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Magnification for 2200 Yard Shots with .338LM

Centuriator

Hi, I've recently acquired a Accuracy International .338LM Magnum rifle and am wondering what magnification I should be considering for making shots at 2200 yards, which is the maximum target range at the facility where I shoot (Asymmetric Solutions in Farmington, Misouri).

I currently have a Nightforce scope with a max magnification of x25.

Thanks for your thoughts.
 
Again...I'm only looking for opinions and experiences with magnifications using the .338LM at 2200-2500 yards. If you have something to add to this conversation, great, if not, take your typical gun forum machismo baloney somewhere else.
 
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My only experience is out to 1200 yards with a 6x24, but when you get into the higher magnifications, you need to make a big jump to see a noticeable change in your view. To make your target twice as close in your scope, you need to square your power, (5x to 25x and 6x to 36x etc.) so going from 25X to 36X would be relative to going from 5x to 6x on a lower power scope. Kind of like all the car guys on here, to gain a few mph on the top end you have to add more and more HP. Boats are the same way, that is my poison.
 
Alex Wheeler has a 10-60 March for a good price in the Optics For Sale section. I only use March scopes on my comp. guns and couldn't be happier.....Alex is A+++ to deal with.
 
Thanks, JohnFred I see your point, and I understand that higher I push the magnification, the more I'm going to have to deal with atmospherics, etc. etc. I appreciate you taking the time to offer a genuinely useful remark.
 
Go to the forum home page. ...Go to the market place ....Click on the Optics For Sale section and it is about 3/4 of the way down the 1st page.......I don't know how to transfer links ect.......I'm Old........:(...;)
 
R.Morehouse said:
Go to the forum home page. ...Go to the market place ....Click on the Optics For Sale section and it is about 3/4 of the way down the 1st page.......I don't know how to transfer links ect.......I'm Old........:(...;)
Click to expand...

LOL...how "old" is old? :) I'm 55 and I can't find it, but apparently he took the listing down.
 
March, apparently, is not a preferred scope among the experts and professionals....

Here is the screen shot of where MARCH came in in a fairly rigorous comparison of many scopes.

9LLz4BI.png
 
You said you wanted magnification......The experts around here are as good as it gets....Even if i am not one of them......:D...
Best of luck with your quest. The optics adventure can be a bit crazy making......
 
I read that article on the PRS blog. Both of the march scopes he tested had a defect. I know most of the guys on here that have them speak very highly of them. Since I can't afford them, I have to take their word for it. I would think that Nightforce you have would have excellent glass and you would save a bundle sticking with it. Just my .02 and good luck with your search.

PS: on that graph you might notice that those pros are using mostly 20-30 powerr on the high end. But again, they are shooting about a 1000 yards less than you:)
 
johnfred1965 said:
My only experience is out to 1200 yards with a 6x24, but when you get into the higher magnifications, you need to make a big jump to see a noticeable change in your view. To make your target twice as close in your scope, you need to square your power, (5x to 25x and 6x to 36x etc.) so going from 25X to 36X would be relative to going from 5x to 6x on a lower power scope. Kind of like all the car guys on here, to gain a few mph on the top end you have to add more and more HP. Boats are the same way, that is my poison.
Click to expand...
Yeah, my understanding is somewhat different. If we start at 5X as a base magnification, 10X will double the apparent size of the target in the riflescope. To once again double the image, we need to go to 20X, which by the same token is 4x the apparent size of the target as compared to 5X. If we want to double the apparent size of the 20X magnification, we need to go to 40X, then 80X and so on. But at 40X, the apparent size of the target is 8 times what it is at 5X.

So, going from 5X to 25X you actually quintuple the apparent size of the target, not double.

Using your example of 25X vs 36X; while going from 5x to 6x represents a 20% increase, going from 25X to 36X (11x) represents a 44% increase.

Yes, going from 20X to 25X is only a 25% increase, but that's on top of the prior 200% increase going from 5X to 20X.

The zoom represents a multiplying, not additive power, so the zoom ratio is the determining factor in apparent size. For example a 3X zoom provides for 300% increase and a 6X zoom, provides for 600% increase. My March-X 5-50X56 provides for a 1000% increase. It will double the size more than 3 times: At 2X zoom, 4X and 8X and then add another 25% going from 8Xzoom to 10X or (40X to 50X absolute).
 
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Amsdorf said:
March, apparently, is not a preferred scope among the experts and professionals....

Here is the screen shot of where MARCH came in in a fairly rigorous comparison of many scopes.

9LLz4BI.png
Click to expand...

I love how in optics, we insist on comparing apples to potatoes. You will notice that the March in question has the smallest objective lens, by far, from almost any of the other scope there. Compared to the S&B 5-25X56, the March 3-24X42 must have been quite dark at maximum magnification. The Leupold 3-18X44, with a somewhat bigger objective and lower top magnification had worse optical results than the March. That Vortex 5-20X56 sure has lousy glass according to the results.
 
the ATACR is the one IMHO.
you can use as low as 20X and be successful, but 25X seems to be a perfect blend. The ATACR is the best for the job if you include price. I have both ATACRs and a BEAST. I will not buy another BEAST unless I just have an extra 1000 to spend. the fancier turret isn't worth that much to me.
 
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