Agree application determines equipment. i shoot a 6 inch plate at 200 yards with the 4x rimfire. i choose optical quality and FOV over magnification. However I don’t shoot groups on paper I shoot reactive targets from prone or standing position. I don’t shoot benchrest.
@RoterTeufel FFP is the trend, just like .40s&w and piston AR rifles. I would argue that fixed power is superior in nearly every situation particularly range estimation. FFP has some strongpoints but the tradeoffs are overlooked. I rarely use any variable mag optics and when I do they’re usually SFP for many reasons.