Scope for my 30-06 Deer Rifle

[Motega]

Hey don't sweat it, if you need to crank it up to 12X then you probably shouldn't take the shot with a rifle setup (caliber?) that's brand new to you. I bet you can hit a deer at 100 yards with iron sights if you are even a semi experienced hunter or shooter, so let's say 4X makes you good out to 250 yards- well that's FAR if you don't know how much that bullet is going to drop or how high you need to aim with that setup. Keep your shots under 200 yards and you are golden- and really don't sweat the $50 or whatever you overpaid that's probably not worth your time to go back and return it. Plus you know dang well the second you walk back into that store before a big hunting trip you are going to be spending a bunch more on stuff you just gotta have
I always look at the pile of crap I didn't use after a hunting trip and wish I could trade it for beer.

 

[goalie]

Right now Cabelas has Zeiss Conquest 3-9 Z-Plex on sale for 299 bucks. There is a 20 bucks off 150 dollars spent code as well, and it gets free shipping.

You could spend a LOT more and do a lot worse. Especially when it comes to eye relief and low-light ability

 

[outboard]

I've got an .06 scoped with a Zeiss Conquest 3-9X40. Great scope. Clear optics and durable. If you can return the Bushnell, do it. As stated above, lower power settings are advantageous in the field. However, if you will take a loss on the return, keep it and replace it later. Doesn't hurt to have a higher power scope around for bench work in the off season.

 

[Coltdriver]

So what happens is this; the objective lens (40MM) divided by the magnification gives you the width of the circle of light available to your pupil.

I have read 7mm is as much as any human can use. So if you divide the low setting 4 into 40mm you get a 10mm cone of light to your eye. More than you can use.

If you divide the 40 by the highest setting of 12 you get a 3.33mm cone of light. You may well have to move your eye forward a bit to get the full benefit of that light into your eye. You will also notice how much easier it is to "roll off" of the optimum view thru the scope. If you move your eye left or right even a little bit the edge of the view blurs quickly.

At the lower setting the 7mm point that is the most your eye can use will be back a bit further from the eye piece.

So the highest magnification you could use and get about the 7mm cone of light would be right around 6X (40/6 = 6.66). Actually 5.7X would get you the 7mm wide light to your eye. Any higher magnification and you will be moving your eye forward a bit.

 

[2ndtimer]

Right now Cabelas has Zeiss Conquest 3-9 Z-Plex on sale for 299 bucks. There is a 20 bucks off 150 dollars spent code as well, and it gets free shipping.

You could spend a LOT more and do a lot worse. Especially when it comes to eye relief and low-light ability

Thanks for the heads up. I have always wondered how good the Zeiss Conquests really are. Many people rave about them. Now I have one on the way. The rebate code almost covered the tax, and free shipping to boot! And I haven't even received my new Leupold VX-2 3-9X yet. But this Zeiss deal is just too good to miss.

 

[dubya450]

I think you should stick with what you have for now and check out leupold, trijicon, zeiss and the nicer nikkons in a year or so. I have always used leupold exclusively until this year when i bought a trijicon accupoint and its easily my best scope but at a much higher price. Cabelas has a great deal online right now for Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40 Z-Plex scopes for $299 and free shipping. They're normally $499 and i ordered one as a spare just because it was such a good deal.

 

[rayatphonix]

I agree with several of the others that 4x might be too much magnification at the low end. I know it is for me.

 

[d2wing]

It depends on the terrain you hunt. If you expect fairly long shots in lower light you might have the right scope. Moving deer at close range in cover may make you wish you had a 1-4, or 2-7.

 

[Kayaker 1960]

Scopes

I have a light weight .308 with an old Redfield "Widefield" 2-7 as well as a 30-06 with a Luepold VariX III 3-9 scope. Due to size and weight I prefer to 2-7 scope. I've yet to use the 3-9 cranked all the way up. Most of the time when hunting I have them set on 4x. In brushy areas having the 2x magification is nice.

 

[Speedgoat]

+1 more on a Redfield, I have a 4-12 power about 2 years old mounted on my .300 WM and it is a darned good scope for a rifle IMO.

 

[slowr1der]

I think the power range is a pretty decent choice, but I'm also not a Bushnell fan at all, and I certainly wouldn't trust a scope like that on my main hunting rifle.

 

[nodeal]

is 9x enough magnification to see .30 cal holes at 100 yards when shooting paper?

 

[rodensouth]

If the game laws are such that you must count points on your buck, then high magnification is helpful. At 120 yards if I had not cranked mine up to 12 last night, I would have taken an illegal deer. Little spikes are hard to see even at 80 on 4 power to me. That's why I sprung for a 2-12 scope, cause I like most leave it set low mostly.

 

[scheaman88]

is 9x enough magnification to see .30 cal holes at 100 yards when shooting paper?

It can be yes if you are using targets that have the color backing to show where your bullet hit. if you are just using plain paper targets with the black rings in the center then it will be slightly harder depending on your backdrop color.

 

[Coltdriver]

Seeing a hole at 100 yards depends largely on the quality of the glass you have.

If you have very high end glass, you can easily see the holes and you do not need contrasting backing.

If you have less you may have a hard time even with contrasting backing.

 

[steveo452]

I have 2-7 scopes on all 3 of my main hunting rifles. Number 1 rifle CZ 527 ( 7.62x39 ) has a Vortex Viper 2-7x32 my Marlin 336 in 30-30win. has the same scope as the CZ. My H&R Handi rifle in 45-70 has a Leupold VXII 2-7x33 All are great scopes for hunting. And the Vipers can easly hang with the Leupold at half the money. If I were you I'd jump all over that $299 Zeiss Conquest 3-9X40.

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

a good 3x9x40 always works and a fixed 6 power Leupold has worked for me for years.