Hi everyone. New member—and new to hunting too. I’m in my mid-40s and a longtime angler. I’ve wanted to take up hunting for many years but was always daunted by the various challenges and didn’t really have a mentor. Now I’ve got an opportunity to hunt on private land in an adjacent county and I’ve got time to get set up with the right gear and practice with it.

Thank you in advance for any guidance you might have. I’ve already learned a lot reading around on this forum!

The area I’ll be hunting is straight wall only. I’m picking up a Winchester XPR in the tried-and-true 350 Legend.

I’ll be in a stand, and the landowner tells me that nearly everyone who’s hunted there ends up shooting 40 yards or less.

My question is what kind of optic to mount on my rifle, knowing this. There’s so much information out there to absorb, so much of it conflicting—it’s overwhelming for a newbie.

LPVO seems appropriate? (Like a 1-6x?) Some people favor red dot for this distance. Or do I go with the more standard 3-9x, figuring I’ll keep it at the low end for this but might be grateful for the added reach some day later? (Then again, for 350, 6x might be all I ever end up needing.)

Appreciate any and all insights! And if this is a well worn topic, I apologize—please feel free to direct me to older threads. Like I said, I’ve been reading like crazy, but the more I read, the more uncertain I get.