Favorite scope power for western hunting?

[freddogs]

  What is everyone's favorite power for western hunting? I like to use a 3 to 9 myself. I use that for deer elk and antelope.

[mikedb]

+1  I use the 9 power mainly for sighting in.  3x9s are usually the cheapest because they are so popular

[Ratltrap]

I assume you're talkin' Rockies and Great Basin? If that, I'd go with 3-9, though right now I have a 3.5-10 for that type hunting with real magnifications that are probably 3-9. Why do they do that?

Over here on the coast I gotta go to low power variables (1.5-5 or 1.75-6) or 3 to 6 power fixed optics.

[Doesniper]

I like a fixed 6X. I can make any shot within my skill range with the 6X.

[Dusty Miller]

If I were using a fixed scope in open country the 6X would be a good choice but maybe I'd opt for a 10X.  I'll probably never have to make the choice!

[Larry Gibson]

What is everyone's favorite power for western hunting? I like to use a 3 to 9 myself. I use that for deer elk and antelope.

By "hunting" I'll assume you mean big game(?). And by "western hunting" if you mean the Rockies and Great Basin area then that's "eastern" hunting for me. Out here in the real "west" of Oregon I've hunted the wide open high desert and mountains for the last 40 years but was raised on the west side of the mountains (Cascades - real "westerners" now what I mean) and hunted a lot in the dense forests of the Cascade and coastal mountain footihills. I've also hunted Alaska, Montana, Colorado and in Wyoming. But back to the wide open spaces of the "west" the truth be known most all big game are killed on the short side of 200 yards and of that the largest percentage are killed under 100 yards; even in the wide open "west". For quite a few years my primary big game hunting rifles have worn 3x9 scopes (Leupold, Redfield and Zeiss). However, I also have done considerable big game hunting with rifles having aperture sights and some with 2.5X scopes. Of all the big game animals (elk, mule deer, WT deer, BT deer, caribou, bear, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep and antelope) I've killed (and it has been quite a few) only 5 were killed with the power off 3. For 99% of my hunting, even in the wide open "west", I could do just fine with a 2.5X scope.  However, the extra power of the 3x9 gives one the ability, if he has practiced, to take the long shot when necessary. BTW; I don't "glass" with the rifle scope, I use binoculars.

Larry Gibson

[mikedb]

What is everyone's favorite power for western hunting? I like to use a 3 to 9 myself. I use that for deer elk and antelope.

By "hunting" I'll assume you mean big game(?). And by "western hunting" if you mean the Rockies and Great Basin area then that's "eastern" hunting for me. Out here in the real "west" of Oregon I've hunted the wide open high desert and mountains for the last 40 years but was raised on the west side of the mountains (Cascades - real "westerners" now what I mean) and hunted a lot in the dense forests of the Cascade and coastal mountain footihills. I've also hunted Alaska, Montana, Colorado and in Wyoming. But back to the wide open spaces of the "west" the truth be known most all big game are killed on the short side of 200 yards and of that the largest percentage are killed under 100 yards; even in the wide open "west". For quite a few years my primary big game hunting rifles have worn 3x9 scopes (Leupold, Redfield and Zeiss). However, I also have done considerable big game hunting with rifles having aperture sights and some with 2.5X scopes. Of all the big game animals (elk, mule deer, WT deer, BT deer, caribou, bear, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep and antelope) I've killed (and it has been quite a few) only 5 were killed with the power off 3. For 99% of my hunting, even in the wide open "west", I could do just fine with a 2.5X scope.  However, the extra power of the 3x9 gives one the ability, if he has practiced, to take the long shot when necessary. BTW; I don't "glass" with the rifle scope, I use binoculars.

Larry Gibson

I totally agree with using binoculars not a scope for glassing.  I also agree with the power of scope needed.  I like the higher power for sighting in.  A 2x6 would be ideal.  When I first started deer hinting in South Dakota I did not have a scope just old iron.

[IMshooter]

A 3-9x scope may indeed be the ideal scope choice for western big game hunting.  But myself and a couple of other hunting buddies use 4x power scopes.  You never have to worry about having the scope set on the wrong power and most animals tend to be shot at 200 yards or less.  Most of the time the wind is blowing hard enough that shooting past 300 yards is iffy.  With practice, a 4x scope does a decent job on deer size game out to about 400 yards.

[crow_feather]

I blew a 10 yard shot at a big cow elk because I was hunting with a scope set at 6 power.  Now I use a 2 x 7,  1.5 x 5, or a 2.5 x 8 with the scope always set on the lowest power.  The MOA myth seems to be working well in the hunting fields.

C F

[tuck2]

Back in the 50s I had 4X power scopes on my 22 LR and 270 Win.  Shot my first deer,pronghorn,and elk using the 270 Win w/the 4 X scope. Some time during the 60s  change to a 3-9X scope on the 270 Win rifle. A 4.5-14X scope in on the 264 Win Mag and a 2-7X scope on the 308 Norma Mag and a 2.5-8X on a 340 Weatherby. Over the years I could have gotten by with a 4 or 6 X scope but I like the scopes in the 3-9X range . The last two mule deer I shot was with the 264 Win with the scope set at 14X. For hunting elk in the woods in Colo or Wyo the scopes were set at the lower power, and they were set on the highest power when hunting pronghorn and mule deer in the wide open spaces. There is a 6-18 X scope on the 204 Ruger prairie dog rifle and 6.5 -20 X scope on the 220 Swift coyote rifle. I got by with a 12X scope on a 223 Rem but I like the higher varie power scopes for varmints. A 4.5-14X scope in on my 17 HMR rifle.

[NONYA]

3-10x

[Siskiyou]

I like a variable scope that fits in the 2X to 10X slot.  It does not matter if the top end is 7,9, or 10 power.

I always use my binoculars, and carry a spotting scope at times. 

Normally my rifle is sit at its lowest power sitting.  I have turned the scope up to its highest power a few times in the last 30 years to shot a buck.  Back in the 60’s and early 70’s I used fixed power 4x scopes and there was a few times that I wished I had a scope that I could crank up in power.  I hunted one canyon with thick cover and would spotted deer on the far ridge.  I would look at them with my 8X glasses and think it was an easy shot.  Then I would switch to my rifle with a 4x scope and wish for more optic power.

[ftlupton]

Have hunted Colorado all my life and now use 3x9 but really have never needed anything other than my old Weaver K3 and my old P17 06. About all I see now at the range is 3x9.
ftlupton

[mcwoodduck]

I have three rifles I hunt with. 
     A .338 win Mag with a 4.5-14X40 Weaver this is a general use rifle. Use 225grain soft points.  If I had to do it over again it would be a basic 3-9 or 3.5-10 X 40 with out the adjustable front end.
     A. .375H&H with a Leupold 4X as a timber rifle.  I like the big round nose of the 270 grain Soft points for knock down  I like the fixed scope, as there is nothing to think about and I can hit things out to 200 yards with it.  Namely I use paper grocery sacks on a saw horse with a 2 liter soda bottle inside as practise.  If I see water leaking out of the bag I know I hit low enough to be a lung and heart shot.  The paper sacks are free wiht grocery purchases, are 3D, about the kill zone on a deer horizontaly and make you look at the target with legs.
    All of these scopes are sighted in for 200 yards.  Something as big as an elk or ever a deer with that big pill are going to fall when hit in the chest.  But as Peter Capstick said"Use the biggest gun you can shoot well!".
     The third is a general Purpose .308 win Varmint wearing a Leupold 3-9X50 scope.  Mostly it goes deer hunting, but I would noth think twice about sticking a 165 grain soft point into an elk under 250 yards.

[james]

I use a 3x9 or 2x7 but for antelope I like a reticule like the ballistic plex, which helps with hold over at long ranges.  With a range finder and a bullet drop reticule I can use a mild recoiling rifle like the .308 or 6.5 x 55 to make 400 yard shots on antelope or 100 yard shots on prairie dogs without adjusting the scope. 

[GCW]

I have hunted Colorado quite a bit over the last 20 years.I started out with a Remington ADL in 270 with A fixed 4x scope on it .I then bought a new Ruger 77 with a 3x9x40 redfeild on it .This year I hunted with a fixed 4x Burris on a savage 110.I have killed a hand full of elk and mule deer out there and dont ever remember shoting at one much over 6x power.I for one have went back to using fixed power scopes on my rifles for the simplicety and rugedness.I shot a bull elk this year the I dont think was much more then 20yds from me.My way of thinking is I dont see why you cant get buy with a good 3x9 or a fixed 4x scope most places out west

[Freezer]

    I'm not sure one scope covers it just as one rifle can't cover it.  I usually carry two rifles on a hunt.  A Savage 99f that has a 2x7 Leopold and a Rem 700 in 280 that wears a 4x12 Leupold.  The Savage is a good close quarters gun that is lite, fast handling and I can shoot out to 300 yrds.  I use it more than anything else but there are areas where I can see more than 1000 yrds and shoot out to 500yrds.  For that I prefer my Remington.  I also have good binoculars with a shoulder harness and a spoting scope.

[GameHauler]

WOW,
I use a 4.5-14X50MM with Turrets.
Those first few and last few minutes can make a huge difference
to a successful hunt here in AZ.
Heck my Contender pistol in 7-30 Waters sports a 3X12
Mike

[mauser98us]

Good quality 4 or 6 power scope

[Sweetwater]

Just checked the rack: 2 @ 3x-9x, 4 @ 4x, 4 @ 1.75x-5x, 1 @ 3x, 2 @ 2.5x - that 3x is my favorite.

Burris-1, Leupold-3, Redfield-2, Swift-4, Weaver-2

22lr, 257Roberts, 6.5x55, 308W, 30-06, 8x57Mauser, 356WinBB94, 41MagMarlin. Some are duplicate calibers.

Some of these rifles came West when I moved to Green River, Wyoming from Old Town, Maine in 1985.

Never felt handicapped with the lower powers. The variables have rarely been above 3 power, except when shooting off the bench at the range. Never did any varminting, either.

(Most of my antelope fell to a 41mag Ruger Blackhawk with open sights)

Oh, yes, Binoculars, always binoculars! When you see someone "looking at you" spotting with their rifle scope, you never forget it!!

[Leatherstocking]

I am glad to see all of these votes for the 3x9. I just bought a Nikon 3x9 BDC to put on a Ruger M77 30-06. After I bought it I was second-guessing myself and wondering if I should have gotten a 4-14. I knew the 3x9 would be fine for my NY white-tail hunting, but I am planning an antelope hunt and wanted something that will suffice for that.

[IMshooter]

I think you made a great choice with that Nikon 3-9x.  I almost always keep my scope set at 4x and very rarely while hunting have the opportunity to change the magnification when the moment of truth arrives.  On my last antelope hunt the distance was 230 yards.  4x worked just fine.

[Blue Duck]

I think the 3x9 is a good choice.  I have several and one 2x7.    I generally hunt on the lower powers but I have found myself glad to have the higher power lots of times.  I have used the varible scopes for 20 years or so and would not be comfortable with a fixed power any more....

[kix]

  Of course the 3x9 is an excellent choice and the majority of my rifles wear these;however,the older I get (or the more I hunt) I am beginning to appreciate something in the 12-14x range. Just my opinion.  Kix