I am wondering what the advantages are for a fixed power scope over a varriable power scope?

I'm going to pick up a cheap fixed power scope for my shotgun, but I was wondering if there was an advantage by putting a fixed power on my 7mm Mag instead of a var-power...

thanks

I prefer fixed power scopes. The main advantage; I always know what power it is on.

Less parts - less things that can fail.

I go along with both kdub and KenK's answers. I have one variable scope, and it came on the gun when I bought it. The only reason I keep it is because it is a 2.5 to 7 Weatherby Premier, on a Mark V deluxe in 300 Weatherby Mag.

Normally I use fixed 6 powers, either the old El Paso made steel tube K6 Weavers when I can find them, and recently the 6 power Cabela's Pine Ridge.

I don't like seeing our clients on our Javelina hunts, show up with rifles with variable scopes mounted on them. In variably, one of them will at some point crank that thing on to its highest setting, the forget about it and I will put them on to a Javelina at 50 to 75 yards and they can't find it in their scopes. That gets annoying, so every time I think of it, I ask them what power their scope is set on.

No doubt about it, variable power scopes are much more popular than fixed power...but it don't make 'em better. It's seems to be that "dual use" people seem to crave when seeking that all-around rifle (BTW...if you have an all around rifle, then why do you have more than one rifle in the safe?)

Much prefer fixed powers, even for varminting. OF coures, in today's world, finding a good fixed 12X or 8X isn't all that easy, so we end up using variables.

GOOD variables don't have zero problems when shifting powers...bad ones do. All of them have more parts, more moving parts, and more tube seams. Still, we put up with it...even the people like me, who haven't touched the variable ring in years.
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Had a 30-30 Savage 340 that wore a 3-9X simple becasue that's all i had that would fit right with that odd-ball side mount. Was a spare rifle and/or loaner. Really got tired of people cranking it up to 9X, which promotes shots farther away than a 30-30 should bbe asked to make.

So I set it on 3X, ran Crazy Glue into the variable ring's seams, and spray painted the scope black to hide the numbers.

you can generaly get a better piece of glass at the same price just by going to a fixed power over a variable. it is easier to mfr. a good quality fixed power scope than a good variable power, as a result you'll pay more for the variable to get the same quality. i have a 6x sightron on my .22 and can't beleive how clear and sharp everything is when looking through it. i read more and more folks talk about buying good fixed power scopes for their rifle's and one very nice set of bino's to do their glassing with. you'll always have that good pair of bino's with you no matter which rifle you grab that day.

My older Redfields are fixed power, 2X and 4X, but most of my newer scopes are varibles, set a Leupod 2-7 at 2X and it is right much of the time, but if I need 4X I have it and if I need 6X I have that too and yes, they don;t lose their zero like the older ones used to, you just can't beat a Leupold Vari X II 2-7, or a Vari X III 2.5 -8 and the 3-9 is great too.