I'm not "The Model" for other people to follow. Relative to other folks on TFL,I don't even call myself a good shot.
One of the times I'll MAYBE shoot offhand is I'm cresting a hill. My hat,eyeballs,and forhead are exposed to the game.The game has made eye contact .Its standing still.If I sit or kneel,I lose sight of the target. A decision gets made,shoot or pass.
Typically,there will be daylight between my ribs and upper arm.I don't stick my hip out or find a spot for my elbow.
I also don't do Elmer Fdd or Geraldo Revera "Cweeping up" poses.
As I said,I set up my rifle so however I'm standing and looking at my target,I do not have to "find the target" in my scope. I simply keep looking at the target as I bring the rifle up to my eye. The fit puts the rifle on my shoulder and spot weld.
That is largely why 6X works for me,even cottontail hunting.
If you shoot with bone on bone support in a hunting situation, then I guess that's your "hunting stance," but I was envisioning a stance in which the weak hand is extended farther out on the forend and that arm is not supported by the body.
The reason I started this post to begin with is that I've recently been trying to extend my offhand shooting accuracy. I've been shooting at a 4.5" diameter steel plate with six different .22 rifles. I start around 35 yards, then progressively back up in 5-yard increments if I can hit consistently at each distance. Some of the rifles wear iron sights (2 receiver sights; 1 barrel-mounted sight); some are scoped (a fixed 4x, a 1-4x, and a 2-7x).
Given your 4.5 in target size,and a range of 35 yds,+ 5 yd increments
Its difficult for me to imagine optics of any power would be a significant advantage over a receiver peep till past 50 yds.
In other words,you will gain more from marksmanship basics than you will from magnification.
Consider those who shoot black bullseyes at ranges from 100 to 600 yds with an iron sighted M1 Garand >A fair number of those guys are old with failing eyes ,and the rifles might shoot 2 1/2 to 3 MOA.
Sure,a scope can help you. Bt there s no instant pudding magnification that will make you a good shot.
I suggest you let that go,and spend your money on 22 Rimfire ammo.
Its a very reasonable,attainable goal for an ordinary guy to pretty much put them all on a 4.5 in target at 50 yards (or more) using a 22 with a peep sight.
Look at an NRA 25 yd HANDGUN bullseye target and scoring rings. Iron sights,one handed. That will help you see reasonable goals.
A semi-meaningless old rule of thumb was 1 X for every 100 yds of range for a big game scope was adequate. On the 1903A4 sniper rifle a little 3/4 in tube Weaver 2 1/2 X scope was considered effective to 600 yds.
Yes,a scope can help,but focusing on magnification is a "miss"