Higher mag/Improved accuracy

Raifuru · August 25, 2014

I have been working up loads for my fast twist 20 TAC and was using a 32 mag scope. I have since migrated this to my 6.5 and put a 24 mag scope on the 20. I decided to work from my to date best load (25.6 of 2520 50 grain Berger) that had given me an average of 0.3 at 100. When I measured my groups I had got with the 24 mag scope, the average had opened up to 0.6" and the best 5 shot group was 0.45. These were shot from a solid bench and conditions were near windless.

I wanted the fast twist to allow me to use on most ranges and give me a competative gun at 600 off the normal route (I know its not practical, but I have great expectations) and also keep foxes off the farm.

Therefore, I pressume, that higher mag will defiitely improve accuracy. These days with the 5 & 6 times mag ratios it is quite easy to get a scope that would do in most scenarios such as the Z6 and Leupold V6.

I was considering getting a leup 45 mag purely for load development then going for lesser scopes for actual use. The reason I raise the question is that there seems to be so many 24/25 mag scopes used in competitions where surely a 32 or higher scope would be benficial.

gbal · August 25, 2014

There are perhaps diminishing returns for very high mag- the erstwhile 36x 100 Bench Rest favourite,gave some way to the new 45x models.Maybe there are a few 80x Marches in use at 100y (and maybe not)-remember in that game,improvement is third decimal place stuff. 25 shot agg of .248 beats ditto .249),so every very little helps...

Likewise,as you note,few will shoot 1000y as well with 11x as with 15x as 25x as with 40x as with,80x (maybe) - when the higher magnifications can be used (mirage etc),and targets get small.

And all this assumes 'other things being equal'...perhaps most importantly -the size of the aiming mark,and how much target it obscures (quite a lot at low and /or thick reticule.)

Even so,.3 to.6 is quite a bit,at 100y,if that is reliable/repeated.Whether it actually matters,depends on the application,but as you imply,loss of precision is never desirable. I suspect others will have somewhat less differences......