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Rifle Scopes Ideal mag for shooting 500 thru 1000yds

Rob.Dizz.89

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Minuteman
Apr 27, 2014
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I'm currently building a savage 6.5 Creedmoor to shoot 500+ yards on a regular basis. I really do not want to buy new optics unless I absolutely have to. The scope I currently have to mount is a Swarovski PH 6-24x50 with the TDS reticle. If this scope won't do the trick I guess I'll be buying a Nightforce Benchrest 8-32x56 although not right away, I'll have to save up for a month or two for that one.
 

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Magnification needed depends on target being shot. Guys shoot 1000 yards with open sights but their targets are 6'x6'. MOA sized targets(1" at 100 yards or 10" at 1000 yards) I like to have at least 15x. I like having 20-25x on the top end and then I can always dial down. Never found the need to have over 25x. Have shot to 2500 yards on 17x.

One thing to make sure you watch is the amount of internal elevation on scopes. Usually the higher powered scopes will have less travel. So figure out how much elevation you need to get to your desired range and then make sure your scope will get you there.
 
I'm currently building a savage 6.5 Creedmoor to shoot 500+ yards on a regular basis. I really do not want to buy new optics unless I absolutely have to. The scope I currently have to mount is a Swarovski PH 6-24x50 with the TDS reticle. If this scope won't do the trick I guess I'll be buying a Nightforce Benchrest 8-32x56 although not right away, I'll have to save up for a month or two for that one.
a 10X is plenty to shoot out 1000.
 
Sometimes resolution matters as much as glass quality. Most of the time my 25x is on 12x-15x. I know some guys that always shoot on 25x. For me I like shooting on lower power because I see less of my input on the rifle---less reticle bouncing. I also like having a large field of view. Everybody is different and have different needs. F-class guys tend to want more magnification for finer point of aim and too see markers better. So long as you can see enough to our the reticle on the target and have enough elevation, anything over 10x will get you there.


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I recently shot 700 yards for the first time and was actually surprised how little magnification i used. Target was a 66% steel torso. I stayed on 6.5x for most the majority of the time. Was easy to see the target. I did dial up to 20x but didnt really see a need to shoot at that high.

But it would depend on what shooting you are doing. Just hitting the target...you dont need much. Trying to shoot for groups....i like having more. But a 20-25 top end should be plenty for you
 
Sometimes resolution matters as much as glass quality. Most of the time my 25x is on 12x-15x. I know some guys that always shoot on 25x. For me I like shooting on lower power because I see less of my input on the rifle---less reticle bouncing. I also like having a large field of view. Everybody is different and have different needs. F-class guys tend to want more magnification for finer point of aim and too see markers better.

This^. I like having a scope that can adjust up to at least 20-25x for 1k shots, but I don't always have it dialed there. As Ty said, its nice having that wider FOV so you can see where your shots go if you're throwing them. Can't always see that with the higher magnifications. Starting at 10-15x then working up is a good practice.

Rob01 has a great point as well. Really depends on your target and size. I'm usually shooting at a 3'x3' plate at a grand so I don't think I ever go over 20x. Plenty to shoot and usually to see the impacts.

Trevor B.
 
What is the target size at 1,000 yrds ?

Probably about 3'x3'. I haven't done a lot of long range shooting, so for a while I'll just be practicing hitting the target in general, but sometime in the hopefully near future I'd like to be able to shoot groups. Once I'm pretty decent at grouping on a regular basis I'd like to maybe enter some competitions.

And thank you to everyone else who has commented on this thread, I feel way more confident that my Swarovski will be more than enough scope. Hell, I might be able to use a Zeiss 6.5-20x50 I have sitting around if 20x is about the most I'll be using.