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Fixed Power Scope for Hunting #5843080 07/22/15 06:10 PM
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I am buying a SWFA SS fixed power Mil/Mil scope and I am debating what power to get. This will be put on a Remington .243. Right now I am thinking either a 6 or 10 power.

Longest hunting distance will be 700 yards and the shortest will most likely be 100. However, sometimes I hunt in a thick area and I am worried if I get a 10 power scope I will have a tough time shooting a deer at 50 yards.

What do y'all think?

Re: Fixed Power Scope for Hunting [Re: Gone to Texas] #5843095 07/22/15 06:17 PM
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Fixed 10 will be fine as long as you are good at getting on target with both eyes open.


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Re: Fixed Power Scope for Hunting [Re: J.G.] #5843125 07/22/15 06:31 PM
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Originally Posted By: FiremanJG
Fixed 10 will be fine as long as you are good at getting on target with both eyes open.


Thanks Jason! Thats a good point, I have been practicing a lot with my .22 and at close range I am getting a lot better with both eyes open.

Re: Fixed Power Scope for Hunting [Re: Gone to Texas] #5843183 07/22/15 07:08 PM
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Gone To Texas, you're asking a lot of a .243 at ranges above 500 yards! It's retained energy will be very low, and dropping fast, even at 500 yards. Shot placement at those ranges becomes even more important than when you're taking a deer at shorter ranges. For your reference, check this out:

http://gundata.org/blog/post/243-ballistics-chart/

My general rule of thumb is to make sure I have "enough caliber at the maximum range I'll be shooting at game" to deliver at least 1,000 foot pounds of energy.

Re: Fixed Power Scope for Hunting [Re: mikei] #5843229 07/22/15 07:48 PM
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It will have plenty of energy for a coyote
Drop is irrelevant and he knows how to compensate for it.
He also knows how to place a shot, even at 700 yards.
Generic ballistic data charts are for amateurs.


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Re: Fixed Power Scope for Hunting [Re: Gone to Texas] #5843250 07/22/15 07:56 PM
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Thanks, FiremanJG, you're most kind to share.

Re: Fixed Power Scope for Hunting [Re: mikei] #5843262 07/22/15 08:03 PM
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You're welcome.

Since your first post had zero to do with the question of a fixed power scope and more about whether or not he should even be shooting anything at 700 yards with a .243


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Re: Fixed Power Scope for Hunting [Re: Gone to Texas] #5843266 07/22/15 08:05 PM
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I've got a SWFA fixed 10 on one of my deer rifles and it does everything I need in a hunting scope.


Originally Posted by unclebubba
Just to make sure that it is done thoroughly, I go both ways.

Re: Fixed Power Scope for Hunting [Re: mikei] #5843281 07/22/15 08:15 PM
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Originally Posted By: mikei
Gone To Texas, you're asking a lot of a .243 at ranges above 500 yards! It's retained energy will be very low, and dropping fast, even at 500 yards. Shot placement at those ranges becomes even more important than when you're taking a deer at shorter ranges. For your reference, check this out:

http://gundata.org/blog/post/243-ballistics-chart/

My general rule of thumb is to make sure I have "enough caliber at the maximum range I'll be shooting at game" to deliver at least 1,000 foot pounds of energy.


Thanks for the input but I'm not too worried about it especially with the handloads I am running.

After taking Firemans shooting class I am pretty confident taking a shot on a coyote at 700 yards.

Re: Fixed Power Scope for Hunting [Re: Gone to Texas] #5845266 07/24/15 12:54 AM
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How magnification does your binocular have? Do you ever wish they were only 6X? I don't think 10 is too much for coyote hunting.

Re: Fixed Power Scope for Hunting [Re: Gone to Texas] #5845315 07/24/15 01:17 AM
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Originally Posted By: Gone to Texas
I am buying a SWFA SS fixed power Mil/Mil scope and I am debating what power to get. This will be put on a Remington .243. Right now I am thinking either a 6 or 10 power.

Longest hunting distance will be 700 yards and the shortest will most likely be 100. However, sometimes I hunt in a thick area and I am worried if I get a 10 power scope I will have a tough time shooting a deer at 50 yards.

What do y'all think?

Sorry, but I guess I'm missing something(?) Isn't this exactly the reason they make variable power scopes?


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Re: Fixed Power Scope for Hunting [Re: pertnear] #5845357 07/24/15 01:39 AM
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Go to SWFA.com And look at the SS HD line of scopes. Then compare prices of fixed power versus variable.


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Re: Fixed Power Scope for Hunting [Re: Gone to Texas] #5845371 07/24/15 01:44 AM
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I hunted for years with a fixed 4 power. That worked fine. Then, later, I hunted for a few years with a fixed 6 power. That also worked very well. But these days, with terrific and very light variable scopes, why in the world would somebody hunt with a fixed power scope? And if all you have is a fixed 10 power, that is more of a limitation than a benefit. I say that, even though I keep my scopes set on about 8 power when hunting in open areas, but I can dial the power down when I hunt in the thick woods.

If ya gotta have a fixed power, I'd go for the 6 power. I shot coyotes out to about 400 with my fixed 6 with just the plain old Leupold Duplex reticle.


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Re: Fixed Power Scope for Hunting [Re: Gone to Texas] #5846384 07/24/15 06:23 PM
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either will be a hinderance at 50 yards


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Re: Fixed Power Scope for Hunting [Re: Gone to Texas] #5847898 07/25/15 07:49 PM
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I tried coyote hunting with a 10x. I had a hard time keeping track of a coyote moving at 100 yards and trying to keep it in the scope in brushy terrain. That may have been all me but just a note of experience.

Re: Fixed Power Scope for Hunting [Re: Gone to Texas] #5848721 07/26/15 02:21 PM
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I love my FX3 6 power Leupold on the Tikka T3 .243, just an awesome deer and hog gun setup. I can't imagine trying to shoot pass 200 yards with it though. My eyesight just isn't as good as it once was.

Re: Fixed Power Scope for Hunting [Re: Gone to Texas] #5849506 07/27/15 01:53 AM
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I love my Leupold 6x for setting in a Blind, it provides all the magnification that is needed.

A 10x for varmint hunting is not a bad idea. 10x is fine in open country in bush it is a little to much magnification. I have SS 10x on my 17 HMR and love it to shoot prairie dogs and yotes, this is all in open country. I do not have trouble tracking or finding targets with the 10x. I am not a big fan of the focus on the SS scope. Mine is pretty stiff but it does work just a little slow.

Re: Fixed Power Scope for Hunting [Re: Gone to Texas] #5855790 07/30/15 08:37 PM
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I used to shoot at all ranges out to 350 on all kinds of game for years with a fixed 2.5X Weaver..., 'til an EXPERT told me it was impossible to shoot past 50 with ANYTHING LESS THAN A 3-9X....he also told me a .38 wont kill a deer..., as I dug the LSWC slug out of a 109# whitetail near Medina Lake....experts !!!


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Re: Fixed Power Scope for Hunting [Re: Gone to Texas] #5855835 07/30/15 09:04 PM
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Why make it any tougher than it is by using a low powered scope. Note that Nathan says that 6 power is good when he's in the blind, but 10 power would be nice for varmint hunting. Yep. You can do both with just one scope - a variable scope. What a marvelous idea.

Anyway, if the OP just has to get a fixed power, do get the 6 power. It'll be easier to sell when he finally decides to get a variable.


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Re: Fixed Power Scope for Hunting [Re: Gone to Texas] #5858942 08/02/15 12:08 AM
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I agree about the 6x; the Leo 6x42 is my favorite..., I wasn't saying get a low power; I was just comenting that you are not handicapped by low powers...IF you can use it within the context of ONES opportunities/skill....I was brought up on irons; so 2.5X was like day and night..., now a days ,variables are so clear and dependable; even low end scopes are MILES ahead of variables from 55 years ago when I started using scopes.


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