Zoom scopes....are we being sold a kipper?

[Shed tuner]

Im gonna sound a touch nuts to a few on here but best hunting scope i ever used was a simple 2.75 x 40 Tasco with a simple duel x....bit of an unusual mag i know.

I have one of these - it is a very good scope, albeit a bit low mag for me for anything other than ratting...

[clarky]

I have one of these - it is a very good scope, albeit a bit low mag for me for anything other than ratting...

gotta disagree bud...it actually appears barely different between it and a 4x which ive used many times out to 35yds but its field of view and brightness easily edges the 4x ...
Ive taken all sorts with it and a whole raft of ranges.....wonderfully bright and steady on aim .....
Simply couldnt get on with anything 6x in the field.....too much reduced field of view and prefer the brightness of the lower mag...

[Gunfun]

I find if you can use a variable mag scope at multiple magnifications it can make a rifle and scope combo truly multipurpose.
This way you can go from close range hunting/plinking at x2.5 mag, to medium range supported/unsupported shots at x5-10 mag, and on to long range bench rested/bipod target/static hunting shooting at x15 or 20 mag, all with the same combo.

[Shed tuner]

gotta disagree bud...it actually appears barely different between it and a 4x which ive used many times out to 35yds but its field of view and brightness easily edges the 4x ...
Ive taken all sorts with it and a whole raft of ranges.....wonderfully bright and steady on aim .....
Simply couldnt get on with anything 6x in the field.....too much reduced field of view and prefer the brightness of the lower mag...

I find 4x too small too My eyes are not too hot.. I think yours are probably better !

[rhyslightnin]

I find 4x too small too My eyes are not too hot.. I think yours are probably better !

Yeah.. I find 4x a bit small beyond 25yrds.. doable with a fine Ret but harder than 6-7 which I think is the sweet spot for and all-round Mag.

[Muskett]

If we had never looked through a high powered scope we would think a x4 brilliant.
Hunting ethics have changed. Once a solid hit was enough and so long as the game was grounded it could be "finished off". Now its expected to be stone dead on impact. Once most people shot over dogs, even the farm mutt, now its without.

I had a 2.75 x40 fixed Tasco, it was very like shooting with open sights. Very much a farm barn range thing. I prefer x4 to do the full farm yard.
I used to shoot a Zeiss 6x40 on my rabbit harvester but with a bounty on head shots I prefer a little more now x8/x10.
For deer then x6 is ample unless on the hill, but too much like x14/x16/x24 then the FOV is too small and its finding the beast in the scope that is an issue.
Only long range Varminting of small game at extended long range requires heaps of magnification and that with a stable shooting platform. (The bulky NV systems require a stable platform too.) A Magpie at 400m requires x16 mag and good light.

For Air Rifle its the range finding ability that parallax focus can provide at very high magnification. Full bore then range finding again but this time its using mil dot system reticules; but with mirage there is a limit to how useful mega magnification is. Some use it to see strikes to walk the rounds in. But its pretty advance max range kind of stuff and straight forward specialised shooting. Way too specialised for most everyday shooting.

The only real place for high mag is when on a range and load and accuracy development and testing. Nothing beats upping confidence when you can see that the combo will clover or better at all ranges. Once done then in the field most wind the mag down to more get wider FOV.

The questions to ask are: "what expected range will the combo be used at?"; "can extra magnification and features be utilised or are they in all practical sense just added weight and pretty useless?"
More and more of my variables get left at a certain mag, and I work with that.

[Blackrider]

IF I were limited to just ONE riflescope it would be a 6 x 42 fixed mag, probably a Zeiss, German #4 reticle !

[clarky]

i think the deal though is hunting should really be taking place at about 20 to 30 yds max and at that range i find the 2.75 superb...
Sure ...if discussing FT or full bore cartridge stuff, its usefulness is finished.

[rhyslightnin]

Funny old game this I agree as I find the exact opposite, hunting is fixed for me and no more than 6mag duplex, benefits for me is the excellent FOV and quick target acquisition and I can almost rangefind through scope as Im familiar with target size in view and the thin/thick ret lines framing object and no faffing about focussing. Shooting paper and pellet testing I do find I use my variable mag as I can see group at say 50yds

Chris

I agree with this, I think if I had to pick one scope for everything.. it would be my meopta 6x42. It is nice (or was!) having one gun, one magnification scope & one calibre.., it makes you really deadly with that setup..

[dearne75]

I have one of these - it is a very good scope, albeit a bit low mag for me for anything other than ratting...

mine,s doin fine from 1983.lovely scope.nice clear picture.