What do you guys reccomend for an old Interarms 30-06 ? I have a really old 3x-9x on it now and was thinking about going with another newer 3x-9x or even a 4x-12x. The longest shot I would see myself ever taking from my stand would be maybee 150 yds?
Even if you can take a shot over 150 yards the 3X9 will have plenty of magnification and a larger field of view. I would stick with a 3X9, most people spend the money on more magnification when they don't need it. This is assuming that you will only be hunting deer & not small varmints. Varmint hunting might be the only application where you would be helped with more magnification.
I just swapped out my 3-9x for a 4-16x. I know it seems like over kill because I have never shot a whitetail at more than 125 yds. However, field judging a buck in brush or the shadows is far easier as is target viewing at the range. The close range field of view is still wide enough for short shots. My vote is 4-12x.
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3-9 or 2-7 will be plenty of magnification,my seldom never leave 4x or 6x when I'm hunting,playing the varible on a scope will cost ya,oneday your gonna forget to set it back to 4 or 3 and then thats when you will have a 25 yd jump shot at the biggest bull or buck of your life.
Get the 3x9 set it a 4x and forget it unless he's out there 250+ yds.
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If there's nothing wrong with the old 3-9 I'd just leave that on it. I've got an old Bushnell Banner 4x that must be decades old but it's never given me problems so it stays in use. It's not as clear as new optics (as I assume yours isn't) but if you're not taking longs shots anyway....
If you're intent on buying a newer one I'd suggest the 3-9x. Decent zoom for the range and more than enough for hunting.
What brand is your old 3-9? If it's a Leupold, you can send it to them and they'll refurbish for free (lifetime guarantee, not required to be original owner). Just a thought.
As you say that the longest shot you will take would be 150 yards then I sudjest a low power varible like a 1.5 X 4.5 power. At 1.5 power you will have a much larger field of veiw for the close in shots. At 4.5 power you will have more than enough power for 150 yard shots.
All of my .30-06s have 3-9x scopes on them, and I find them entirely satisfactory at the target range. However, when hunting, I find that I almost always crank them down to no more than 5 or 6 power, usually to 3 or 4 power, so as to maximize the field of view. I am seriously considering changing the old cheapie Bushnell 3-9x32 on my Remington 742 to a lower power, higher end scope, perhaps a 2-7x or even a fixed 4x. My 742 isn't all that accurate (2.5 moa or so) so increased magnification isn't really going to buy me much. Also, I like the smaller diameter 32 mm scope on this rifle; they just look better, and if I get a better quality scope, I am hoping that the improved glass & coatings will compensate for the smaller objective lens. I am sold on my Zeiss Conquest scopes but I would like to also try a Leupold someday as well, and Zeiss doesn't offer scopes with 32mm objective lenses to my knowledge.
I do have a .243 with a 4-12x40 scope on it. I really like the increased magnification when I am at the range, but since I never shoot varmints (or haven't yet, anyway) I don't find the increased magnification useful in the field. I did take a deer with it two years ago... with the scope cranked down to about 4 or 5 power.
Frankly, for 150 yard shots, I would either stick with 3-9x or maybe even go down a bit in magnification. After all, you're hunting, not precision target shooting, and you shouldn't need more than 4x to deliver a clean kill shot at that range.
ORIGINAL: CanWoodsman - As you say that the longest shot you will take would be 150 yards then I sudjest a low power varible like a 1.5 X 4.5 power. At 1.5 power you will have a much larger field of veiw for the close in shots. At 4.5 power you will have more than enough power for 150 yard shots. Good Luck
Agreed, most people seem to want to put too much glass on their rifles. Deer are big
targets, and if your longest shots are not likely to exceed 150yds you really shouldn't need anything more than 2x or 3x. A good 1-4x or 1.5x to 5x scope is all you need.
And, with the lower magnifications you get a better/wider field of view for those close
shots. All my woods rifles wear 1-4x or 1.5-5x. My .270Win. has a 2-7x on it.
Only my varmint rifle has a 3-9x scope mounted.
And, if I want to check out those antlers a little better before taking a shot, GET OUT THE
BINOCS! If you've got time to check 'em out, you've got time to do it right.
30-06 Scope --- 3x-9x or 4x-12x?
I've got an old Bushnell Banner 4x that must be decades old but it's never given me problems so it stays in use. It's not as clear as new optics (as I assume yours isn't) but if you're not taking longs shots anyway....
