3x9x40 is it enough

S

skeetlee

New member
do you think a 3x9x40 is enough scope for a 223 when shooting prairie dogs? i love the 3x9x40 here in illinois for running shots on coyotes. just wasnt sure if the parallax will be a problem with a 3x9 say out to 400 yards shooting at prairie rats. thanks lee
 
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You could go to a 2.5-10 40mm. I have a couple of these
of the Bushnell 4200 series and find them very clear and
the low-end magnification is perfect for the close work
on my calling rifles. Ten power is pretty good for the
long distance. If I was going to shoot mostly long distance, I would get something like a 5-15 power or 4.5-14 power variable.

Best of luck to you.
 
I have found that I am always going to pay the little extra to get the 4-12 range scopes. You will be suprised how much of a difference that it will make.
 
I think that the 4X12's are perfect, posibbly even a 4X16. Both of my .223 have 4X12's on them and think it is perfect for me.
 
You can shoot stuff with just about anything. A 3-9 will work, but it's nowhere near enough power. A 3-10 or 4-12 will work too but if you're serious they're nowhere near enough either. And for shooting prairie dog sized targets out to 400yds, forget it. It's all about having fun.....do it right and enjoy things a lot more. Get a scope that goes to at least 20X and a 6-24 is better. At 400yds, 24X is like 6X at 100 .......6X is about minimum for small targets at 100yds. At 400yds, 9X is like 2-1/4X at 100.....would you be satisfied with that? Realistically, you'll be shooting a lot more targets at 200-300yds than at 400. At 200yds, 24X is like 12X at 100 and that's not too much.
 
The only one who can say how much is enough, is the individual doing the shooting, IMO. I've seen some pretty darn good shootin' done with fixed 10X and 12X scopes......
 
I've shot groundhogs out to 755 yards with a fixed 10 power scope. I've shot them right at 600 yards with a 3 to 9 power, and one of the last ones I hit at 405 yards was with my Weaver 6-20X Grand Slam set on 6 power.

I realize that prairie dogs are smaller, but the .223 is going to be good to 500 yards and closer (with the right bullets) and I'm sure that 9 X will quarter one at 500 easily.

The average shooter believes that he needs about twice the amount of magnification which he actually does--but of course it's always better to have too much than not enough. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Dan
 
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I've shot groundhogs out to 755 yards with a fixed 10 power scope. I've shot them right at 600 yards with a 3 to 9 power, and one of the last ones I hit at 405 yards was with my Weaver 6-20X Grand Slam set on 6 power.

I realize that prairie dogs are smaller, but the .223 is going to be good to 500 yards and closer (with the right bullets) and I'm sure that 9 X will quarter one at 500 easily.

The average shooter believes that he needs about twice the amount of magnification which he actually does--but of course it's always better to have too much than not enough. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Dan



Dan great response.
 
If your gun shoots well now use it, unless you intend to do lots of Pdog shooting. 9power should do well for you to 400 yards.
I dont think I'd change unless I was gonna shoot Pdogs alot.
Carl
 
You can find out easy enough with an old pair of shoes. The sole of a size 10 or 11 is about the same length as an adult prairie dog. Stand one shoe up at say 200yds and put other one on it's side, then go back and shoot at them. Then do it at 300 and 400yds. See if 9x is enough, or if a target twice that size would be better. Prairie dogs are obliging targets but they're much smaller than a chuck and they don't always stand up to pose. It's just as likely that part of the animal will be hidden by something...... try hitting just the heel. And when you're setting shoes out there, also leave a golf ball which is about the size of a head poked up over the rim of a mound. Sometimes that's the target you get. The better you see it, the easier it is to hit.
 
i have never been prairie doggn but i really want to go. my rifles will be used to shoot a coyotes 80% of the time. if i ever do go out west i will just have to shoot dogs that are a little closer to me i guess. i just dont understand how a scope can cost twice the cost for twice the power. i would think the glass cost all the same and im pretty sure it doesnt take them any longer to make a 6x24 or a 3x9. i just dont get it! i like the wide field of view that a 3x9 allows for me. it really help on running yotes. and i love to shoot yotes when they are running. but thats my deal, your may be different. hell i guess i have answered my own question. thanks guys lee
 
i really think "some" folk's believe that if they can see better they will shoot better..[i also think in some circumstance's that's very true]..i'll give an example almost every year i'll see guy's getting ready for deer season..some will have a 6x18..6x20..or whatever..they say they need the extra power--just--in case..that's cool..my problem is their shooting @100 yard's..& i doubt very much they practice @ 300 yard's..& generally speaking their shooting entry level scope's..i'd prefer to see a guy with a good..reasonable power scope..vs..a economy high powered scope..whoop's..i've strayed a "tad" off topic..just my opinion's
 
Kind of depends, on your vision, what you want the rifle for, is it just going to be for PD's exclusivly or will it be a yote, truck, all around rilfe. For a dedicated PD only rifle you can go with the higher power scopes, for an all around rilfe you want the lower power 3x9 4x12 ect. for more variaty. I find PD's are like bench shooting targets you really do not need a big field so more power is better. But in a rilfe I may put in the truck when checking fence and jump an occasional yote 3X9 works and lately 4X12 is better (old eyes )
 
I had a lot of fun shooting PDs with my 22-250 with a 3x9, so I don't think magnification needs to be that important with a 223. However, I found that the a standard duplex reticle covers up a PD at longer distances, so I couldn't see them when I was holding over. So I switched to a target dot reticle with fine crosshairs or you could go with one of the new ballistic varmint reticles with the windage crosshairs.
 
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