Out of the box or custom?

[srab]

Bill>>

Amusing story. I guess I'm just a little surprised that someone
would put a variable 18x scope on a black powder rifle! But,
your story does underscore the merits of a fixed-power scope.
You don't have to constantly make a mental note of where
it's set, magnification-wise, in the event of the need for a
quick shot. It also tends to cut down on the time it takes to
get that first shot off since you are never tempted to crank
up to the highest magnification before attempting it. And,
inside of 200 yards, and probably much farther, if you can't
hit a deer-sized target with a fixed 4-power scope, I
seriously doubt that you'd do any better with higher magnification.

Well, that's my $.02, anyway.