6 - 24 X . . . Too Much Scope?

Old No7

Old No7

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I put a 6-24X Weaver on my Rem 700 Triple Deuce (.222 Rem) when I first got it, because I figured I'd do more target shooting and factory-class Benchrest than hunting.

Well, as it turns out, I've really gotten the bug for predator hunting during the winter. I got a nice bobcat a couple of years ago, but so far, I've not had any luck at all calling in foxes or coyotes. As a result, I find myself staying away from the edges overlooking the open fields, and staying well back inside the cover more and more.

I suppose I could (and in some areas "I should!") switch to using a shotgun, but you know, I really want to "bag some fur" with my Deuce. And lately, I've been thinking the 6X low-end on my scope is too much power for the cover I'm hunting...

My 6X Weaver (V24 variable) has only 15' Field-of-view at 100 yards, whereas the V16 Weaver with a 4X low-end jumps way up to 24' FOV.

I "think" (not 100% sure yet...) that I can get my Dad to allow me to switch scopes with him, as he's no longer shooting his Cooper .223 with the V16 on it. He'd sell off his Cooper with the V24 instead.

* What do you all use for "in the cover" scopes, if you do choose a rifle for hunting?

* Would you use the V16 with the low 4X, instead of the 6-24X?

* Or would you drop even lower, like a 3-9X or 2.5-10X?

Would appreciate your thoughts and ideas, thanks!

Old No7
 
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My 204 has a 6-18 & I keep it down on 6x & adjust the AO to the midrange for where I'm hunting. 100yds max I set it to 50yds.

My 221FireBall has a 4-12 & I set it on 4x & set the AO the same as above.

My 357 Marlin has a 3-9 & I keep it on 3x. Non AO.

HTH
 
Are you hunting day or night. During the day I would use the scope but at night it might be a little much. I like a 4x12 I usually keep it down on 4 most of the time but in the day you still have 12 for longer shots.
 
For the kind of hunting your doing a 2 by 7 with a really wide field of view would serve you much better. Look At Cabela's Pine Ridge models, their only 70 bucks and a lot of glass for the money. If you have a bigger budget then the Leupold 2 by 7's sold at Walmart are well under 200 bucks.
 
For the cover you're hunting, I would go with nothing larger than a 4x16. Maybe even lower, that's a personal thing, but at least go to a 4x16 with a larger FOV and a non-adjustable objective.

Just my opinion.
 
Old No7, For heavy cover setups a 3x9 or 4-12 power set at the lowest setting has worked best for me. You can always crank up the magnification for a longer shot because you'll have the time to do it and motion won't be as much of an issue.
 
I'm with IDBob. I have used a 1.5X5 Leu. for 20+ years and never felt under scoped. I'm currently trying a Browning 2X7 on another rifle and I really like it. It's pretty inexpensive for a quality built scope. Natchez has them for $125 and I think they are a great choice.

K22
 
I fave recently went to all 3-9's on my callin rifle's for the same reason. I took and averaged all my shots over the last 7 years on deer and coyote and the average shot was 75 yards. I do not need anything bigger than a 3-9. Also makes he rifle a lot lighter for toting up and down hills. In 3-9 I have done a ton of research. The two I would look at is the VXI or the Bushnell Elite 3200.
 
I will agree with idbob those Cabelas pine ridge scopes are really good scope for the money. I have several of them and they work great.
 
Or another option is keep both eyes open till you aquire the target in the scope, then close one eye to shoot ,does take practice but it works for daytime shooting,,,just a thought
 
I wouldn't pack around that much glass. Most called critters are under 100 yards, some well under half that. Most are moving and doing so through cover of some sort. Low powers and wide fields of view are the ticket IMHO. Another plus is the balance of the rifle isn't so upset. Those large scopes not only add weight and bulk, they unbalance a rifle and inhibit the swing on quick moving game. The largest scope I have for actual hunting use is a 2.5x10x40, most are 3x9x40, 2.5x8x36, 2x7x33, 1 3/4x6x32, and yes even some fixed 2 3/4X, 3X, and 4X scopes are in the mix. I've killed a lot of game at 2.5X or 3X and in the timbered areas I hunt never feel handicapped with such low powered glass.
 
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Pretty hard to beat a straight 4x.



Yep... I had a Weaver straight 4 on my 22 Hornet for YEARS! I have settled on the Weaver 2-10x38 on my .223 and a 3-9x40 on the Hornet. You just can't beat a low power here in the East. To many up close and personal shots get messed up with the rifle on 6 or 8 power. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
I've got a 6-24 and it works for hunting but I would prefer a little more on the low end. Plus I only use 24 for tight group paper punching or as a spotting scope of sorts. I would have gotten a 4-16 had I known before hand. I have a 2-10Simmons on my 270 and I think it would be great for coyotes. Nice wide FOV at 2x and 10x is plenty for getting detail. No adjustable objective, but for a calling gun its more of a pain in the butt to set at each stand. I might pick up a $30 3-9xBushy for my 17HMR. If I'm in the brush acquireing a moving target gets tricky at 6X.
 
i've got a 6-20x nikon, i like the scope but i kinda wish i had gone w/ the 4-16x the 20x is only good to punch paper... but 6x at 50-75yds isn't too bad, as long as it's not moving. but like glen s said, just turn it down and adjust the parallax and it should be fine
 
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Me again, the one who started this... Thanks to all for your replies.

The good news is I borrowed my Dad's Weaver V16 and have it all sighted in at 100 yards. (And the scope covers from my V24 fit it.)

Bad news? It's not a duplex, but a fine crosshair reticle. He liked it for targets, I'm thinking "boy, that's awful fine!" but with the wider field-of-view, we'll give it a whirl for the rest of this winter.

Am thinking about a new scope for next fall/winter, so that leaves me plenty of time to shop around.

Tight groups!

Old No7
 
Me again, just to close the loop on this old post...

The Weaver V16 (4-16X) that I borrowed from my Dad had the wider field of view I wanted, but I just couldn't warm up to the really fine crosshair reticle.

After doing some online research, and coming into some bonu$ money from work (yippee!), I bought a new Nikon Monarch AO 4-16X with the duplex ("Nikoplex") reticle.

This Monarch has the parallax adjustment on the side, and the knob locks in, once set where you want it. Overall, I am really very happy with the quality of this scope. The fit & finish and especially the optics rival all the $500 and $600+ scopes I compared it against, and the power and parallax adjustments are very smooooooooth.

Now I just have to go out and get some FUR!!!

Thanks to all for your feedback.

Tight groups and good huntin'!

Old No7
 
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