10 or 12, is that all? LOL you can NEVER kill em too dead and you cant have to much magnification for actually making the shot if its over appx 100yds. The 3x9 is "ok" for shots out too 300yds but a 12 is that much better IMHO. Now if you are talking about jumpshooting deer in the swamps of FLA then yeah get a 1.5x4 or something. But for anytype of big game hunting from tree-standing on beanfields too shootin across canyons in CO, then why not get a good 3 or 4x12?

I personally like 14, 15, 16Xs etc. And my longest range rifle wears a 6x24x50 on it. When you have the time to watch and judge deer like you do in most 400yd+ beanfield situations then you only make it easier on yourself when you can "zero down" on em. All my buddies laughed when I got my 24X Swarovski, but now not a one of them have anything less than the 20X Leupold on their guns for field shooting.

You can always back that 4x12 down for close stuff. Afterall 4x is 4x regardless what the other end of it goes up too.

WHACK EM WHERE THEY STAND,
RA