Author: anweis
Subject: 2-7x30 vs. 3-9x40
Posted: March/03/2014 at 07:40
Whether you "overglassed" has as much to do with what kind of firearm the scopes are mounted on as with the scopes themselves.
Subject: 2-7x30 vs. 3-9x40
Posted: March/03/2014 at 07:40
Whether you "overglassed" has as much to do with what kind of firearm the scopes are mounted on as with the scopes themselves.
If you hunt in a forest, 3x 40 is great. If you get into open alpine meadows, 6x 40 is great. When checking the rifle, scope, and ammo before hunting, 8x or 9x 40 os great. So, your 3-9x40 is just fine, if it fits the rifle and it is mounted to fit you.
On the other hand, a large and heavy scope mounted on a light rifle just feels clumsy and alters the balance and feel when shouldering. I have 2-8x32 on a Win. Featherweight short action rifle and it feels perfect. I hunt with the scope at 3x. All my scopes are at 2.5x or 3x when hunting. On that rifle, a 50mm scope would have been horrible, regardless of magnification. On the other hand, i have 3-9x40 on a larger heavier, longer rifle, and it feels right. That scope would have been too much for a lever action 30-30.
On a lightweight muzzleloader with 24" barrel, i mounted a 3-9x40 and it did not feel right. It was ruining the balance of the rifle. I switched to a very light 2-7x32 and it's perfect. I can hit 4" offhand at 100 yards everytime.
On a very light and short (youth, 19" barrel, 12" LOP on the stock) .223 bolt action, every scope felt too much, until i put there a 1-4x24 Nikon. The rifle is very whippy and light and really difficult to shoot without support. A big and heavy scope made it worse. The small scope just feels right when i carry and shoot the rifle.
I check my loads and equipment off the bench, but i shoot 99% of time from realistic field positions (with scopes at low "hunting" magnification). I take shooting sticks and backpacks and everything else i use while hunting to the shooting range and practice. Half of my shooting is off-hand at 50 and 100 yards. Fit and balance of a rilfe really shows up then.
I do see a lot of "overglassed" rifles at the range. You know, weekend warriors and deer hunters who never leave the concrete bench and mount 6-18x52 scopes, but hunt 100 yard fields, etc.
If your 3-9x40 is a good scope and if feels OK on that rifle and is mounted to suit you, no, i don't think you "overglassed".