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Post by 72camaro on Dec 22, 2013 7:01:14 GMT -7
What size scopes do most of you guys use on your guns for coyotes? And somewhat on the same idea, what scope do you use for rock chucks and badgers?
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Post by Timber Butte Outdoors on Dec 22, 2013 9:29:08 GMT -7
If your talking about a scope for a calling gun, then you would want something in the 3 to 12 or 4 to 16 or 5 to 24 magnification. Keep the scope on a lower setting when you start your calling stand, and if need be, you can crank it up, if you have a coyote hang up a ways away, and you need to reach out and touch them.
I personally like a scope with a target dot reticle. Put the dot on what you are shooting and pull the trigger. I had a Burris with a 1/8 min dot, on a Ruger 77 Varmint Tang Safety Rifle in 308 Win. I loved it. Wish I had another one!
Badgers is the same principle, use the same scope you use for coyotes, just turn it down. Although, I haven't shot a badger at more than a hundred yards. I used a Tasco World Class 3x9x40 scope for years, it worked great. I ran it on 8x all the time. I took my friend George badger hunting one day. He and I were driving around the desert spot and stalk hunting. When right in front of the truck at about 10 yards pops out a badger. George was driving his pickup, opens the truck door, pulls out his 220 Swift, and get on the badger, and shoot right over him. George said after words, "All I could see was blurry fur, My scope was set at 14X, It was a Little to close for 14 power!" So! scopes with a lower magnification range, is better for the job. Unless of course, you are sitting up on a hill, shooting at LONG Range over a big flat area below you.
For rockchucks?? Well that is another story. That all depends on the distance you are having to shoot, and personal preference. I have shot chucks from 25 yards to 300-600 yards. A standard reticle scope will do you fine out to 300 yards. Beyond that you are going to want something with magnification, and with some sort of Bullet Drop Comp, whether it is a BDC Reticle, or Mil-Dot Reticle, Varmint Reticle, or a scope like a Nightforce or Huskemaw Optics, that have a bullet drop turret that you can dial up the yardage. Which in that case you are looking at a 5 to 22 power scope. But then again you are talking about shelling out a ton of money for a Nightforce or Huskemaw, somewhere in the $2500.00 range.
I hope that helps you out some. I haven't used one of the new Nikon Coyote Scopes. But I know a couple guys that have them on their calling guns, maybe they will chime in here.
Mark has one of the Nikon "Spot On" Scopes, it works great for him.
There is an alternative that I offer for a lot less money, more like $800.00. It is a scope called the Shepherd Optics Scope. It is a Bullet Drop comp scope that has a series of circles for the reticle. The circles come in 8", 16" and 22", and a range of magnifications. The circles are graduated from 100 to 1000 yards. You can check them out on my website. On the bottom of the menu on the left side, click the Shepherd Scopes button.
Good Luck.
Gary
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Post by santoy3512 on Dec 22, 2013 12:09:54 GMT -7
Nikon Coyote Special Scope come with a BDC used with circle instead of crosshair lets you put your running coyote in the circle. Some people do not like it. But it actually works great and with the Spot On download you can enter you scope and your round. It will tell you were to hold each circle with each circle out to 500 yards. I really love mine, once you learn how to use it.
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Post by broper on Dec 22, 2013 15:24:45 GMT -7
On a strictly varmint gun I like something like 4-12x or 4-16x. But on my .222 and .218 I have fixed 6x and have no problem with them. I've shot varmints over 200 yds. with the .222 and 6x. The older you get it seems the more magnification you need. I guess I'm old school but I don't like anything in my scope but cross hairs and most cross hairs are to coarse now days in my opinion. If you sight them in right you can pretty much hold on hair out to 400 yds. and with lots of shooting it's not to hard to master Kentucky windage and holdover. 300 yds. is about as far as I want to shoot at something anyway and for me 400 yds. is a loooong shot, altough on rock chucks and the like you can't really stalk them or call them and it is fun to shoot them from a distance. I really don't get all the hype about long range shooting now days, part of the fun of hunting is calling them in close or stalking closer. Just my 2 cents worth.
Bob
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Post by 72camaro on Dec 23, 2013 13:25:57 GMT -7
The scope is going to be a dual purpose, coyote and deer, as the lowest I had was a 6 power available and the deer was so close it filled the whole scope with its' back, belly and was not able to see the head or tail.
I was mainly interested if 9 power was enough for coyotes and badgers. Sounds if I ever get to do Rock Chucks I'll have to put the 6-24 back on.
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Post by dew7880 on Dec 23, 2013 15:49:20 GMT -7
My all-time favorite coyote scope is my 3.5-10 Zeiss Conquest on my AR15. 3 power is perfect for the close-in or running shots and 10 is perfect for the longer shots but not too much so I don't try to over-shoot the little .223
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Post by broper on Dec 23, 2013 16:00:35 GMT -7
Yep, 3-9x will work good.
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Post by Timber Butte Outdoors on Dec 23, 2013 17:19:32 GMT -7
I have a 6 to 18 Bushnell Banner on my rifle, and it stays at 10X all the time, unless I need to turn it up or down.
I used a Tasco World Class 3x9x40 for many years. It worked great for calling, no problems with it, stayed on zero.
Gary
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