10x for Varmint hunting. What ranges?

[Northern]

Have to ask the pro´s here..

If you had a fixed 10x scope, with the crosshairs covering 0.2" at 100 yards.. at what ranges would you consider shooting small varmints at?

Say crow sized and smaller? Prarie dogs, ground hogs.


Just using hold over.. not clicking or complicated reticles.

[fat cat]

As far as you want to shoot them!

[mulepasture]

it sitting on top of and what will what ever it is sitting on top of be resting on when it is touched off..? Shooting sticks, Side mirror on an F-350, tree limb, bags, rolled up jean jacket, Sinclair Front rest on a table...? Caliber and rest make a big difference for me..

[Bill K]

As far as you can see them and as far as your ability will allow. I dial and have various adjustable power scopes, but more often than not shoot with them set at 10 to 12 X. Your 10x is just fine.
Remember years ago when scopes were first really coming into the market, the old standby for most shooting, hunt, varmint or what ever was a 4x and plenty of critters were taken. Bill K

[recoillug]

Reticle subtension (size) in relation to target size is an important consideration, at least for me. I used to shoot in a local F class = FPR match at 600 yards a few years ago and found that with aging eyes my fine reticle would get blurry from eye strain after a while. I swapped out scopes to one with a greater subtension, which was easier to see and focus on, but it covered so much of the 3” X-ring that I had a hard time aiming for the dead center. Ofcourse my scores fell off considerably. I tried adjusting the scope so that my point of impact was just above and off to the side of the crosshairs, but that didn’t work for me. I never could shoot the way I did with the thinner reticle. Point is, although you may not be shooting for score, you will have to decide if covering 0.8” of your target at 400 yards is critical or not.

[moorepower]

IF you have a duplex style and not a fine crosshair, typically from the center to the thicker part is 3" or really close to 3 moa. With the 3X12 on my .222 3 moa is 325 yds. I carry a printed out sheet with all my guns with the loads I am shooting, and you can easily get Prairie Dog accurate estimating your moa on a Duplex. Without looking I think I am 1.5-2.0" high at 100. Using the same method my 22H is 3 moa at 186yds. Your eyes will tell you how far you can shoot. The majority of my guns have a 4-16 and I prefer 16X at over 250, but it is not required.

[tstowater]

The 10X scope isn't going to be the limiting factor as much as the caliber and skills of the shooter. I use a 12X on a 204 for prairie dogs. Eliminate the wind and pretty much aim someplace on the dog at 0-300 yards (top of the dog at 300) and DRT. 10X will give you all the range you generally will need. The 20 to 25X are great for head shots, etc. when you don't have much of a target to shoot, but a little patience and you will be good to go with the 10X.

[Hog Patrol]

I've shot groundhogs at 400 yards with a 2x10 Trijicon with the post reticle on a custom .17 Fireball, same rifle crows out to 300. As others have said, the shooter and his rifle are the limiting factors.

[Daryl]

Back East in South Western Ontario, I had 10X and 12X scopes on my 6.5 mag and .22-250. I thought I had the bee's knees for varminting, with groundhogs and fox being the quarry.
Now, out West and shooting gophers, coyotes and the odd poke at a wolf, I like my 6 - 24X40's, 6-24X50's. I use open sights, 4X or 4-16x40 on my big game rifles, but scopes seldom set over 4X.

[foxhunter]

early 80' I used a pair of 10x Redfield scopes and a 24x Leopold 1/8 in dot. down in Georges back yard you could shoot the 24 from 7 am to about 10 and then the heat waves turned the 24 into shooting thru a swimming pool with dirty water. I would switch to the 10 powers for the rest of the day. killed thousands of prairie dogs with a 10 power out to 400 yards.
it's more about the shooter and caliber than scope.