Thread: Scope power for hunting

Anyone have thoughts on min/max scope power for tops South Island?
Scope weight vs power, vs price ext?

9x is plenty for all but specialised fields.

In reality sort out the price, size and weight first, then see what scopes and powers match. Ive used 3-9 all my life, but have 1.5-9 3-10 and 4-12 on different rifles now because thats what the scope set ups I wanted came in.

Around 15 power minimum for any shots over 200m. Aim small, miss small. Unless poor light dictates a lower power to gather more light.

I shoot a couple of animals every year, usually out to 500m but occasionally past, and I usually am on below 10x magnification


Prefer to maintain FOV for better observation of the animal or other animals in the group after the shot. Higher magnification is not necessary for precise placement.

I shot my nx8 1x8 at 340m using hold over with my 223 and first round hits on a 150mm gong.
I rest my case.
I was pleasantly surprised

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Originally Posted by andyanimal31

I shot my nx8 1x8 at 340m using hold over with my 223 and first round hits on a 150mm gong.
I rest my case.
I was pleasantly surprised

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So was the gong

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I've stuck with 2-7x since forever as they are a nice compact and low scope. But horses for courses, what are you wanting to do with your rifle?

I did once do a bit of an informal survey of the winners of the NZDA Mt Cook Trophy for tahr, and 90% of them shot their bull inside 200 meters. However - maybe they had to as this was when dialling up and so on was rarer.

10x is fine. But no need to go higher than about 16x (or 18 on some swaros). Magnification and weight are a trade off. Something like the Leupold vx3 3.5-10 are great and very light and will get you out to 400m+ all good, which is as far as you should be shooting before you get experienced with compensating for wind etc. Having higher mag is kind of nice for sighting in but not that necessary for hunting. Its a personal preference thing though. Some people cant stand lower mag. I think you get used to it and more comfortable. Once you do some service rifle shoots with the iron sights, any mag above 1x seems luxury.

I’ve only ever hunted the South Island and predominantly in Otago and only with a max of 12x so have no experience with the bigger scopes, but I’ll take the lighter one with a smaller magnification range and just get closer any day. I’ve found the leupold vx3 hd 3.5x10 to be pretty good for magnification range and price. My uncle uses a Swarovski z5 3-18 and rates it and a mate has a VX5 3-15 which he likes but never seems to go over 10x anyway.

All of my scopes are now 2.5-10 x 44. Wouldn't mind a little bit more top end if it was still crisp, and only to make zeroing a bit more precise.

Only gone to higher magnification in later years as have needed AO for old eyes.

I run the little Leupold 1.5–5x 20 on half of my rifles, and this has a natural limiting effect for my older eyes of 250m. If when I look at the deer (always deer for me) on 5x, and I think the shot is on, then it is. If it looks too far, then it is. Its a precision of placement thing — for my older eyes. I use a 22x NXS for 1km target, and that is Ok too. So I think by interpolation 10x would be Ok for 500m. Hopefully this is helpful if you are contemplating an heirloom 'scope purchase for your old age?

Maybe it's my competition background where I routinely shoot at 40X or even higher, but my long range deer gun is used quite often at 18X. Sure, anything closer than 300yds or moving will be a lot less at times.

I like 15x. Not knowing my eyes had degraded in the past few years probably contributed to that.

I don't often shoot past 250 and 350 is my guestimate limit so 3x9 has served me well.will see if 2x7 is enough ,hopefully before too long,if not my scope will get dizzy again lol.