What x magnification do you use for hunting and why?

[19powell90 89]

Would like to know what magnification other hunters use as i have always used 10x but today at the range i tried 3x and i was hitting 30 & 35m spinners on the crosshairs and hitting 40&45m spinners on the 1/2 mildot holdover and 3/4 mildot on the 50m

 

which in terms of hunting seems alot less messing around with holdover etc.

 

thanks

 

scott

[masmiffy 82]

With the air rifle very seldom go over 6X

most things you shoot using air are under 40yds no need for high mag

HMR around 9X

223 have been known to crank to 12X on occasions to get a good view

Edited December 11, 2011 by masmiffy

[wedge2409 98]

hi scott, just got a barska 5-20x50mm ffp scope zeroed at 35mtr- 60mtr=1 mildot hold over 75mtrs=2 1/2 mildot hold hover on x20 mag poi does'nt change if you change the mag

[rossy08 33]

poi on the crosshair wont change(with a good scope) however the mill dot calculation will...ie on x6 mag 1 mill dot =40m... on x10 mag 1 mill dot will be "say" 32m,,,not precise cal's but im shure you get the point..

[Big bald beautiful 1,231]

3 x 9 x 50

4 x 12 x 44

 

And dont move them much off the lower settings

[The Duncan 802]

airgunning - 6x majority of the time say 20-35 yards, 10x if I'm sniping at 45 yards or a tad more.

 

12x for rimmie and hmr for me.

 

Duncan.

[Acuspell 329]

6x power, even for long shots on the hill. A standard 6x42 Swarovski (old one, Nova with a duplex hair) has brought down plenty of reds across the valley 500 yards and thelongest I had was a calf that got lifted and I had ot get it. 726 yards through the Leica range finder. No wind, not a breath. I held over its ears and it took the front off its liver - bullet walk took it 4 or 5 inches. It went down on the spot though and with the HPV severed it didn't last long. Blood pressure drop would have been almost instantaneous.

 

You don't need high power for hunting unless in the Yukon and taking on Rocky Mountain Elk at 1200 yards. On the air rifle, I never go above 6x. WHY? Because I better light transmittance and the exit pupil of the scope matches the human eye at that magnification on a 40mm objective. WHY 40mm and not 50mm - because good glass transmits sufficient light to shoot by moonlight, you get more depth of field an dso more targets are crsp focus as soon as you lift the rifle - no messing abput focussing the target. Just lift, aim, squeeze. By the time you have faffed about focussing the scope, I have fired the shot. An old rule of thumb is: from the time you spot the target you have 3 seconds to get the shot away.

[davyt63 1,845]

hi

Cant pick three mags i use, so opted for 10x mag.

 

10 x mag which I use in day light,hunting & HFT.

 

4 x mag which i use on scopecam shooting.

 

6 for low light conditions hunting only.

 

so there you have it 10,6,4,

 

Davy

[Daz 7 563]

Neither as i shoot on 12x mag for Hunting and HFT and scopecam as well.

 

Daz 7

[secretagentmole 1,701]

I use the mag that gives me 5 metre steps on the reticle, on the SR6 that is 5,5!

[Elliott 436]

I use the mag that gives me 5 metre steps on the reticle, on the SR6 that is 5,5!

 

That's a good way of doing it Moley, on chairgun at 'standard mil dot' setting x6 gives me 5m spacings too, but my scope is an MTC Viper which a 'true' mildot at x10 mag - would the steps be accurate at x6 mag?

 

ATB