Michigan deer hunting rifle ?

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To make it super easy, here is a very simple breakdown of a rig that would serve exceptionally well, and not break the bank of a person with a moderate income:

Tikka T3 Lite stainless
Fixed 6X SWFA with either MOA/MOA or MIL/MIL adjustments/reticle.
Talley lightweight rings
2 point sling by VTAC, VCAS, or similar.

The above setup could cover everything from Moose to Coyotes with ease.

Do you think a fixed 6X would be a good choice in Michigan where heavily wooded areas could create the need for less magnification? I would think that a 1-4 or 2-7 would be better.

[Duelist]

Do you think a fixed 6X would be a good choice in Michigan where heavily wooded areas could create the need for less magnification? I would think that a 1-4 or 2-7 would be better.

I agree.

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For whitetail hunting in Michigan at reasonable distances I've been told a 2-7x would be just about perfect to cover 90% of the shooting situations that you would encounter.


Sent from mah smertfone using tapathingy

[okie john]

Do you think a fixed 6X would be a good choice in Michigan where heavily wooded areas could create the need for less magnification? I would think that a 1-4 or 2-7 would be better.

There's a lot more to it than just magnification. You also need to consider:

• Eye relief: the ideal distance from the scope's ocular (rear) lens to your eye. This will be listed on the manufacturer's website.
• Eye box: how much tolerance there is on either side of the eye relief figure. The bigger the eye box, the easier it will be to use a given scope well in a hurry. It's not listed on the manufacturer's website, but you can hang out on forums like this one and get a good idea of what works well. Leupold's fixed-power scopes, especially their 6x, are known for their generous eye boxes.
• Exit pupil: a mechanical design consideration that limits the amount of light a scope is capable of transmitting. You can find it by dividing the diameter of the objective lens by the magnification. Low-powered variables that have a straight tube and a 24mm objective lens may have a smaller exit pupil than scopes with a 32mm or larger objective bell at the same magnification. This matters most in low light, so it's critical for big-game hunting.

It's nice to crank a variable up to 8-9x for testing loads and for the occasional long shot. But there's nothing wrong--and quite a big right--with a Leupold fixed 4x. They're light, inexpensive, and rugged as hell. I've used them for 20 years of shooting deer, hogs, feral cattle, and one elk in close cover and never wanted either more or less magnification. Other people's opinions can and will differ.


Okie John

[okie john]

For whitetail hunting in Michigan at reasonable distances I've been told a 2-7x would be just about perfect to cover 90% of the shooting situations that you would encounter.

It would cover 90% if you set it at 4x and left it there. You could cover the remaining 10% by cranking it up to the max.


Okie John

[SteveB]

Do you think a fixed 6X would be a good choice in Michigan where heavily wooded areas could create the need for less magnification? I would think that a 1-4 or 2-7 would be better.

I think a fixed 6X is a bad idea in "heavily wooded areas". Hunting in the northeastern woods, I've used either 2.5-8X or 2-7X scopes, always set on the lowest power. If you flush an animal and need to take a close shot, at 6X all you're likely to see is hair.

[MVS]

It would cover 90% if you set it at 4x and left it there. You could cover the remaining 10% by cranking it up to the max.


Okie John

Indeed. I grew up going up North to the rifle zones to hunt whitetail and there is no doubt fixed 4X were the most common optic. Now if I needed one, I would be very happy using my 1-6X. As it is, I am in zone 3 and can't use a rifle, but no matter as I only have to go out my back door with a shotgun and can easily have a less than 50 yard shot. As with so many things very little is actually about the hardware. Growing up, most people used 30-30's or 30-06 and took plenty of deer.

[entropy]

Just came back from 5 days in Da Yoop. Unsuccessful, but I didnt try too hard this year either. Over the years, Ive used just about everything...8mm Mauser, .243, .308... My current is a .300aac and a 3X. As a high school graduation gift, I picked up a 1960's vintage Remington 600 Mohawk in .35 Remington for our oldest son. I put a 1-6x on it, and its about a sweet a woods rifle you could ask for. Hits like a tank, and can be used for bear as well.

Dont know where youre going to be, but up north the typical range is 150yds tops. Usually under 100. We've taken bucks from 45yds out to 120.

Its God's Country up there.....dontchaknow.

[HCM]

Ammo selection makes a big difference for 5.56 as a hunting round.

[GJM]

A 20" .308 with either a low power variable, or a fixed 6x would be hard to beat. Additionally, once a person begins hunting deer, they generally end up hunting other animals as well that are prevalent in their region, like black bears, chupacabras, etc.

I see what you are doing there. Do you prefer the early or late season for chupacabras?