How to Select Scope Power ~ Less magnification is more!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- Scope manufacturers and magazine writers have in recent years been promoting high magnification scopes, almost to the exclusion of those lower powers traditionally used for decades in the field. There is profitability for them that robs you of your money, and makes practical hunting impossible. Hunting has not changed through the years, nor has the need for the best field of view, which is sorely lacking with high power scopes. Learn why high magnification is actually your worst enemy for hunting game! Save your money and get the scope you need, and not the one the stores are trying to sell you.
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I did not grow up in a house with Guns or Hunters, this is like having a Dad that wants to teach you the right things about Guns, Hunting, and maybe a little of the underlying aspects of life and how to live. Thanks so much for all your contributions.
instablaster...
If you dont want to hunt, go to your local rifle range and give target competition a go!! You will find it's a sport that ANYONE can do on EQUAL terms - male or female, able-bodied or disabled, old or young - it DOESN'T matter!! Everyone can compete against anyone else. In this way it's one of the few sports that is a great LEVELLER!! Enjoy!! 😊👍
You got to appreciate the free knowledge this man is giving everyone that watches.
MOST definitely
The thing i like about your videos they arent just reasonable speaking, pure knowledge,but experience. When you learn from ones experience you often learn more than just knowledge of the subject. Great video
Well said
The voice of experience and wisdom, Here is a man that knows his stuff!!
I grew up hunting antelope, mule deer and elk in Wyoming for the last 50 years and filled my tags every year at least for deer and antelope. I’m talking about wide open spaces and timber for elk and most always shot them with my scopes set at four or six power. Most all my scopes are Leopold with higher settings but very seldom do I turn them higher except for shooting paper or for spotting. I have taken big game at 50 yards out to 400 yards which is a very substantial distance in my book. Taking shots at game animals at a thousand yards to me is not sensible hunting.
Don't use your rifle scope for spotting though, that's really unsafe. Use your binos for spotting.
I wish I knew this in the years past when I was in the more money than brains club. :)
I used to be a card carrying member of that club. Still visit it now and then unfortunately. :)
Yep
For me these days it’s about putting my equipment on a diet.
Does not take much to be toting 12lbs around if you’re not careful.
I'm in the very little of both catagory I fear! Lol. I put 3 to 9 or 4 to 12 leupold freedoms on everything! Cant afford more and I can't see as good anymore! I need all the help I can get
@@chanceterrill5346, my old eyes need help, too.
@@oilhammer04 I'm only 30 but working construction for over a decade has my body falling apart and my eyes are too! I used to be able to stare at my pin when bow hunting and still see deer at 20 yards clearly, now I have to look at deer and deal with a very blurry pin, they used to both be clear! I barely passed my vision test my last license renewel..... Probly gonna have to break down n get contacts or glasses
I like that rationale of buy what your needs are, not what the market wants to sell you. Timeless advice, my friend!
Less is definitely more! I would much rather have a fine scope, such as a Leupold 9x, that holds zero, then a junky scope with every feature available. Just the basics for me with a fine scope! What a great video, Captain!
With practice, you can scope in with both eyes open with a low power scope. Your effective field of view just increased by a lot.
Thank you sir. I pray for you and your family have a Merry Christmas. God Bless
When I teach at an Appleseed clinic, we're usually shooting .22 LR at 25M. There is often the "tacticool" dude with the $1000 10/22 with a 8-24x scope set on 24x. He usually has a wife/girlfriend armed with a stock 10/22 and the factory sights. By the end of the day , he is fuming because he can't shoot a group to save his life and the wife/girlfriend actually listened to the instructions and is shooting 1" groups at 25M. We usually try to tell people to use the lowest power on their scope. Low power is always good.
@@tun0fun At 25 meters, higher power scopes increase the perceived wobble that comes with shooting WITHOUT an artificial support such as a lead sled or bags which is how benchrest shooters work. Lead sleds and bags do most of the holding for you. When you're shooting unsupported with or without a sling, your bones and muscles are doing the work. They aren't as steady as a artificial rest. Your reticle or sights will appear to move more on high power and the shooter will often jerk the trigger when the sights or reticle drift over the aiming point. The CMP doesn't allow scopes over 4x. Try shooting without bags, bipod, or lead sled at close range. Better yet, try it offhand. Not joking.
@@tun0fun Your not shooting at 25 m. You're also, if you shoot competition, an experienced offhand shooter. Most of the people who shoot in Appleseed are novices, CMP/sling shooters, and the aforementioned tacticool shooters. If you have learned to "embrace the wobble" shooting offhand(???) at 500 yds , you're the exception, not the rule. What competition requires you to shoot offhand(unsupported) at 500 yds.
I have been watching your videos for a long time and have to say that you are the most knowledgeable, up-front, and honest person on TH-cam when it comes to anything gun related and shooting. You are right with the information on riflescopes when it comes to how you are treated at most establishments that sell scopes...….most people are talked in the higher magnification and for the impressive looks by salespeople that have little or no real knowledge in what they are selling.
One point that most shooters seems to not comprehend is that with magnification, everything is magnified, including and movement. I have people say to me that they had issues with their scopes not being steady when they are zoomed in on 3-9 or higher power scopes. Little do they realize that it is not the scope, but it relates to the movement of the unsteady hand and the lower filed of view.
I couldn't agree more! My 1 - 10X LPVO is by far my favorite "do it all" scope, and at over 90' of FOV @ 100yards its no mystery why I feel this way!
Another Bevy of information put out by Good Old Uncle chummy. Love your stuff. I lived in New York where you were only allowed to hunt with a shotgun then they opened some areas up to rifle these guys thought they were going to be slaying deer with a 300 Weatherby from 2 miles away until they realized how exponentially of a bad shot they were God bless you sir keep up the good work educate these kids
Lmao. Im also from NY and I seen the same thing. Guys popping off rounds at deer with a huge rifle at 300 yrds thinking its the same as a shooting a shotgun at 30. They either cripple them or flat out miss.
Next level dude. You are my role model. I'm a mechanical/electrical engineer and you blow my mind. Thanks for the stimulation to start building and reinforcing synapses again!
I really appreciate your comments on my 7mm Remington Mag,I still use an old Lyman 2.5 X exactly like the one in the movie Saving Private Ryan,it sets on my 7mm,it has a beautiful picture,wide field of view and is quick to get on target,no idea how old this scope is but it's all I ever use!!
Yes, you are quite right. there are too many rifles carrying over powered scopes on the action, I have always used a 3-9x40 PX sfp mil dot , then a 6x40 PX sfp mil dot , and now , I have a 3-9x32 PX sfp mil dot tube 8 inch compact scope , on my Air rifle , I am from the UK country Wales Cheers
Great video, great points! If I'm hunting an area where I'll never get a shot over 100 yards I don't see the point of even having a scope.
It really helps sometimes to see the game animal more clearly.
Yesterday, I made sure of my Malin 94 sight settings, because my scoped rifle set on 5x, was not finding the deer I kept kicking-up. I guess I could have adjusted to the lowest setting, since I have it set on 5x so the BDC reticle works with 50 yard increments.
Next time I go into the brush, I'll try 3x, (my lowest setting,) instead of using the iron sighted rifle.
Timely video.
I use a 1.5 x 4 and it's perfect for me in the Woods of Québec ( Canada).
Another video filled with scads of information. Thanks.
FOV & Price was the deciding factor's in scoping my Marlins. Looking at different scope options the affordable option I found was Vortex Diamondbacks in 2-7*35 both their 'rifle' & 'rimfire' models. The FOV for both varieties is just over 64 ft @ 100 yds = 16 ft @ 25 yds. The 'rifle' model Parallax is set at 100 yards, this model on my 336BL 30-30 Win and 1894 44 Mag. The 'rimfire' model is on my 1894C 357 Mag, it's only called a rimfire because Parallax is set @ 50 yds., scope is rated for use on shotguns & muzzle loaders. I've shot more deer closer than 30 yds. than over 30 yds.
Note about Deerpoo22's comment below - Safety first! - When I had my hunter safety training course 'scoping' potential targets was considered an unsafe action, they stressed the use of binoculars/spotting scopes/range finders to check out game at a distance.
2-7 power scopes are by far my favorite. Any distance that I could ever realistically shoot at, is visible at 7 power and at 2 power, you can shoot with both eyes open. Of course, I also live in Texas. . .
I'm moving there in a month. I can't wait.
@@LivingBetterOutdoors skills and quality optic are more important.
@@LivingBetterOutdoors probably however far you can shoot with irons multiplied by 7.
Additionally, using a lower powered optic really helps to stay on target when the hunter is excited, when "buck fever" rears its ugly head. (Personal experience)
Well after watching your video, I really feel educated on this subject. I was always craving for buying biggest scope there is. Thank you.
You remind me I made practical decisions opting to buy Leupold VX scopes for my hunting rifles. I’d likely not take more than a 400 yard shot and figure up to 9 or 10 power scopes is enough. And that’s mostly for my aging eyes-lol. And yes the salesperson was trying to get me to buy $1200 plus scopes . I only wish my eyes could handle open sights when brush hunting. There would be no need for a scope then. However everything is a blurry at this stage in life. So in the woods and or brush, I leave my scopes on the lowest setting to aid in quicker target acquisition and widest field of view. Gun blue always serves his viewers well with his advice and practical viewpoints. Thanks!
Lowest power setting when hunting. You will always have time to set the power up becouse distance means more time .
took your advice so glad i did what a difference easier to use set up and away you go useing my new a fixed scope on a gamo and its a pleasure.I am waiting delivery of a recoil proof mount to protect the scope thanks for the advice.U.K.
My dad taught me how to find a deer quick in a scope...look down the side of the scope pointed at deer, then move your eye into scope..works every time.. Soo many people look through scope first then move gun around wildy trying to find the deer.
2 eyes. One open, one already through the optic. Then you can already have the crosshairs almost where you want them and can switch back and forth easily. Much better sight picture acquisition, especially if you have enough recoil to maybe lose the target occasionally
Awesome info
If your scope is mounted correctly, you just keep your two eyes open, focused on the deer, looking at where you are going to hit it, and as your rifle comes to your shoulder the crosshairs should simply superimpose onto the deer and "bang". Takes longer to describe than to do, and much faster than trying to look down the side of the scope.
If the crosshairs aren't appearing superimposed on the deer as the buttplate hits your shoulder it is a sign that either 1. your rifle and scope aren't set up properly for you, 2. You are dropping your head to the stock, rather than bringing the stock up to your face (which is also probably a symptom of 1), or 3. The scope is of such high magnification that the eye relief and exit pupil are too critical as to eye position - especially if 1 and/or 2 is also in play.
1. can be dealt with by ensuring the scope is at the right height with respect to the comb of the stock, and at the right distance from your eye. I like to set scopes up at maximum magnification such that in the offhand the scope is just a tad further away than is perfect. That way it will not be too close in positions like prone, and at lower magnifications, where there's a bit more leeway on eye relief, it will be perfect.
An additional comment/question. Saturday, I got my deer. Rifled Mossburg slug gun with a 3-9 power scope. The shot was at 170 yards across my farm field and hit dead on in the perfect lung shot spot. The usual Hornady SST sabots. But it wasn't my first shot of the day. Saw this video on Friday and thought, "OK if I get a long shot, I'll take it on 3 power and see how it goes." Because there is usually more than one deer, the wider FOV allows me to look at more than one to better make a pick. At 8AM Saturday morning that's just what I did. Clean miss! Groan! Tracked that small group of deer to the property line to make sure there was no blood trail. The shot was from a rest at a deer that was standing still broadside. It was probably over 180 yards, but I practice with that gun at up to 200, at 9 power, and can put them into a 6-inch circle. Missed another shot later in the day that was much closer. Again I tracked that deer to make sure it wasn't hit. Not happy with myself at that point. I was beginning to think my day was going to end badly when about 15 minutes before official sundown another small group of four emerged from the woods. This time, I cranked the scope back up to 9 power and made the shot. My long winded question is this, can scopes change POI by changing from one power to another? Everything I have read says that if they do, it's a minimal amount. My other thought is that I had a flyer with the sabots. Maybe more than one. I know that's possible but for all the practice rounds I shoot I have not had a single one. Or at least a wild one that was more than an inch or so off. Most likely those first two shots were my own dang fault. I guess I'm pretty used to that 9 power setting but next summer when I practice, I'm going to try my usual targets on 3 power and see how it goes.
I don't like hunting with low power scopes when shooting 100-200yds. I usually hunt with a 4-12 and a 2.5-10. I was hunting with a 3-9 and had a deer across the pond at 150yds. The deer was 10-15yds back inside the tree line in and amongst a lot of vegetation about 5-10 minutes before dusk. I could see clearly to the tree line but under the canopy it was more challenging to see. Even at 9x I had a very difficult time picking out a hole/small opening in the vegetation to shoot through. Would've loved to have a 12 or even a 16x power scope in that scenario. Been very happy with my 2.5-10x56 though. The 2.5 is great for stalking and close range shots.
Great information. High power scopes are fine for shooting paper and long range varmints, but man do they suck for big game hunting. Ever try a follow-up shot on something at 24x? With that narrow FOV you'll never find the target again until it's too late. One thing that I would have mentioned is the advantage of a 30mm scope tube. Larger tube = larger FOV. Something like the Leupold VX5 2-10x scope gives you 57.5 feet on low power but you can still crank it up for target shooting. Or for shooting 400+ yards on game. Out here in Utah we can be in the woods one second and looking 800 yards across a canyon the next, so the 30mm tubes are a good option.
No nonsense wisdom! I think I will keep my gun without scope after all. I clearly dont need it for 50 to 150 meter shot. I still have a lot to learn!
Wow. Once again dead on GunBlue. Everyone wants to feel like a 1000 yard sniper with high powered scopes. But it does you no good if you can't find the animal through the scope at 35 yards. Great video and God bless you and yours
People buying 12 or 18 power scopes when they only shoot 2 to 300 yards.
2-7 or 3-9 would be more than enough
Another excellent video. Personally, I have no beef with 3-9X scopes, but I almost exclusively hunt prairie mule deer, and always keep mine turned all the way down. For many years I used the same rifle with a straight 4X and harvested a lot of deer with it. My theory is that if an animal is up close a person has to find it and get a shot off quick, he won't have time to turn his scope down, but if it's way off at 3 or 4 hundred yards he'll always have time to turn the magnification up if needed. Another thing I've seen and even experienced personally that can come about from too high of a level of magnification is a false sense of confidence. When I had my straight 4X on my rifle, if a deer looked pretty small in that scope it was too far away to shoot at anyway and I knew it. Just this past season, even though I know better, I took a shot at a really nice buck only to see the puff of dirt on the ground in front of him and watch him hop away unscathed. He looked pretty big on 9X, but he was much farther away than I estimated. With my 4X I would've known he was too far away.
In 2019 I harvested my cow elk at a distance of 266 yards with a CVA Scout II with a 4 power scope. I had been to the very spot a week or so before and had my rangefinder so I took all kinds of ranges. When I saw the elk a week later I knew the distance, more or less, from me to it. I took the shot and the elk disappeared from sight. It fell straight down and moved no more. The 4 power scope was more than enough to easily sight on the elk. The following year using my 30-06 which has a 1.5 to 5 dangerous game scope I harvested a 4x5 bull elk at just under 300 yards with a shot to the back of the head. Scope was on 4 power. I don't like a messy cleaning job. I either drop it or it walks away.
Thanks a lot for saving my money nearly more than half. I dropped down from 6-24x50 FFP to 3-12x40 FFP. Wake on time....
I agree 100%. When I hunt in open grassland areas with limited woods only in the valleys. I use a straight ten power on my .308 . I've taken several deer from 30 out to 600 yds easy with it.
Thanks for the excellent advice. I am able to shoot accurate groups with iron sights yet I bought into getting a higher magnification scope. This video reigned me back in and ironically I was looking at the scope your wife has before I got “upgradeitis”. Placing my order for a 1.5-4x scope today
@Jeremy Chapman 1.5-2 MOA
True words - less is more! When I was a teenager, most scopes were 2, 3, or 4x. The 3-9x40 scopes were the sci-fi models. Nowadays, as you stated, the 3-9x40's are the beginning range of commonly carried scopes in stores. Virtually every scope display I've seen over the past decade has been stocked with bunches of 5-25x56 super-duper sniper scopes that run $2-4K!
Aside from the technical aspects you spoke of, a smaller scope just looks better on a M70 Featherweight.
Great video with a logical explanation of the "less is more" theory applied to hunting scopes.
1-8 low power variable optics should be the standard for close range woodland deer hunting with a bolt action...anything else like a lever or single shot should be used with irons only
You've sold me on lower power scopes for woods deer hunting. I will keep my adjustable objective higher power one for my .22 for squirrel hunting though because it's just cool to see that squirrel up close and in high definition and I'm only shooting them while they're still and a lot of times have time to mess with the adjustments. It's a thing just for the experience of it not the practicality in that case.
Actually, the field of view relationship allows for greater magnification on 22s used for small game. My personal preference is a fixed 4x rimfire scope with fine reticle.
I have just done an experiment on myself. I shoot air rifles UK legal at 30 to 40 yards , I have 3 rifles and when I have finished shooting I noticed they were always set at about 10X , its the power I chose for the range and target.
Just found your videos and subscribed immediately as your format and content is exactly how it should be for us regular folks out in the real world. Thank you!!
But if you buy a heavy scope you get less recoil. And more power is good for counting points on horns. I love your videos!
I completely agree. I had lost shots st multiple deer using a 3x scope because they came by at 5 yards and moving. I switched to 1x4 scopes and havnt failed to bag em yet. I would say 90% of deer i have killed are under 30 yards. I really like the scopes that have lit reticle in the 1x4 at which point they function just like a red dot but if the battery dies i still have a s scope. Best combo i have fielded. Works great when you dont have great eyes anymore as well.
I've started buying fixed magnification scopes and my shooting has improved.
Thoroughly enjoyed watching this , thank you for taking the time to make it. Could you please post a video explaining the use of a 30/30 duplex reticle for rangefinding. With all modern trend aimed towards the use of BDC/ multi aim point reticles it appears to be a lost art and something id love to learn/ get into cheers ... Ps i have quite a few scopes with different reticles, my most used is a little leupold 3-9x33 it does everything i need , it would be great to be able to learn to rangefind
Ive got the Leupold VX freedom x1.5 - 4 x28mm scout scope on my savage model 11 scout rifle.
It has just enough zoom to reach out to 200-300 meters but also has long eye relief & allows for shooting with both eyes open.
Its good for quick target acquisition & allows me to have a good peripheral view.
I prefer to have a practical rifle that allows me to find & shoot the target quickly & stat alert of what’s in my peripheral vision.
Ive been spoken to like a second class citizen by old farts with all the money in the world whose invested thousands of dollars in fancy rifle stocks & extremely powerful scopes.. there are ignorant people out there who thinks more is always more.. but that simply isn’t the truth.
I could see hitting a deer at 200yds with a 4x scope if he is standing in a power line or food plot. I also agree that target acquisition is great at low magnification. But how can you see a deer walking through gallberries or back inside a tree line with bushy vegetation at 100-150yds with a 4x scope, especially at dawn and dusk? Low power optics and small objectives (along with inferior glass) have cost me a few deer. Had I been using my 2.5-10x56 they would've been dead.
I discovered years ago that I am a much better shot if I use a lower power scope. I have come to love the 2.5x8 power Leupold scopes and have put them on any new rifle I need a scope for. I am lucky to have three old Weaver K series scopes. 1 2.5 power and 2 3 power. These scopes are of the highest quality and I would not sell or trade them for any of the new scopes that cost more than most rifles. One of them is the old post and crosshair and I put it on what I call my pole rifle. Named that because my land is covered with lodge pole pine so shots are not far when you're in the timber. The one high power scope I own is on a Ruger #3, 223. It's a 6 to 16 power scope and like you say on high power it's hard to locate the target the field of view is so small. Since I can't hunt big game here in Colorado with a 22 caliber bullet I only use that rifle for coyotes and rodents. I have never even used it over 12 power. You're correct, less is more.
You Sir, are an absolute joy to listen to. A venerable wealth of information
Years ago, I bought an old model Redfield 2.5 power scope, it is a beautiful scope I had it my drawer for many years, my son brought a brand new CZ 527 in 7.62x39. He was going to put some large power scope on it, I said son those rifles cannot be of any advantage with a large variable power scope on it, here put this Redfield on it, he looked at it, and said what is this, I said hang on a minute, give it a try you will be very impressed, he was doubtful. So he tried it and loves it, wouldn't part with it for anything, see I said those fixed powers are not to bad after all.
This past season, that power scope cost me a very big buck. We hunted 4 days in the season, just to see a small doe and fawns. The last day we tried the drive. When we bumped a big buck, my buddy missed a shot, and I just couldn’t bring him into my 3-9 power scope I have on my shotgun. As you said, the buck vanished before I had a chance to even see him looking through the scope. I wished I had an open sight which I could’ve shot at least couple shots in that duration where he was In a plane sight running . I definitely regret even having a scope on my shotgun in that certain day 😏
Excellent video, clearly showing both wisdom and expertise on the matter.
I don't shoot or hunt, but I do love telescopes and optics in general. I was browsing YT links related to the concept of 'Less is More' [Mies van der Rohe], your video appeared in the suggestions column, the title beckoned to me, and as soon as you started talking, I knew I was about to learn something solid. Now I know how to properly select scope-power if I ever need to do so - thank you so much for sharing your knowledge in such a friendly way.
Thank you for sharing what took you decades to learn. Save us all a lot of time!
On my hunting rifle I use a 1-4 power long eye scope mounted forward of the receiver. That way I can use it with both eyes open to acquire targets quick and then zoom in if needed.
What brand and model did you go with? I’m having a hard time deciding on one with so many options.
Ryan Cleckner also says lower power is better for long range precision shooting, going as far as saying even if you are bench shooting; turn the scope power down so you don't jerk the trigger when the crosshair is perfectly over the bullseye. He notes that for most shooters learning to shoot more precise; when they are on lower power it is more common that the group size will be tighter bench shooting.
Personally, I think one of the greatest advances in scopes has been the ready availability now of relatively affordable true 1x variable power optics. Things like the Steiner T5Xi (1-5x24mm) and the Vortex Razor HD Gen II (1-6x24mm) have FoV around 110 ft @ 100 on 1 power and you give up very little. I regularly shoot my Steiner out to 600 yards at standard targets without difficulty and without a particularly accurate rifle. Anyone who has spent time shooting from something other than a bench that compares shooting on a true 1x scope vs. something with 3+ times the magnification can't help but to realize the inherent value of the low power optics.
nothing worse than a scope that starts at a high magnification like 6 or 8X it's terrible.
less is more to the point, I shot a bsa 4-16x 40mm for a few years and bagged a few deer with it and the last day of rifle season here in pa i shook it upside down to get the snow out of my rem 7600 and the scope broke. I't was seeing a 45 degree reticle so I got myself a Leopold 3-9x40. I've bagged a lot of game with it mostly at 3x even though it goes to 9x.
I learned the hard way, he’s right, for the most part less is more, get something clear and then shot it... god bless this man💚🍀
I will rarely have an optic at all when hunting heavy wooded areas. The area I hunt shots beyond 100 are extremely rare with most common shot less than 20. That optic / rifle combo on that 7mm08 is a fantastic set up.
The only one I can recommend is the rimfire scope. Parallax is critical with 22 rifles, because they are used for close range that is far too coarse for centerfire scopes. You should never place a centerfire scope on a rimfire rifle, unless it's sent to the factory to adjust parallax to conform to suitable range. Leupold centerfire scopes are set for 150 yards, the average mid-range for hunting. Leupold sets their rimfire scopes to 50 to 60 yards. Also, rimfire scopes have very fine cross hairs, which allow sighting on very small targets without obscuring them, and the dimensions are sized to scale for rimfire rifles, and look much better.
Watch my Browning T-BOLT video, which is mated with that Leupold 4x28 rimfire scope. It's a fabulously sharp, precise scope that is beautifully engineered for 22s, and allows easy pinpoint aiming at tiny targets, with no parallax.
Thank you kindly for your efforts to educate properly! If I may, may I ask a scope question? How well will the Leupold fx-1 4x rimfire do at from 5 to 15/20 yards? In other words, will it work well close in, as well as at 40 to 50 yards? Thanks again for your efforts. Kind regards, Steve.
3-9 X 40 or 4-12 X 44 is absolutely heaps for a hunting rifle. Trouble is most people think the bigger the numbers, the better the scope, and they are not overly honest with what they are going to do with their rifle. They think that, if they buy a gigantic astronaut-quality stargazing scope to put on their hunting rifle, it will turn them into a super-sniper: this is ridiculous. Oh, the gun shops love these people who seem to have bottomless pockets and are more that willing to lay down bundles of their hard-earned on a scope that will not help them one iota. They finish up like the kid who wants to be the coolest with all the good clothes, shoes, etc. This man speaks irrefutable truth backed by experience, and conveyed in plain English without all the jargon. Well done Good Sir, and keep this stuff coming...
A guy in my club uses a nightforce 7-35x56 scope on a 6.5 creedmore. That scope cost $3600. I'm all for quality gear but it needs to fit the environment. I hunt in south Alabama. It's pine thickets, swamps, and oak patches. Out of the last 6 deer I killed 5 were shot under 50yds, 3 were under 25yds. His field of view at 50yds is 7 feet, ouch.
@@mdees88 yes there is such a thing as overkill
same thing taping and mudding drywall-less is more!
Old fashioned ideas..... That are based on facts. Took me a while to come to the same conclusions. Great video
The more powerful is better mentality doesn't apply to scopes (& most other things for that matter). For whitetail hunting where I live, I would take a 1.5-4X, 1.5-6X, or 2-7X over anything more powerful. I know 3-9x are very popular, but I would never put one on my deer rifles. My brother had bought an overpowered 4-16X scope a few years ago, & he hated it. He asked what I would buy if money wasn't an issue. I suggested a 2-10x42mm Duplex( very popular American brand), & he bought one. He's much happier now. If you are looking for a moving deer in the woods, low power trumps magnification. My Dad & I have used 1.5-6X or 2-7X scopes for decades. 90% of my deer have been shot on the lowest power setting.
Of course as usual you make good sense. In Texas we have literally every sort of terrain, topography and distances to shoot over. For the hunter that can only afford one gun he will most likely choose the 3 X 9 scope for versatility. I have a 1 X 4 power on my AR so I firmly believe what you are saying here. Thank you for all the great videos you provide for us. Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, and God bless.
Great video and topic. Thank you for telling the truth.
I just purchased my first bolt action rifle, a couple of weeks ago at a local gun show. It's a pre owned Remington 700 ADL. It's in pretty good condition hadn't been fired much. It came with a 3x9x40 scope. I have looked a a few videos about using a scope. I think i got the best advice from your video. Thank you.
I haven’t made a scope purchase in twenty years, and I’m not happy that modest priced nitrogen purged fixed powered scopes don’t seem to be available.
As always, good well presented information. You have mentioned this before in another video and I remembered more than a few situations in my hunting experiences where the lack of field of view had come into play. It was a bit of an epiphany for me so to speak. Last scope I bought was chosen with your words in mind and is a leupold 1.5-4 x 20. (lowest power scope I have ever owned) As it happens it is sitting on the same carbine as your wife's rifle. It has turned out to be a great combination for my intended uses, so thanks for the heads up on this.
You are the best! My Dad passed away. Can I adopt you in his place...? ;-)
Wtf
i think a 45 degree red dot with a 36 yard zero might be the best compromise if you need that higher powered scope but encounter a very very close moving deer. that's a -1.5 inch low at muzzle, 1.5 inches high at 115 yards, -3 inches drop at 250 yards.
I had my weaver 1-4 scope lose zero on me a week before the deer season. So I took my 3-9 scope off my 22. In the open woods it was o.k. but the last 3 days, I was hunting at bow range, I took it off and hunted irons. Of course I didn't see deer not because of my scope...Hopefully weaver will warranty my scope. The guys tell me hunt irons all the time, but at dusk and dawn I just can't see my irons very well. Hunting with a Henry Big Boy Steel, .357 magnum in the Michigan limited firearms zone. I think I might have to learn how to shoot left handed as I am left eye dominant and shoot a pistol with my left eye. I am not new to firearms, but I got a late start on hunting. I think I am on the right road. But, I gotta get better.
less is more and experience is best. Awesome video.
I enjoy these videos very much. They are so informative.
Well, yes, i agree, less is more in your situation is correct. I live and hunt in Oregon and the majority of shots are 200 to 500 yards. A 3x9 is perfect. I am just wondering why you would even consider putting a scope on a rifle if you are shooting at animals at 15 to 25 yards....this makes no since at all to me. Iron sights are so much faster at that range. And why hunt deer with a .243 at that range? Is more better when it comes to caliber? Think I would use a larger caliber moving much slower....heck, maybe even a sling shot.
Just watched this video again. I do thank you--again I learned some very good information on scopes. The concept of choosing a scope based on the lowest setting vs the highest is very helpful.
If you don't mind a question here; what are your thoughts on fixed power scopes? I have a couple vintage straight power scopes. One Burris 4x and the other a Leupold 6x. I hunt deer in the midwest where shots from my deerstand can be 40 yds in the trees or out to 200yds out in a cornfield. I plan on putting these on a 25-06 and a 270. Thank You again.
I shot close groupings at 500 yards with iron sights in the Marine Corps. You don't need huge magnifications if you understand and apply the basics of shooting.
This man is so smart! I'm 64 I've hunted for many years. My go to scope for hunting whitetail in the woods of New Brunswick, Canada was a 1.5-5. The scope was never set higher than 1.5. If my memory serves me right I only upped the magnification 2 or 3 times to determine if the deer I was about to harvest was the caliber I was interested in. I've communicated this fact to many a young hunter. I've harvested my share of deer in the woods most have been 30 yards or less, one was 45, one was 70. The two longest shots were in the open hardwoods. I've shot deer with a 3030, 308 and a 3006. My first deer was under 20 Yards, a 2 year old 6 point I used open sights with my 3030. The deer died instantly. My favorite was the 308. Compared to the 3006 the 308 is my favorite. In my experience the 308 harvested deer with less damage to the meet than the 3006. When hunting deer with my 3006 I reload my shells at a lower velocity.
Love this channel, thank you for sharing your knowledge
Truer words have never been spoken! I think everyone will learn this, more or less. I removed the scope and went back to iron sights on the .22 I use for close-up varmints after the chickens, at night and so forth. Missed too many otherwise easy shots because the FOV was terrible (3-9 scope). My eyes are not great at this point so for far away varmints, I still have a higher power scope on the .223. And that one rifle is just about the 100-300 yard shots with a variable power 8-32. Yeah, I got suckered in on that one some years back (hey they said it was "Tactical!") but I do pretty good with it on the varmints and I make it work. My deer slug gun has a 3-9 but it's pretty much a 100-200 yard deal (shooting across farm fields mostly) and again, I have adapted to it and it works well for me. It came with the Mossberg rifled barrel kit. Hope Benny continues to be a happy hound!
I am buying a new 223 and deciding on a 3x9-50 or 4x12-40. When hunting I am usually in lowlight conditions but I have had 3x9-40s and the 40 end is fine. I don’t need the extra magnification but I like being able to zoom in close on the target. I’m usually shooting at mid to long range in open grasslands. If anyone has any advice I’m willing to listen
Thank you Sir. Your explanations have helped this "beginner" so much. You present so many concepts in a way even I (an older shooting enthusiast newbie)...can understand. May our Great God richly bless you and yours. Merry Christmas!!
Great advise for New England. I live in the Prairies and need a laser guided TOW missile to get the range needed. JK but yeah, in the Prairie it would be hard to hunt open country with a 1.5-5 scope unless you are really good at getting close like 200-300 yards.
You obviously have not taken my comments in context. I have hunted in the prairie country of Wyoming, New Mexico, and Montana, and always used 7 or 8 power scopes quite successfully at up to 400 yards with single shot kills. That's quite a luxury. The great Jack O'Connor shot countless heads of prairie game with a simple 4 power, non variable Weaver. National Match shooters win medals at 600 yard competition with open sights and no magnification, and 1,000 yard competition is still done by naked eyes. I recommend that you review my content in context.
Thank you for all of your time on these videos. I have watched at least a dozen. So informative. Palm up or palm down on the bolt, great cleaning techniques, excellent perspective on bullets and scopes, and how I started down this path - bedding a rifle. So much great advice and critical thinking. Thanks again!!!
Thank you so much! Amazing, information on all topics, needed for somebody new into firearms. Especially for us deprived of the freedoms you guys are granted in the US.
Just got my hunting license, bought a gun, but have to wait 14-15 weeks for my license to be approved. Welcome to Sweden..... This has to be done with any gun you purchase, sad state really.
As I just can't go and learn or try out things, your videos give me experience and knowledge for the future, thank you so much again!
Love from a Serbian guy born in Sweden.
We're not "granted" these rights in the states, they're God given.
i had been introducing a young man to shooting.
he became very proficient even at offhand shooting.
we shot targets , beer cans and prairie dogs all summer.
He was fortunate enough to draw his very first elk tag here in New Mexico.
He called to sadly report that although he came across a small herd , when he shouldered the rifle to make a very easy shot he could not even find the elk in the scope.
He was so used to shooting on full magnification that it never dawned on him the difference between popping prairie dogs at range and woodland hunting for big game.
Sadly he came home broken hearted having learned this very lesson about magnification in the woods.
now when he goes out he turns the scope to the lowest power possible.
If the deer or elk is far away you usually have time to crank it up for the shot, but if they are close it can end badly if on high power.
Nice video, sir. You make an excellent point about the ability of the shooter to use a low power magnification for prairie hunt shooting. Unless someone could only afford one gun, though, I think it's worth it to consider a rifle with iron sights for that hypothetical 25 yard woodland hunting shot.
I agree, and I have done videos recommending that hunters seriously revisit peep sights. In the real world however, iron sights have given way to scopes, almost exclusively, even for the military, but scope buyers are left at the mercy of an industry that is aggressively promoting high priced, feature filled optics that have absolutely no association with game hunting of any kind. My objective is to enlighten folks so they can make intelligent choices.
GunBlue490 there is a scope in the market that goes from 0.75 to 6x. Which means it has enormous field of view at 0.75. Other option is red dot sights if the rifles don’t have iron sights.
I have iron sights on my deer rifle, no zoom, thinking of adding either my 1x6 power or my 1x4 power scope. Less Is more so prolly go with 1x4. Thanks
Thank you
How about the tried and true 3 x 9 power, 40mm objective lens with a duplex reticle. A price range of $300 to $500 will cover a good quality scope.
I have a 1.5 - 4 and a 1 - 6 scope only. After watching your video, it put a smile on my face. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you sir.
A world of knowledge you have sir as thanks for sharing....Good stuff....
Great video learned a lot. What about fixed magnification scopes such as 4x.
Fixed power scopes are terrific, but have the obvious limitations that variable scopes don't have, so power must be very carefully chosen. A 4x fixed scope is my favorite for a rimfire scope, as I demonstrated in my Browning T-Bolt video last summer. However, it's really too powerful for most center-fire applications, and will almost always leave too little field of view in distances closer than 150 yards on moving targets. For a centerfire, think in terms of 2x, and you're good for almost anything out to 300 yards.
I understand what he is saying, but I have threaded the needle in the woods shooting at deer well over 100 yards many times and more power is definitely a plus. Also, here in Pa. we transition from the woods to the fields a lot where you can jump up a deer at 20 yards or see them at 250 yards, so I like a 2.5 x 10 with a large objective to bring in as much light as possible during the early morning and late evening hours. Yes, best to walk with it on 2.5 in case you need to get one in the crosshairs on the run but great to be able to crank it to 10x if the big bucks is seen skirting the wood line at 275 yards. Those tough shots are the ones you will never forget...
I agree 100%. I primarily use a Trijicon 2.5-10x56 with a 30mm tube and illuminated reticle. I've killed 3 deer under 30yds with it, one at 12yds and the 2.5x worked great. I've also used 8-10 in dense cover to be able to find a softball sized hole in vegetation to shoot deer through.
Thank you sir.
Here in Spain, during driven hunts usually we dont shoot at more than 100 yards
What magnification would you use for hunting running game ? A 1-4x24 scope or a red dot?
Thanks you. God Bless.
I have been using a fixed 4 power scope with a 40 mm objective lens for years works great but now I go into these sporting goods stores all I see is a lot of unnecessary scopes with lots of power adjustments and I just like the standard plex on my scopes.
I’ll admit I spent too much money on scopes. I have a 1x10 a 1x4 and a 1.5x4 these scopes are not cheap. I also look at weight.
There is no substitute to experience,
I wish I had your advice before I bought my first scope.
this gave me a lot, thank you
I can not get enough of your wisdom. Thank you very much. Great video
Wish my .308 had iron sights!