In recent times, hunters have increasingly been turning their focus in the direction of scopes that use high rates of magnification. It's not uncommon to see magnification rates of 6x to 24x, or sometimes higher. While "the bigger the better" theory is often accepted in areas such as horsepower in vehicles, it is often a mistake for hunters to implement this theory in their hunting.
The past norm for rifle scope magnification, at least when hunting deer, was 3-9x. Employing a power of 3x, a hunter is able to accurately take short distance shots at less than 50 yards, a distance common in deer hunting. Nowadays, however, it is becoming more commonplace for hunters to use 6x to 18x magnification rate, sometimes higher - but the greater the level of rifle scope magnification, the more narrow the line of sight. With 6x as the minimum magnification rate, it is practically impossible focus on moving target at a distance of 30 yards.
Using a 6x power level, a deer would appear 6 times bigger than it would to the naked eye. At a distance of about 30 yards, a hunter will be gazing through his scope at a brown patch of fur, which makes it practically impossible to zero in on a point to aim at. Not only do hunters in this situation realize that they have zoomed in too near to the animal, but obstructions are magnified at the same level too. Brush and trees are frequently encountered blockages in deer hunting situations, so a person hunting a deer that has already been over-zoomed now has to overcome a three-inch sprig that just turned in to a deer's eighteen-inch virtual shield.
Now, while it is obvious that in wooded environments, dealing with smaller distances, a high powered scope is not always optimal, that does not mean these scopes do not have a use. High magnification scopes are optimal for open shooting environments that are mainly obstruction free, where targets can be at 250 yards or more. Ranges of rifle scope power of 3x to 9x work very well in circumstances like these. Hunters can step it up to 18-24x magnification when the firing distance approaches 400 yards or more. Quite a bit of what goes into choosing the ideal rifle scope is a hunter's preference, but shooting environment is just as relevant, if not more so.
Nowadays there are more scope models to pick from than ever before, and scope manufacturers are developing an increasing number of rifle scopes with high magnification. The rifle scope line-up of Zeiss Conquest, as an example, boasts 64 scopes, and more than half of them have 3.5x magnification as their lowest level. Even the moderately priced Burris and Bushnell scopes are now available in 20x magnification and higher. Leupold scopes are very popular, and they sell a rifle scope with a range of 8.5-25x.
The large selection of rifle scopes available to pick from today is wonderful, but hunters need to shop wisely, based on firing environment and conditions. Remember, "more power" doesn't always mean "more useful".
Shawn Robinson is an avid hunter and rifle scope expert. He also owns and operates the websites Scopes n’ More and the Night Vision Goggles site NightVision4Less.com, offering great deals on rifle scopes, night vision equipment, and binoculars.
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