Originally Posted by
jandrey
Do you think I would ever need the higher power than a 3-9x40 out west for elk or north for caribou/moose?
All three animals you've mentioned are large ones. They have kill zones the size of a basketball or larger. With good glass, it's not that difficult to shoot a 1" (or less) group at 100 yards at 4X. Many newer hunters overly worry about getting enough magnification, when they are shooting large animals.
As already stated above, the
quality of the scope (glass & coatings) trumps higher magnification every time. In many cases a higher quality scope in 2-7 or 3-9 can be purchased over a 4-12 for the same $$. See the two scopes, compared below at the exact same price point.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/136...ProductFinding
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/136...ProductFinding