ORIGINAL: kry226

I guess I'll be the first to go against the grain. I currently have an 870 with Hastings barrel and Bushnell 1.?-4.5x with the Circle X reticle. I think this scope is great, and I have killed more deer with it than any other gun I own. But after seven years, I am realizing that this gun combo is more accurate than I can be with this scope at 100 yards. I know the bold reticle of this scope doesn't really help much, but I really feel I would be better served with a higher power scope. When I have the extra cash, I'll probably opt for something in the neighborhood of a 2.5-10x, or at least a 3-9x.

If I hunted areas where I would never see a shot past 50 yards, I would keep it as-is. But nearly all of my hunting is done on military installations which requires the use of slug guns or muzzle loaders, and its hard to have a lot of confidence in a 4x outfit while sitting a decent sized field or late season ridge where the shots could be 100 yards or more.

IMHO, buy more scope than you need, so you can have the best of both worlds: low power for close-up, low-light shots, and higher power for making the longer shots that these guns are surely capable of.