How to Determine the Magnification

Power Needed on a Rifle Scope

Step 1: Decide if you want a fixed or variable power scope. A variable power scope is much like a zoom lens on a camera; you can change the magnification power for different situations. A variable power scope is obviously superior to a fixed magnification scope, but they're also usually more expensive.

Step 2:  Determine the maximum range you want to shoot. This determines the maximum magnification that you need. A rifle with 7-times magnification (7x) allows you to shoot up to 100 yards, a 9x lets you shoot up to 200 yards and a 12x to 14x lets you shoot a target over 200 yards away.

Step 3: Think about what type of game you want to hunt. You can hunt whitetail deer with a 3x to 9x scope, you can hunt mule deer on western plains with a 4x to 12x scope and you would hunt squirrels with a fixed 4x scope.

Step 4: Consider the distance at which you want to take the majority of your shots. Pick a magnification for the low power of your scope that fits into this shot distance. If you have too powerful a scope, you end up with a limited field of view at your typical shooting distance.

Step 5: Test several different scopes and find out what you like. Use the scopes to fire a few rounds before purchasing. If you can't use the scope to fire a rifle, at least use it to sight in targets at distances from which you typically fire shots.