What Power of scope do you like for offhand shooting and do you have any favorite scope brand?  What features do you like about a particular scope?
     I like at least 30 power for offhand as it lets you know just how badly or well you are holding on any perticular day. I also like a light  short scope as the wind doesn't affect it as much as my Lyman Super Target Spots and the weight is back towards my body.
 
    I just put my Weaver 36 power back on a rifle and was shooting the other morning.  Does anyone have a way of recording the elevation settings that makes any sense with the Weaver? 
     I am thinking about remarking the part you turn so that the numbers continue up to I think 8.  For those of you who have not had the pleasure of a Weaver scope the markiings were, in my estimation, thought up by an idiot.  Those lines on the fixed part are Okay as for each revolution a new line is exposed as the turnable part moves up and are marked 1,2, 3, 4 etc.  The part you turn is marked 1,2,3,4,4,3,2,1  There are 7 lines between each number, 3 short a long and 3 more short lines and then another number.  I can't figure a way to note the difference between the same numbers on the turnable part.

On my offhand guns I shoot Fecker scopes. I have one in 20 and one in 24 power. The optics in the Feckers are as good as either the Unertls or the Lymans. The real advantage is that they can be adjusted while you are actually looking through the scope instead of bobbing back and forth.
For benchrest I use a 27 power Mitchell 2" scope They are the best made return to battery scope that I have found anywhere. 

40 Rod

I originally used a 14X Unertl but am seriously thinking about going to a 24X Redfield 3200.  I have two of them with fine cross hairs and a dot for the .22's and I like them well enough to get a third for offhand.  I will stick with the 24X and 36X Unertls for bench work.

Corky

I can not give any rational reasons to go to the higher powers other than an observation from my experience.  Keep in mind my eye sight is quite poor, so my results should in no way influence anyone that can see past their nose!

I find that using a higher power for offhand keeps my movement to the aiming point slower.  Expalnation for those that don't speak Corkyese,,,,I sight below the target and "slowly" raise the cross hairs to the twenty five ring.  When the entire target is bigger I have to move the cross hairs slower to avoid swinging off the target completly.  With the larger sight picture for the lower power scope I tend to swing through the center of the target too quickly and the trigger let off does not always happen where I want it to.  With the larger image I tend to move slower, therefore I am not off quite as far when the trigger breaks.

There has been little change in scores for me but I can better call the hits.  So I think in the grand scheme of things it is an improvement.

Corky

Pete,

I learned along time ago that I can't hold any where.  That's why I try to move slowly up to the aiming point.  Admittedly I don't often move in a straight line so if I move by the 25 in the 23 or 24 I feel lucky.

The weight of our offhand guns is part of the secret.  Raising the muzzle to the 25 ring offers enough resistance that I have to move slow.  Best possible outcome, try to move so slowly that the rifle stops moving because of that resistance and get lucky that the trigger breaks before you start shaking too badly.

Don't take anything I say as gospel.  Any of the guys that shoot at EG will tell you they haven't seen me shoot offhand.  What I learned came from other disciplans but I think it will transfer to schuetzen.   

I would like to hear some of the techniques from some of our shooters.  Comparing and learning fom others is how we get better.

Corky

Pete:   
     The dreaded chicken finger is a good way to put it.  It occurs way too often when I shoot. 
     Probably the best way to overcome it is too use the approach method of shooting like Corky but most of the time I can not do it slowly enough.  Two other things help me a bit.  No thoughts especially negative ones and some pressure on the trigger.  With the no thoughts the gun will start to almost shoot by itself when things are right and I will shoot a pretty good target but it doesn't happen often enough.  With pressure on the trigger the shot usually goes without my disturbing the rifle when the sights are right.   
     I have been trying to work on a approach method with pressure on the trigger but sometimes too much pressure gives me a shot way out in the white. I first read about the approach method in David Tubbs book.
mes