The reasons for using a rifle scope vary among hunters--some simply prefer the idea for better shot placement, others need to verify for legal purposes what type of game they're aiming at, and still others find that advancing age compromises their eyesight. Whatever the reason, a scope can help your success in the field.

Scopes can be fitted on either rifles or shotguns and, like many types of sporting goods, there are lots of choices these days. The most common scope is the 3x-9x with a one-inch tube. These come in varying objective (or front) lenses. The magnification here means you've got three times the object size all the way to nine times magnification.

Perhaps the biggest choice you'll make is in magnification. Three times will get you a good look at a relatively close animal, so that it's all most hunters need at a closer range. The upper limit of the most common scope--nine times--works well for most longer range spotting and having the scope right on the rifle is far superior to having to use binoculars to pick up on your target.

Anything up to 12 times magnification is still reasonable, depending on the type of terrain you're on and how far your long shot is going to be. Beyond that, the natural shake that comes with holding a rifle tends to blur the much-magnified image. Ask to try out the scopes on your friends' rifles and you'll get a sense of what works best for you. From there, you can make the smartest purchase possible.