Scope question....underpowered?

[Ed/Pa]

As a hunter in the east where most of my shots have ranged from 40 to 100 yards ,I've had a 2x7 scope mounted on my rifle for years.
Thinking next year of a western deer hunt in open country where shots may range from 75 to 225 yards.
My question is do you think my 2x7 is underpowered for this type of hunt ?

 

[eliphalet]

No it is enough.
I hunt western sage brush area's a lot a using a 3X9 mostly but also 2X7's. Only once in many animals have I used more than 4 power for a shot at deer and the was only 6X.
Take your 2X7 outside and look at deer sized objects at 300 yards and under, you will see it is plenty.

 

[R.W.Dale]

No No and NO

You leave a variable scope set on it's lowest magnification when hunting for a reason. Myself I've never touched the magnification knob before taking a shot at game. Higher magnification settings are for the range only!

 

[dakotasin]

My question is do you think my 2x7 is underpowered for this type of hunt ?

no, it will be ok. i live and hunt in the 'open west' and i hunt w/ my variables at 6x. once the bipod is deployed, and the laser spits out a reading, then the decision is made to go higher or not - but at 225 yards max, 7x is more than enough.

enjoy your hunt!

 

[Dienekes]

Considering that humane shots beyond 250 yards get a little problematical, no. I run a 4x Weaver on a M70 '06 and have shot it on rocks, etc., out to 500. Only recently put on a 6x to see if it has any advantage for that range.

My daughter has a 3x on her .243 and her last deer was quite tasty.

I would be more concerned about solid shooting positions, range estimation and reading the wind.

 

[Shawnee]

I've shot woodchucks in the Midwest to distances beyond 350 yds. and deer and coyotes in the West to distances beyond 300 yds. with a .243 topped with a 2x7 and never needed or wanted any more magnification. The brightness and compactness of the 2x7 are definitely nice "pluses" over the bigger scopes

 

[Ed/Pa]

Well..it seems Unanimous. I usually leave my 2x7 at 4 power for shooting around this neck of the woods. Will have to experiment a bit. I plan on shooting at 200 a lot before the trip. Back here in the country I hunt its a mighty rare occassion to shoot a deer at that range, it's even hard to find a range over 100 yards, so I had to ask. Thanks again!!

 

[jpwilly]

I personally prefer the 4-16x scope I have on my 30-06. 4 power is plenty for deer within 100yrds but at 300yrds I like the more.

 

[Jimmy Newman]

I've done a fair bit of shooting with a .375 wearing a 1-4x scope and it's fine well out past 200 yards.

 

[ECVMatt]

Leave that scope on...

I usually set mine on 3 or 4 power. If I need to take a longer shot, I have always had time to crank it up. I rarely use more than 6x in the field. I have hunted the wide open areas of CA all my life and pretty much have settled on the Leupold VX III 2.5x8 as my most useful scope. I even use it on some of my Varminting rifles.

If you are used to that scope, stay with it.

Have fun and let us know how you did.

Matt

 

[rangerruck]

I must admit, mostly it is no, you are fine, but I have found that a nice 4 x 12, can come in very handy, if you find a shot over 300 yds, it is quick to dial up, and really helps, in open areas.

 

[elmerfudd]

For deer with a maximum range of 225 yards, why would you need more than 7x? That's plenty of magnification to hit a deer sized kill zone at that range and with it set to 2x your target acquisition will be almost as fast as a red dot. Sure you could probably shoot tighter groups at longer ranges with more magnification, but deer won't care if you're shooting 1 MOA or 2 MOA. Either one is good enough to kill them every time at the ranges you're talking about. Taking a few extra seconds trying to locate your target with a high powered scope might blow your chances for a shot though.

 

[Walkalong]

No, it is not underpowered.

I have the Leupold 2.5X to 8X Vari-X III on my .308 and love it. It's biggest asset to me is the huge field of view at 2.5X. It is easy to hit at 300 plus yards with it at 8X and 7X would be just as good. I chose it over the Nikon 2X-7X because of the superior field of view at low power, not because it went to 8X instead of 7X.