Balancing FOV/what power to shoot on game

[bojangles808]

I was a "shoot on max power guy" since I started hunting bc I thought the animal bigger in the scope always gave me more confidence. It worked well until it didn't. I was too slow on a follow up shot and it cost me an animal. Reading up on here that max power isn;t always a great idea, and FOV to take that follow up shot and spot shots is critical to being a better marksman.

My question is how then does one balance adequate FOV with what power you shoot on game on a variable power scope? is it as simple as just shoot on the minimum power you are confident in depending on target/situation so you have the most FOV? Or is there more to it?

 

[Geewhiz]

I've been having alot of these same thoughts lately and am curious to hear responses as well.

 

[nobody]

I was a "shoot on max power guy" since I started hunting bc I thought the animal bigger in the scope always gave me more confidence. It worked well until it didn't. I was too slow on a follow up shot and it cost me an animal. Reading up on here that max power isn;t always a great idea, and FOV to take that follow up spot shots is critical to being a better marksman.

My question is how then does one balance adequate FOV with what power you shoot on game on a variable power scope? is it as simple as just shoot on the minimum power you are confident in depending on target/situation so you have the most FOV? Or is there more to it?

I read/heard at one point in the past couple of years this rule of thumb: 1x magnification for every 100 yards between you and the target. That's what's resonated with me as of late. Sometimes a little more is better, and sometimes I feel like I want a little less. But I think if most guys start there along their thought process it will paint a picture that most can follow and appreciate.

 

[Formidilosus]

My question is how then does one balance adequate FOV with what power you shoot on game on a variable power scope? is it as simple as just shoot on the minimum power you are confident in depending on target/situation so you have the most FOV? Or is there more to it?

Depends on the recoil/movement of rifle, cartridge, etc.; and the skill of the shooter. No more magnification than recoil from any given shot will move you off the entire surrounding area of the animal- I want to not only see the animal during recoil, I need to keep it inside the FOV of the scope the entire time, AND watch the entire area in case/when it moves, and any animal that could possibly move around it.
Aiming and quartering the front half of a game animal can be done to quite long distances with a 4x. Increasing magnification does not materially help anyone shooting living, moving targets more than the issues that too much magnification causes.

For the vast, vast majority of shots and shooters, any more than 1’ish X per hundred yards is going to cause problems.

 

[chicoredneck]

I shoot a lot at distance. My favorite scopes have a zoom of at least 20x on the high end for sighting in and really making sure I’m getting a good zero and confirming accuracy. The rifles I shoot are accurate enough that the added zoom for los development/sight in is helpful.

When hunting I dial my scope up or down so that I have the entire animal within the scope and at least ~1.5x the size of the animal of terrain between the animal itself and the end of the field of view. With my 300 prc, I give it even more space so that I can safely see my impacts.

 

[XLR]

I think it all starts with the scope that you have because the FOV changes depending on the scope. For example a Mark 5 has a pretty tight FOV compared to an Atacr. So the mark 5 could have the same field at 15x as an Atacr at 18x.

Next is cartridge. A 6.5 PRC will allow you to stay on target a lot better than a 300 PRC would so balancing the energy you need with your cartridge also helps a lot.

Get a good brake and it will do wonders! A bare muzzled 6.5 creed kicks almost as much as a 300 PRC with an APA or 419 brake. They are loud though so a can is a great in-between!

Last thing is just shooting more! The more you shoot the better you will become at getting a good body position behind the rifle and spotting shots. For me personally I can spot all of my shots at 400+ on 16 power when I am prone. Shooting off the top of a tripod I will drop it to a 12 power for spotting shots. That is all with a suppressed 6.5 PRC to give you an idea!

 

[Hippie Steve]

The lower the magnification the more FOV you will have typically. That being said it depends on what type of country you hunt and what ranges. I would keep your scope on the lowest magnification setting unless you need more magnification for a longer distance shot. Example: I hunt the mountains only, my average shot is 83 yards on what I hunt, I keep my scope on the 3.5x magnification setting and I can see the target effectively until about 175-200 yards on that power before I need to increase power. My scope's FOV @100 yards on the 3.5x power is 29 feet and on the 10x it's 11 feet. That's just my example and everyone will be different. Hope that helps some.

 

[WKB]

I had a real nice 3-15x power scope with a cool drop calculator/compensator and turrets on my main rifle for a couple of years because I thought I needed the magnification and drop compensator to reach out and make an ethical shot. Until I went through my hunting journal and realized almost ALL of my shots on game (even the ones out to 450-ish yards) I never exceeded 6x magnification. I then had to relook how I thought about optics and what my needs were versus my wants. I ended up mounting a leupold 3.5-x10HD on (just because I couldn't find a 2.5-8x) with a simple duplex and the CDS turret and gained about 11 oz in weight savings.

 

[Caseknife]

All my scopes are in the 2.5x8 to 3.5x10 range and they are usually on the lowest power while hunting, but I hunt timber. Can't really remember increasing my scope power to make a shot, probably because I usually don't have the time. Then again I have killed many animals with iron sights, real good field of view.

 

[PathFinder]

I've come to the conclusion that it's better to set mag/FOV based on environment more so than range. For the same reasons Form outlined above, I find myself setting mag/FOV based on being able to see where the animal goes and what it does after the shot. For example, if I'm shooting across a canyon at a 100 yd clearing 800 yards away, I'll set mag so that I can see the entire clearing in the FOV. That guarantees I can see everything the animal does until it gets out of sight into trees/brush. It's not uncommon for me to pick a power that is less than 1x/100yds.

 

[Wolf13]

I prefer lower power for the FOV and lack of mirage. Even when target shooting with my TT that goes to 25x I shoot around 7-8x, but that’s only at 600+ yards. Occasionally I will use the upper ranges of power, but don’t find it provides much value. My hunting rifle stays between 2.5-5x.

 

[Formidilosus]

962 yards today with a 6xc and new load. 10” target. On a flat, shooting uphill, prone. I turned the magnification until I got to the point I knew I would see my impacts.

This is where it landed-



If the target could move, it would have been on 7-8x. Anymore recoil and I would have shot on lower magnification.