coyote scope

[clodbuster]

Am considering either a 3x9 Swift Premier or a 4x12 swift AO Premier to go on my Savage 99/243 for coyote shooting.  Distances could be up to 500 yards or more in open picked corn and soybean fields.  Do I relly need the 12X or is 9 enough?

[Squeeze]

Clodbuster,

What you probably don't need is an adjustable objective scope.
Unless you are going to have time to play with bringing that into focus,
I would stick with the fixed objectives, in the 3x9 to 3x10 range.
Things are going to look tiny at 500 yards, but you will be able to
get on the target, faster, at any range, with a fixed objective scope.
All of my varmint/target rifles have adjustable objective scopes,
for small targets, at extreme ranges, and there I usually have time
to adjust the objective.  None of my game, or predator, rifles have
adjustable objective scopes on them.  Around here Wiley doesn't
give you more than a few seconds, to get on target, and get a good
trigger pull, unless it is early in the year, and there are a lot of stupid
pups around.

So, if this were my decision, I would be looking for a good 3x9.
Actually if this were my decision, and I had the cash, I would
buy a Savage bolt gun, in something like a .25-06, or a 7mm
mag, a good bipod, and a nice clear 3x10scope, and get to a 600 yard
range, to tune the rig for long range.    "up to 500 yards or more", is a
pretty long poke for a lever gun.  I suspect you have a lot of
confidence in that Savage 99.

Squeeze

[BlakeCottrill]

I just picked up a swift 3-9x50 for $130. Put it on my 7mm savage. GREAT SCOPE for the cash.

[Lawdog]

Am considering either a 3x9 Swift Premier or a 4x12 swift AO Premier to go on my Savage 99/243 for coyote shooting.  Distances could be up to 500 yards or more in open picked corn and soybean fields.  Do I relly need the 12X or is 9 enough?

Any time you are varmint hunting(Coyotes come under this classification) and the range starts to get long, you will learn to appreciate all the power you can get in a scope.  Even at 9X at 500 yards a large Coyote's target area gets really small.  Even my favorite calling rifle(a Ruger No. 1 .22 Hornet) wears a 4-16x 44mm on it.  The rest of my varmint rifles wear 6-24x 44/50mm scopes.  Get the 4-12x.  You won’t be sorry.  Lawdog
 

[Catfish]

I have 3 x 9`s on most of my varmint rifles. For coyote that is all the scope you will need and more powder will only hurt you, in my oppenion. You should not only look at the top end mag., but the bottom end also and when calling I like to put the scope on 3x because when they get in close you can find them faster. If you get one that hangs up out there you can alway turn up the mag.
   I would also recomand that you get a Leupold. Cheap scopes are cheap for a good reason. Even the Cheap Leupold Rifleman scopes, a 3 x 9 for abt $200, are a far better investment than than one of the cheaper scopes. The VX 11 are better and the VX 111 better yet. I`ve sold or traded several rifles, but always take my Leupold scopes off befor selling.