Scope for mule deer and blacktail?

[Pass the mustard]

For those of you that don't know it by now, I've never hunted, but I plan to start after I move to Washington.  I want to hunt mule deer and maybe blacktail in northwestern and northcentral WA.  I've decided on a .308, but I'm going to wait until early next year to see if they're going to offer the stainless model in .308.  If not, I'll probably buy an Ultra.  I'm looking at two scopes for it, both are Elite 4200's.  One is 1.5-6x36, the other 2.5-10x40.  Both have a duplex reticle and 3.3" eye relief.  With good quality glass and a large exit pupil, both should have a bright image up to 6x.  But I'm stuck regarding the other ends of the equation.

I recently read an article that made a convincing argument for having a scope that can go up to around 10x for helping you read the wind on longer shots (I plan to limit any shots to within the MPBR, 300 yards at the most).  On the other hand, I was thinking that being able to keep it down at 1.5x would be better in the thick stuff, in case I happen to get a close range shot.  I've heard the horror stories about someone getting a close shot, but their scope was too powerful to find the animal or tell what they were looking at.

What makes this hard for me is that I've never been to the areas I figure I'll be hunting (my wife is from Seattle and wants to return to be near her family after many years away), so I don't know what kind of situation to expect and I have to rely on the advice of others.  What would be more important, higher magnification if I get a longer shot (mulies), or low power for the thick stuff (blacktail and mulies)?  Or would both scopes work well for both situations?

[like2shoot]

I reccommend the 1.5 X 6 . I reccomded one to a friend and he is satisfied with his. I have never had too wide of a field of view while hunting in deep, dark woods. I use a 1 X 4  and leave the scope on 1 power 99% of the time. I have used the 1 power in a field for 200 yards +  shots.  I never feel like I am at a disadvantage. If you have time you can increase the magnification , but leave the power low the rest of the time.

[Mac11700]

The 2.5 power setting is very good for hunting up close...even though I haven't used the Elites...many here have and love them.You don't really need a-lot of magnification for hunting in the thick stuff...but having a 10x scope can help you see better on the farther-away shots.Not knowing what type of cover you'll be hunting in,makes it a little difficult to make plans for...but if it were me..I would go with the 2.5-10x.....that way you'll be covered for just about any type hunting or target shooting you'll encounter.You can always leave the scope on the lower settings when needed and turn it up when hunting open areas.......if you can try to look thru both scopes at a deer size target at 300 yards...see if you can see it clearly enough to make a shot at this distance and then deceide which one would be right for you....there is a big difference between looking at something out in an open field and up against a tree line at 300 yards...you'll need to be able to clearly define your target and what's behind it as well...

Mac

[quickdtoo]

I've hunted my whole life here in Washington, most of the time with either open sights when I was young, and later with a k4 steel weaver. I've hunted with a 2-7 compact leupy on a .308 BLR for the last 20 yrs and 99% of the time on 2x. Very seldom have a reason to use 7x cept for a couple long clearcut shots that I needed to determine if I had a legal buck in sight. I've been carrying binocs for the past few yrs most of the time, so I seldom use the high end of the scope anymore at all. The 2x is extremely good for quick shot aquistition at jumped bucks and has filled the freezer many a time. I would recommend a 1.5-6, 2-7 or a 3-9 or even the 2-10 if it's a small scope.

[Deadeye47]

I have a Bushnell Widefield 1.5 x 5 mounted on a Marlin 1894 44 mag.lever gun and I too leave it on the low power. Very quick handling...and I always leave it on the low power...Plenty of scope for what I use it for..... I wouldn't take a 300 yard shot with a 44... :roll: Corse I have while kickin at the campfire...

[greenjeans]

I never use my higher powers except occasionally when sighting in. Just don't need it for deer size game. I don't like the "shakes" at higher power, which I get if I don't have a good rest. 4 power is about tops for me.

[safetysheriff]

I really like the 2.5 - 10 x  50  Pro-50, made in Korea, by Simmons.   Good glass, even up close, with no objective to adjust.     I've been very pleasantly surprised by how clear it is up close...    I put it on three Millet Angle-Loc rings on a Handi .223 heavy barrel.     Excellent set up.

Take care.

[gwhilikerz]

I have never been a fan of higher powers for deer hunting. When I was a kid one of our hunting party insisted on using a 10x for deer hunting, saying the same things about reading the wind and such. All the adults tried to talk him out of it to no avail.  This gentleman was a state trooper and was a very good shot with his Winchester 70. One day while sitting in a ground blind watching a field about 150yds long a nice buck walked out at about 25 yds. The trooper raised his gun for the shot, but all he could see was hair. By the time he had found the deer's eye in the scope and traced along the back to find the lungs the deer was gone.  He took out his swiss army knife and removed that scope and gave it a fling into the woods. We spent all night looking for that scope :grin:

[Mac11700]

That's the beauty of having a variable power scope...and I don't know too many folks who don't check their settings on them prior to heading to their stands...or at least once it starts to become light enough to see out of them. I own a Leupold Vari X 1 in 2x7x33 and a Vari X 3 3.5x10x40...both are very good scopes...but I'll take the extra magnification when trying to take a shot at 300 yards...it's a personal choice...of course...but for all types of shooting ...why just limit yourself to a lower power scope...does he really need it...definatly not in thick timber...but remember...he's setting a MPBR of 300 yards...and with that... a 10x will definatly come in handi...


Mac

[Pass the mustard]

Hmmm.... :?

[safetysheriff]

When I arrive at the scene of my 'stand', which is on the ground actually, I oftentimes will turn my scope down to 4x, though sometimes only down to 6x.     However, because of that excellent glass, and possibly the 50 mm objective, I get plenty of view, and it is not blurry....

I'll stick by a compromise scope of either 3-9 or 2.5-10 power if the glass is good.     I like my Pro 50' by Simmons about as much as any scope I've looked through -- especially for the money!

It's what works for me...

Take care.

[Mitch in MI]

SS:

Did you say that you had a Korean Pro-50 2.5-10x50?

It's been a few years since I owned one, but I thought they used to be made in the same Phillipine factory as the 44MAG and Whitetail Classic.

[safetysheriff]

Mitch,

I'm not sure how many factories are actually over there.    But the scope is a somewhat more expensive unit than the Chinese-made Pro-Hunter.     I paid approx' $100 at Wal-Mart for the Korean-made Pro-50.

My recent purchase of a Simmons Deerfield 4-12x40 also came from Korea.    It has an adjustable objective, however, which is not as convenient as the Pro-50 which is a better scope all-around for deer, as far as my hunting goes.

Take care.

[Pass the mustard]

Okay, I think I'll go with the 1.5-6x.  I'm restricted in my decision-making ability because I'm new to hunting, I don't have anyone to show me the ropes, and I'm also going into this situation blind (moving to a place where I don't know the terrain).  My gut instinct tells me I should power-down.  The lower magnification will be helpful if I hunt the thick stuff and happen to get a very close shot.  But being new to this game, I don't think I should attempt long shots until I've got some experience under my belt.  Even though the cartridge has a MPBR of 300 yards, if I spot a critter that far, my feeling is that  I should still try to get closer to 200 yards to reduce the chance of making a bad hit.  I wouldn't want a wounded one to get away (besides, 'stalking' the critter is part of the appeal for me).  With this in mind, I think 6x should be plenty for now.  When I've got some experience and I know what I'm doing, then I'll consider longer shots and more powerful scopes.  I also plan to carry a laser rangefinder, since I don't have any practical experience with range estimating.  I figure I'd rather be sure than just guess and end up making a bad hit because I guessed wrong.

Since I've never had anyone to teach me about shooting, I learn on my own by doing lots of reading, asking questions, then I let my gut instinct guide me.  Now I'm trying to apply that approach to hunting, since I have to learn  it on my own also.  Thanks for all the opinions, it's much appreciated! :agree:  :grin:

[Mac11700]

Your scope choice isn't as important as learning how to shoot your rifle well and learning how to controll your movements when trying to shoot.You show a-lot of intellegence with your deceision and your reasoning...I think you'll do quite well.Nothing will get you to shoot better except lots of practice....and that includes  from the various positions you'll use when hunting...try to find someone in your area to "show you the ropes"...I'm sure you can find a few good folks to help you once you get situated at your new location...you can try the local Conservation department and see if anyone there can help out...or try at one of the local gun shops...you can even try now where your at and see if someone would like to take you under their wing so-to-speak.....either way....good luck to you.......


Mac

[MGMorden]

Well, I hate to go counter to the crowd, but I've always like the "standard" 3x-9x.  All of my scopes run at the level, except for on my 10/22 on which I have a 2x-7x.  I generally hunt a bit differently (whitetail deer, and from treestands.  No stalking), but because of the thick cover most of my shots are at about 50 yards or so.  I just use 3x and never feel like I'm too close in.  And if I need to take a really long shot then I can bump up to 9x easily.