Newbie - 6x42 Scope Sufficient?

[thomas_hunts]

Hey all,

I'm just getting into medium-large game hunting in Alberta, and I was wondering if the 6x42 Scope that comes with the rifle I'm buying will be sufficient for me? I'll probably only be hunting deer the first year or two.

Cheers,

Thomas

[Pathfinder76]

You’re ahead of the curve already.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by chuck

You’re ahead of the curve already.

/\ /\ absolutely /\ /\ !
Cat

[TrollGRG]

The scope on my favorite was a 3x to 9x. I put it on 4x and left it there ever since I got it - going on 30 years now

[25-284]

I bet it is a m8. Leupold. 6x42. I’ve had several of those over the years , wish I had them all back , tough as nails

[raised by wolves]

My main rifle had a 4x scope and that combination has bagged more than 200 deer, elk, and moose. I have since upgraded to a variable, as my eyes are changing, but a good 4X or 6X is all anyone really needs for realistic field shots.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by raised by wolves

My main rifle had a 4x scope and that combination has bagged more than 200 deer, elk, and moose. I have since upgraded to a variable, as my eyes are changing, but a good 4X or 6X is all anyone really needs for realistic field shots.

Spot on.....

[catnthehat]

The only reason the M8, 6X came off my favorite rifle is because my son have me a spiffy new Leupold for z Christmas present a few years back, with the variable lighted dot in it !
It is a 1-4x and stays of 4 .
The 6X went into my father's 280 and that replaced a Burris 6X that was on there for about 30
years .
Cat

[raised by wolves]

I have to add something:

Now I am an experienced shooter having grown up hunting, competing at long range before it was trendy, becoming a small arms instructor in the military, then moving into law enforcement, but when I first switched to a variable, I found myself messing around with the dial too much and inadvertently had it maxed out when I had a beauty buck appear at 20 paces. I observed the same issue with some of my hunting buddies in that they were continuously slow to get on an animal because they had the magnification dialled up too high. My advice for anyone choosing a variable over the fixed is condition themselves to leave the scope on a lower setting and only ever dial it up for the longer distance, prone shots. I often consider going back to a fixed 6X.

[Mateo]

I second this. grew up hunting and shoot a precision rifle. high magnification is only used for target shooting. when I'm hunting famland, i'm at 8-10X. when it comes to bush hunting, i'm at 5-6X. We had the m8 6x42 on the family .270 r700 that took many many blacktail deer on Haida Gwaii.