How Much Magnification Do You Need?

Today, we’re going to discuss optics power or magnification. How much magnification do you need? Is there such a thing as too much? We’ve got a few examples, including a precision rifle, an old-school precision rifle, an SPR (special purpose rifle), and a more general-purpose rifle.

When you look at a more old-school precision rifle, one of the biggest factors was the technology available in that era. Henry’s classic sniper rifle has a scope that is only a fixed 4x optic. That’s the same magnification as an ACOG that the military uses on their M4s. But at the time, that was the best that was available, and Henry has proven its effectiveness out to 1,000 yards.

Henry learned how to shoot long distance from late Cold War precision shooters in the ‘90s. At that time, the general rule of thumb was you needed 1x of magnification for every 100 yards. Josh was taught that same rule when he was coming up in the world of 3-gun shooting. But some of where this rule came from could have simply been the technology constraints of the era. As we’ve moved into more modern times, the 1x for every 100 yards has evolved into more of a 1.5x to 2x for every 100 yards.

A precision rifle, specifically an ELR (extreme long range) rifle such as Henry’s 338 Lapua Magnum could have a scope with magnification all the way up to 36x. But why would you need that much magnification, even if you were planning on shooting out to 1,700 yards or more? Henry likens it to having a sports car that can go 200 MPH. Every time you drive it, are you going to lead foot it up to 190 MPH? No. Most of the time you’re going to be using more of the middle range of the scope’s capability. This allows for better situational awareness because the eye box is typically going to be wider and you’ll have more forgiving eye relief. You might use the top end of the magnification if you’re trying to confirm the rifle’s zero so you can be zoomed in hyper-tight on the point of aim or if you’re testing our different ammo to see what your rifle likes best. But more often than not, you won’t be operating on the top end of the magnification range.

One of the biggest advancements in general-purpose rifles was the creation of the 1-4x scope and LPVOs. Not only for the top end of the magnification range, but because you could drop it down to 1x and use the scope more like a red dot sight. But why would you ever choose something like a 1-4x or 1-6x over something that could dial up to, say, 20x? On paper, you might never choose that LPVO. That is until you factor in things like weight, balance, price point, reticle, etc.

When we consider other applications, such as hunting, the magnification rule can shift and vary. While the 1.5x-2x for every 100 yards rule makes a lot of sense within the world of 3-gun or carbine shooting, it might not be ideal for hunting. For many hunters, 100-200 yards would be considered a long shot. They are also dealing with low-light conditions in the twilight and dusk hours. Having some additional magnification could help with positive target identification and making an ethical shot. There’s a reason the old 3-9x is a classic when it comes to hunting scopes.

So, how do we answer the question, “How much magnification do you need?” Well, it just sort of depends on the use case. You need to consider the rifle's purpose and what you’ll need it to be capable of. Once you know those things, then you can make the “How much magnification do you need?” decision.

-- 9-Hole Reviews