16 power

[beerthief]

If i want to use a scope at 16 power (HFT) would it be best to buy a 4x20 and use at 16 power ? or just get a 4x16 and use at full power ? This is a question of ranging kill zone's depth of field .

Thanks Stan

Thankyou for backing up my thoughts . I usually buy scopes above the $400 range and mostly older brand names the only new name i have is Athlon 10x40x58 . 

Really do not like buying twice or more , Thanks again 

 

[dizzums]

i think it would be close to the same given similar quality scopes ..a larger scope will be physically larger .. nice thing about 16 is they can be found in a semi compact package ...

 

[davecole]

One of the things to consider about using a x16 on max magnification is, (this may not be true of all brands of scopes) true parallax may not be achieved and you may experience distortion misleading you to the actual distance to your target. I’ve had a couple of scopes (+- $300 MSRP range) in which I experienced this. 
A compact scope and or a sub 50mm objective may not give you the light transmission you desire on those dark targets with shot up face plates back in dark areas. 
Also equally important is selecting a 30mm scope. 
Best of luck and may all your targets fall.

 

[Cannonball]

One of the things to consider about using a x16 on max magnification is, (this may not be true of all brands of scopes) true parallax may not be achieved and you may experience distortion misleading you to the actual distance to your target. I’ve had a couple of scopes (+- $300 MSRP range) in which I experienced this. 
A compact scope and or a sub 50mm objective may not give you the light transmission you desire on those dark targets with shot up face plates back in dark areas. 
Also equally important is selecting a 30mm scope. 
Best of luck and all your targets fall.

I second Dave’s comments. Some of the lower tier scopes will suffer some type of image distortion when used at maximum power. The 4-20 scope you are thinking about getting could be completely bright and clear all the way to 20x or it could start distorting before you reach the 16x mark depending on which one you are looking at. I would list which scope you are looking at getting, someone could possibly provide some first hand experience with it. I do find the majority of 24x scopes to be clear at 16x unless you are buying something extremely cheap or have a defective scope.

 

[chasdicapua]

+1 for the 24x scope. At 16x you won't be near the limit of the scope and less likely to have any reduction in clarity or distortion. Buy the best scope that your budget will allow. 

Chas

 

[Poopshoot55]

Like the gentleman said above, you need a scope that can range in 1 yard increments from 10 to 55 yards. Personally, I use a Sightron 10-50x60, it’s not cheap, but the clarity is excellent. I have also found the Hawke Sidewinder 8-32x56 is also very clear. I bought them used to save a few bucks. Rick