How Much, If Any, Will A High-magnification Scope Improve Your Guns Accuracy?

So, how much scope do you really /need/?

So, how much scope do you really /need/?

On todays rifle scopes, a range of 3-9x is considered to be very conservative, and 3-12x, 4-16x or 6-20x models are by no means uncommon. Scopes having even more bizarre zoom ranges are produced, and they have some legitimate uses.

In my younger days, virtually all rifles came equipped with iron sights. Some were drilled and tapped for attaching scope mounts, but by no means were they all. As time went by, most rifles were produced so that no gunsmith modification was necessary to mount a scope.

As the use of optical sights became more common, a larger proportion of rifles were furnished without iron sights. Now, looking through two catalogs from major manufacturers showed that only one or two of the vast array of rifle models were fitted with open sights. So, it is tacitly assumed that virtually all rifles are going to be used with scopes, but the question is, How much scope do you really /need/?

OPTICAL ILLUSION

Another aspect of the use of optical sights that has changed enormously is the types of scopes available. Fifty or 60 years ago, scopes on hunting rifles were usually fixed in magnification, with the most common powers being 2.5, 4 and 6. For varmint hunters, a higher-powered model, such as the Weaver K10 or one of its competitors, represented the epitome of sighting equipment. For many years, my .222 Remington 700 was so equipped.

Such was the case until about 40 years ago. About that time, some of the big optical companies started making high-quality zoom lenses for cameras that rivaled the capability of lenses of fixed focal length. It did not take long for the scope makers to follow suit.

Early zoom scopes usually had a modest range, perhaps 2.5-5x or 2-7x. Times have changed, and now, the zooming range of focal lengths of camera lenses may be as high as a factor of 5x or more.

MAGNIFICATION AND ACCURACY

Using one of my rather primitive handloads, the first 7/8-inch group I fired with my old .222 Remington was with a Weaver K4 mounted on the rifle. I was lying prone and shooting with an ammunition box as a rest.

About that time, the siren call of magnification came to me. It made me think that if I had a scope of higher power, I could shoot groups that were a lot smaller. So, I shelled out $57.50 (plus shipping) and ordered a Weaver K10 from one of the large mail order outfits.

When it came, I put it on the 700 RemingtonWow! Was that long scope ever impressive! After I sighted it in, a great truth dawned on me: My groups were not much different than they were with the K4 on the rifle.

by: Jack Benson

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