Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Rifle scopes, iron sights and optics. Spotting scopes and target acquisition devices.

Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by TBJ » 19 Jul 2017, 8:43 pm

with the Purchase of a .223 or .204 as my new fox rifle is imminent, and I am wondering what you guys think is the best power range for a varminting scope, mostly rabbits and foxes, but also goats and feral cats, I spotlight as well as walk around and use a hide occasionally, my budget is $1000-$1600. Just wanting to know what you guys use and like as well as opinions.
thanks in advance
Have: .17H .22LR .204R .222REM .223REM .22-250 .243WIN .270WIN .308WIN .300WM 7.62x39 30-06SPRG .303BRIT 30-30WIN 9.3x62 45-70GOVT 44RMAG 45LC 20GA 12GA .410GA
Want: .220SWIFT 6.5CREED .260REM .375H&H .416RIGBY .444MARLIN .458WIN 16GA 28GA
TBJ
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 166
Victoria

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by MAC13 » 19 Jul 2017, 9:43 pm

Im trying to figure that out myself.
MAC13
Recruit
Recruit
 
Posts: 17
Victoria

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by bladeracer » 20 Jul 2017, 3:41 am

Jezzami101 wrote:with the Purchase of a .223 or .204 as my new fox rifle is imminent, and I am wondering what you guys think is the best power range for a varminting scope, mostly rabbits and foxes, but also goats and feral cats, I spotlight as well as walk around and use a hide occasionally, my budget is $1000-$1600. Just wanting to know what you guys use and like as well as opinions.
thanks in advance


4.5-18x40.
I have a 10-40x50 but the 10x is too much for general use.
AR Optics 4.5-18x40 is $230 - great value scope.
Slightly heavy and bulky though.
Practice Strict Gun Control - Precision Counts!
User avatar
bladeracer
Field Marshal
Field Marshal
 
Posts: 12655
Victoria

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by gazza » 20 Jul 2017, 6:29 am

I have found scopes with extremely wide magnification ranges not that good.
User avatar
gazza
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 156
South Australia

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by bladeracer » 20 Jul 2017, 6:39 am

gazza wrote:I have found scopes with extremely wide magnification ranges not that good.



In what way exactly?
Practice Strict Gun Control - Precision Counts!
User avatar
bladeracer
Field Marshal
Field Marshal
 
Posts: 12655
Victoria

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by Gwion » 20 Jul 2017, 7:29 am

With that budget, i would get a Zeiss Conquest HD5 in 3-15x50 or 5-25x50 (but the 5-25 is over kill, i'd just get it for the exposed locking turrets). 15x with good glass is MORE than enough for what you will be doing.

I have a Sightron S-tac 2.5-17.5x56 and use it to shoot f-class out to 600yd with some success grouping in or near the bull. I would buy it again and it will come in cheaper than the Zeiss but if i had the cash i would defo go the Zeiss for hunting/varminting. The Sightron's 56mm objective might come in handy at night but in all seriousness i would find it cumbersome on a varminting rifle.

http://www.opticsplanet.com/zeiss-conqu ... scope.html
User avatar
Gwion
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3978
-

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by southwest shooter » 20 Jul 2017, 10:33 am

My howa 204 hb has a 6.5 - 20 x 40 vx3
More than enough scope for a long range bunney sniping session .
southwest shooter
Corporal
Corporal
 
Posts: 289
Victoria

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by Jeff303 » 20 Jul 2017, 10:44 am

Any decent 4-16x50 that isnt too bulky will cover all bases
Jeff303
Private
Private
 
Posts: 77
New South Wales

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by gazza » 20 Jul 2017, 9:06 pm

bladeracer wrote:
gazza wrote:I have found scopes with extremely wide magnification ranges not that good.



In what way exactly?

I struggle with clarity at the high magnification. Not much of a tinkerer though. 5 of my rifles have scopes and 4 of them are fixed magnification.
User avatar
gazza
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 156
South Australia

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by Chronos » 20 Jul 2017, 9:14 pm

gazza wrote:I have found scopes with extremely wide magnification ranges not that good.



Ever used a March 8-80X56 have you? :lol:

Cheap scopes are what they are but buy decent glass and you'll be surprised what you see that you couldn't before and you'll probably find yourself using less magnification too

I had a Bushnell 6500 2.5-16X42 on a .204Ruger for a while. Was a good combination.

Chronos
User avatar
Chronos
Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
 
Posts: 2082
New South Wales

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by gazza » 21 Jul 2017, 5:49 am

True, I've never had a real high quality scope.
User avatar
gazza
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 156
South Australia

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by Gwion » 21 Jul 2017, 9:14 am

After looking through a Zeiss Victory and a couple of Swaros at the range i have vowed never to do it again..... until i have the money to buy one. :lol: It just gives me scope envy! :lol:
The difference, even to my $1200 Sightron which i quite like, is obvious. Is it obvious enough to shell out and extra couple of grand? Well, not when i have other financial priorities but if i had the spare cash i'd buy on in a flash!
User avatar
Gwion
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3978
-

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by Browning » 21 Jul 2017, 6:32 pm

With that budget, I'd look at a Swaro z3 or a Meopta. Love both those brands and if it's for "varmints" I wouldn't bother much above 16x..... Get closer to what your shooting and you won't need much above 10x, especially if your walking or spotlighting......
Browning
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 181
Queensland

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by bladeracer » 21 Jul 2017, 7:35 pm

Gwion wrote:After looking through a Zeiss Victory and a couple of Swaros at the range i have vowed never to do it again..... until i have the money to buy one. :lol: It just gives me scope envy! :lol:
The difference, even to my $1200 Sightron which i quite like, is obvious. Is it obvious enough to shell out and extra couple of grand? Well, not when i have other financial priorities but if i had the spare cash i'd buy on in a flash!



That's how everything works, how much of something else are we willing to sacrifice to have a name brand scope.
How many $1200 scopes do you own?
If I were happy to only own one or two rifles I might be happy to own one or two $1000 scopes. I would not be happy with ten or twelve such scopes in my safes.
It costs heaps to make a lens twice as good as another, which is fine - if you need that level of clarity. I generally don't have that requirement so I don't want to pay extra for it.
If I were interested in night shooting at longer ranges then I think it's worth paying for better lenses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rdz9Zq3LcPw
Practice Strict Gun Control - Precision Counts!
User avatar
bladeracer
Field Marshal
Field Marshal
 
Posts: 12655
Victoria

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by bladeracer » 21 Jul 2017, 8:03 pm

sungazer wrote:Nice vid explains and justifies the reasons to spend that bit more on quality. I was surprised to see that they were made in Beaverton Oregon, I have been there a few times for other tech companies in the electronics field. The silicon valley of sorts a very hi tech area.


It does justify it if that "quality" is required. For most shooters the cheaper scopes do everything asked of them.
Practice Strict Gun Control - Precision Counts!
User avatar
bladeracer
Field Marshal
Field Marshal
 
Posts: 12655
Victoria

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by bigfellascott » 21 Jul 2017, 10:04 pm

I run a 3-9x50 Nikon Prostaff on my 204 Howa and find it excellent, I've shot bunnies in the head at just over 300m with it and that was on last light, for a low cost scope she goes alright. I have now put that scope on my 308 as that was the only one I had that would suit and have now put the ol Zeiss Conquest 6.5-20x50 on the 204, not because I wanted extra mag or it's better because it isn't, just that out of the 2 scopes I had spare the Nikon suited the 308 better than putting the Zeiss on it and having the extra mag doesn't hurt either for the long shots, mind you if I had to choose between the 2 scopes to put on the 204 I reckon I'd go the Nikon again as I really find it a great scope for the $$$.
User avatar
bigfellascott
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
 
Posts: 5289
-

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by Browning » 21 Jul 2017, 10:04 pm

It's an age old argument and there will always be guys that argue cheap scopes are fine and guys who argue that it's worth buying expensive scopes.
Personally, I've tried both and nowadays have a 1 or two really nice optics that work well for what I do.
At the end of the day, buy the best YOU can afford/justify and don't look back. Nothing beats experience and use in the field to find what works for you.
One of my mates loves his Leupolds and won't buy anything else; they just work for him (loves his VX6). Whereas I don't really rate them (even though I'm using a similarly priced brand) compared to my current choice but hey, whatever works for you.....
Browning
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 181
Queensland

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by bigfellascott » 21 Jul 2017, 10:18 pm

Browning wrote:It's an age old argument and there will always be guys that argue cheap scopes are fine and guys who argue that it's worth buying expensive scopes.
Personally, I've tried both and nowadays have a 1 or two really nice optics that work well for what I do.
At the end of the day, buy the best YOU can afford/justify and don't look back. Nothing beats experience and use in the field to find what works for you.
One of my mates loves his Leupolds and won't buy anything else; they just work for him (loves his VX6). Whereas I don't really rate them (even though I'm using a similarly priced brand) compared to my current choice but hey, whatever works for you.....


I did a comparison recently between my mated VX6 and my Nikon and the only real diff was a better FOV from the Leupy, it was around 2-3m wider at the ranges we were looking at, other than that we compared them in low light side by side and there wasn't anything between them at all which surprised my mate but didn't surprise me as I'd compared that Nikon to Swaro's and Zeiss etc of diff types and it was right there with em in the low light and brightness etc, I still reckon it has a lot to do with a 50mm Objective and the amount of light it lets in compared to 40mm Objectives - under the light they are much a muchness which is not surprising really, I regularly shoot foxes out around 300m under the light and some of those spotlights we use are pretty ordinary at those ranges (you can just make out something moving with the help of their eyes but through the scope you can see em no probs at all.

I agree buy what best suits your eyes and wallet and I would definitely avoid the el cheapo rubbish but for a budget priced scope the Nikon I have has been a real eye opener to say the least (I would have boo hooed it if I didn't have one to compare to the "Good Stuff" but after comparing it too them I can say I'm happy to own it and those that have compared their "Good Stuff" against it have all been very surprised at how good it goes and how little diff there is between their high end euro scopes and the little Philippines scope!
User avatar
bigfellascott
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
 
Posts: 5289
-

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by fxol » 24 Sep 2017, 10:01 am

What Browning said sums up my thoughts.......Varminting, walking and spotlighting each have different demands and combining all 3 needs into one scope may mean a compromise. As others have said, until you look through a scope like a Zeiss Diavari at night, you don't know what you're missing. A mate has the 72mm Diavari on his 204 and I have the 56mm version on a 17H. He looked through my Sightron STac and was impressed at the clarity at night and I reckon they are a great allround option with a mag range of 2.5 - 17.5 and the 56mm obj to pull in light. Not ideal for a walk around option but superb glass. Daytime there are plenty of solid options - Bushnell Extreme is good value to my eyes.
fxol
Recruit
Recruit
 
Posts: 33
Victoria

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by marksman » 24 Sep 2017, 1:41 pm

the problem I have with zeiss conquests is the thickness of the cross hair, I like nightforce and leupold in your price range,
being a varmint scope weight should not be an issue
“If you do not read the newspapers you are uninformed. If you do read the newspapers you are misinformed”. Mark Twain
User avatar
marksman
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3660
Victoria

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by Stix » 24 Sep 2017, 1:53 pm

marksman wrote:the problem I have with zeiss conquests is the thickness of the cross hair, I like nightforce and leupold in your price range,
being a varmint scope weight should not be an issue


Yr spot on marksman...
I have a Zeiss Conquest hd 5-25x50 with varmint hunter reticle...
I find the reticle is too thick for daytime varmint/target shooting...particularly beyond 300yds.
On the other hand it is dynamite for spotlighting by way of easy & rapid target/reticle aquisition...particularly when stretching the limits of the spotlight where contrast levels are low at best.
From what ive seen i like the Leupold, but im stuck with mine now.
The man who knows everything, doesnt really know everything...he's just stopped learning...
Stix
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3675
South Australia

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by Stix » 24 Sep 2017, 2:00 pm

I also shoot regularly with one of those cheaper Bushnell Trophy Extreme 6-24x50 jobbies with varmint reticle on a mates new rifle...
Even thicker reticle than the Zeiss so it sucks during daylight...but again your on very quickly under spotlight.
The man who knows everything, doesnt really know everything...he's just stopped learning...
Stix
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3675
South Australia

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by Member-Deleted » 24 Sep 2017, 6:37 pm

I've got a Swarovski Z3 4-12x50 ''etched reticle'' on my 25-06 ''magic''
My 22-250 at present has a Zeiss Duralyt 3-12x50 it has a thicker cross hair
If I was to rescope any hunting rifle of mine I would put Z3s on them real fine cross hair you just have to develop
an accurate load then get the weight of projectile and speed then put them on the Swarovski ballistic program and
bobs your uncle they were spot on with mine on the 25-06

CHEERS
Member-Deleted
 

Re: Best Power for Scope for Varminting

Post by Browning » 25 Sep 2017, 6:39 pm

Yeah, it's hard to get a "one scope does all".
I love the fine reticle on my Z3 for nighttime work under the spotty. During the day I mainly use a shotty or a rifle with an Aimpoint.
If you're stalking deer, I reckon something like the z6 2-12x50 would be a cracking all rounder but you pay for it....
Browning
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 181
Queensland


Back to top
 
Return to Scopes, sights and optics