whats the max distance for an 18x scope???

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DRENALINEjunky

New member
i am just getting into longer ranger shooting and had ordered a barska 6-24 and was thinking of taking it back becase of the comments i got about it on here. but i was thinking of lowering my power down do 18x. whats the furthest you guys can consistanly hit pdogs and ghogs with this power?
 
Well hitting them consistently has little to do with your optics and more to do with your ballistics and skill at a certain range.

If you hit a Pdog at 1200 yds 1/10 times I would say your scope is just fine...but your ballistics aren't reliable to do it 50% of the time. Scope has nothing to do with it.

If you can see it, and your bullet will go that far, then why can't you hit it?

usually the answer is ballistics.
 
Originally Posted By: drewliciousWell hitting them consistently has little to do with your optics and more to do with your ballistics and skill at a certain range.

If you hit a Pdog at 1200 yds 1/10 times I would say your scope is just fine...but your ballistics aren't reliable to do it 50% of the time. Scope has nothing to do with it.

If you can see it, and your bullet will go that far, then why can't you hit it?

usually the answer is ballistics.

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If your still thinking Barska your wasting your $$. Buy a mid - grade scope and things will be much better. 18x will work well. Takes more than just power on a scope to make the longer shoots.
 
for a cheap scope get that elite 3200 5-15x. its a real nice scope. very clear. you dont need a 18-24x scope. a lot of the time if you havent spent a ton of money on it the glass isnt clear. makes it hard to see what your shooting if it isnt very clear.
 
I'm gonna look at the numbers. A gopher with a 1x scope is a pretty easy shot at 50 yards and makeable at 100 yards so you take a 18x scope and that means that the "optics" should be good for 900 -1800 right? Whether you, your gun, conditions etc are up to the task is another matter.

CB
 
Originally Posted By: DRENALINEjunkyi am just getting into longer ranger shooting and had ordered a barska 6-24 and was thinking of taking it back becase of the comments i got about it on here. but i was thinking of lowering my power down do 18x. whats the furthest you guys can consistanly hit pdogs and ghogs with this power?

What distances are you considering?
 
Originally Posted By: DRENALINEjunkyi am just getting into longer ranger shooting and had ordered a barska 6-24 and was thinking of taking it back becase of the comments i got about it on here. but i was thinking of lowering my power down do 18x. whats the furthest you guys can consistanly hit pdogs and ghogs with this power?

I'd guess a looong way. My farthest kill on woodchucks with just 10x's is 980yds. I use 10x glass almost exclusively and shoot very well with them. Never hunted p'dogs but we have a steel pdog target on the range that is set at 1000yds. I've connected with it quite often with just 10x scopes. I don't know how lifesize it is, but its a little bigger than a 20oz pop bottle.
 
Your biggest concern should be with the clarity of the glass, rather than the power of the scope....

You will find that on hot days, a lot of scopes have mirage problems when set at 18x and above....

I have a 4-16x mil dot that I use on my .204 AR that has allowed some really long distance shots, where scopes of less quality get really 'iffy', even at higher powers...

I would suggest spending a little more for better glass, at lower power, than a cheap high power scope...Even my $700 Burris 8-32x can be affected by mirage, but not as much as my $150 Tasco 6.5-24x....
 
I have a Burris 8x32 on a .204. I never crank it beyond 12x
due to the fact the .204 is pretty much at home between 3 &5
yards. Also as OldTurtle above the power mirage (heat Waves)
really will cause alot of problems on a hot still day.
 

Originally Posted By: Tim NeitzkeOriginally Posted By: drewliciousWell hitting them consistently has little to do with your optics and more to do with your ballistics and skill at a certain range.

If you hit a Pdog at 1200 yds 1/10 times I would say your scope is just fine...but your ballistics aren't reliable to do it 50% of the time. Scope has nothing to do with it.

If you can see it, and your bullet will go that far, then why can't you hit it?

usually the answer is ballistics.




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Teh 6-18 or 6-20s are my favorite power of scopes for hunting and LR rifles. Where I live and hunt, you can shoot as far as you can see, you cant hit what you cant see either...Thats my motto anyways. Sure the mirage is a factor, if you shoot and hunt in the middle of the day. This can usually be avoided by shooting and taking your LR shots in the morning and evenings.

18x is plenty of power to 1K for varmints as long as the reticle isn't to thick to cover up what your trying to shoot. I had a 14x Mark 4 with a regular duplex that I hated for 1K shooting, was not enough power for my liking. That stupid fat duplex didn't help things either. Traded it for a vx3 LR 6-20 w/fine duplex and I still have the scope, on my 243 right now and with 105 amaxs will make a nice 1K target plinking combo.

I think the best entry LR scope for the money would be a Leupold vx2 6-18 with target knobs and fine duplex, or the Mark AR 6-18 w/mildot. Both can be had for around $500 and both are solid scopes that will do anything you want out to 1K and a little beyond.

I've used the vx2 6-18 w/fine duplex for years on several rifles and furthest I've killed with it was 1125 yards.
 
as someone else has already stated, the magnification is not going to mean much if the glass in your scope is made from old mason jars....or the chinese equivalent. natchez has a great deal on the nitrex series of scopes right now; if they still have the 3-15x50 tr2 in stock, that would make you an excellent scope. just my opinion, good luck.
 
I purchased a Leupold VX-3 6.5-20x40mm Adj. Obj., slapped in on a 22-250 and love it. Clear optics and I really enjoy it. But as with everything else, you pay for what you get. When it comes to optics, go to a place where you can look through a rang of scopes, makes and models before purchasing one.
 
I have been shooting 600yd shoots with 16X glass for a long time now. Never felt handicapped a bit. I can shoot objects as small as eggs with 16X @ this distance. However, For egg sized objects @ any greater distance, I would want more magnification.

I guess it depends on the size of the target. I would feel comfortable shooting paper plate sized tagets to 1000yds with a 16X scope. An 18X should do at least as good.

It is really a matter of personal preference/skill/ discipline, IMO.....
 
The 16X Mark 4 M1 is a great scope, no doubt. It was atop a few rifles when "famous shots" were made.

It has enough come ups to shoot into the next zip code. 140 moa, not counting my 20 moa base....
 
I remove a gazillion p-dogs out here a year and on my rig I have a 6-24x44 SideFocus scope on a 20moa base so I can dial up to hit Nebraska or stay at 0.
90% of the time I am at 12x from 300yds to 900yds. I use 24x When I want to see/verify the target a bit closer, then set it back down to 12x. Anything under 300yds its mostly at 10X.
Mirage is nasty when its hot out, rising warming sun/snow covered ground with the sun shining out etc.
 
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