[jwaldrop3]

What's the highest magnification you need, in general, if you want to shoot targets at 500 - 800 yards? I'll be shooting a Rem. 700 SPS Tactical .308

 

[Old Grump]

Just personal opinion but 16x is fine and no more than 22x or mirage and jitters can become a problem.

 

[Jim Rau]

What's the highest magnification you need, in general, if you want to shoot targets at 500 - 800 yards? I'll be shooting a Rem. 700 SPS Tactical .308

I agree with the grumpy one if you are shooting 'paper'.
Mirage becomes a problem in hot weather about 12X.
Most people WAY over scope their big game rifles.

 

[Ekoch424]

Depends on what kind of target shooting you're doing... Mirage could indeed be a problem at extended ranges and it would be handy to have a variable power scope that does have some higher magnification but the ability to zoom down to a lower level if mirage becomes a problem.

I'd consider something like a 6-24x or 8-32x variable power scope to give you a wide range of magnification.

I have a Leupold 36x scope on a .22 that I use exclusively for benchrest shooting at 50 yards, but thats because of the level of precision required.

It's pretty impractical for anything but very precise benchrest shooting, but it works extremely well for that.

 

[Range Junkie]

Just personal opinion but 16x is fine and no more than 22x or mirage and jitters can become a problem.

What he said.

 

[ribbonstone]

Varmint hunting..something in the 12-16X range for a rifle that might get used at +400yds on little critters, but a whole lot depends on the quality of the glass.

For big game hunting, 6X will do it.

For pure target shooting, it's hard to get too much.

 

[RaySendero]

.....
For pure target shooting, it's hard to get too much.

Think ribbonstone just hit the nail on the head!

If just for targets, go with an 8x32 or 10x40. If mirage is a problem - You can turn the magnification down, but you can't turn it up less you got it to start with!

 

[Ekoch424]

For pure target shooting, it's hard to get too much.

Ya know March just came out with an 8x80...

 

[ribbonstone]

Of course, it is embarrassing when the field of view is so narrow that you shoot the wrong target.

Personally, never found that anything past 30X did me a whole world of good.

 

[RaySendero]

Of course, it is embarrassing when the field of view is so narrow that you shoot the wrong target.

Personally, never found that anything past 30X did me a whole world of good.

rib,

Try printing your name on your target.
Will help you stay on target and others to stay off!

LOL - Once at a match, I was looking over the field with a spotting scope.
One shooter wrote: "DON'T SHOOT THIS ONE STUPID!" across the top of his.

 

[wpage]

3x9 works fine for me

 

[243dave]

Mirage is there on hot days whether you see it or not. You see your target but its not exactly where you think it is. With a big magnification scope you can see what the mirage is doing and how its effecting your shots at long range and you can adjust for it if you know how and understand mirage. Of course this takes a lot of practice but when you get it down you will shoot better groups with a custom rifle with lots of magnification than if you had the same rifle with a 16x scope. I don't shoot competive so my skills aren't honed but some of those benchrest guys are good at it. They even use the mirage to help with windage adjustments. For me I consider 20x plenty for varmints and punching paper, if I shot benchrest I'd have a 36x and maybe more. Dave