deer hunting, my scope is almost always on 3x. even on my 100-150yd shot it was on 3x. like to have the 3-9 incase i get the time and CAN crank it up. on the bench, i shoot it on 9x..then take some shots at different powers to make sure the crosshairs dont move(had a scope that DID move the crosshairs when i adjusted the power!..JUNK!) most of my deer shots are 20-50yds and often times quick shooting..if they stop, its for a second and thats when the gun barks.

now, when im out there groundhog hunting, im always changing my scope power. usually leave it on 6x till i find a target...then i will get on the target on 6x and crank er up to 18x and put the bullet between his eyeballs

i dont care what size the critter looks like in a scope. im not shooting AT the critter...im shooting at a SPOT on the critter..the spot i want the bullet to hit. i dont use my scope to get a feel for range...i use my eyes and best judgement or a range finder to figure out my range.