Best power for Pronghorn

[gkdave]

Any suggestions as to wha tpower scope for Pronghorn hunting in Wyoming? I have been told; 3-9, 4-12, 4.5-14, 3.5-10. So any good recommendations will be helpful.

Dave

[Zachary]

Any of the power ranges you mentioned are generally fine, depending on your shooting.

Some people make a big deal about power over 10x.  Heck, about 20 years ago most people found 4x to be perfect for big game, and the "radicals" used to use 6x (then considered for varmints) for big game.

By today's standards, the 3x-9x is king.  But do you know what?  I have used power as high as 16x on deer at 200 yards and it doesn't seem to bother me.  My only concern is when there are other animals nearby because the FOV is smaller.  Other than that, it doesn't bother me.

Keep in mind that pronghorns are realatively small.  As such, you can, generally speaking, go up in power a bit.  The other thing is, it also depends on your shooting distance.  If shots are over 200 yards, or even 300 yards, then a higher power scope may come in handy.

I tend to prefer higher power scopes, but perhaps that partly because that's what my relatively "younger generation" is supposed to believe.

Zachary

[bigdaddytacp]

Any suggestions as to wha tpower scope for Pronghorn hunting in Wyoming? I have been told; 3-9, 4-12, 4.5-14, 3.5-10. So any good recommendations will be helpful.

Dave

..Theother post is correct......a fixed 6x wouldn't be a bad choice but with the quality of variables and the ability to adjust the power for a different situation I would go with the 4.5x14 or 3.5-10 in a Leupold VXIII or Zeiss Conquest.........the 4.5x14 will have a parallax adjustment feature which is needed above the 10x or so area.......just check ANY scope for zero wander/shift when you adjust the power while you are sighting in the scope and allow for any drift for the longer ranges.........get a good solid mount and ring setup and you will be ready to enjoy some good time in the field and if you see or get a good deer it will be even better!! good luck and good shooting!!!!

[lilabner]

It really depends on the terrain. If there are breaks and deep gullies, you wouldn't want a high power as game will likely appear close in. In gently rolling country or flats, the shots you get will be at distance and there will generally be time to take a good rest before shooting. The best bet would be a variable set for the ground you are covering. Field of view can be important when there is a big bunch of animals.

[longwinters]

Last year antelope hunting in Wyoming I used a 3.5 x 10 and it worked great.  Both of my boys used 3 x 9 scopes and also had no problems.  We tended to leave our scopes on about 6 power for a starting point.

long

[big6x6]

I remember when a fixed 4X was for "Eastern hunting" and a fixed 6X was for "Western hunting!"

It would be hard to go wrong with any GOOD quality 3-9, 3.5-10, 4.5-14, or 4-16.  You may be doing quite a bit of walking so a lighter scope may be of value.  I'd probably pick a good 3-9 or 3.5-10 and forget it.