Hunting & Fishing Rifle scope question

[athanasios23]

I need some scope advice. I should be receiving my new gap rifle within the week as I got my call today saying it was ready for shipment. It's chambered in 260 REM. I bought a nightforce nxs 5.5-22 x56. I was planning on using it as a long range rig. I now want to use it for hunting here in the northeast. (NY, PA) When hunting here not to many long distance shots present themselves. From my ground blind I can see deer moving across the corn field out to about 300 yards but sometimes they will pop out 5 yards from me. my question is is that to much magnification for a 30 yard shot. Either in a field or if I decide to hunt from my climber in heavily wooded area. Should I use this scope or try and sell or trade for a more suitable magnification. I thought about mounting and seeing if I like it but I don't want to lose value in the scope as I feel I could get more selling it as brand new in box

Any advise or personal experience with this scope would be greatly appreciated.

 

[coldboremiracle]

That is a pretty subjective question. Some people like lots of mag, others dont. But if it was me, and 300 was my max range, I would go with a 3.5-15 over a 5-22. And you can still do quite a bit with that range. I shoot to 1k and beyond quite regularly, and rarely zoom in past 14.

 

[lancetkenyon]

For 30 yards shots, I too would like a little less magnification than 5.5. 4-16 or 3-15 would be good. I can hit a running jackrabbit at 30 yards on 3 power with my AR-15, and I just took a 1327 yard coyote on 16 power with my .250 Ackley. Something like a Weaver 4-20 Tactical would be great, the 3-24 March or 3.5-24 Leupold Mark 8 would be even better.

 

[MarkCO]

I'd be looking at something with 2-3 on the low end and 6-12 on the high end if you want it best suited for hunting as you describe.

 

[RobertB]

Get the 2.5-10x42 and be done with it. Great scope, all you will ever need, dependable, light and short= PERFECT. I like the 5.5-22 and I have like 5 of em but the 2.5-10 is my next one. It will actually replace the one on my short 308 that currently has a 5.5-22 on it.


Good luck

 

[Vio515]

+1 on the 3-9 or 2.5-10.

I run a Razor HD on my 308 and a 3-9x40 on my 270 hunting rifle. The 3-9 has been perfect for everything I have needed it to do for a hunting optic.

 

[45.308]

I am in the thought that most hunters are way over magnified. My 338 meat hunter has a fixed 3x and never once over 40+ years have I wanted or needed more. I also run a 1.5-4 on my 7mag. I have one 3-9x40 and its on my 300 because it is my least used rifle. I have never to my memory ever shot an meat animal over 6x, all my variable power scopes are set at lowest magnification.

In my thought process, its all about light weight and small profie

I would recommend 2-7 or 2.8-8 or even a 1.5-5 as a variable power but opinions vary.

 

[steve123]

30Y is close enough that you would probably hit anyway but some food for thought is how far down the focus will adjust.

The March 3-24 has 10Y min parallax/focus. So does the S&B PMII 5-25's. Some other scopes have 25-35Y parallax.

The March is about the perfect hunting scope and very versatile for holdover on any mag since it's FFP.

I switch my scopes around from air rifles to 22's and my long range rigs so 10Y parallax is necessary in my case. Like the saying goes...Better to have and not need than need and not have.

The SWFA 3-15 has 6M parallax. It's a very versatile scope too. I've practiced at 6Y with it in my shop when mounted on my air rifle and a few days later won a long range match with it.

Take your 5.5-22 out, put it on 5.5, now attempt focus on something at 45y-40-35-30 and so on. It'll be a blurry mess.

I wish "all" scope CO's would design in 10Y parallax!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[athanasios23]

Thanks for your thoughts guys....I use a 3-9x40 on my hunting rifle now but am worried about a blurry mess as steve123 said on close shots..maybe I'll just see how it goes and if its to blurry for close shots I'll just try and convince my fiancé I need a new scope and maybe a rifle to go along with it

 

[Chopperguy]

Like said above, many hunters are way over scoped for their TRUE hunting experiences.

My go to hunting scopes are 2.5-10, 3-9 and my pronghorn rifle wears a 3-12. Nothing more than that.

Longest shot on game has been 487 and the scope was well up to the task.

I prefer to get close enough to smell them, but if that doesn't work, the 9x-12x on the top end will get me as far out as I'll probably ever go on a game animal.

YMMV