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watchthewind
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Offhand Scope Magnification
Sep 4th, 2026 at 2:47pm
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To those of you shooting offhand with a scope, how much magnification are you using?
  

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4570mike
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Re: Offhand Scope Magnification
Reply #1 - Sep 4th, 2026 at 2:52pm
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8X
  
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rgchristensen
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Re: Offhand Scope Magnification
Reply #2 - Sep 4th, 2026 at 7:45pm
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watchthewind wrote on Sep 4th, 2026 at 2:47pm:
To those of you shooting offhand with a scope, how much magnification are you using?



Back in the day, I used to use a 20x, but those days are gone.  I've always used as much magnification as I could cope with.

CHRIS
  
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stevens52
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Re: Offhand Scope Magnification
Reply #3 - Sep 4th, 2026 at 7:57pm
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Normally 20 but can handle 24
  
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texasmac
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Re: Offhand Scope Magnification
Reply #4 - Sep 4th, 2026 at 8:16pm
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watchthewind wrote on Sep 4th, 2026 at 2:47pm:
To those of you shooting offhand with a scope, how much magnification are you using?


It depends on the type of offhand shooting.  For BPCR silhouette, the range is typically 6X to 10X.  8X is the most common.

Wayne
  

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watchthewind
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Re: Offhand Scope Magnification
Reply #5 - Sep 4th, 2026 at 8:45pm
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Thanks Guys Smiley I've got a 25X and was thinking about putting that on my 22 offhand rifle and letting it rip......
  

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RSW
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Re: Offhand Scope Magnification
Reply #6 - Sep 5th, 2026 at 2:21pm
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Our mutual friend from southern Az used to shoot 32X for OH. I would think that at your age you should easily be able to handle 20-24X. 
Back some years ago I switched from Lyman STS & Unertl 20X to 10-12X for my OH rifles. Not because I couldn't handle the 20 but those scopes are just heavy enough that rifles twist too much in recoil as they are top heavy. The 10 & 12X Unertl scopes are enough lighter that my rifles are not top heavy.
Slap that 25X on your .22 and let 'er rip  Smiley
  

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watchthewind
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Re: Offhand Scope Magnification
Reply #7 - Sep 5th, 2026 at 2:23pm
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RSW wrote on Sep 5th, 2026 at 2:21pm:
Our mutual friend from southern Az used to shoot 32X for OH. I would think that at your age you should easily be able to handle 20-24X. 
Back some years ago I switched from Lyman STS & Unertl 20X to 10-12X for my OH rifles. Not because I couldn't handle the 20 but those scopes are just heavy enough that rifles twist too much in recoil as they are top heavy. The 10 & 12X Unertl scopes are enough lighter that my rifles are not top heavy.
Slap that 25X on your .22 and let 'er rip  Smiley

I think I've been spending too much time with our friend in southern AZ   Grin BTW Randy thank you for all of your help with January Match.....
  

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frnkeore
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Re: Offhand Scope Magnification
Reply #8 - Sep 5th, 2026 at 4:10pm
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When i first started Schuetzen, in '85, I got a Leulpold 6.5 x 20, so that I could turn it down to 6.5 for OH but, within a year, I was shooting it OH at 20x. 

For two reasons, first you have to have a spotting scope at low power (I didn't have a spotting scope my first year and it was a hassle to turn it up and down) and 2nd, I could see much better, where the trigger broke at 20x.

That was for 200 yards OH. IMO, you don't really need anything above 12x for 100 yard OH shooting. I have a 16x on my OH 22 rf rifle.
  

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Statesrights
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Re: Offhand Scope Magnification
Reply #9 - Sep 5th, 2026 at 5:07pm
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Ya’ll intimidating. 
  
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JHand
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Re: Offhand Scope Magnification
Reply #10 - Sep 6th, 2026 at 7:56pm
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For schutzen,  I started with my MVA 6x, because my 20x lyman bounced all over. After about a year of shooting schutzen,  I got much steadier and picked up a unertl 16x with a floating center dot that I like much better
  
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Re: Offhand Scope Magnification
Reply #11 - Sep 7th, 2026 at 6:40am
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I don’t think there is a simple answer. I started in Rimfire silhouette with a 10x Weaver then HP Silhouette a 16x Weaver. Later equipped both with 6.5x20 Leupolds, usually set on lower powers. 12 mostly. Vary according to conditions is very useful.

Later Single shots I was using a switch barrel  .22 & 38/55 CPA BPCS Silhouette iron club matches also iron. Set up a Unertl 12x for fun shooting, matches did not allow scope. Still have the 12x Unertl. Sometimes use it for 200 yard practice,  club matches don’t allow scopes. 

When I had CPA build a full Pope style Schuetzen set it up same fit Iron or Scope Rimfire or Centerfire. Bought a 20x Lyman STS. Then to be more period correct added a MVA 5x. That rifle was easy to hold well due to weight design and fit. 20x was fine and did some of my best offhand shooting with it. 

Didn’t need the 5x compared to the 20 for Schuetzen but kept it and when changing the Pope style set up to conveniently stocked rifle 20x was hard to hold steady sold it and now use the 5 exclusively 

Finish an overly long answer found a nice Unertl Small Game 3X set it up on my 1952 Marlin 39a that also carries a Lyman 1A tang sight it’s ideal for that rifle.

So, 3 X to 20x each had its place with the determining factor how the rifle is set up Stock and weight, and how it’s going to be used 

Boats
  
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