What magnification range are you using?

What magnification range are you using? - Printable Version

+- 6.5 Grendel Forum (https://65grendel.com)
+-- Forum: GENERAL FIREARMS DISCUSSION (https://65grendel.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=38)
+--- Forum: Optics, Accessories, Parts, and Equipment (https://65grendel.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=14)
+--- Thread: What magnification range are you using? (/showthread.php?tid=24354)

Pages: 1 2

What magnification range are you using? - Tipsymutt - 03-10-2022

Hi all. Just wondering what range magnification you are using and what min/max range you are shooting at. Do you feel that you need more magnification or do you seldom use max power?
I'm asking because I'm looking to get a new scope in 4-16x but wonder if it's too much or not enough magnification for my crappy old eyes. I will be shooting out to 600 yards but will occasionally have access to a 1k range.

Thanks

What magnification range are you using? - grayfox - 03-10-2022

My opinion may differ from many on here but for my old eyes (70+ and counting) I like to see what I'm shooting at... so use more mag than most of the guys on here, 'least that's what it seems to me. It's what my eyes need to do their job.

Your eyes are the only ones that can tell you whether it's enough magnification. But the one caveat is to start out with a good scope, that is clear etc. $300 isn't going to get you there. I've got several budget or "econ" scopes right now on the shelf but find they just don't do it for me any more. And this is not the opinion I started out with, but it's where I'm ending up.

If I can't find a vortex strike eagle or better I pretty much pass on the rest. So as of now most of mine are strike eagle (2 at 3-18x44) or vipers. When I went out to 1000 yds couple of years ago with my 6.5 Creed I had a 4-16x and it was just enough, but no room to spare so next time I'll have some more magnif in my pocket. But this is just what's working for me. From a shooting bench too btw.
I haven't done any 34mm scopes, they seem like too hefty and bulky to me, these 30mm ones are doing well.

edit to add: for out to 600 I figure 16x will do, I'll be putting that to the test in a couple months.

What magnification range are you using? - myrifle - 03-10-2022

On my short grendels I run a 2moa red dot and irons, sighted at 50 yards and i can bang plates too 300 and hunt and defense too 200 easily and quickly.

My 16 inch grendel has a 1-6 pst gen 2 on it. Sighted at 50 yards and I can bang plates with it out too 600, hunt too 300 and do defense work out 600.

My bolt grendel is wearing a 5x27 midas gen2 btr, sighted at 100 and a fine/detailed dope card for dialing too 1200 yards on plate/paper and hunting out too 600 yards.

If your going too play at 1000 yards get a min of 25 max power and increase your budget to the 750 to 1500 dollar range. Your going to want a super clear optic that tracks true and has the power too see the target in detail.

What magnification range are you using? - Mesa1978 - 03-10-2022

3x-15, eyes of a 65 year old.

What magnification range are you using? - Tipsymutt - 03-10-2022

Thanks everyone. I'm sorry I should have given a little more info. My rig is a 18" Satern cut rifle bbl in a Mega monolithic upper. I was thinking of getting the Nightforce ATACR 4-16X42, but thought maybe I should step up to the 4-20x50.
Thanks!

What magnification range are you using? - lazyengineer - 03-10-2022

I'm more of a 2.5-10x guy. I find the low end to be almost more important than the high. Can I pick up and field fire this gun at closer range? To me, 4x is too high to readily lift and snap-shoot.

While at the same time, 10x serves me just fine at 600

What magnification range are you using? - Klem - 03-10-2022

20x will cut it at 1,000yds if it is a large target. F-Class typically use 40x scopes at 1,000 and for the 500M Fly, the same. In 500m Fly it is a big advantage to be able to see your own holes to drive subsequent holes around the target. 16x will not cut it.

If it's steel however or there's someone down in the butts giving feedback then 10-16x will work for 500, but not 1,000.

if you are shooting animals at close range then 3-4x, or 6x for careful shots at the lower end.

Grendel is a short to intermediate calibre, but inefficient at longer ranges. I use a 3-24x52mm FFP, so a good all rounder for the calibre, and in proportion to the platform.

.

What magnification range are you using? - Bigs28 - 03-10-2022

I run 1-10x and have shot steel out to 500np to answer what im using. If your looking away nightgorce, the nx8s have a 4-32x50 and a 2.5-20x50

What magnification range are you using? - VASCAR2 - 03-10-2022

I think the elevation you shoot makes a difference. I was shooting in Wyoming and there is a big difference between 7200 and 450 ASL where I normally shoot. I have a 6.5-20x50 on my 20 Shilen and 4-16x42 on my 18 6.5 Grendel. My 16 6.5 Grendel has a 4-12x40 and my Cz 527 24 American has Vortex Viper HS-T 4-16x44. I had a 1-6 Strike Eagle on my 12 6.5 Grendel but recently switched it to an E O Tech.

What magnification range are you using? - LR1955 - 03-10-2022

Klem Wrote:20x will cut it at 1,000yds if it is a large target. F-Class typically use 40x scopes at 1,000 and for the 500M Fly, the same. In 500m Fly it is a big advantage to be able to see your own holes to drive subsequent holes around the target. 16x will not cut it.

If it's steel however or there's someone down in the butts giving feedback then 10-16x will work for 500, but not 1,000.

if you are shooting animals at close range then 3-4x, or 6x for careful shots at the lower end.

Grendel is a short to intermediate calibre, but inefficient at longer ranges. I use a 3-24x52mm FFP, so a good all rounder for the calibre, and in proportion to the platform.

.

Second what Klem is saying.

You can get away with a 16 at 600 yards but unless you are shooting at something pretty big, you will have problems at 1000.

I think Klem's advice of a 3 - 24X is a good one.

LR-55

What magnification range are you using? - mdram - 03-10-2022

i use an athlon ares 4.5-27, because i got it on sale for 425. only go out to 500yd at the range i frequent
that 27x is nice when shooting at the 1/2 moa target

What magnification range are you using? - SDW - 03-10-2022

VASCAR2 Wrote:I think the elevation you shoot makes a difference. I was shooting in Wyoming and there is a big difference between 7200 and 450 ASL where I normally shoot. I have a 6.5-20x50 on my 20 Shilen and 4-16x42 on my 18 6.5 Grendel. My 16 6.5 Grendel has a 4-12x40 and my Cz 527 24 American has Vortex Viper HS-T 4-16x44. I had a 1-6 Strike Eagle on my 12 6.5 Grendel but recently switched it to an E O Tech.

Respectfully, I think you forgot to say HOW elevation makes a difference exactly. You followed up that statement with a list of scopes you have on various rifles but no info one what you used. i.e. what worked best where.

What magnification range are you using? - lazyengineer - 03-10-2022

LR1955 Wrote:Second what Klem is saying.

You can get away with a 16 at 600 yards but unless you are shooting at something pretty big, you will have problems at 1000.

I think Klem's advice of a 3 - 24X is a good one.

LR-55

I was unaware 3-24 was even an option. That's an amazing span and definatly covers both snapshot field hunting and precision long range all in one.

I will say, I quite like FFP, but find most variable FFP fail, in that the low range where you need a big obnoxious reticle for fast shooting. Instead becomes a hair fine invisible reticle at such power.

In my own usage, I run a 2.5x PA CQB fixed power on things like M4 style guns, as a great cost effective general purpose 20-300+ yard field optic. But it's too low for serious precision.

So I tried the PA 3-18 SLx ffp on an ar10 in 6.5 CM. While it's a decent bang for buck, in that design I found the 3x to be all but useless, undermining it's fieldcraft value as a hunting rifle. I made it work and did drop a deer offhand at 15(!) Yards with it, but I wanted better. Which is where I found the PA 2.5-10X44 GLx line, but most of those still got too fine for me at 2.5x, except for their Griffen line, where the huge 2.5x reticle perfectly matches their 2.5xCQB fixed power reticle(on my other guns) and then when you zoom in to 10x, a fine Christmas tree precision portion becomes visible. It's a great concept except it's kind of heavy, and only goes up to 10x.

In my experience and usage, 10x is good enpugh for gongs, targets, amd game at the ranges I feel ethical to engage. In particular, on Grendel which pragmatically is rarely a round called for much beyond 600 yards (where it's a dominating ARTactical class competition choice, IMHO). Past that, and I'm usually just running Creedmoor anyway. I couldn't get my 6.5 Grendel 20" to trip a sonic sensor at 1000 yards at sea level, even though 10x was plenty good for me to make confident shots on bullseye.

but I can't deny Klem's points on the advantages of higher power yet, if an option. Finding a 3-24x power,... man, that's really something. My only remaining question is how visible is it FFP at 3x, (and weight and cost I suppose)

What magnification range are you using? - SDW - 03-10-2022

Gonna say, glass quality matters nearly as much magnification, doesn't it?

In my only experience with long range so far was using my SWFA 10x scope, which has... decent but not great glass of course. I had no problem placing its tiny center dot (.2 MOA in dia) in the middle of an 18" square plate 1000 yards away. And hitting it at least a few times. The scope isn't up to seeing the splash and this was on a 6.5G so not much splash anyway. But I was able to confirm my hits with my 25x spotting scope: the fresh marks the bullets were leaving on rusty brown plate.

So I imagine that a 10x scope with excellent glass, and excellent in all other ways, plus optimal weather conditions, hitting plates shouldn't be a challenge. Shooting for groups though, like in competition? That's another story. Big Grin

What magnification range are you using? - SDW - 03-10-2022

lazyengineer Wrote:I will say, I quite like FFP, but find most variable FFP fail, in that the low range where you need a big obnoxious reticle for fast shooting. Instead becomes a hair fine invisible reticle at such power.

In my own usage, I run a 2.5x PSA CQB fixed power on things like M4 style guns, as a great cost effective general purpose 20-300+ yard field optic. But it's too low for serious precision.

That's true. But this is where illumination is hugely helpful, especially if the scope illuminates more than must the center components. I have an Athlon Ares 3-18x. The sub-tensions on it are a little bold and distracting I have to say, at >15x. Saved only by having a relatively small center dot. The dot keeps it usable all the way up to 18x. With the boldness though, the reticle is actually readable down at 8-10x still. Especially if I'm using the illumination, which lights up the whole tree and x-axis components.

And even down at 3-4x where the labels and hashmarks have shrunk out of view, when illuminated the reticle still serves at a decent duplex reticle.

BTW, did you mean Primary Arms (PA)? Not PSA?

What magnification range are you using? - lazyengineer - 03-10-2022

Wups, yes - I will correct

What magnification range are you using? - FLshooter - 03-10-2022

One of my Grendels has a 4-16x50 Nikon Black on it.The other 2 have Viper 6-24x50.I shoot out to 600 yrds(club max)all the time.We have an electronic scoring system that works with ipad or any portable device.That helps.

What magnification range are you using? - Sinclair - 03-10-2022

I had a PA variable 4X to 16X, but I found that I was using 10X 99% of the time out to 400yds. Let me qualify my answer, I live in midwestern Illinois and I could not use anything much over 10X because of the mirage. Summer, Winter, Fall, Spring if the Sun is out there is mirage! You might want to take that into account.

My advice would be to borrow a scope with the magnification that you think you want and have a look see with it. You might find a cooperative sporting goods owner that would let you step out the front door and look at various objects in the neighborhood.
.

What magnification range are you using? - Big_John - 03-11-2022

I didn't want a big honkin scope on my little Howa 1500 MiniAction. I wanted magnification, but I wanted something more compact than a 34mm tube and a 56mm objective. I think I found what I wanted......

Vortex Diamondback Tactical, 4-16x44 FFP MOA

I'm sure hoping that the 16x will make me happy. My other ELR platforms have 24x or 25x glass.

[Image: Z4dyvjz.jpg]

What magnification range are you using? - BigTee - 03-11-2022

Big_John Wrote:I didn't want a big honkin scope on my little Howa 1500 MiniAction. I wanted magnification, but I wanted something more compact than a 34mm tube and a 56mm objective. I think I found what I wanted......

Vortex Diamondback Tactical, 4-16x44 FFP MOA

I'm sure hoping that the 16x will make me happy. My other ELR platforms have 24x or 25x glass.

This is exactly the same set up that I have.