye relief, exit pupil vs objective, etc you’ll have….which are all far more important in actual hunting than seeing ticks on a game animal at 100 yards. I’ve shot some of my best 100 yard groups with low power scopes and even heavy reticle, than high X, precision reticle scopes. Of the dozens of optics I have, I think I only have 2 that go to 10x, and maybe one other 3-9. The rest all started at under 2x, and get far more use at lower power….whether it’s deer, coyotes, hogs, or squirrels. I’ve used and owned some high X stuff. They were useful for LR target and some professional applications, where 1K and beyond was a standard thing. I’ve also used fixed 10x for the same work, and it was never a handicap….though reading wind past 500m was easier with more magnification. None of that is useful for any hunting I care to do. I think we have far more folks watching outer limits and deciding they’re not real hunters unless they have shot a critter past 783 yards….but they probably have tracking dogs on speed dial, also.

Some folks have a legitimate need/use for high magnification. They’re also probably not arguing against low magnification for general hunting scopes, either. They know which horses for which courses. Many just guess.

Best lowlight hunting scope ever made back in the day

I shoot 600 and 1k with a 12x42 nightforce I usually run it around 32x when the mirage is kicking I hunt with a 5-25 it usually stays on 8x I hardly ever use the max power on either scope in either situation unless it's needed then I have it

I’ll stay with my Schmidt & bender zenith 2.5-10 x 56 zenith ffp, all I could ever need for hunting, also like the z3 swaro 3-10x42’s, have a few of those. Most of my shots are within 300 yd range, with 95% of them under 150.

I'm with this guy. If you can't see it with that scope, it probly didn't happen yet.

I like a lower power scope magnification for most of my hunting. I have a Nikon Monarch 4-16x50 that is just to much for woods hunting, for me. I prefer 3 or less.

I do like being able to zoom up though, its helpful when you are looking at a deer at dark 30 and don't want to shoot a short spike thinking its a doe.

I agree.i grew up hunting 2-10 or 3-9
With modern scopes I've decided 3-18 ,2-12 4-27 or 6-24 best
I like picking out a tick on a deer but I have zero problems killing a deer at 25 yards with any of those
Gotta aim small to kill small.but I still prefer to have deer 5 yard's away but my scopes work fine there also

But stay low on normal woods hunting at lowest power and crank up in shooting house or cut over.since my scopes are 2nd focal plane

Keep mine at lowest power until in stand then crank up to max in big fields or in cut overs

I’d have thought the same thing until I bought a Karl Kahles 8x56 from somebody on here. Son said “you won’t be able to see anything real close up!”. Took it to our power line on the last club. Maybe 40 yards wide at most. Could focus on something almost at the bottom of the shooting house steps.

After last year I gave him that gun. I asked for the scope back and offered him his choice of others I had. “Nah, I’ll keep this one, thanks” was the response I got. Nothing to mess with on it. Tracks great and holds zero and low light is its specialty. I’d buy three more of them if I could find them.