20x is too much for a fixed power scope, you'll have a hell of a time finding targets. I would go 10x / 12x / 16x at the most
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Magnification is a huge personal preference deal , everybody is different . My 5 - 25 lives at 20 - 25 most of the time , only time I turn it down is shooting positional stuff . Use the scope turret as a front sight , find the target with your eyes and center it over the turret then look through the glass .
I've never turned mine down below 24x . Same technique as you guys, locate target over the scope and then glass it.
Edited my first post,
Since the SWFA SS 16x42 is back ordered until July, could I drop down to a 10x or 12x, and still effectively hit MOA at 500 yards? I know I was told to buy a 16x as minimum, but is it worth the wait? My budget was under $400 for rings and scope. I got the SWFA 16x42 with Burris XTR rings, and badger covers for $386. Should I shop around for something else, drop down to the lower power, or just shut up and wait?
I have two of the 16x's and one 20X. I wish they were all 20X. Just go up in magnification.
It requires you to line up the rifle as mentioned, but I have no issues with it. My 5-25 Steiner spends nearly its entire life at 25X. It's a training/practice issue. You'll catch on fast.
I have been messing around practicing with a pellet gun. Scope left on 9x, and targets at 50 yards. Left eye finds the target and matches crosshairs to it, then focus thru scope on 9x power on target.
I would just be afraid of what 20x would look like at 100 yards and a paper target, or a p-dog.
Don't be. 20X is not all that much magnification. I used to keep the 20X in a QD mount so I could swap it around on AR's to do load development. It worked better than the $1,700 3-15 I keep on one of them. The 20X now lives on my 22 trainer and I regularly shoot that at ranges from 50 to 250 yards.
If you were contemplating a fixed 40X scope, I'd be the first guy in line trying to talk you out of it. 20X will be easy.