Having used scopes on hunting rifles for nigh on seven decades and for nearly every kind of situation you’re likely to encounter, I’ll risk possible criticism by offering you some constructive suggestions for choosing a big-game hunting scope that will ensure you buy something perfectly suitable for in the field and probably save money.
There’s such a wide variety of rifle scopes on the market that you really need to take the time to evaluate your scope needs before making a firm choice.
Naturally, no one can tell you what you need or should buy. From the letters I get, few of the guys behind the counter in gun shops have much of an idea; they’ll sell you a 6-24x to put on a .30-30!
A good big-game will suit the majority of Australian hunters and their rifles. But before you write in, remember that this advice is about big-game scopes, not optics for small game, long-range shooting, competition or other shooting where parameters can be quite different.
Let’s stay away from technicalities and design features and get right down to the nitty-gritty — practical considerations such as magnification, weight and bulk.
MAGNIFICATION
First, let’s settle the question of magnification. How much do you need for big-game hunting? Few realise that a low-power scope is the finest of all sights for use in lignum and brush, and the needs of the brush hunter are entirely different to those of the open-country hunter, but keep in mind that as the magnification is increased, the field of view decreases.
For example, if a certain brand of 4x scope has a field of 10m at 100m, the 6x will have a field of 6m, and the 10x about 3.5m. On the same maker’s 3-9x variable, the field of view will be around 9m on 3x and 3.5m at 9x.
These specs are important to you because the smaller the field of view the more difficult it is to quickly find and aim at game or track a running animal.
Where fixed-power scopes are concerned, the brush hunter who does most of his shooting at close range, and often at game on the run, is pretty well fixed with a scope of 2½x to 3x. In these low-powered models the latitude of eye relief is enormous — the eye will get a usable picture as close as 50mm from the lens and as far away as 125 or 150mm. They also have a wider field of view, from 12 to 15m at 100m, which is large enough so you won’t have any trouble picking up an animal quickly and tracking it if it starts moving.
The open-country hunter, on the other hand, needs more magnification in a fixed-power scope.
On rifles for open plains and mountains, many hunters consider that be the lowest they’ll accept is a variable-power scope with a top end of about 15x magnification. However, few hunters really need that extreme upper end.
A friend of mine has a fixed 6x on all of his rifles. He has found that a 6x enables him to tell instantly if a deer has antlers or not. He doesn’t have to look with a binocular, put it aside, and pick up his rifle to shoot. He has found, too, that the 6x gives him enough definition to kill rabbits and foxes consistently to about 200 metres.
The field of view is adequate, the power is high enough for accurate shot placement and 6x is relatively easy to handle when shooting from some hastily assumed field position.
In fact, I’ll stick my neck out and say that if you can’t see a deer well enough with a 6x scope to shoot accurately, then he’s probably too far away to shoot at.
A variable-power scope of some kind is by far the most popular choice with all kinds of hunters. Its main advantage is versatility so that one scope can be used for a variety of purposes, terrain and light conditions.
Better-quality variable-power scopes are not optically inferior to fixed-power models. They are, however, generally a bit heavier than fixed-power scopes and the high-range ones, intended for varmint shooting, are a lot more bulky.
For big-game hunting, low-range variables are far and away the best. Scopes in the 1-4x up to 4-12x ranges will add little more weight and bulk than a comparable fixed-power.
The 3-9x topped the popularity polls for years but seems to have been matched in popularity by the 4-12x. These are absolute maximum in a big-game context because there’s really little justification for any higher power.
If I were to choose one variable for all my hunting, however, it would still be a quality 2-7x or 2.5-8x model.
RETICLES
The duplex-type introduced by Leupold and copied by almost every other maker worldwide is as good as any reticle and better than most. It has heavy side-bars that usually taper to fine crosswires in the centre. The theory is that the heavy outer sections draw the eye to the fine centre crosswires in poor light, but in good light they offer the advantage of a fine crosswire for long-range shooting.
There’s considerable variation in the thickness of the plex-style reticles. Europeans scope makers prefer much heavier side bars and crosswires than the Americans, because much of their hunting is done at dawn and dusk and even in moonlight from a hochsitz. However, all work the same way and most hunters will agree that the plex-style reticle is best for big-game hunting.
The old traditional crosshair is still popular with varmint shooters, but the big-game hunter needs a coarse crosshair that subtends at least 3cm at 100m (an inch at 100yd, or MOA). Anything finer is hard to see in poor light. And the tapered crosswire offers no advantage for big-game because the centre portion is too fine.
Illuminated reticles, preferably with a simple red dot in the centre, get around the problem of visibility in low light, but this doesn’t change the fact you still need right reticle in case the battery dies mid-hunt or you have a failure of the electrics.
The dot reticle (the non-illuminated kind) has a small but loyal following. While I’d rank it as being second to the plex, it’s nowhere near as versatile. In heavy cover and poor light a large dot is best, since it’s easy to see and aim quickly with — one that subtends at least 2 or 3 MOA. But in open country the dot covers too much of the target area, so the best choice is a smaller dot, one that covers no more than 1 MOA.
The old flat-top post and pointed picket post reticles, with or without a horizontal wire, are still available, mainly from European scope makers, but their lack of precision for long-range shooting severely limits their usefulness.
Tactical, competition and long-range scopes are available with all manner of fancy reticles. Rangefinding reticles with stadia lines are too inexact, and mil-dot and tactical-style graduated reticles which aid in rangefinding and windage in long-range shooting were intended for special-purpose military and law enforcement use. For big-game out to long ranges of, say, 350m, I find such complicated reticles clutter up too much of the field and hide too much of the target. For me the duplex and its variations seem to work just fine.
I can see the point of a simple BDC reticle for shots beyond your rifle’s point blank range, but only if you know how the graduations relate to your ammunition’s trajectory. If you don’t know, the reticle is nothing but a gimmick.
IN SUMMARY
In conclusion, don’t fall for a salesman trying to sell you a riflescope for big-game hunting that offers too much magnification. Instead of improving your accuracy, it can actually impair it.
Look for a scope that’s light and not too long and bulky, has low-profile turrets, and comes with low to medium magnification, a wide field of view and the proper reticle.
These are the worthwhile features of a good big-game hunting scope.
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