Wide open country calls for more magnification than woodlots. Simple, but worth remembering. (Image: Trent Marsh)

By Trent Marsh

I’ve been working in optics for over 15 years, and this is one of the questions I get the most: What’s the best magnification for a hunting rifle? The honest answer is, it depends. But I’ll give you a better answer than most folks are willing to.

Let’s say I hand you a .30-06 bolt gun. Great cartridge. Solid rifle. You could use it for black bear in Quebec or pronghorn in Wyoming. Same gun, but two very different hunts. Can one optic cover both situations perfectly? Not likely.

The rifle might be capable, but the optic is what sets the limitations. The way you set up the glass often determines what the rifle is best suited for. That’s where most hunters get tripped up.

Most hunters over-magnify.

All hunting rifles aren’t made for everything. The same is true for optics. (Image: Trent Marsh)

Everyone thinks they’ll be taking 400-yard shots every season. The reality is that most shots happen inside 150 yards. If your scope is more focused on long-distance shots with magnification that tops out at 16X, 20X or even higher, you likely don’t have the low-end magnification range you need for when a deer sneaks in at 40 yards, which, in a lot of the country, happens more often than those longer shots.

High magnification narrows your field of view and exaggerates movement. It makes everything seem like it’s shaking, including the crosshairs. That alone is enough to cause target panic in shooters who don’t put in the time to work through it. Which, in reality, is most shooters.

The best advice I can give you is to stop chasing big numbers. Start setting realistic expectations for your hunt and what your needs on that hunt really are.

The low-end magnification is what matters most. That’s what helps you find game fast, especially when things happen close and quick. For Eastern hunters working dense woods, swamps, or thick cover, scopes in the 1–8X, 2–10X, or 2.5–10X range are ideal. You can pick up game quickly, but still have enough zoom to reach out 200 yards if needed.

The difference between a 2-12x and a 3-15x might not seem like much, but it isn’t nothing. (Image: Trent Marsh)

In the Midwest, where a lot of hunting happens around a mix of woods and ag fields, you might lean toward a 3-9x, 3-12x, or 4-12x. They give you more top-end flexibility while still offering a usable field of view at the low end. If your particular property is a little thicker, I wouldn’t hesitate to go to one of those 1X or 2X configurations. Especially if you opt for a 5X or 6X ratio that gets your magnification up into the 10 to 12X range.

Western hunters are the ones who need the most magnification, but even then, you want a versatile optic. Think 3-15x, 4-16x, or maybe 4-20x if you really plan to stretch things out. But in most cases, going beyond 18X or 20X doesn’t offer a real advantage. It just magnifies your problems.

No matter what scope you choose, always start the day with your magnification turned all the way down.

Every year, I hear from hunters who get caught off guard. A deer sneaks in while they’re still dialed up to 12X or 16X, and they can’t find it in the scope. Or worse, they try to take a shot without knowing where they’re aiming. You’ll almost always have time to turn magnification up for a long shot. But in a quick moment? You won’t have time to dial it down.

A 2-8X scope was a perfect scope for a lever gun at archery ranges, and being on 2X made getting a shot at 18 yards possible. (Image: Trent Marsh)

Don’t believe me? Have you ever jumped deer out of a thicket or fencerow on your way to your stand and tried to get a shot off? I talk to hunters that this happens to every year. Far too many of them tell me about how their scope was cranked to the highest magnification and they couldn’t get on target to get a shot off.

This isn’t just theory. It comes from years of mounting scopes, testing gear, and talking with hunters in the field.

You don’t need as much magnification as you think you do. Pick the right scope for your environment. Keep your expectations grounded. And don’t let the numbers on the box trick you into making a bad decision.

Less magnification. More success.

You’re welcome to tell me I’m crazy. But I’ve seen what works, and this is it.