Scope Choice and Why?

[litig8or]

Kindly let me know your choice of scope with details (Manufacturer, Power, Reticle, etc.) together why this is your choice.

Having been at this a few years and unable to break out of AAA, I am nearly convinced that my Leupold FX-3 12X with the Leupold dot reticle is best for me. I continue to have difficulty with anything exceeding 20X. Higher magnification equals higher magnification of wobble. What are the pros/cons of the higher power scopes (24X and above) and what practice techniques are required to settle into one?

As always, thanks in advance to all responses and advice.

[Innocent]

Wow, what a loaded question.

Premier Reticle 18 X 40 with 1 minute dot, typically shoot it at around 22 to 26 power, depending on lighting and overall stability for the day. The choice of Premier/Leupold is due to the calrity and brightness of the glass, over Weaver.
Nikon, and Zeiss have great glass but lack the magnification, and mechanical adjustment capabilities. Sightron has some nice glass, have not worked much with them on a regular basis, but am impressed with their warranty. Burris has a very sensitive focal range.
Weaver has the fixed magnifcation, which I find to be a disadvantage when travelling to various ranges, due to differences in lighting and range direction.
I would recommend anything from 12 to 25 power for most people, it may appear to be too big of a wobble, but with training you will find the wobble groups tighten if you will work at it. Troy Lawton has written good articles on how to train for reducing the wobble.
The one minute dot is rare, but I like it. My son prefers a smaller 3/8 to 1/2 minute dot. That is purely a matter of choice.

Mary

[ShootingStar]

Innocent / Mary

I feel like I am still relatively new to the game, so I have some seemilgnly elementary questions. I know how big 1 moa is, but how much of the chicken does it cover. I'm guessing it's about half of the main body mass. Is that right?

Thanks for the input!

[Innocent]

Actually 1moa sounds and does look large, when compared to what the marketers have provided for us. To try to give a comparision, imagine having something the size of the chicken head (minus the beak) covering the body.You eye is quickly drawn to the large reticle though. A disadvantage is that if you are shooting dots, like playing card suits or something small it does present a challenge to get the reticle on the same dots repeatably.
There are some Premiers still floating around with the dot size that changes as you increase power and do go to 1 moa at 40X. I only know of two fixed 1moa reticles, that Dick Thomas made, he did not like to do them, and it took a lot of talking to get one made that large, but there may be more.

Mary

[yankee]

Here is my story on scopes. Back in the 80's I started with a couple 3x9 hunting scopes. After a couple matches the second move was to a couple 6x18's with elevation and adjustable objectives. The thinking was that I could change the power as needed. I started out low and went higher. After about two weeks and 4 or 500 rounds everything was shot at 18. The next move was to the 24 leupolds with 1/2 minute dots. These worked fine and still do. The next move for rimfire was 36 leupolds with 1/2 dots. Then the 18x40 efr with 1/2 dots for the HP game usually shot at 32x. One of my 36 scopes has a 3/8 dot and I really like it and would consider a 1/4 to try. I looked at some of the 1/8 dots and they are a bit small and you can spend time searching for them with dark backgrounds.
Here are my thoughts on higher magnification. If you can't see it you can't hit it. I don't even think about the wobble. I think positive and think about how it makes me hold tighter. I also like that you can see paint chips on the targets and use that as an aiming point. You don't need "I can't " thoughts on the line you need "I can" thoughts on the line.

[Bowmore18]

I started with a 24 Tasco with a crosshair, don't laugh, it got me into Master class. From there I worked up through a few 24x Leupolds. Now I currently use a 30x Leupold Silhouette on my .22 and a 24x Leupold (an oldie)on my HP. I have a couple of Premier variables (18-40 & 15-35. that I keep in reserve on my gopher guns + I needed to lose some weight on my new guns so the extra lens had to go). I use 1/2 min dots. I used to have a 3/8 dot that I really liked but it was in a 36x so I sold it at Raton one year. I like 30 to 32x magnification so I can see the targets clearly without blocking out too many of the other targets.
I'm thinking about putting another 30x Silhouette on my HP but as I just bought a couple of grand worth of tires for the car it may need to wait a bit.

Why Leupold - because they work and if I need service I can get it inside an hours drive. Haven't needed it yet but ...you never know.

Ciao,

[hambone49]

I have tried Mary's and I think it's the perfect Silhouette scope. There is nothing like laying that big old beachball on an animal. It convinced me to find two of the 18-40's for my rifles. They have the .667 (or 5/8) dot. I like them so much Evelio had to cut 3 inches off my new Lilja to make weight. The fX 3 Sil. 30x with a 1/2 dot would be my second choice. Sure wish I could find one of those one inchers...

[BlauBear]

My choice is a Leupold FXIII 25x40 with a 3/8's Leupold Dot. Your best scope is the one you like best...

Oh - right. Why. Leupold supports their stuff, their optics are clear, fixed power scopes have less to go wrong, weigh less, and the 3/8's dot is large enough to see, and small enough to see over. 30x is too much magnification and they don't make an FX 20.

[jneihouse]

My choice is the Weaver T-24 Silhouette special they made for a while a couple of years ago....Good glass quality (not great)...great tracking, and the AO is marked in meters for smallbore silhouette and the scope works perfectly on infinity for highpower and will focus down for air rifle silhouette...and, perhaps the biggest factor, I have twice sent T-24's to Weaver that were broken due to no defect on the scope (one was on a rifle that fell from its resting place against a bench and landed on the front scope objective, and the second was simpy mauled by UPS), included letters fully disclosing what had happened and simply asking for them to be fixed at my expense and both times Weaver would accept no payment other than the 7 dollars return shipping...They've earned my loyalty.

Kitty

[malinois]

I now shoot FX III 30x 1/2 moa dot scopes on both High power and Small bore....I switched from my Premier 40x since premier no longer fixes the conversion units he can fix the scope but if the zoom goes out your out..as I was and had to setle for a 6.5X20 in return....

[Bob259]

Leupold 6.5x20 EFR's, good glass, good tracking. I had two of the Premier 18x40 conversions but after Dick passed away and the boys got away from Leupold and not repair them I decided to just go with the 6.5x20's. I really wish Leuplod would come out with a 12x25 EFR as that would be ideal, as I have trouble holding the higher power scopes anymore, spend to much time fighting the wobble.

Now Mary, I know Jerry T would say "you can't miss look how big them chickens are", but they run a lot faster on 60 power then they do on 12

[Innocent]

259...Jerry T even has a hard time not crossfiring with the 60X

Innocent

[Bob259]

259...Jerry T even has a hard time not crossfiring with the 60X

Innocent

Not me I didn't say it

[Innocent]

I will because I spot for him... and at least once a match on himself usually....guess we'll have to teach him how to count.

Innocent

[Jerry G]

The Leupold 6.5x20 EFR's are the best place to start if you can come up with the cash. If you out-grow the 20x you can get it bumped at a later date. Don't buy a cheep scope because you will just end up putting it aside and buying a good one later.