New to scopes, how to approach weight and magnification needs?

[FluffFire]

Weight is normally a non-issue unless you're planning on hiking many miles a day with the rifle. The magnification rule of thumb is: 1x per 100 yards. So if you're only hunting at 400 yards, a 4x scope should do the trick. That being said, my eyes are not the greatest. I've found 2x per 100 yards to be the sweet spot for me personally. Hope this helps.

 

[5811]

Weight is normally a non-issue unless you're planning on hiking many miles a day with the rifle. The magnification rule of thumb is: 1x per 100 yards. So if you're only hunting at 400 yards, a 4x scope should do the trick. That being said, my eyes are not the greatest. I've found 2x per 100 yards to be the sweet spot for me personally. Hope this helps.

I've always wondered why the 1x per 100 was the rule of thumb? Even if you quadruple that to 4x per 100, are you really that slow to find an animal in the scope at 100 yards at 4 power? Doesn't the proliference of the fixed 6x shoot that out the window?

I used to have a decent hit rate on b mod targets at 500m with irons, so I get that you don't NEED magnification, and I'm not advocating hunting with a fixed 20 power here, but what do you really gain by limiting yourself to 1 per 100?

So it can't be target acquisition speed or the 6x scopes would be bad inside 600 yards. Maybe it's more confidence inspiring because it appears more stable? Less focus on the perfect shot placement causing a rushed pull? Maybe easier to track and shoot at moving targets?

4x per 100 gets out of hand fast, nobody needs 20x at 500 yards, so thats not a good rule either, im just wondering why 6x at 600 is optimal?

Personally, im at 9+ for anything over 200. I don't shoot at anything moving at that range, and I like to be able to see the animals mannerisms to get a warning if it's going to move. Higher than 1 per 100 has never cost me a deer, in my mind, but maybe I'm missing something?