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Rifle Scopes What magnification for 1000m shooting?

redroan45

redroan45

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Jun 15, 2010
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Ashton, Idaho
I want to know everyone's personal preferences for glass for 1000m shooting (I am not talking brands, just powers). I am either going with a 3.5-15x NF, 3-12x S&B, or I may wait for the new 3-20x S&B. I have never owned anything over 15x, so I am just wondering if I am missing out. My cousin swears by his 10x, and I can see the target easily at that power, but I seem to hold better up at 14x.
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

Get ready for a shit storm, its inevitable when asking any which one is best question. Everyone has told me go up to 15x or 20x if you can afford it and want it. Dont think you can go wrong with either brand Good luck
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

Good brand choices. I like to have the option of more power if I need it and that's where it's nicer to have a FFP variable. I would say the 3-20 S&B or if you can't wait then get the 5-25 S&B. Price wise they will be about the same. I have 2 5-25s and have used them in competitions and love them.
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

Dont forget the Hensoldt 4-16X56FF....I've been loving it on my new .260. Plenty good to get you out to and beyond 1000 meters.
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

All are great choices here!

I have NF 12-42 why? I don't know I can rarely use any power over it's ranging power of 22 otherwise you constantly fight the mirage! But on great days early in the morning when the thermals are low WOW that extra power makes a difference at longer yardages but that is just me most probably won't agree.

15 to 20 power is more than plenty pick the brand that fits your income and needs with your choices you can't go wrong!!
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

uso 3.8-22
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

well looks like im odd man out, I like my 10x, even though their variable i rarely if ever, go over 10x
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

I like having 20+ power, but I find that most of the time I find my power ring around the 10-16 area, I guess my eye just likes it there. Having the ability to crank it up to 20, 22, or 25 makes it real nice though when trying to ID something.
My new PST (arriving 1st thing next week ) is a 4-16, I think it will work out perfect.
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

I have a 6-24ffp PST on the way, but ill bet ill never use more than 16-18x for shooting. My first time past 600 yards was a jump to 1200 yards. At that distance, mirage at 16x was crazy! Of course it was 100 degrees in the middle of the desert...
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

CStactical-What is your reasoning for going higher with te FFP? I got the 14x last time because I didnt want to fight mirage, so if i got a 25x would I even be able to use those higher settings enough to justify it?
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: redroan4</div><div class="ubbcode-body">CStactical-What is your reasoning for going higher with te FFP? I got the 14x last time because I didnt want to fight mirage, so if i got a 25x would I even be able to use those higher settings enough to justify it? </div></div>

I am guessing the reason for higher power with FFP is that you can easily use it at any of the lower power settings and thus the high power is not an issue with ranging/hold over.

Other question to ask is what is the lowest power one will need/use? For a large heavy rifle that one will never shoot off hand and/or at moving targets, then a low end of five or so power is not bad. However, for anything that one might use closer, offhand and/or moving targets, the lower power options of 2.5 to 3.5 become much more interesting.
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: redroan4</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I want to know everyone's personal preferences for glass for 1000m shooting (I am not talking brands, just powers). I am either going with a 3.5-15x NF, 3-12x S&B, or I may wait for the new 3-20x S&B. I have never owned anything over 15x, so I am just wondering if I am missing out. My cousin swears by his 10x, and I can see the target easily at that power, but I seem to hold better up at 14x. </div></div>

I've shot at 1k a few times and my 48 yr old eyes like the 17-20x range on 8" plates, mirage allowing.

Chris
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

Even with a 22 power scope (NSX) I have a hard time seeing my 4'X 3' target boards at 1300 yrds. More power is better but quality glass is critical.
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

If its gonna be a dedicated long range only rifle I would want more power. (say 1000 yd F-Class or BR) But if used in a true tactical style. I like me 5.5x22 NF
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

Agree with RobertB--it depends upon your usage. If it is dedicated, and you don't plan on carrying/hunting with it, then you can go larger/heavier/bulkier. If your goal is a more portable/lighter long range rifle, then that might influence your choice. There is a natural tendency to go higher in magnification, but as stated earlier, mirage makes the higher powers (above 16-20x) unusable MOST of the time. Your choice of brands is great, as higher quality glass has better resolution at the higher magnifications. The military has to find a compromise that balances many different qualities, and since most of our systems have been .308, 10X was a good balance. Now, with the advent of better/more dependable variables, and better long-range cartridges (.300 WinMag and .338 LM), the typical scopes are similar to the three that you mentioned in your first post.
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: redroan4</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I want to know everyone's personal preferences for glass for 1000m shooting (I am not talking brands, just powers). I am either going with a 3.5-15x NF, 3-12x S&B, or I may wait for the new 3-20x S&B. I have never owned anything over 15x, so I am just wondering if I am missing out. My cousin swears by his 10x, and I can see the target easily at that power, but I seem to hold better up at 14x. </div></div>

There have been times I could use 22X on a 1 moa target at 1K and farther w/o issue. There have also been many more times I could not get past 8X shooting the same targets, as mirage was that bad.

As long as you can quarter the target, or use a 6/12 O'clock, or double bracket on round targets you should have nothing to worry about.
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

Somewhere from 15x to 20x is about ideal for 1000yrd/m , often times more than 20x you get so much mirage you have to back off anyhow. Like Rob said above, it's better to have the extra magnification than to not have it, a S&B or Nightforce up to 25x would be great IMHO..
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

I have a 5-25x and I rarely ever take it off the highest magnification setting. I'm not sure what mirage you guys are dealing with, but I use mine to shoot at 500-1000 yds fairly regularily and I don't find mirage to be much of an issue, even when its in the 100's here.

I dunno, I just like seeing things in good detail. I think a benefit of bigger glass for 1000 yds is seeing the hits on steel AFTER the shot through the scope. Yes, I can HIT the target with a 10x - but I can actually SEE the splash mark with my 25x.

YMMV.
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

The other thing to consider is the bulk and weight of the scopes.

The S&B x5-25's have 56mm objectives while their x4-16 and x3-20 both have 50mm objectives.

I have a x4-16 and like very much, but I'd have probably gone with the 3-20 had it been available.
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

The S&B 3-20 gets my vote. almost ideal tactical magnification range. if you are only shooting at 1000 then get i'd go for more mag.
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

i have a 4.5-14. it works ok for most targets out to 1k but smaller targets like groundhogs at a grand are very difficult at 14x. i am planning on upgrading to a s&b 25x as soon i can get the money together.
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Shot In The Dark</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Even with a 22 power scope (NSX) I have a hard time seeing my 4'X 3' target boards at 1300 yrds. More power is better but quality glass is critical. </div></div>

For anything over 600 yards I fell 22X is to low a magnification, at least for me. I'm happy with my NF 8-32X56 NXS but the 12-42X56 NXS might have been a better choice, for my tired old eyes.
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Adam135</div><div class="ubbcode-body">How come no one recommends Leupold Mark 4's? </div></div> because there are many better opitions out there.
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

i like that 5.5-22 or 5.5-25, but i find some guys shooting that far like more magnification, like 8-32.
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

I like 20-25x when the conditions will allow it. Obviously sometimes the mirage won't let you do it, or it's just easier to back down to 16x or even a little less than that. Either way, when I can, I'd much rather have my scope dialed up to 20-25x. Always better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. On a precision rifle I very rarely go below 6x; I've had scopes that went below that, and just never dialed them below that. It's the reason that I don't really buy scopes anymore that go much below 6x, because I don't use it. For me, I'd rather give up 1 or 2x on the bottom of the range, and gain 8-10x at the top. That's how I feel about it. I think good quality glass around 20, 22, or 25x area will serve you well. I don't see much of a point to go above 25x though, if you need it for ID'ing something, get out a spotting scope. I just find the field of view too small at higher magnificaitons than that, and I find my hold "feels" like it suffers. Maybe it's because I'm not a professional, but I can deal with my hold at 20-25x, but I don't want to feel like I'm going everywhere at 32x. This is a tactical rifle, not some BR. That's my humble opinion.
 
Re: What magnification for 1000m shooting?

I agree with most of the posts here. Somewhere in the low to mid 20's at the top end and a variable for the mirage. I live in the sunny SW and mirage is a major problem here on most days, even in the winter at times. Good glass and adjustments mean more than power at the top end. Actually really good glass down to 15 or 16 would do it but it's nice to have a little more at times.
 
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