Leupold BX-4 Rangefinding Binoculars

Which scope magnification for Varmits and Paper/steel targets

Sawtooth

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 14, 2012
Messages
1,900
Location
Idaho
I just picked up a Howa 1500 with a fluted varmint barrel in 223 rem. All my scopes have been 10 power or less and am playing with the idea of a fixed power in either 12, 16 or 20x. I will be using this rifle for shooting coyote, ground squirrels and prairie dogs out to 300 yards and paper/steel out to 500. Looking for some suggestions from the target shooting crowd.
 
Last edited:
I don't have experience with fixed power scopes, but of the three you mentioned and the dual-use you mentioned, I'd go with 12x. I prefer variable power scopes and speaking from the target shooting side I prefer lots of zoom and first focal plane. In competition I use a Vortex Razor 4.5-27 power or a Razor AMG 6-24 power. I love both scopes, but they are heavy and expensive. A couple other scopes that I've used a little and was impressed with were the Athlon Midas Tac, Nikon Black FX1000 and Burris XTR. Again, from the target side I sometimes like lower to mid zoom for faster target acquisition or just to watch bullet trace; other times I like high zoom on a tricky shot or to see where target impacts are without going to the target. I find the sound of impacts on steel targets to be very therapeutic.
 
By hunting coyote's I'm assuming you mean calling? If so, you may be a bit over-scoped with a fixed 12x. For paper and varmint's you'd be fine with anything. I've never played with anything fixed over 4x, so I'm not the greatest source, but I'd look variable if coyotes are in the mix, unless you plan on shooting closer song dogs with a shotgun
 
For the uses you describe, I'd look hard at the SWFA 10X. It gets better reviews than the higher powers. And the price is great!
 
Benchresters use 36+ power scopes so there's that. If you want to put your crosshairs between 2 hairs on a prairie dog's chest at 300 yards you won't get it done with a 10x.
 
"Fixed power" is the limitation in this question. I have a .223 for P-dogs. I have the Burris Fullfield E1, 6.5 x 20 x 50mm. Great for P-dogs out past 200 yards. I am the type of person the needs to locate on a lesser power and then zoom in on a higher power. As I have gotten better I am more able to locate at a higher power. Unless you are really good at locating a target while on "high power" I would think of a variable. Just my thoughts.
https://www.sportoptics.com/burris-...MI9JKK47r13wIVy7fACh3RxwgzEAAYASAAEgKr6fD_BwE

good luck to all
the dog
 
I shoot paper and steel targets at 300y, 400y & 600y and pd anywhere from 150-500. I find 18x to 24x useful magnification with pd and it's nice to see holes in paper at 20x to 42x with my nightforce BR depending on conditions. If you are shooting large steel, 12x to 15x is probably plenty. If I were shooting to your stated ranges/targets I would get a variable scope that runs to 20x or 24x. In my experience, no sense going up more than about 20x unless you are going to get pricey glass like nightforce or leupold 5HD/6HD - inexpensive high ends are too blurry to be useful.
 
Last edited:
After reading the thread about "The best scopes for around $300" I was looking at the SWFA scopes for this new rifle. My budget is in that $300 range and figured the fixed scopes from SWFA would be the best for that price range. I am open to others and will look at some of the suggestions mentioned above. Thanks guys for your insight. Keep it coming if you have more to add.
 
You won't find too many, if any, $300 scopes that can keep up with an SWFA for consistent, reliable dialing according to their reputation.

A poster here with way more experience and way more critters shot than I really likes a fixed 10X. I didn't see the logic, but decided to try a pronghorn hunt with my scope set on 10X the whole time. At least for that scenario I did not have any trouble, even at 70yds.
 
All my big game rifles have 2x7's, 3x9's, with one having a VX3i in 3.5x10. I usually keep them at the top end of their range in open deer and antelope country and drop them down to 4x in thick elk cover. Never had a problem getting on target with most shots being between 30 to 200 yards. I was thinking the 16x SWFA would be good for the smaller targets in open country and paper/steel targets at longer distances, but if visibility is a problem with the lower end glass, I may need to reconsider my options.
 
I'm not a coyote expert or an optics expert by any means... but in my experience with coyotes I'd def want something that has a lower end, unless like an above poster said you plan on bringing a shotgun. I've had them sneak in close a few too many times. FWIW, I'm putting a 2.5x10 on the AR I built for coyotes but I also don't plan on doing of the other stuff you mentioned. Life is full of trade-offs, optics are no exception.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
110,816
Messages
1,935,411
Members
34,888
Latest member
Jack the bear
Back
Top