I have always wondered, why anyone would buy a scope with a top magnification of 30 or better, when most of the shots they take are under 50 yards!
If you're one of those nuts who likes Field Trial, shooting contests, sobeit! But for the rest of us, the average "hunting" target is under 50 yards! Why the heck do you need 10+ power to see it? The simple answer is, you don't! The long answer is, you like to spend money better spent on a better airgun, not a scope!
I agree with you in your conclusion, but disagree on some of the reasons.
1. Distance has nothing to do with magnification. It's the size of the target. If one tries to shoot a .177 pellet hole at 30 yards one is shooting a 0 .5 moa target which is equivalent to shooting a 10" target at slightly more than a mile! That does require some serious magnification.
2. Money spent on a scope-- sighting device-- is as important as your rifle. Your scope is what finally aims the rifle. Clear glass and good reticle is necessary. So I don't think that spending money on a scope is money wasted.
However I agree with your conclusion. I think there's such a proliferation of magnification because,
1. In the U.S even casual airgunners shoot supported off fairly good rests. If the tradition was more standing shooting oriented then magnifications will drop. Without a great deal of practice shooting standing offhand at 24x magnification is a frightening experience! Also most airgunning is pretty static. If we regularly hiked for 5 miles to take a couple of shots, or had practical rifle shooting like competitions, a lot of people will shed their 25 oz Hubble telescopes.
2. In an ironic way, it is BECAUSE airgunners shoot at 50 yards that there is such a proliferation of 200$ 24x scopes. When you shoot out to 1000 yards where such magnification may be necessary, one needs a) a very durable, reliable scope that can stand up to outdoor use, withstand the recoil and have repeatable clicks, and b) extremely good glass. Those scopes can be astronomically expensive. We can buy magnification for cheap which firearm shooters can't because they need much more serious equipment.
Finally to a couple of other posters:
3. It is absolutely unnecessary to have ANY magnified optics to shoot the tiniest groups. Ask any 10m shooter, or small bore competitor. You can shoot the tiniest groups with iron sights if you have large enough targets. It is not necessary to SEE what you are shooting-- if that were the case no one will ever hit the x ring because I can guarantee that can not be seen without a spotting scope-- as long as what you're shooting is at the centre of your sight picture.
4. A scope is a sighting device. If you are using it to check your target perhaps you need a good set of binoculars which also prevents you from aiming your airgun-- which still launches a projectile that can cause injuries-- at something you may not wish to shoot.
I hope I didn't ruffle too many feathers by these statements. These are just my personal observations and I will gladly stand corrected.
