Best Rifle Scope: Reviews of the Top 10 Optics for 2018

One of the most effective ways to increase your hunting odds is by having the right equipment. The hardest part of the process of getting and mounting a scope is choosing the correct one. Researching rifle optics can lead you down a rabbit hole that never ends. This is why we have put together this one stop buyers guide with the top rifle scope reviews. The most important thing to remember is to to equip yourself with the best rifle scope for your specific needs and intended use.

The 10 Best Rifle Scopes Chart

Why You Need a Scope

Scopes do number of things for a shooter or hunter. They can extend the shooting hours by gathering light and allowing you to be able to make an ethical shot at game. They allow you to shoot further by magnifying the target and helping you see better and most of all they simplify the aiming process so you can focus on the rest of your shooting fundamentals instead of worrying about a pair of sights.

Scope vs. Open Sights

There is a big difference between using the open sights on a rifle and using a scope. If you are ready to get serious with your shooting then it's time to get yourself some optics. Here's a run down on how each work.

Open Sights

The kind of sights that are on pistols and most fighting rifles like Ar15’s are called open sights or iron sights . Shooting with iron sights takes a fair amount of skill and concentration while you shoot. You have essentially three or more objects you must align and control while you shoot.

You have the rear sight, the front sight and the target. That means shooting on the move is nearly impossible. Iron sights are also very hard to shoot in low light. Tritium can be added to alleviate this problem but it is much better when you switch to an optic.

Scopes

An optic means a device that uses optical glass to allow you to see. In shooting this means a night vision optic, a scope or any number of different kinds of red dots. Optics simplify the aiming process by removing the front and rear sight and just leaving an indicator of where the bullet will land after the shot is fired.

This is called the reticle or the "dot" and is extremely easy to use. All you do is paint the target with the dot and let the round fly. The other benefit of an optic is the ability to gather light and to magnify the target.

Gathering light means that the scope uses a multi coating on the glass to amplify ambient light and extend shooting time. There have been many hunters who had to let a trophy walk because although it was well within shooting times they couldn’t shoot because the trees casted shadows making shooting with iron sights impossible.

Types of Scopes

There are so many types of scopes, each designed for so many different specific purposes. There will be more detail on this later as we review each scope and what it is best for. To keep things simple most scopes can be broken down into one of these 3 main categories.

General Hunting & Shooting Scopes

These are the clear majority of scopes on the market. They’re easy to find, easy to use and made to just be reliable workhorses for hunting. These scopes are the lion share of inexpensive scopes on the market. The hallmarks of these scopes are limited features that make them dead nail simple.

Scopes like this can be in custom ballistically calibrated reticles for your preferred hunting load to use hold over out to the edge of the cartridge’s usable range. Warranty’s and durability are important here and the optics industry takes care of their customers by and large.

Tactical & Long Range Scopes

These are the cool scopes that everyone loves to read about but very few people actually know how to use. For starters, these scopes are expensive. They have tons of features that make for scopes that can do just about anything you could want.

Parallax adjustment that is easy to use and understand is important on these scopes. Zero stop turrets that don’t have to read to count the adjustments are common, so are more advanced coatings and technologies that make better use of the high magnification these scopes typically have.

Specialty Scopes

Specialty scopes can be made for a single purpose, such as a .50BMG rifle, then there’s only a few options. The difficult thing about these scopes is because they’re so specialized they don’t have many reviews. There are few scopes in this category because they’re so different.

Custom scopes are common, so are large turrets and illumination. These scopes really push the limits of technology and really are the pinnacle of scope design. Companies like Nightforce, Schmidt & Bender and US Palm make these scopes that are really an engineering marvel. If you need one of these scopes, you already know exactly what you’re shopping for.

Rifle Scope Reviews

Now it's time to get into the reviews of the top scopes in each specific category. Although there are many other great scopes out there, these are our favorite.​

Best Rifle Scope on the Market

Leupold 120595 VX-6 30mm CDS-ZL Fire Dot Wind Plex Scope

Leupold is arguably the best sporting optics manufacturer in the world and their flagship model is the VX-6 line of scopes. They push the limits of what a sporting optic can be and push the budget of whoever needs the best of the best.

The scope starts with an incredible 1-6x zoom ratio that allows for a true 1x power setting all the way out to 6x power for eastern whitetail deer hunting across a field plot, a 2-12x power scope for all around cross continent game for either western or eastern hunting, or even 3-18 power scope for long range target shooting or extreme range hunting. There’s magnification greater than this, but if you need more, you’ll need more than the features this scope comes with.

These scopes can be had with Leupold Custom Dial System (CDS) that tailors the turret of the scope for your load and cartridge so you can find the range to the target, dial in the reticle, and hit the target with extreme confidence and accuracy. The new Fire Dot reticles are also available, combining the best of a red dot and a scope to make shooting a real treat and struggling to see your reticle against a dark backdrop a thing of the past.

For sportsmen, this is a great choice for everyone wanting an heirloom quality scope. If you’re the type with one rifle, then this is the one scope to go with it. The weight is decent, but not great. However, the ability to have double the zoom ratio, more light than just about every other scope, and a huge array of options from an illuminated reticle, to parallax adjustment, to a teeny 1-6x24mm size scope, makes this line of scope the best all-around scope for hunting, shooting and going outdoors.

Best Sniper Rifle Scope

Nightforce Optics 5-25x56 ATACR Series Riflescope

If you have a big .50BMG or you're a long range enthusiast, then you’ll need a scope to go with your obsession. Nightforce is one of the finest makers of tactical scopes on the planet and they’re used and coveted by more shooters than just about every other scope available.

This is a great representation of how beefy, featured and ready for action these scopes are. This is a Nightforce ATACR, one of their bestselling scopes, that has a huge -2x power magnification range, coupled with a gigantic 6mm objective bell and 34mm tube.

If you can get over the extreme weight of the optic and use the armored protection the scope offers and gigantically thick crystal clear glass, then the world class optics in this scope has a multi coating that is diamond tough, and never scratches.

The entire scope screams quality and you can tell it was designed by people who shoot because of how well laid out it is. The distances between each turret, the tactile feel of each turn and the textured surfaces of each knob make for a fast adjusting scope. The turrets have an adjustable zero stop so you can have a rifle ready to go for work or for competition.

The scope offers a huge well marked parallax adjustment. They adjust at .25moa for precise adjustments at long range and dialing in the custom MOAR T reticle. The scope is available in several different custom BDC reticle that can do a variety of functions depending on what you want your rifle to do. Whichever one you choose it can be in illuminated or non-illuminated depending on how much you’d like to spend, and how much weight you’d like to carry.

If you stomach the extreme cost of this scope, then you can have the absolute best the world has to offer in the way of sniper rifle scopes.

Best Deer Hunting Rifle Scope

Leupold VX-3i 2.5-8x36mm Matte Duplex

If you’re a serious deer hunter, then you need a serious deer hunting scope designed and purpose built for the job. This your answer, the newly redesigned Leupold VX3i. If you have an old standby from the VX3 line up, by all means you can keep with it. But the updated set of features found on the Vx3i make it worth it to get the new model.

The newest update is the redesigned lens coating process that filters out the light spectrum to make the colors most important to deer hunters "POP". This makes it easier to see deer pre-dawn and post dusk in those last few minutes of shooting light where it can be a chore to spot deer and make a solid hit.

The other redesigns include a larger adjustment fin for dialing in and out of the magnification age, which has been broadened. You can easily go from, 2.8-8x power without pulling your head away from a cheek weld, a major feat compared to some scope designs.

Of course the scope inherited all the good things from the previous generation; things like the 1 inch tube constructed from solid aluminum. A second focal plane reticle and the ability to use the awesome Custom Dial System available from the Leupold custom shop to dial in your loads for accuracy.

The whole package of this scope is great, and priced great, for deer hunters, elk hunters or even hogs in a traditional treestand or ground blind setting. The whole thing is extremely impressive and if you’re used to the old Vx3 line up from Leupold you’re in for a real surprise.

Best Long Range Rifle Scope

Carl Zeiss Optical Conquest HD5 5-25x50 Rapid-Z 800 Ballistic Reticle

If you’re going to shoot at long range, 600+ yards and out, then the first thing you need is optical quality and then you need some help aiming. If you want quality, then you need to see the experts at Zeiss. They make camera lenses, glasses and some of the finest glass in the world. Including their Conquest line of Scopes that are phenomenal for long range shooting.

The HD5 model with 5-25x power magnification, and Rapid-Z Ballistic Reticle makes for a potent scope for hitting targets at range. The optical quality of the scope is fantastic and it’s easy to see small targets with the fully multi coated, and anti-reflective coating on the lenses.

The reticle design offers marked graduations calibrated for most of the magnum cartridges used for shooting at range. The reticle is easy to use and effective. The scope has been redesigned in recent years and now comes in shorter and lighter than its competitors and has superior optical quality.

The downside to this scope is the trim design is somewhat wasted with the huge 50mm objective lens. It gathers light and transmits it extremely well but it could use a larger tube because it’s already large and a little unbalanced.

Everything about this scope is quality. If you buy this scope you won’t have a ton of features because this was designed as just a dead reliable piece of gear that is easy to use and does its job. It's made in Germany and imported, comes with a year no fault warranty that covers everything, and a limited lifetime warranty for defects in materials and workmanship. You’ll probably never need the warranty, but it’s nice to know it’s there.

For more great long range scope choices see:​

Designed to be slim and trim to ride atop an ar1 flattop the Nikon P223 is a great example of a great scope for hunting, specifically predator hunting where guns are carried far more than they are shot.

When you’re sitting waiting for a coyote to hit a call, you have little idea from where the coyote will come from. You must be ready to nail a dog from 20 yards all the way out to as far as you can, or shoot.

If you hunt out west, then you’ll know that shooting at coyotes out to 400 yards is somewhat common, so training out to 600 yards just makes sense. To help you, get a scope you don’t need to spin turrets or guess at hold overs. Get a scope like the Nikon P223 and have hash marks for 200-600 yards all mathematically set for a gr .223 cartridge.

This scope is rugged, the correct size, and most importantly, a great price. Nikon is the king of making good quality cheap glass and this is a perfect example. The Nikon P223 offers a bright, crisp and clear image completely through its magnification range from 3x power all the way out to 9x power.

Nikon has also done the work for you by manufacturing a scope mount made specifically for the P223 to mount on a standard picatinny rail and the correct height for an Ar-15 and at a good height for most modern rifle stocks.

If you hunt any type of predator with a 5.56 or .223 chambered rifle, this is a strong contender for best scope. The unique features it was designed for lends itself well to an ar25 and virtually any hunting rifle that uses this ubiquitous cartridge.

For more predator scope see:

When dealing for the best value equation, it’s hard to beat Nikon. As previously stated, they make the best inexpensive glass and all their scopes are good quality, especially when compared to their price. The hard thing to nail down about these scopes is which one is the greatest.

The Nikon Monarch series is their flagship model and the Monarch 3 is one of the most value packed options. The Monarch 3 is the middle of the road monarch. Designed around a 4x ratio zoom power and easy to use spring loaded turrets.

Dialing this scope in is an absolute breeze, and can be done quickly for hunting and competition matches. The fast focus eye piece aids in the speed of focusing the reticle for making a fast shot and the BDC reticle is the final "speed" feature that lets you make follow up shots with a hold over.

There’s a downside and an upside for this scope... it’s huge. It’s the single biggest riflescope in the Nikon line and is engineered to provide the maximum theoretical light transmission possible in a scope. It’s nearly a perfect 95 percent transmission rate makes shooting through this scope in low light brighter than the naked human eye.

As a huge value option for someone who wants a scope they can use from dawn to dusk to shoot from one side of the bean field to the other, this scope is the best of the best. Look no further for a huge, high magnification, ultra-bright riflescope.

Best Tactical Rifle Scope

Trijicon TA31F 4x32 ACOG with Dual Illuminated Chevron .223 Ballistic Reticle (and a Flattop TA51 Mount)

This is a legendary scope made for the military and proven on every continent on the planet. This is the realization of a scope that could be the ultimate simple solution for a maintenance free battle optic. It’s a great choice for anyone that needs a rugged, reliable and hassle free scope.

All the ACOG line up has two things, a ballistically calibrated reticle and fixed magnification. They come in different flavors regarding battery or fiber optic illumination but they’re all insanely rugged and very useful. They’re not too expensive as well if you consider the fact they come with an integrated mount that would be worth $150 or so if bought separately.

The magnesium housing they’re made of is a single forged piece and wrapped in a rugged rubber compound. The glass in the scope is double thickness and every seam is O-ring sealed and dry nitrogen purged. You don’t ever need to worry about this scope, it is the most proven on planet earth.

The BDC reticle is referred to as a Christmas tree because it’s illuminated with whichever source you use and has graduations out past where you should be shooting. The illuminated chevron, or horse shoe, can either be red or green in several different sizes and is always on thanks to the nitrogen lamp that is warrantied for 1 years after manufacture.

If you need a rugged riflescope for tactical or just hard field use this is a great option. While traditionally reserved for Ar-1’s this is a great option for carbines of all types, from bolt action, pump action or other semi auto designs.

Best Fixed Power Rifle Scope

Leupold FX-II 4x33 mm Scope

If you’re going to have a slim and trim rifle made just for stalking or backpack hunting, then you need a slim and trim scope that can be mounted low and be small and light. Carbine like Marlin 336’s or Savage lightweight hunter’s make awesome guns but their short, light, and quick handling designs are wasted by adding in a huge scope that throws off the balance and adds unnecessary weight.

Instead look for a lightweight, tiny, fixed power scope that is rugged and usable like the Leupold FX-II 4x33 scope. This is as simple as optics get. A fixed power, full size scope that just works. It doesn’t have an under sized tube. No, it is a standard 1 inch tube, and 33mm objective bell.

It’s bigger than most rimfire scopes but smaller than just about any other centerfire rifle scope. The scope is just 9oz and comes in several different finishes and reticles. It won’t work with a CDS from the Leupold custom shop because it doesn’t have adjustments other than .25moa turrets made for sighting the unit in.

Probably the most useful version of this scope is the matte finish and duplex reticle. If you have .30-30, an Ar-15 or just a light and fast rifle for 0-300 yards this is a great, simple and dead rugged scope that gives you the advantages, without the disadvantages of a complicated optic.

The simplicity and the quality of it being a Leupold makes the fact it’s a full-sized tube and full size objective bell even sweeter. If you’re in the need of an old school fixed power scope with modern quality and performance, look no further this is the best it gets.

Best Riflescope Under $200

Vortex Optics Crossfire II 3 - 9x40mm

This was the choice for the folks at Ruger when they decided to deliver a high-quality pairing of rifle and scope with the Ruger American rifle. They made a good decision with a bombproof, dead simple, and classic hunting style optic that’ll do almost anything you could ask a scope to do.

The 3-9x power is clear and crisp at both ends of the adjustment range and is easy to dial in and out thanks to the bezel and tactile selector. The 1-inch tube and 40mm objective lens gathers light well and the fully multi coated lens projects the light and makes for a great scope for the price.

The reticle is their proprietary dead hold that offers graduations to make holdover shots. It’s not quite a BDC reticle but much easier to use for simple hold overs and under stress. This is a nice feature and is in the second focal plane and remains consistent and sharp as you zoom in and out of the scope’s magnification range.

It’s important to remember this is a price point scope, not a high-end optic. There’s limitations that are inherent to the price. The scope, while very durable and holding one of the best warranties in the industry, should be guarded. The one-piece aluminum tube is water tight and field ready but isn’t armored and isn’t put together with the same level of care and precision that higher end scopes are. Know what you’re getting into and don’t compare this to a Leupold, or Nightforce and you’ll have a fine optic ready to go.

Best Cheap Rifle Scope

Bushnell Banner 4-16X 40mm Illuminated CF500

Bushnell makes the most inexpensive riflescopes one can buy. They’re not always the best but they’re the best of the cheap quality scopes where you can get a piece of glass for under $100. Bushnell probably spans the largest market segment offering scopes from as little as $20 sold at Wal-Mart all the way up to $3000 scopes made for military contracts.

The 4-16x power magnification range is overkill for most hunters, especially hunters who are in this price range. The nice thing to know is that the glass quality is decent and reasonably crisp throughout the magnification range. The key to using this scope for close cover work is to dial the scope back to 4x power every time the scope leaves your cheek, unless you’re sitting in the treestand and have a target distance in mind i.e. a feeder or mock scrape.

It’s rare to see illumination on scopes this cheap but it’s there, and it works. It’s not nearly as bright as other scopes that’ll cost at least five times as much, but it’ll work for hunting that time period between sunset, and legal shooting hours.

You can rest assured Bushnell stands by their work and no matter what you buy from them you can expect them to fix it or replace it if you follow the warranty information. Their customer service is their greatest feature and they do it extremely well.

If you’re looking for the absolute cheapest rifle scope you can get your hands on without buying used or garbage, this is your best bet. It’s a large scope with ample amounts of magnification and a BDC with decent magnification. If that fits the bill of what you’re looking for, rock on here is your scope-and it’s on prime!

How to Decide on An Optic

Buying a riflescope is easy to do but it’s also easy to mess up. You can see at any given range a scope that just isn’t right for the rifle it’s mated too. It makes little sense to put a 4x power scope on a .338 Lapua magnum rifle, just like it’s dumb to put a pistol scope on a shotgun.

The best thing you can do to help your chances of not spending too much or buying the wrong scope is to define what you’re going to do. Buying gear is all purpose driven and optics get confusing and get expensive super quickly so make sure you know the purpose.

Of course, the thing that makes a scope, a scope, is the glass inside. The "glass" refers to the lenses that make the magnification and light gathering inside work, along with a prism on a moving track. The theoretical limits, and operations involved in a scope are irrelevant to the end user, but rest assured, every year it gets better and better. Which means last year’s scopes get cheaper and cheaper.

Here are the basics you should understand when looking to purchase a new scope:

Length

The length of your scope is very important. If it won’t fit on your mount, then it’s worthless because you can't use it. The overall length needs to jibe with the overall size of your rifle and the preference of the size and weight you’d like your rifle to have.

Remember to count into the length of the scope any accessories you’re going to mount. Things like anti-glare hoods, flash hiders on the objective lens, and scope caps on either end lead to a longer scope.

Weight

The weight of the scope can make or break the entire rifle it’s mounted too. This is the biggest constraint to the build of a riflescope. This is also the biggest concession you’ll have to make. The higher the magnification, the bigger the tube, the bigger the turrets and lens, the more weight you’re going to mount to the worst possible place to have it on the scope.

Define what the rifle is going to do and let the purpose drive what you buy. The hardest thing to nail down is how much weight is acceptable. Obviously less is always better, but can be confusing to nail down how much is acceptable. If nothing else look to mount the scope as low as possible so you don’t have a tippy canoe of a gun.

Tube Diameter

The tube of the scope is the long thin part that connect the eye piece and the objective bell. This is the part of the scope that houses the prism, adjustment dials, and any illumination equipment the scope features. Some tactical scopes that need extreme clarity and light transmission upgrade from a 1-inch tube diameter to a 30mm scope tube.

The drawback to this increased light transmission is a 50 percent increase in weight and sometimes a 100 percent increase in cost. These scopes are also mounted higher off the bore axis and make rifles overly unwieldy. If you have the budget and don’t mind the weight and dimensions, go for it. The performance is akin from going from a V6 to a V8 engine.

Magnification

The magnification on the sight is a measure how much bigger the target will appear when you look through the scope. Most scopes have adjustable magnification which is the first number on a scope label. Therefore, a 3-9x40 scope has a magnification of 3x power adjustable up to 9x power.

Magnification is a valuable tool as targets get smaller and distances get greater. More is not better here. The hardest part of the equation is to have enough without going overboard. The key is to remember that magnification won’t help you shoot better, magnification will help you SEE better. Adding default increasing magnification won’t help you if your fundamentals are off, in fact if you’re a squared away shooter less is more!

Reticles

The reticle on a scope is the crosshairs that let you align the scope with the target. There are many, many reticle designs and there are many designed for specialized purposes. When you pick a reticle think about how you’re going to use it. The fancy reticle designs are hard to get used to under stress and for hunting are usually overkill and can even be a liability.

On the contrary simple reticle designs, have proven to be life savers for serious use combat rifles. ACOG rifle scopes were among the first scopes to have BDC reticles and they work great. If you’re going to use a specialized reticle to call ranges, or for long range sniping... practice, practice, practice!

Light Transmission

Light transmission is the amount of light the scope pushes through the lens and to your eye. More is always better with light transmission. Remember though quality is just as important as quantity. New models of scopes offer differing amount of light transmission but with filters to make colors pop that are important.

Large objective bells will always gather light better than small diameter bells simply because there’s more surface area to expose the reticle to. If you know for a fact you’ll be using your rifle in the dark or with night vision, i.e. specialized hog rifle, then look for a large diameter objective bell that’ll gather light.

Eye Relief

Eye relief is the measurement of the distance needed from your pupil to the eye piece. This is important because if you chose the wrong eye relief or you mount the scope wrong, you won’t be able to see through the scope.

There’s essentially two types of eye relief, critical and non- critical. Critical eye relief scopes are appropriate for precision bolt action rifles not used for defense or in a tactical environment. Any rifle used for stalking, snap shooting or defense you must have a non-critical eye relief scope.

Parallax

Parallax error is the apparent shift in target position or shape when viewed through magnification. This is one of the hardest things for a scope to overcome. The way it’s done for low power scopes is to fix it at a common range, and design the magnification ranges so it doesn’t need it to be adjusted.

The second way this is done is by setting a minimum and maximum adjustment range and adding a turret to dial it up and down. If you’re a long-distance shooter, 700 yards and out, parallax adjustment can be very useful for sniping small targets. If you are just looking for a plinking or common rifle hunting scope, don’t worry about getting a scope with parallax adjustment. Keep it simple and get a scope you can live with and get it mounted properly on your rifle.

Field of View

The field of view is how much you can see through the scope at a certain distance. Usually represented by 100 yards this is a critical measurement. When scopes have low magnification and large exit pupils then you’re left with a large field of view.

Specialized long range scopes have smaller exit pupils that allow you to see more detail at longer ranges. That comes with an increase in tunnel vision when you’re looking through the scope. Situational awareness is never, ever a bad thing. The more field of view, often written FOV, is never, ever a bad thing.

Adjustment

The adjustment that the scope comes with is important depending on what you’re doing. Simple fixed power, or low power scopes don’t need large target turrets or huge amount of elevation or windage. The adjustments need to match all your other optics, either MOA or MILs, and you need to learn how they work.

I’d shy away from large turrets 99% of the time. They get caught on slings, sticks and vines and rifle cases and they can be a pain to grip and turn when having the gun mounted. The exception is competition shooters who will only use the gun on the range, F-class competition example.

Zero stop turrets are nice, and so are very tactical adjustments you can easily tell apart and count. Make sure you can test these out beforehand.

Objective Lens

The objective lens of the scope is important because this is the part of the scope that gathers the light and brings in the picture. The hardest part of nailing this is finding balance for the job at hand. Huge objective bells work great to gather light and filter it so you get a crystal-clear picture.

The problem with a giant lens is that it gets heavy quick, and makes for a bulky un wieldy rifle. The key to balance is nailing down the job at hand and getting highest quality scope that fits your size and weight requirements. Often, if you pick the size first the features and models figure themselves out and things like objective lens choices don’t matter as much in the grand scheme of things.

Lens Coating

The coating on the lens is what filters out light and makes it possible for a clear magnification of the target. New designs are coming out every day and every manufacturer does it a tad differently. What you essentially want to look for is "Fully Multi-Coated".

This means the lens is treated for every color of light and will work in all lighting conditions. Manufacturers have variations and newer technologies that greatly surpass this industry standard but for a quality piece of glass at any level, fully multi-coating is a process that cannot be substituted or forgotten.

Budget

The best scope in the world means nothing if you can’t afford it. When making out your budget for a scope make realistic expectations for what you’re going to do with your rifle and then make sure that you get a scope that will allow you to do that.

The things that cost the most isn’t materials or quality, it’s brands. You can get a scope for under $100 that’ll do 80% of what a scope that costs $500 will do. Buy based off what the scope does and not what the label says.

Knowing where to compromise is just as important as knowing what kind of scope to buy. Rings and bases can be bought off brand, scope caps are largely useless, and some brands are just absurdly expensive.

Finally, if you lack the tools or competence to correctly mount a scope then make room in the budget to have a competent gunsmith mount your scope and bore sight it. There is a process that is important to follow or your scope may not hold zero or may have a catastrophic failure.

Warranty

This is a no brainer, but don’t buy anything that isn’t warrantied. It is just downright foolish to buy a product that not even the manufacturer will stand by. The American firearms industry is one of the best in the world when it comes to customer support so if you buy from a major American brand you don’t need a supplemental warranty.

There are countless stories of people being taken care of by several major brands popular with both hunters and tactical shooters. Evaluate the terms of the warranty because many follow the product even if it is bought on the used market and the company will always honor it.

Will Recoil Break My Scope?

Short answer is maybe. Recoil can break a scope if you use the wrong type of scope, you damage the optic and then use it or you mount it improperly. By wrong type of scope, this means you use it on a weapon it wasn’t designed for.

Putting a rifle scope on a pistol is sure to break it because the recoil impulse is much, much sharper. A rimfire scope on an air rifle will break it, as will a rimfire scope on anything but a rimfire rifle, including a rimfire pistol.

The recoil of the gun isn’t the problem when scopes fail during firing. The problem is how fast the weapon decelerates. Air rifles have a very fast deceleration, so do pistols, and these scopes take more abuse than many of the bigger magnums hunters use.

The real thing to watch out for is a mount coming loose and hitting you in the face. Make sure a competent gunsmith mounts your scope, or you can do it if you have the correct tools to mount it properly. Even if the manufacturers recommend against it, use non-permanent thread locker on your mount screw holes.

Often referred to as Lock-tite Blue, or the specially formulated Lock-tite Purple, this is a special type of superglue used to make sure the screw doesn’t back out when the weapon is fired. Don’t use Red thread locker, or regular super glue. These are far too strong and are going to damage the threads when you try and remove the screw from the holes and you can ruin the action of a rifle doing this.

Only buy a scope with a warranty and from a company with a track record of standing by their customers and honoring their commitment. Stick to these major manufacturers and you won’t have any problems. Stray from the companies with proven track records in favor of cheap Chinese imports.

Rings & Mounts

When you buy your scope, you’ll need to figure out a way to attach it to your rifle. Some rifles come with scope rings and a base, Ruger rifles do, but with most you’ll need to supply your own. The answer to this is to find the best scope rings and bases for the job at hand.

Remember there’s no strength advantage to using steel rings and bases. They’re essentially dead weight after a certain point. All they need to do is hold the scope down tight enough to hold a zero, that’s it. Specialized leveling rings that have built in levels are useful to a point but also expensive.

Brand is irrelevant if they’re quality and do their job. If you need to, buy a cheaper brand and get them professionally installed by a competent gunsmith if you aren’t comfortable doing it yourself.

Best Scope Brands

Leupold

Leupold is the best American optics manufacturer. Leupold supplies more militaries around the world than any other optics company and sells more civilian models for hunting and target shooting than any other brand. They are also some of the highest quality scopes you can buy.

Overall, they make scopes in every budget category from scopes costing less than $300 all the way up to scopes that fetch over $3000 in the market. The key to finding the right Leupold is taking advantage of their awesome website and custom shop to make sure you get exactly what you want.

Trijicon

Trijicon, known for supplying the military, was put on the map with their ACOG. The premise was make a hardened fix powered optic that will survive a small nuclear blast, at least in theory anyway. In later years, they make dozens, literally dozens, of models of ACOG scopes and have added the VCOG, variable powered version, to their lineup.

They also make bow sights, pistol sights, and heavy weapon aiming system for the military. Trijicon rounds out their catalog with a full lineup of recreational and precision rifle scopes. These scopes are made for hard use, and they cost a ton. If you can shoulder the budget, then you’ll have the best of the best with Trijicon.

Nikon

Nikon makes the widest range of optical equipment and some of the highest quality low pried scopes. They make dozens of models but really shine in their lower end optics and their BDC reticle scopes. Their low-end optics use many of the same parts as their more expensive scope lines but strip down several of the features that aren’t used.

This makes them just as clear and bright as their more expensive models but much cheaper, lighter and easier to use. Their more expensive models don’t quite compare to the same priced scopes of other brands. If you’re looking for an inexpensive scope this is a great option. For high end applications look elsewhere.

Vortex

Vortex Optics is a company known for innovative new products and a bombproof warranty. They make more than just scopes and have gained notoriety for their best spotting scope, binoculars and especially their rangefinders.

Recently they’ve begun to expand their line of rifle scopes and red dot sights and are giving some of the bigger brands a run for their money. Their rifle scopes are now used by Ruger for their American packages because their value proposition is incredible. You can expect great things from this company to come.

Their biggest aspect for buying from them is their customer service and warranty. Calling them for product recommendations on their line is always a good idea and their warranty covers literally anything, forever. You won’t be disappointed if you buy a riflescope from Vortex.

Nightforce

Nightforce is one of the specialty brands that makes scopes for serious shooters. Nightforce is a great company because they manufacture scopes with features that the competition doesn't have. Proprietary reticles, hardened optics and ultra-high end glass is their niche.

The downside to these scopes is their price and their weight. Nightforce scopes, because of their 30mm tubes, hardened armor, and tons of features weigh a lot. They use the highest quality materials but have no qualms about making a boat anchor of an optic.

Zeiss

Zeiss, Carl Zeiss, is an optic manufacturer that, like many others, makes shooting scopes only part time. They make some of the finest glass in the world including camera lenses, medical equipment and eye glasses. The hardest thing to do with these scopes is afford them!

They make military grade scopes but without the over built armor package that makes many military or law enforcement grade scopes cost too much and be too bulky and heavy. However, when you use one of these scopes you can instantly see, and justify, the cost.

The glass in these scopes is almost beyond compare. It’s more on the level of those that cost twice or three times as much, and is in the class of Nightforce, Swarovski and US Palm. Much of the other aspects of the scope are standard, even out of place with regards to the glass quality, but most of the manufacturing effort goes to the optics-with great effects!

Bushnell

Bushnell holds the largest swath of the market in terms of price point options. They make scopes that are sold at Walmart and they make scopes that fulfil government contracts. They’re breaking into the hunting electronics markets and has partnered with Primos to bring the best line of hunting partnership line ups yet.

Bushnell makes big claims about their products and make them for just about anything you would need a scope for. Their best products are, sadly, their most expensive while their mid-range optics leave a little to be desired. Bushnell is one of the great American manufacturers that you can call up for help and get an American on the phone to help you. I would never hesitate to recommend them to anyone.

Final Word

If you’re searching for the best rifle scope in hopes of finding the right one for your purpose, then you’re on the right track. Narrowing down the job you have at hand and then making a smart decision based on the specification you need is a great start for someone who is in the market for a new scope.

Hopefully this guide and the reviews have been helpful. If you stick to one of the major brands, there’s not a whole lot of bad choices out there. Pick a brand, and a model that suits your style of hunting or shooting and then get out in the field and use it!