Scopes at short range?

Longest shot I ever made was a deer at 400 yds, used a 4X Leupold. A 2 to 7 seems to me to be about right for a big game rifle.
 
Some scope company's rate there variable scopes at 1-4x, but in reality it's not 1x but 1.5x.

If I had enough wampum...I would buy Swarovski's Z6i 1-6x24 Illuminated Rifle Scope, which is most sought after by three gunners; going for about $2,400.
 
I took a two deer in about 15 seconds this season with an H&R Handi rifle chambered in 44 mag at about 20-30 yards. The rifle has a fixed 4x Weaver Classic on it, and it was no disadvantage to me to have the scope on instead of shooting with the irons.

That said, having irons wouldn't have changed the outcome (bang-flop x2) either.....

I wouldn't have wanted a variable set on 9x, but my fixed 4x and 4.75x Weavers are just fine in the timber I hunt in Northern MN.
 
My concern was quick target acquisition at close range.
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If your rifle shoulders correctly, target acquisition is not going to be a problem. As stated above though when an animal is really close picking the proper spot to shoot the animal is going to be a problem. Shooting at running animals, especially in the brush, is a low percentage shot and sometimes it is better to adjust the way you hunt so those animals are unaware of your presence.
 
View through a 4x rifle scope.
1146px-Edit_4x_rifle_scope.jpg
 
The fact that the scope is about 1.5 inches above the bore has to be taken into account when making head shots on squirrels or other small game at close range. If you're 10 feet away and you put the crosshairs right on the squirrel's head, that bullet is going to hit about 1 inch below the crosshairs and you'll probably miss, and so will the second, and third shot while you go :confused: if you don't take this into account.
Also, people have shot their chronographs because they didn't take this into account.
 
I hunt in some dense areas. Most of my deer kills are at 7 to 30 yards. I have switched from a scoped rifle to a 30/30 with XS Ghost ring with a white blade front site. I can see it in all light conditions and it is quicker than any scope I have used. Otherwise My old farvourite woods scope was a old Redfield 1 3/4 to 5 it never left 1/34 magnification. Unless 150 yard plus shot. The most important thing IMHO is to practice freehand shooting. Start with the gun down and quickly mount gun and fire as if in a situation with live moving game. Shooting from bench is better than not shooting but try to become a rifleman. Shot your weapon from the stance and positions that you use while you hunt if at all possible. If you hunt from a stool in a blind without a rest bring a stool to the range and do not use a rest. I know some very fine close range shooters with 4 to 12 scopes the thing they have in common is lots of practice quickly mounting gun acquiring target. There is no right or wrong only what works for you. Have fun practicing whatever sight or scope you choose and report back. If you have access to a gun club perhaps other member would let you look through there scopes or iron and peep sights. At my club I have great members and was able to test drive a peep sight set up before purchasing.

Mwal
 
L_Killkenny said:
The right scope is ALWAYS better than iron sights. Near/far, fast/slow, makes no difference. They are better. But you have to have the right scope.
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Nonsense. A scope doesn't help you shoot, it helps you see.
 
The right scope is ALWAYS better than iron sights. Near/far, fast/slow, makes no difference. They are better. But you have to have the right scope. If your question is "how close is too close for a 3-9x" then that can answered. Even today I ran into a too close situation, not the first time either. With a 3-9x a running critter at 5 yards is tough. At 20 yards it's s chip shot. Unless you are gonna be having deer run in front of you at 20 yards or under then your 3-9x is fine. Personally I'd look hard at a 2-7x. Great for close, plenty of magnification for 300 yard deer.
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That's why I always shoot behind the bird on skeet station four! My shotgun doesn't have a scope!
Maybe I need a laser.:D
 
I'd go with post #3 and #14.
A scoped rifle (too much power) at close range performing poorly is what I saw first hand out in the woods this season. Guys sitting in the woods looking down a 200 yard shooting lane with the scope set on 20X. And suddenly a buck pops out of the pines 20 feet away. At that distance it's just grab, point & shoot. Can't even find a deer at that short range set on a power that high. If it comes to a fast point & shoot, no point in having the scope being in the way at all. But if it's sized right, like the suggest 1 to 4, that seems to be more reasonable. One guy is really just bent on mag power. And I explain to him that's just fine for the gun club but not in the woods. As a matter of fact I've got a rifle and shotgun without scopes. I may just take some of that earlier advice myself and get something like the 1-4 power shotgun scope.
 
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I was really wishing I'd had irons on my 760 .358 Win. a couple of weeks ago . I had a nice buck chase a doe out of the really thick stuff right in front of me . Like 10 Ft. in front of me . Nothing in the scope but hair , no shot . That's the only buck I've seen this season , so far , still have 2 days of rifle , and 9 days of Muzzleloader left .
 
For those close in shots that have to be taken fast, I think I could make a good case for the shotgun style ventilated rib and front bead, and practice a lot concentrating on a good gun mount and having both eyes open.
 
Ghost ring peep just put gun on shoulder with both eyes open put front sight on target pull trigger. Very fast and natural. That is why combat rifle use ghost ring peeps. Close range fast shooting they excel

Mwal
 
I used to be in the 3x9 camp, and still have one on my Yugo /Mauser because of the very long range the 8mm can get to

I have a Bison Armory 6.8 and it sits with a Leupold VXR 1x4

I absolutely love the set up, and it will get me to 300 at 4x
(My max range hunting anyway)

The gun stays at 1x most of the time
 
My rifle for close cover hunting

wears a Leopold 1.75-6X 32mm Vari-X III scope.

When still hunting in the East Texas Piney Woods (thick stuff, with some openings), I keep it dialed down to 1.75X. The result is:

1. wide field of view
2. Sharp focus at close range
3. maximum light gathering, for early/late shooting

Works for me :)
 
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Plus on #6 and #7... most important quality in a "brush" gun is the ability to miss the brush. For low light and dense woods a good scope beats the naked eyeball.

Best scope in my inventory is a 4X Widefield with 35.9 ft FOV that works at point blank range. It is a crying shame the best fixed power still on the market is Bushnell's 4X Banner at 32 ft. I would love to spend more on a quality 4X, but darned if I'll spend hundreds to look through a 23ft peep hole. Only good way to get wide FOV in a quality scope is to crank down a low power variable.
 
emcon5 said:
Nonsense. A scope doesn't help you shoot, it helps you see.
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Technically you are right. The main advantage of a scope is putting everything on ONE focal plain. Opens have 3 things the eye want to focus on, peep sights 2. And it's no harder to shoot both eyes open with a scope than the other options, easier actually with the right set up. BUT you can't shoot what you can't see and optics win 100% of the time.

BTW, rarely do the top military's rely on a ghost/peep for their main sight anymore. They use optics even for across the room fighting.
 
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Close is different. I can make a low power low mounted scope work. I like a wide open aperture better, but the best combination for me is a Winchester lever or single shot with that narrow pre-war forend and open sights, points like a shotgun. Once in a while I virtually step right on top of something and instinct takes over, and I make shots on moving game that I didn't believe possible. I am a dead ordinary shooter. It's the rifle that does the job.
 
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