I use a 2x7x33 scope and my reason is I'm old and half blind... Makes it hard to see the front sight... :-[

 

:dito:

 

Like Scorpiusb I use a scope and for some of the same reasons he does. I have used open sights in the past and gotten good results but I hunt in areas where the hogs are on top of you before you see them. We have a few areas where 100yd plus shots are possible and a scope is very useful. If you are quite when you move or if the hogs are out at longer range a scope will not slow you down. You make the choice based on where you hunt and the conditions you hunt in. In either case, it is fun.

 

2 or 3x at most, I've used red dots scopes and irons and personaly prefer to have a lie magnification scope on top of my rifle.

 

I would suggest a largish reticle/stadia lines or a red dot/projection reticle in 2-4 power for close in brush hunting requiring snap shooting.

If spot and stalk in open longish shot country then a 3x9 variable, walking in 3 and or 4 power, medium or lighted reticle available. You can always dial up on a longer shot but those sudden-brush busting close shots suck at anything above 4x even with both eyes wide open.

I though still prefer peep/irons on my levers for my 200 yard and under work, as the only one I plan to scope for now(vision holding so far) is my .338 Marlin Express, because it begs to to be scoped.

I hunted hogs on base and off in Californistan, Ft. Hunter Ligget, with open sighted .50ML(fine .019 fiber optics), open sighted (orange striped front post) .500 CS S&W, open sighted 870 Express(tacticooled out with shorter barrel and pistol gripped stock shooting steel slugs)=all close in brushy terrain. Lastly, a Winchester 70 .30-06 with a Nikon BDC reticle when doing the open grass zone hunts with only trees and brush lines but not walking in the brush, either posted up or slowly walking the grass/trails/firebreaks/washes=longish 100 yard plus shots out to 500 yard plus when I had too also carrying a Nikon laser rangefinder in 6x. Thank you for the 3x9 power variable then and the range finder for proper ranging.

Different terrain=different tasks.

 

Sorry to say that I have not hunted hogs and at my age expect that it will not happen.

I like scopes and have scope all my hunting rifles since the 60s.

I went through a phase after reading some poor articles way back that said variables were un-reliable and for that reason fixed power scopes would b better.

That was poor info considering the quality and reliability of good scopes. VERY poor, but I did go to fixed 6X scopes for a period of time before wising up a bit.

Since then I have used 2X7, 3X9 and 3.5X10, 4X12 scopes on my hunting rifles, making it a practice to carry the scope on lower power settings when in our typical hunting conditions. Once missed a bull elk because I had turn that 4X12 Redfield up to 12 and hadn't turned it back down. My wife missed a shot at the nicest White Tail buck she ever had a chance at because I had been sighting in her rifle and had neglected to reset the scope from 7X to 2X.

A few years back I had a Nice buck jump out and run in front of me at not much beyond spitting distance before turning almost 90 degrees away. My scope was set on 3.5 and I had no trouble getting on that RAPIDLY departing buck!

So, for me, I'd scope your rifle with a good variable with a low power of nothing more then 2X

I have a 2X7 on my RUGER 77/44 rifle and feel this is at most a 100yd rifle.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

 

I guess it really depends on the terrain. Out here in CA, you can be walking through thick oaks and then find yourself out in an open field pretty quick. Back where I hunt in TX, you can be in the thick stuff all day and never see the blue sky. For CA, I would need a scope at this point in my life. I just don't feel comfortable shooting at animals farther than 100 yards without the aid of a scope. In TX, I would go with a 1x5 or the Leupold FX-II Ultralight 2.5 as well. Lots of hogs in TX are nocturnal or crepuscular for the most part, so seeing them can be challenging in itself. If you still have sharp eyes, then a peep or ghost ring would work in a situation like TX, but the ability of a scope to gather light might make or break a hunt. I don't get as much time outdoors as I used to and don't want to miss an opportunity. Hope this helps. Matt

 

I live in Central Texas and we have a lot of hogs to hunt here.
I have several rifles for hog hunting but the main one i use is a '338MXLR
with a 1-4X 24 with 30mm tube made by Weaver.
I don't mind an old fashioned peep set up but a scope like a 1-4
is handy here where you may be hunting a tree line against an open
hay field one day and a wooded creek bottom the next.

 

Back in 60s the straight power scopes had the market, the varibles were undependable and fairly fragile. I had straight powers on
evetything. Off hand guns from 2x to 8x depending on cartridge, Varmit guns 10x to 16x. I was partial to 6x on 270s-06- 300mg ect.
I still don't like varibles, just more stuff to go wrong. Now seems like straight powers are special order. I still have several rifles that
have had the same straight power scope on them for 50yrs. They keep a licken' and keep on ticken'.

 

I use either an aimpoint or a low power variable, 1-4x20, (Leupold firedot) mostly set to 2 or three, depends on the environment.

 

I use a scope for almost everything. My usual gun for a hog of opportunity is a Glenfield 30 with a 3X glass. Most of my other scopes are 4X, 2.5-8X, 3-9X, or 3.5-10X. No matter what I am carrying, I can get it low enough for a close shot, or toss a long pass.

 

Personally I use a scope due to my eyes. But I can say in my neck of the woods the furthest shot I have ever had on hog and killed it was 45-50 yrds. Most shots are 15- 35 yrds. I personally want to shoot them just behind the ear or in front of the shoulder for a dead right there scenario. Making that well placed shot is crucial in my opinion and a scope does that. The last thing I like to do is track a hog off into impassable laurel. For you and your questions..... it all depends on how comfortable you are with iron sights.

 

2-7x33 VX-1 Leupolds rolled back to 2 when walking in and out. Leaving both eyes open when shouldering rifle usually you will find reticle right at or about dead on, close one and squeeze. A little practice and it has become second nature, close cover piggy hunting things can go quick and sometimes in your direction!

 

Either. Depends on your eyes.

 

My eyes aren't the best, wear bifocals. Even when I was youger and my Lookers were in better shape, when hunting in thick stuff
where shots are going to be 0-50yds I found a reciever sight with no aperature and Patridge front hard to beat. For more open type
growth where 50-100yd I like the low powers with a post reticle. Most of game I have shot has been in the thick and is in high gear.
If you are stand hunting and shooting stationary game I would say use whatever works for you. Me I get my kicks out of picking off
running game, I have hunting buddies that won't shoot at running deer. They have 3x9s and do well but where we hunt they only
need the 3x.

 

I have never shot a hog but have shot plenty of deer. Most of the deer were close to very close. But almost all of them I have use a scope on low power. But I have killed deer and elk with open sighted BP rifles. Most will say that a scope on a lever action is just wrong. Glad to see that most here don't agree. You can only shoot as well as you can see. I had to pass on a shot at one dear right at dusk because I could not make it out well enough in the brush for a shot with peep sights. With a scope I would have had an easy kill.

I had cataract surgery a year ago and now have the best vision i have had since I was a kid. I do need readers for 20" and less but the long range vision is excellent. But in spite of that I have an older Burris 1.5x4.5 scope mounted on my new 35 Remington 336 that I will use for deer this year. A 2x7 is also an excellent scope power for brush and 250 yard hunting.

 

As has been opined above by most.........scope for most US applications other than continuous crawling through impenetrable brush....all my weapons below are scoped sans the 20 gauge (though I have a scope available for it)....my 30-30 seems to be my most frequent carry secondary to length and weight......but the others follow close behind....all with glass as listed.

 

Getting right down to it, are two concerns with peeps. Can a person shot them accurately enough at the intended range. Not all persons know how to manage a peep sight picture thru dropping the hammer, and cannot fire one with acceptable accuracy compared to a scope. That is, folks will insist on a picture perfect sight alignment before pulling the trigger often hurriedly jeking the trigger at that precise mili second, resulting in a pulled shot, rather than let the sight picture dance around the target during a smooth trigger pull, the brain will auto insure the correct sight picture with let off with practice. The second is, that compared to a scope, you will be able to make fewer shots, this is caused by: an inability to pick out a window thru brush. or frequently, low light making it impossible to insure a sight picture, which a scope with the correct exit pupil would allow you to easily see.

 

We are starting to see feral hogs here in central Michigan, so thanks for letting me share your post. !!!!

 

Where? I like the idea of hunting closer to NE Indiana.

 

I'm up for lower rather than higher as a priority. One thing to remember, make sure your score is set lots when you get into thick cover.
I know dumb of me to say, right? A few weeks back a few of us (4), went in portrait of moose, when we got into the brush? The other 3 were set upwards of 9 power.

 

If your eyes are not too old , and you're stalking skills are reasonable, by all means open sights for speed and simplicity... better yet, a good old peep sight if you're accustomed to its use.
One sow with piglets in an open field at 399 yards should be no problem at dusk.
Make like an Indian.. no need to hide just don't move when she can see you, and stalk with the sun at your back and the wind in your face if possible.
The piglets are a bonus... like a litter in a grocery store with Mom, they can distract her considerably.

Quietly get up within 30-ish yards, then put a cast bullet through the shoulders, then wait to pick off the returning piglets.
Like shooting fish in a barrel, it can be fast and furious for a few minutes.

 

I always use a scope - sadly, no hogs where my current lease is in W TX - however, I do a heckuva lot of stalking for deer (no spotting - just hunting) and I always have a scope on my weapons. Lots of different types of weapons, lots of different scopes. the only common thing is that they are all turned down as low as they will go - whether that is 1.5, 2, 3X. Reason - waaaaaaay more accurate, good field of view and target acquisition - and primary reason - I'm old and eyes don't work any more.

 

My main hog gun is a Ruger 96 in 44 MAG shooting hand loads featuring the 270 grain Speer bullet. I zero my 1.5 to 4.5X Bushnell scope for 75 yards. This is the Dawn to Dusk model which is really quite effective in low light conditions.

TR