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Fixed power vs Variable power scopes

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Poll Question: What is your preference for big game hunting
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
5 [16.13%]
21 [67.74%]
5 [16.13%]
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John Barsness View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote John Barsness Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/19/2009 at 22:36
Roy,
 
First I must emphaszie that I shoot and hunt a lot more than most people, sometimes with harder-kicking rifles.
 
Most scopes have failed due to accumulated recoil, though quite a few did so within 20 rounds on a .300-.416 magnum. Some took 100-200 rounds to fail, occasionally on rifles of pretty light recoil. One highly touted 2.5-10x failed within 150 rounds on a .204 Ruger. Two fairly pricey scopes in the 3-10x range failed to hold zero on a Mark X Ultra Lightweight .240 Weatherby in the past two years.
 
I do not bat scopes around while testing them, but apparently sometimes bouncing around in a safari vehicle has done scopes in.
 
Most commonly scopes fail to hold zero, or groups grow a LOT. The last is due to the erector tube shifting under recoil. I have also had the objective bell of two scopes come unscrewed. This is not always a part of "one-piece" tubes. One objective lens came loose within 20 rounds on a .416, and made a musical sound when the rifle was tilted back and forth.
 
But I must emphasize again that this is with a lot of shooting, with a lot of scopes. I have been testing 15-40 centerfire rifles and half that many scopes a year for at least 20 years. I have also hunted with a lot of other people in that time, and include among the failures those that happened to other people. In all the time only a few dozen variables failed in some way, a relatively small number considering the amount of shooting and testing. A deer hunter who shoots a rifle of at most .30-06/7mm magnum recoil will probably never have a scope fail.
 
On the other hand, I cannot recall having a fixed-power scope fail due to normal use in that time, though some have been broken by people or horses falling on them. I did break the reticle on a 6x scope once by over-tightening the mount rings, but that was my fault.
 
JB
 
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jonoMT View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jonoMT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/19/2009 at 22:36
I've had both and am now going back to a variable to extend my range. However, for anything under 300 yards I would have stuck with the 4X. It was just fine.
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Roy Finn View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Roy Finn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/19/2009 at 22:56
Thank you John. You may remember me saying that I had several instances of two variables getting knocked of zero during airline travel to Sask. I'm not sure that I could classify that as a scope failure because in all instances after the scopes were re-zeroed they stayed that way. I will say, however, after spending the time and money on trips like that it doesn't exactly give you a warm and fuzzy feeling as you go afield. One of those scopes was a popular 4.5-14x40 and the other was a much touted 2.5-8x36 of the same manufacture. After a couple of years of this I switched brands (and you know what that is) and I haven't experienced it since. I realize this is a very small sampling, but on the other hand, I don't believe that I am either that unlucky or lucky to have gotten two bad scopes from the previous brand to two exceptional from the latter.

Roy
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 300S&W Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2009 at 07:32
  Hey John,
  If you've still got that Simmons Prohunter Master Series scope you tested when they first came out,how is it doing? You seemed to be impressed with it and,if I remember correctly,you certainly put it through the ringer.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ed Connelly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2009 at 08:31
I certainly think that variable scopes are much more versatile, especially in rifles where the average fellow is not going to be shooting 10,000 rounds a year. 
 
However, I do not feel hampered by going out hunting with a 4X scope.  A 4X scope can absolutely be used on animals out to 300 yards.......the animals are just going to look kinda small in the scope and you are really going to have to concentrate to make a good shot.............kind of like shooting a woodchuck or a jackrabbit with a 22 with open sights at 130 yards......Bucky
 
I like fixed powers. They work.  They are tough.  They're " old fashioned "----like me.   Big Grin
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dogger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2009 at 08:44
...well not quite as old fashioned as you Ed, but still good!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2009 at 09:24
I like variable and fixed.  I have had several variable scopes, cheap and not so cheap, fail due to recoil on 30-06, one in particular (after only 4 rounds) recently became a .458 Lott target.  I've never had a fixed power scope fail.  There are places I hunt where it doesn't make sense to use a variable, don't need a scope at all, but in those places a fixed 4x works quite well.  The flexibility of a variable is welcome and I personally like high power glass if I know there is a likelihood of a long range shot.  I am generally able to get to 200yds or under, but there are always possibilities. 
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John Barsness View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote John Barsness Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2009 at 09:47
300 S&W,
 
Yeah, I've still got that Simmons Master Series 3-9x scope. It's not on anything right now, but it still works fine. It was a very early pre-production scope, made as they were getting ready for the first production run, and they made some minor changes for actuall production.
 
One minor problem with my scope is that the elevation turret is marked backwards. When you turn the dial "down," point of impact goes up! I have a small collection of such pre-production scopes with slight differences between them and the actual production run.
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2009 at 09:49
i would be intrested to ask craig boddington how many trijicon's he goes through a year in africa
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote John Barsness Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2009 at 10:16
Craig tells me he has had very good luck with Trijicon AccuPoints on .375s and even .416s.
 
The AccuPoint scopes are made in the same factory as Bushnell Elite scopes, which are quite tough. Only the reticles are installed here in the U.S. I see no reason the Trijicon AccuPoints wouldn't be as tough as the Elites, as obviously that Japanese factory knows how to make tough scopes.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2009 at 10:23
i may have to get one for my .375
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ed Connelly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2009 at 10:48
Originally posted by Dogger Dogger wrote:

...well not quite as old fashioned as you Ed, but still good!
 
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bricat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2009 at 10:50
More old, than fashioned!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ed Connelly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2009 at 10:54
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2009 at 10:56
yeah come on ed fanny packs went out a long time ago!Laugh
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bricat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2009 at 10:59
HA HA HA pyro said fanny pack! ha ha!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2009 at 11:02
Originally posted by bricat bricat wrote:

HA HA HA pyro said fanny pack! ha ha!
Laugh
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 300S&W Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2009 at 14:47
 Think maybe he meant fanny pat?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ed Connelly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2009 at 16:56
Originally posted by pyro6999 pyro6999 wrote:

yeah come on ed fanny packs went out a long time ago!Laugh
 
 
What's a fanny pack??    Bucky      Is that like a purse???   Eek
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote supertool73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/20/2009 at 17:00
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