Shooting the Breeze: Fixed-power rifle scopes

Published 6:15 am Friday, June 2, 2023

Dad always told me that one “can only shoot as good as they can see.” All else being equal, you should be able to shoot more accurately with greater magnification. All, however is not equal.

Some believe that any optic sight with a top-end magnification of less than 24x is only suitable for muzzleloaders and slingshots. It was a general rule for years that 1x per 100 yards was needed with a scope sight. By that theory a 2x scope was good for out to 200 yards, a 6x scope to 600 yards and so on.

A well-established periodical of generally good reputation recently ran an article stating that a 3-9x variable scope was only suitable for ranges inside of 200 yards. Malarkey.

For decades, readers of Outdoor Life were regaled with accounts of Jack O’Connor’s hunting adventures. Jack was a huge proponent of fixed-power scopes, proclaiming the fixed 4x and 6x scopes to be most desirable for the open country big game and varmint hunter across a wide variety of calibers.

During the Vietnam War, our Marine Corps snipers engaged enemies out to 1,000 yards with fixed 8x and 3-9x variable-power scopes on their rifles. Last winter, I watched my friend Guy Miner shoot a cow elk through the heart from 405 yards in a 15 mph crosswind with his .30-06. A Leupold FX-II 6x scope was all he needed to make the shot.

In my own collection there are several rifles with fixed-power scopes. These range from 4x hunting scopes on the low end to 12x target scopes on the high end. The advantages are a simpler, more rugged design and therefore lighter weight where such is a concern.

Of course, there are drawbacks, too. Small, distant and partially obscured targets can make for a challenging shot, especially with a low-power optic. Challenging but not impossible, as the aforementioned Mr. O’Connor proved time and time again.

Recently, while fixing some fence in the backcountry, I was bouncing over a rocky two-track with a Mauser 98 rifle slung across my back. This rifle — a well-made piece of German craftsmanship — is chambered in the venerable 7x57mm cartridge and sports an older Leupold M7b-4x scope on top.

As I crested the ridge, a coyote ran out broadside in an open flat across the draw, nearly 300 yards away. Confident he wouldn’t present a shot, I made ready anyways, chambering a cartridge and finding him in the scope. Fatally, he changed his pace to a quick walk but in a straightaway direction. The 4x scope came to rest, and I squeezed the trigger. Down he went.

Don’t get me wrong — there are times I love the utility of a variable-power scope. If you are planning to shoot past most practical hunting distances, you will need a variable, without question. But there is no reason to think yourself limited to only close ranges with a fixed-power scope. As mentioned previously, 300- to 400-yard shots are well within the capabilities of a 4x and 6x scope.

Do you like fixed power scopes? Write to us at shootingthebreezebme@gmail.com and check us out on Facebook!