Need help selecting a zoom range

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cabro

Member
May 22, 2020
31
3
British Columbia, Canada
Hi All,

I'm picking up a new PCP Rifle to mainly do hunting in the 35-100 yard range with the average being around 50-60 yards and will be going with a FFP scope as I usually use hold over and and don't have time to adjust with clicks. I was previously on a sub 500 fps springer and thus not used to dealing with ranges longer than 25 yards. That being said, I need to advice on what zoom range to be looking at based on the roughly 35-100 yards I will be working within.

Being that i'm going with a FFP scope and having read endless posts on this forum on some of the downsides (reticle size), I want to make sure that the reticle isn't either too hard to see or two large for 35-100 yards. I'm not even sure what magnification level I would normally be using within this range. All I know is that optimally I should be looking for a magnification range that is fairly tight and also not go for one that has way more magnification than I need.

I don't have access to any scopes to try out before I buy so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
 
Cabro,

that decision has several sides....



🔶 (A1) Minimum magnification

That depends on how close your closest (rushed) shots are going to be — because you need a fairly large field of view FoV for rapid target acquisition..

At 35y you'll be fine with 6x — but at 15y I'd like to at least have 4x. Then again, no matter what magnification, you need to check each scopes FoV — as they can vary wildly.



🔶 (B1) Maximum Magnification 

Do you just want to see your quarry at 100y to hit it (16x) — or do you want to see your hits = the holes you're making in paper, too (then you'll need prob. 24x and higher)? 



(B2) How good/ how old are your eyes?

That can make a BIG difference....





I'll attach a diagram showing different magnification ranges, to compare both FoV and magnification.



And I'll attach a Scope Specs Table for 6-20x and higher — with FoV, FFPs, holdoff reticles, and 10y side parallax.



Happy scope shopping! 😊

Matthias



Attachments

❌ Scope Specs Table

download.png
View attachment 1590989114_13647005725ed4913ac82578.07176749.pdf



❌ Magnification and Field of View 

1590989138_10766349485ed49152703d75.36530713.jpg

 
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You hadn't mentioned what the budget was. My guess you wanna go cheap so $280 JSAR FFP ILLUMINATED 4.5-27X50 Side Focus 30mm. Buy it and I'll buy it from you if you don't like what you see when you look through it just don't mount it. I would Buy at least 2 of them if I were you. I'm neither a paid advertiser nor sponsor of or for Jefferson State Airguns nor personal friends nor have any relatives working there. I just like their scopes that's all. Yo!
 
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Thank you so much for that chart, really helpful! To answer your questions.

A1) My closest shots would be at 25 (shooting paper targets at the range) and approx. 50 yards when hunting

B1) On the extreme ends of the scale, I want to see paper targets down to 25y and my quarry at 100y if possible. Anything less than 25y or past 100 yards is not a priority for me

B2) My eyes are still quite good, no glasses yet!

C) My budget is max $800USD but I haven't really gotten down to picking a brand/model yet. I spent a lot of time learning about FFP / SFP, Reticles ect and once I narrow down the magnification level that will best suite my use case, i'd definitely welcome advice/suggestions on specific brands/models
 
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Cabro,

that decision has several sides....



🔶 (A1) Minimum magnification

That depends on how close your closest (rushed) shots are going to be — because you need a fairly large field of view FoV for rapid target acquisition..

At 35y you'll be fine with 6x — but at 15y I'd like to at least have 4x. Then again, no matter what magnification, you need to check each scopes FoV — as they can vary wildly.

Was going through the chart and PDF you supplied and still trying to figure out how to read it correctly but in the meanwhile in the pdf (abbreviations in the table section) you mention the colour coding but in the chart I don't see any colour coding or colour abbreviations, it's all black and white, am missing something?
Click to expand...


 
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That's a fair question. For me, being able to acquire a target quickly without turning knobs/doing math for different magnifications is a priority over the reticle changing size at different magnifications.

That being said everything is a compromise but i'm hoping to find a magnification range that will work best for my use case that will hopefully still have a usable reticle between 50-75 yards, if such a beast exists.
 
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There are many fine choices at your stated budget. As for useable reticle? All reticles are “useable”. You want to find one you like. Strelok Pro has a nice database of reticles. It can help you get an idea of what reticle designs you prefer or like. You’re on the right track. Also consider illumination if you plan on pesting in low light conditions. I use to pass up many shot because of a black reticle on a dark critter.
 
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Cabro,

the decision FFP vs. SFP is a whole different animal.... 😄



I had been working on an article about What Magnification Do I Need?

Since you had this precise question, I finished the draft this afternoon, and you can download the PDF below.



🔶 The article includes the magnification diagram you already have — with some explanations this time.... 😄



🔶 And the article shows different factors that influence how much magnification you need at the bottom end and at the top end of your variable scope.



Hope it helps. 😄

Matthias



❌ Attachment of article:

What Magnification Do I Need


download.png
View attachment 1591084479_1470257335ed605bf581979.17216276.pdf







 
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There are many fine choices at your stated budget. As for useable reticle? All reticles are “useable”. You want to find one you like. Strelok Pro has a nice database of reticles. It can help you get an idea of what reticle designs you prefer or like. You’re on the right track. Also consider illumination if you plan on pesting in low light conditions. I use to pass up many shot because of a black reticle on a dark critter.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I should have clarified "useable". Since i'm going with a FFP scope, the usability factor would be the reticle becoming too small where I can't see the hold over/under marks at low magnifications or too large where it obscures the target at high magnification. So if the "meat and potatoes" of the ranges i'm working with is 25-75y then I hope a scope exists that won't have the reticle to thin at 25y and too thick at 75y. Anything below 25y and above 75 yards isn't much of a concern for me.

I agree on the illumination as well as i've had to pass on some dark critters as well. 😄
 
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Cabro,

the decision FFP vs. SFP is a whole different animal.... 😄



I had been working on an article about What Magnification Do I Need?

Since you had this precise question, I finished the draft this afternoon, and you can download the PDF below.

Hope it helps. 😄

Matthias

My new hero! I'm sure this will help immensely and will read through right away!



Click to expand...


 
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Just added several sections to the article aboveWhat Magnification Do I Need?

▪The advantages and disadvantages of a wide "zoom range" (magnification range) — esp. as related to FFP scopes

▪The disadvantages of a higher magnification



The link is already updated for the expanded version. 😊



Matthias
Click to expand...


Thanks for the updates Matthias, they are extremely helpful! One thing i'm still noticing is that the pdf references colour coding but the entire document is black and white. Is there an error when converting it to a PDF or is it something on my end?
 
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It's a simple choice for me in that price range. Athlon Ares 4.5-27x50 in mil. Why??? It has an "all .2 mil " reticle which is simply awesome for holdovers and holdoffs! 

You can "see" by bracketing, or holding dead on, with "1 clicks worth" of holdover/off in the reticle so that's as good as it gets. It's neither too thick or too thin, it's just the right reticle thickness considering FFP scopes are a compromise concerning reticle thickness. Most PRS shooters stay around 12-15x to get a wider FOV to locate targets and this reticle is still easy to see at mid magnification.

Most of the current scope reticle offerings are "goofy" being poorly laid out! 




 
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Cabro, 😊

thanks for checking. 👍🏼 So, there are NO color at all in the pdf?



The loss if color must be on your end, it seems. My comp + phone show the colors in the pdf....

Maybe the phone or comp is using a funny app/ program to view the pdf...?

I'd make sure to Right-click — Open-with Adobe Acrobat Reader....



Can anyone else report if they DO or DON'T see any colors? 😊

Matthias
 
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