Advantage of scope magnifications

[bignose88]

G'day gentlemen,

Out of these two magnifications what is the advantage of a 4-16 powered scope compared to a 6-24 and vice versa.

What distance can a 4-16 and 6-24 scope get up to using a rifle chambered in 243, 270 and 308.
Looking at doing hunting mostly up to 600 meters with some long hunting/target shooting.

Newbie, be kind.

Thanks

[bladeracer]

The 4-power is more useful for snap-shooting when a target surprises you while you're walking in, 6-power is too restrictive, at least for me.

24-power has the possible advantage of better clarity at 18-power because you are not maxed out as you would be with the 18-power scope. If the 6-24 also has a larger objective then you also have larger exit pupil, allowing more light, and a larger light "tunnel" - basically not quite as finicky about your eye position. My 10-40x56 for example has a "tunnel" of just 1.4mm to look through at 40-power, making eye position very precise.

Generally I think most people use two basic positions, minimum when walking, and maximum once you're in position.

Distance is entirely down to how well you can shoot, you don't have to use a scope at all for hunting.

[TassieTiger]

I’d just add to blades comments something I didn’t get for a long time - something they should have been obvious.
There is a difference between magnification and zoom(optically). You may already know...

A 4-16 scope is a 4x scope. A 6-24 is also a 4x scope.

A 2-12 is a 6x scope and a 5-30 is also...a 6x scope.

[straightshooter]

bignose88
It is good to have aspirations but you have to acquire the skills to achieve those aspirations.
Now keep in mind that until fairly recent times a fixed 6 power scope was considered adequate for military snipers for use up to 800 meters with a 308.
Also keep in mind that youtube and forum braggers happily publicise their achievements but rarely their failures.

[Blr243]

There are minimum legal calibres for certain species to minimise the chances of wounding animals. It’s up to the individual to apply their own discretion when it comes to taking long shots .. blowing the leg off a goat at 350 metres will allow it to run away and hide in the bush and then it’s goin to b a slow death ...and you are not going to feel very well , knowing something like that has occurred

[Oldbloke]

600 meters is an awfully long way.

You want to know what your doing.

I'd suggest if need to ask that question your not ready for that sort of range. And the field is a lot different to a rifle range.

Just saying.

[Ferrisweil]

A noob hunting at 600m?? No offense but get yourself a 2-7 or 3-9 and start off by shooting under 200, if not 100m....

[RoginaJack]

600mtrs? seriously. I'm with FerrisWeil.,Start off with a 2-7, 3-9 or 4-12 for hunting, that's all you'll need and save yourself a lot of wasted time searching for wounded game and ammo...

[SCJ429]

All things being equal, the 4 to 16 has no advantage over the 6 to 24. With quality optics, you can aim better with more magnification and when you need a wider field of view the 6x is pretty close to the 4x. The problem is that with budget optics it is harder to produce a quality image at higher magnification. Most cheap scopes can produce a reasonable image up to 12x but a similarly price scope at 24x may have some serious issues with image quality.

For most hunters, you would be walking around with your scope on about 6x, so the extra magnification is of little value. For the varmint shooter set up on top of the hill looking at a rabbit warren 500 metres away, the extra magnification would be most welcome.

[Blr243]

I can’t even see Australia at 600 metres

[marksman]

The 4-power is more useful for snap-shooting when a target surprises you while you're walking in, 6-power is too restrictive, at least for me.

24-power has the possible advantage of better clarity at 18-power because you are not maxed out as you would be with the 18-power scope. If the 6-24 also has a larger objective then you also have larger exit pupil, allowing more light, and a larger light "tunnel" - basically not quite as finicky about your eye position. My 10-40x56 for example has a "tunnel" of just 1.4mm to look through at 40-power, making eye position very precise.

Generally I think most people use two basic positions, minimum when walking, and maximum once you're in position.

Distance is entirely down to how well you can shoot, you don't have to use a scope at all for hunting.

+1

l started shooting targets at 500 with a 12 power leupold scope, the range was limited to 500 (eagle park range) and its what l had
l could not see the holes in the target but had good results on paper, there is a lot to learn before hunting at these distances

one scope l know for sure that is up to it for a quick start into this type of shooting is the burris eliminator 3 but that is once it is setup right
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TnAnWnqBqI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k510hEat4S4
a mate has one and regularly gets sneered at by the other guys on the firing line until they see him shoot targets at all different distances, one shot hits
and you see the other guys taking several shots to get on target when they see my mate hit straight away they have lots of questions
l do not own one, l did and know how much there is in setting it up but once its done it does work
IMHO there are other cals l would be looking at, the 300wm would be one of them as well as the 7mm rem mag and 270 wsm
lots of learning to do but asking questions is the way to start, good luck with it

[SCJ429]

If you wanted an outstanding platform to learn to shoot at longer range you could get this Tikka in 223, find yourself a Secondhand Nightforce BR 8-32x and for $2,000 you can start with bunnies at 200 to 300 metres and work your way up to 600 metres. The Tikka will be able to deliver the bullet, you will need to dial your elevation and wind.

https://www.usedguns.com.au/Product.aspx?p=177900

Good luck with your project.

[Ferrisweil]

If you’re interested in “cheating” the new Sig Sauer BDX is a cracking bit of kit. You won’t be shooting at 1000m in 5mins but maybe 20 and you’ll be puffing your chest out...

[boingk]

Hi mate, welcome to the mire of "what should I get" when asked on the internet.

I'll be blunt - the guys are 100% spot on. 600m hunting is a rarity. Realistically you'll be looking at things 100 to 200m away depending on the lay of the land. Targets are similar - 100 to 200m does me most of the time.

So what scope? Get a Leupold 4-12x40 scope and call it a day. Lifetime warranty, well made and good optical clarity. I have a few Leupolds, oldest is over 10 years now and has been on everything from a .22LR to a 450 Bushmaster. Recently it survived a 2000km trip by road, packing and unpacking and packing again and didnt even lose zero. Love it.

If you buy one scope in 4-12 power you'll have something that is good for the majority of shooting you'll encounter and also the majority of rifles you're likely to own. I've used a 2-7 Leopold for years (see above) and it's one of my favorites but is underpowered for longer ranges and calibres capable of them. The 4-12 does give up some on the high end if you're using it as a target scope but has enough down low and in the mid ranges for almost any hunting situation you're likely to encounter.

Hope that helps give some perspective.