I generally do not use a scope of less than 3X on my hunting rifles because then the front sight shows up in the picture and things get confusing for very fast shots. If I am going to be hunting in an area where shots are going to be less than 20 yards where shots are short range and fast acquisition is needed I simply take my scope off and use the irons.
My scope is generally set at 4X , the one I have used for the last 5 years or so is a 1.5-4X Leupold with Zeiss QR mounts.
My rifle was built for that exact situation. I can then put the scope back on and be confident of a 250 yard or longer kill if need be.
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