Post by: charby on December 04, 2007, 05:51:25 AM
Iowa for the last few years has had a center-fire season on antler-less deer for 10 days in the southern tier counties in later part of January and I have decided to participate in this season.
Most of my shots will be under 150 yards and I was wondering what everyone preferences are for short to medium range sighting optics. I don't take running shots either.
The scope I am looking at is a 1.75-4x 32mm shotgun scope and the red dot is 30-40mm diameter. Undecided on the holosight.
Looking for opinions from other deer hunters.
-C
Post by: griz on December 04, 2007, 05:58:26 AM
Post by: K Frame on December 04, 2007, 05:58:35 AM
Post by: mtnbkr on December 04, 2007, 06:01:26 AM
Chris
Post by: Thor on December 04, 2007, 06:01:51 AM
Post by: bedlamite on December 04, 2007, 06:03:06 AM
Post by: HankB on December 04, 2007, 06:37:11 AM
If the rifle fits well, the scope will be *right there* when you raise the rifle to your shoulder; in that case, you can make good use of additional magnification.
If you have to move your head around to see though the 'scope after shouldering the rifle, you're better off with something low power, or even some sort of non-magnifying red dot optic.
.308 recoil is pretty light, but steer clear of the Chinese import 'scopes; aside from being crappy from both an optical and durability standpoint, some have very little eye relief, and you don't want to get clouted in the eyebrow when you shoot!
Personally, I'd look at something like a 4x Leupold, or perhaps their 6x42 with heavy crosshairs . . . and of course, these days the "standard" hunting riflescope is a 3x9; you can get a pretty decent one for $200 - $250 or so.
Post by: Sergeant Bob on December 04, 2007, 06:45:52 AM
The only reason I tell you this is, I've known a lot of people who insist that you must buy the biggest objective lens you can get, which is usually not only not necessary but, more expensive.
Post by: Werewolf on December 04, 2007, 07:24:53 AM
I've had really good Millet's and NC Star Red Dots and recommend either brand without hesitation. I've also owned Bushnell red dots and their holosight. My personal experience with Bushnell hasn't been good. I've bought 3 optics from them and 2 of the 3 failed right out of the box. The holosight took over 2 months to get warranty repaired.
I've got an eotech 512 which I've put on an AR-15 and a 44Mag revolver which works great and is still going strong after 4 years. Eotech makes a good product
My preference in scopes is Nikon. Cheaper than Leupold and IMO just as good and optically actually better. Don't know if they can take the beating a Leupold can but if they're built as well as their cameras (I owned an F2 for over 30 years and it was worked hard and own a D70S now) then they'll take a lickin' and keep on tickin' as the saying goes.
Post by: El Tejon on December 04, 2007, 07:46:01 AM
HK94=9mm, goofy carbine copy of HK54
HK91=semi-auto only copy of G3 in .308
Post by: Tallpine on December 04, 2007, 07:51:50 AM
Post by: charby on December 04, 2007, 07:58:47 AM
I can't believe you gun nuts let this go!
HK94=9mm, goofy carbine copy of HK54
HK91=semi-auto only copy of G3 in .308
HK94=9mm, goofy carbine copy of HK54
HK91=semi-auto only copy of G3 in .308
I put it in wrong... silly me
Post by: charby on December 04, 2007, 08:00:47 AM
Atlatl and spear carved with a flint blade and hardened over a fire.
I'd probably enjoy that since I hit two white-tailed rats this year with my SUV and again with my wife's car.
Quote
How well does your rifle fit you?
I need lots of eye relief, why I am looking at a shotgun scope.
I'll end up moving it to my slug gun when I purchase a fully rifled cantilever barrel this spring. I currently shoot with iron sights but one of the places I shotgun hunt deer are normally out to 100-150 yards because of the topography of the land, deep and wide creek ravines. I'm keeping my iron sights for when I go deer jumping back home and the places where deer are under 50 yards consistently.
I'm also not going to buy one those cheap chinese made scopes, do I really want lead paint when I cut my eye brow because I didn't set the eye relief back far enough? Plus I don't want to have to rezero it each time I want to shoot.
Post by: mustanger98 on December 04, 2007, 09:08:34 AM
I own a CETME, basically an HK 94 Clone in .308. Right now it is just iron sights that are crappy at best, so I just ordered a scope mount for it.
Iowa for the last few years has had a center-fire season on antler-less deer for 10 days in the southern tier counties in later part of January and I have decided to participate in this season.
Most of my shots will be under 150 yards and I was wondering what everyone preferences are for short to medium range sighting optics. I don't take running shots either.
The scope I am looking at is a 1.75-4x 32mm shotgun scope and the red dot is 30-40mm diameter. Undecided on the holosight.
Looking for opinions from other deer hunters.
-C
Iowa for the last few years has had a center-fire season on antler-less deer for 10 days in the southern tier counties in later part of January and I have decided to participate in this season.
Most of my shots will be under 150 yards and I was wondering what everyone preferences are for short to medium range sighting optics. I don't take running shots either.
The scope I am looking at is a 1.75-4x 32mm shotgun scope and the red dot is 30-40mm diameter. Undecided on the holosight.
Looking for opinions from other deer hunters.
-C
Of those three options, I recommend going with a fixed 4X scope. It'll be plenty for what you're describing doing.
Myself... if I'm using a scope, it's usually either a fixed 4X or a 3-9x32; either Simmons or Bushnell. But mostly I'm using a good set of irons on my old Winchester .30-30 or a couple of my old military crankbolts... U.S. and British.
Post by: K Frame on December 04, 2007, 09:18:45 AM
My sentiments exactly.
Post by: mtnbkr on December 04, 2007, 09:30:10 AM
plain old 4x fixed power will work just fine
"Of those three options, I recommend going with a fixed 4X scope."
My sentiments exactly.
My sentiments exactly.
Why? In many cases, the 4x is the same price or close in price to the variable. According to what I've read in the past couple years, variables are no more fragile than fixed models. The variable on my deer rifle hasn't shifted since I put it on 5 years ago, that includes being knocked off the bench, tipped over a few times, riding in the backs of trucks, etc. In addition, I personally find the 4x too much magnification for the woods. My 2-3x32 gathers enough light for me to count the points on a spike buck in light levels I couldn't see with the naked eye. Seems to me, as long as you're buying a good scope to begin with, a fixed scope doesn't offer much of a benefit.
Anyway, just curious about the preference...
Chris
Post by: K Frame on December 04, 2007, 09:40:16 AM
Other than the fact that I'm not a huge fan of scopes in general, I really have to wonder why you bothered with a variable power scope if you never use it as such. In essence, you bought a variable power scope that is nothing more than a fixed power scope with a few extra moving parts.
Those times that I have hunted with a variable power scope I normally keep it on a lower power setting to choose my shot, then dial it up to a higher magnification to precisely place my shot.
Given my druthers, though, I'll pick a receiver peep sight every time.
Post by: mtnbkr on December 04, 2007, 09:57:56 AM
I really have to wonder why you bothered with a variable power scope if you never use it as such. In essence, you bought a variable power scope that is nothing more than a fixed power scope with a few extra moving parts.
Because it didn't cost any more than the fixed and because I have the option of...Quote
keep it on a lower power setting to choose my shot, then dial it up to a higher magnification to precisely place my shot.
If the variable was more fragile in a meaningful way, then a fixed would make sense, but given what I've done to mine and how well it has held up, any decrease in durability isn't meaningful.
To each his own. I was just curious why anyone would limit themselves to a single power unless there was a real benefit in terms of performance.
Chris
Post by: K Frame on December 04, 2007, 10:05:04 AM
"I was just curious why anyone would limit themselves to a single power unless there was a real benefit in terms of performance."
You tell us. You've stated that you never crank your scope above the two power setting, so in essence, you've limited yourself to a single power...
Post by: mtnbkr on December 04, 2007, 10:10:35 AM
As far as I can tell, you're the only one who has even mentioned durability, other than in the context of cheap imported crap.
"I was just curious why anyone would limit themselves to a single power unless there was a real benefit in terms of performance."
You tell us. You've stated that you never crank your scope above the two power setting, so in essence, you've limited yourself to a single power...
"I was just curious why anyone would limit themselves to a single power unless there was a real benefit in terms of performance."
You tell us. You've stated that you never crank your scope above the two power setting, so in essence, you've limited yourself to a single power...
Durability: because that's the only justification I can come up with and even that's a stretch.
I only use mine at 2x for hunting, but at the range, I crank it up to 7x. So I limit myself to a duo powered scope. I don't have much use for 3-6x.
Chris
Post by: charby on December 04, 2007, 10:36:39 AM
He's hunting in Iowa. Not a lot of hunting in woods the kind we have around here.
I agree but I also don't hunt the open spaces of corn fields either, I like to hunt the broken patches of timber, fringes of larger woods or deep ravines out of the wind when December/January weather pushes the deer into them. The only time I'll hunt ag fields is if the deer as pushed into bedding down in waterways and fence rows, and they are jump shot.
My friend shoots a fixed 4x on his shotgun, I think its great for shots over 50 yards but in my opinion it is too much magnification for me under 50 yards. I used to have a fixed 2.5x scope on my shotgun (came with it when I bought it), I loved the power setting but the scope was a cheap ass tasco with 20 mm optics, never held zero very well and it was too small optically for fast shots when jumping deer. This is why I took it off and went back to iron sights.
With a scope I want 1.5-4x, if I hunted more wide open spaces or shots were consistently over 100 yards I'd probably stick with a fixed power scope.
Post by: HankB on December 04, 2007, 10:40:27 AM
. . . The human eye can only gather light at 5.5mm (or so I've read) so, if you divide the objective lens size, 30mm, by the order of magnification, 5, it comes out to 6mm, which gives you plenty of light.
The only reason I tell you this is, I've known a lot of people who insist that you must buy the biggest objective lens you can get, which is usually not only not necessary but, more expensive.
It's not just light; a larger exit pupil makes your eye position less critical.The only reason I tell you this is, I've known a lot of people who insist that you must buy the biggest objective lens you can get, which is usually not only not necessary but, more expensive.
For example, take a 6x42 scope, which gives you a 7mm exit pupil. A fully dilated pupil in the human eye is about 7mm (less as you get older) so you eye will make maximum use of the light transmitted by this 'scope in dark conditions.
Take that same 'scope out on a sunny day, and your eye's pupil may contract to 2mm . . . but as long as your eye's 2mm pupil is located within the 7mm exit pupil of the 'scope, you'll still see an unobscured field.
Post by: Thor on December 04, 2007, 11:34:04 AM
Post by: charby on December 04, 2007, 11:43:22 AM
Charby, try out the EOTech or Bushnell Holoscopes. They might be exactly what you want. If you ever make it up to Minneapolis area, I'll be more than happy to let you check out my holoscope.
I'm up that way once in a while, I have some friends that I really need to visit in Minnieapolis area.
-C
Post by: Tallpine on December 04, 2007, 12:29:16 PM
I'm also one of those "one box of shells = 20 deer" sort of guys
Post by: charby on December 04, 2007, 12:51:47 PM
How far are your shots at deer?
Post by: mustanger98 on December 04, 2007, 02:27:33 PM
Well, anyway ... my deer rifle/scope is a Rem 788 in .243 with an old 4x Bushnell on it. Got the whole thing at a pawnshop for $225, which is less than you might pay for a good scope.
I'm also one of those "one box of shells = 20 deer" sort of guys
I'm also one of those "one box of shells = 20 deer" sort of guys
My scoped rifle... the one with the Bushnell 3-9x32... is a Savage M340 (crankbolt) in .30-30Win. Right now, there's 10rds riding in a carrier on the stock. Those rounds are Hornady's #3031 150grSP over 30.6grs of IMR4064 to run 2000fps. On paper, this round fired from this rifle and aimed with this scope... it'll do 1" at 25 and 50 yards and I'm bustin' fist-sized rocks at 100yds. I really ought to test it on paper at 100yds and further if I can get more distance.
I got to playing with a balistic calculater a while back and ran the trajectory out to 200yds... if I put the crosshairs on the upper-lungs, just low of the spine, it'll be upper-lungs/spinal to 175yds and it'll probably drop into lower lungs/heart at 200yds. Any further... forget it; slows down and drops too much.