Cool ,, didn't know about the lewis clark exp.. good to learn something new. what kind of scope do you suggest. Shooting range target is from 100 to 600 yds and for hunting I will most probably not take shots above 150 yd... I use a 3-9x32 scope for my .22 and was planning for a 3-9x40 for the .308. Any other suggestions?
Hi,
Sorry---I missed the post----Leupold optics makes quality scope.
What power scope should I buy for 100-500 yard shots?
I have done alot of brush hunting with my trusty 30-30,but this year I have bought 30-06 for hunting in open country.I don't have much expirience with scopes because I have never needed one.Here in the oklahoma brush I can easily make 150 yard shots with iron sights.My question is..What power do i need for shots up to 500 yards??
1. Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
I am a long time Alaskan hunter and trapper.
All scopes are not created equal. There are junk scopes, fancy junk scopes, Ok scopes that will fail in a few years once you get used to them - and then expensive scopes that are worth every penny.
Imagine you buy a regualar 3-9X scope for about $120 dollars. In two or three years you will be pretty good with it...... and then on year 4 or 5 you will have an awesome trophy deer in your sights - and the shot will be two feet to high and 4 feet to the left. This is what happens to people who buy cheap scopes.
Cheap scopes are only good for punching paper.
The main cost of building a scope is actually the metalic coatings of the lenses. The better the lens - the less light is lost - the more light comes through it, the clearer it is. The more $$ you invest - the better your world is going to look. 32mm is a toy. 40mm is standard, and the 50mm AO is truly awesome for hunting in the early morning and late evening or rainy days - the larger the main AO lens the more light the scope pulls in.
You always want to shoot at the lowest possible power - shoot a deer at high scope power it is near impossible to find it again and get the cross hairs on it. 3x is good, 4x is good for open areas - 6x is too much for hunting.
You also want enough power to tell if there is a second animal standing behind the target animal. 7X is for brush, 9x is semi-brush, and for open areas 10x to 14.5x is about perfect. 18x and higher are for target shooting.
Side Focus is awesome - especially if you wear glasses. It will allow you to shoot with them off, or, hand the rifle to your buddy or a second hunter to use.
A BDC is necessary for long range shooting - or target turrents. This will allow you to instantly set the bullet drop for the distance and you will be able to shoot dead on to the game animal. No nasty over hold to mess up.
All considered - the best overall scope Leupold makes for your application is the 4x-14.5x with 50mm AO, side focus. It comes in several models. This is the first socpe you should look at, and, then start looking at less expensive scopes with less abilities until you find one that meets both budget and needs.
2. 3-9 power is plenty, but for long shots you want a 30 mm tube has better field of view than the standard 1", and you don't want the 40mm objective, you'd want atleast 50mm. The bigger the objective, the more light the scope will gather. And for a 500 yd shot, you'll want as much light as possible. Horace has a scope out that can have multiple zeros stored in it, a plus for extended range. Other than that, Leupold, Night Force, Schmidt and Binder have the only reticles that return to true zero following each shot. Every time a rifle is shot, the reticle will move due to the shot and force involved in recoil. For long range shots, this is critical as it changes point of aim. Remember short distances at the rifle end amount to large differences at the target end. Aim small, miss small.
Source(s):
Mechanical Enginee, Tactical Rifle Manufacturer, gun guru, and my Infantry self.