In my opinion, unless I am planning to do a lot of solidrest shooting at smallish stuff a heck of a long ways out, 18X is way over what I'd useneed for hunting medium game such as deer.I don't do prairie dogs so maybe that high "X" is what is needed. The highest "X" I have is a 3.5x12 Swarovski and I cannot recall ever cranking it up that past maybe 10. Every shot a game, other than two shots, overthe past 40+ years has been under 400 yards. For me about 6X to 8X is plenty for out to 300 +/- or so. Most of the time I am set on 3X to 4X ... something in that range because most of my hunting is done where a 150 yard shot is a long one.usually under 100 is more like it. I did take a 450 +/- poke at a badger and missed , and dropped a coyote yeaars ago at about 425 ... on the second shot.Both with a 30.06 BBR and a 3x9-50mm Leupold Vari-X III. Nothing wrong with Leupold scopes. I have 2 Vari-XIII's and like them both.