Different Rifle Scope Magnifications for Applications

Choosing the right magnification for your scope or optic is an important aspect of getting the optimal performance out of your rifle for your specific needs. The problem is which rifle scope magnifications do you need?

Your scope’s magnification can help or hinder you depending on what you're doing so we're going to look at some of the general tasks a magnified scope can be used for.

Scope Magnifications By Application

The major tasks or applications your scope can face are hunting, long range shooting, and competition. Each has its unique challenges and issues which can make selecting a scope hard. We’re going to go over some of the factors we need to consider when selecting a scope for these tasks.

For our examples we are going to be taking from the Zeiss Conquest 4 series.

Hunting (Conquest V4, 4-16x50)

The most varied task a scope will face is hunting. This comes down to where you’re hunting, the distances involved, the rifle you’re using, and the caliber. So let’s make a few assumptions to make everything easier.

You’re going to be using a common rifle caliber in an area where you can legally use a rifle to hunt. You don’t want to have too complicated a rifle setup so you can use it for most of your hunts. And you don’t necessarily go on a lot of 1000+ yard hunts, but it would be nice to some day.

This means you are looking for a well rounded scope that will allow you to scan for game and still have the magnification to help you reach out to hundreds of yards if you need to. A second focal plane scope will help keep the sight picture the same, making it easier for hunters to make the most of their caliber’s capabilities without having to dial anything in.

The Conquest V4 4-16x50 scope is a good example of this well rounded scope. Its base magnification is 4x with a field of view of 28.5 feet at 100 yards. This is usable in both heavily forested areas and those areas with very clear sight lines. The 16x maximum allows you hone in on those difficult shots where you may not get a second opportunity.

Long Range Shooting (Conquest V4, 6-24x50) 

Long range shooting is an extremely satisfying pass time, which has similar restrictions to long range hunting, but with the targets moving less. This means your scope has to allow you to see bullet impacts at ranges that most people would not consider viable.

For most, long range can safely be assumed to be between 500 and 1000 yards. Some will take their shots even farther than this which requires much more magnification than your general purpose hunting optic.

This usually results in a much higher base to max magnification, in this case 6-24x50 in the Conquest series. You are more likely to invest into a more specialized rifle at these ranges with a powerful caliber. The Conquest V4’s durability makes it ideal for things like magnum rounds or other distance oriented loadings.

At these greater distances the Zeiss T* coating and parallax adjustments are going to be important. Because one deals with the clarity of the sight and the other deals with how accurate that image is when you’re aiming.

A better, accurate sight picture will help you land hits on target while being able to adjust as needed. If everything is washed out or your target blends into the area around, you are less likely to make those shots.

Competition (Conquest V4, 3-12x56)

Competition is usually one of the easier tasks to have a scope for. Not that competition is easy, but there is less guess work regarding the ranges and situations you are likely to encounter during a competition.

Unless you’re dealing with a very specific competition circuit, you will have relatively short to medium ranges to shoot, topping out at a few hundred yards in most cases if you’re lucky. This means you have to have a scope that can work up close and at the extended ranges.

A 3x base magnification is going to be easier to use up close than a 4x on average when compared to speed and transitioning. This can be mitigated with practice and technique, but the lower magnification is easier.

Since we are dealing with at  most a medium range shot, the 12x maximum magnification will help in dealing with partially obscured targets. This makes the Zeiss 3-12x56 a good example of a competition optic that leans towards longer range.

What is the Best Scope Magnification?

Unfortunately in the world of firearms there is no overarching best option for anything, especially magnification. It will come down to how far you are shooting, the farther you are shooting the more magnification you need.

This is usually simplified to 1x of magnification for every 100 yards of distance to your target. So our examples can reach out to 1200 yards, 1600 yards, and 2400 yards on max magnification. Keep in mind this is a simplification and there will be variations and nuances that you’ll encounter when shooting at these distances.

But if you are looking for one scope to add to your rifle and stop there, a mid powered scope like the Conquest V4 4-16x50 is going to be your most well rounded option. It has a medium level of base magnification and can still reach out pretty far on maximum magnification.