The shooter who needs an AR 10 carbine is the shooter doing something interesting. Modern bullet designs allow cartridges to be stretched farther than ever before and rounds such as the .223/5.56 for the AR 15 are viable for deer sized game with an appropriate bullet.
RELATED: Best AR 15 Scopes
The main selling point of the AR 10 is the rapid follow up shots with the .308 Winchester cartridge. No other cartridge can touch it for sheer numbers of shooters who include the US Military and large majority of police forces, or the number of loads offered by major ammunition companies..
While there are many cartridges being chambered by AR10s they are all for the most part .308 family rounds. The .243/.260/7mm-08/.338 Federal guns are somewhat common but the scopes that work well for .308 will work equally as well for these cartridges so that’s what we’ll focus on.
Most .308 rifles are bolt action guns, not semi-automatic magazine fed rifles. The AR 10 fills a niche that hunters who chase hogs, or bad guys, can appropriate. AR 10's are expensive; starting at around $1,600 for a middle of the road rifle going as high as $3,500 or even $5,000 depending on the manufacturer. Scopes for these machines need to fit in both quality and function. This is why the importance of arming yourself specifically with the best scope for AR 10's can't be stressed enough.
*Updated: 2018
The following are the best AR 10 scopes on the market today:
Let's take a look at each of these in some more detail...
Nikon M308 4-16x42 with BDC 800 Reticle
Perhaps a purpose driven product that was designed for AR 10 rifles, the Nikon M308 is the best optic for an AR 10 rifle. The whole scope is designed for quick shooting and fast handling. At just over 14 inches long the scope comes with a 30mm tube and 42mm objective lens. The large size and fully multi-coated lenses in the M308 gather light terrifically and make shooting in low light easier.
The scope is large for a carbine but for a full bore .308 rifle the heft is perfect. It's reassuring that it truly is shock proof, and weather resistant. The scope was designed for shooting large heavy calibers, like on an AR 10. Features such as the construction, the eye piece and the eye relief become painfully important if done wrong and can leave a hell of a scar.
The M308 features a large eyepiece and generous eye relief, a welcomed feature done right. The scope gives generous magnification ranging from 4x power all the way up to 16x power and is clear at both ends of the spectrum, a sign of quality in this rice range. The magnification and sharpness is paired with a BDC built specifically for .308.
Generally speaking, BDC reticles can be hard to use and finicky at best with how they’re laid out. The BDC in this scope is refreshingly easy to understand and use under stress and quickly. There’s hash marks for ranges and nothing else. Available in several different reticle configurations, this may be one of the times a BDC could be helpful, even preferred.
Overall, Nikon puts out great products and stands by their work. The M308 is a great scope at an awesome price that Nikon put out for serious shooters. It’s not the lightest, the smallest or the most powerful but the Nikon M308 does its job with the least amount of fuss and the most amount of value.
Aimpoint M4 2 Minute of Angle ACET CompM4 Sight
Not everyone who has an AR 10 rifle wants to bang steel at 800 yards. The .308 has a lot more power than a .223 and is certainly effective as an intermediate round at 0-300 yards. This is the realm of the red dot sight and there’s none finer than the Aimpoint Comp M4.
This is the premier red dot sight on the market. Designated as the Army’s M68 CCO this sight is battle proven and loved by the people who need it to work. Red dot sights do a lot for a shooter. They simplify the aiming process, outperform all other sights in low light or no light, are the easiest sight to shoot on the move and the fastest at close range. The best designs, like this are compatible with night vision and a magnifier module for taking shots further out.
For an AR-10 where shots may be presented out to 400 yards and beyond a precise 2 MOA, a red dot should be chosen, just like this version of the Aimpoint M4. This sight has undergone many, many refinements such as the adjustment knobs, waterproofing and brightness levels. It even takes AA batteries. With a list of features that few sights can rival, it was clearly designed with the end user in mind.
The great thing about this sight is the all in one nature of the Aimpoint M4. If all you did was buy this unit and bolt it up to your rifle, you’d have one of the best red dot sights on the market, a mount designed specifically for the AR rifle, and a battery for the next 80,000 hours. Yes, that’s not a typo. This sight has a 80,000 hour battery life on normal setting and 50,000 on the NVD settings.
This is a rough and ready sight for rifles that get things done. If you’re going to choose a red dot for your AR 10 this is the one you want.
Leupold Mark 4 - LR/T 8.5-25x50mm M1 Mil Dot (30mm)
Among the best scopes of all time is the Leupold Mark 4 LR/T. This scope is favored among many professional gunmen from department of energy snipers, special operations, police and militaries around the world. The scope is rugged and reliable while not weighing a ton or being obnoxiously large. This scope is great for a precision .308 AR 10 because of the sharpness and clarity, far reaching magnification and tactile turrets while not being too heavy.
The scope features a 30mm tube and a huge 50mm objective bell great for brightness and field of view. It measures a long 14.5 inches in length and weighs in at 22 ounces. Keep in mind this will take up a lot of real estate on your rifle’s receiver. The whole scope is large, but relatively small for what you’re getting.
The scope is made in America with index matched lenses that make for an extremely bright and crisp image. The light transmission through the scope is exceedingly bright and really extends shooting light for hunters and target shooters.
Important for long range it has a side parallax adjustment for dialing in the reticle from 75 yards to infinity. Perfect for shooters who plan to use all of the 25x power magnification the scope is capable of. This scope is a battle field ready optic perfect for an AR 10 rifle for precision sniping or target shooting.
Trijicon VCOG 1-6x24 Ballistic Reticle
Most people know Trijicon for its flagship product, the ACOG. It is a fixed power, unbelievably rugged, scope that is powered by a number of power options and features the BDC done right. Tailored to a number of loads in the main military calibers, and various powers of magnification and reticle color. They are an astounding family of products. The VCOG is the evolution of perhaps the finest combat rifle sight in the world.
The Trijicon VCOG comes in several flavors but of the same model. The striking point of the VCOG is how “Idiot proof” the whole thing is. The build in mount simplifies install and is put on using thumb screws. The compartment that holds the batteries includes an engraved diagram on which way the battery goes in, a nice feature. Finally, the magnification is adjusted by a large fin machined onto the eye piece that makes for a very tactile and extremely fast adjustment of magnification.
The unit just screams experience and refined quality. This is evident in the small details such as the finish protecting the metal, the packaging, the height of the included mount and the heavy rubber gasket in the battery compartment. This is the greatest mid-range optic ever produced, and a perfect scope for an AR 10 carbine.
VORTEX Optics Viper 6.5-20x50
Vortex optics is best known for its innovative products and dead reliable warranty. The Vortex Viper 6.5-20x50 is a great scope for a seasoned shooter who can appreciate a fully featured scope done right. This scope is a step in the direction of dedicated target and tactical, where most people will be using an AR 10 rifle but it is not lost on a long range hunter or sportsman.
The large 50mm objective bell gathers light well and the fully multicoated lens makes targets pop in lowlight. The 30mm tube makes for a huge sight picture but the aluminum body keeps the weight down, a win-win for shooters who want features without hassle. Dialing in the magnification is easy thanks to the large fin on the eye piece and using it with gloves in cold weather, or sweaty hands in hot weather shouldn’t ever be a problem.
The side knob for parallax adjustments is easy to manipulate but positive when you rotate it. The knob doesn’t accidently rotate when you don’t want. This is great because it solves the problem of having big protruding turrets without them getting in the way or getting caught on straps or bumped out of alignment.
The Vortex Viper 6.5-20 is a great scope for an AR 10 rifle because it packs a fully featured, high magnification scope in a package just right for an AR 10. It’s not overly large, but has a huge objective bell. It's not too heavy despite its 30mm tube. Finally, it's easy to use because of its large and well thought out turrets and adjustments.
AR 10 Scope Recommendations
Scopes for an AR 10 are the classic all around scopes for middle ground centerfire rifles. With a few exceptions, a light weight, quick handling medium magnification scope fits the bill for a rifle that is used for 0-700 yards. The range of 700 yards is important because while you can hit targets beyond that with the .308 Winchester, other cartridges are much better suited for the job.
Size and Weight
AR pattern rifles as a whole balance pretty well. They don’t weigh too much and they aren’t muzzle heavy like a lot of precision hunting rifles. However, AR-10's do get heavy. Many weigh as much as 9 pounds unloaded. For an AR 10 carbine, a rifle used for close range light and fast weight, adding a huge scope can become a problem.
Scopes can weigh a ton and are often large clunky affairs that can throw off the balance and add to the weight of a rifle. Rifle scopes for a precision rifle should weigh no more than 30oz. Also, carbines should have a maximum optic weight of 20oz. Optics should be mounted as low and far forward as possible while keeping the mount on the upper receiver.
This is to keep bulk of the rifle down, keep room for back up iron sights, and proper cheek weld for shooting. Mounting the optic forward means the housing of the optic will take up less field of view and you’ll find yourself “hunting” for your reticle less.
Magnification
The first thing to look for in a scope is the magnification it is designed for. Higher magnification may seem like an attractive feature but too much magnification can be a huge problem if you need your rifle quickly. High magnification scopes have diminished field of view at all ranges and further parallax settings than moderately magnified scopes.
The redeeming factor of high magnifications scopes is, when you need them you really need them. Calling wind, identifying targets, judging distance and other critical tasks are infinitely easier when you have the correct amount of magnification.
Define what your rifle will be used for and the ranges you expect to shoot at before you decide on magnification. Don’t be tempted to buy more magnification than you need. The larger, harder to use scope will just complicate getting the rifle dialed in quickly.
Mounts
A lightweight carbine ought to have a scope mounted as far forward as possible. The reason behind a scope mounted optic is the enhanced situational awareness that comes with not having the bell of the scope taking up your field of view. As a rule of thumb, try to get the scope as far away from your face as possible while keeping the mount on top of the upper receiver and also following the eye relief for the scope.
Scopes made by companies like Zeiss that have little eye relief should be avoided...unless you’re looking for a thousand-dollar punch in the face. Likewise, flimsy discount store mounts have no place on your rifle, especially a rough recoiling AR 10. Cheap mounts will bend, break and lose zero.
Reticles
New reticles seem to be coming out every day. Some have as many as six or more hash marks for everything from estimating range to delivering a shot out to 800 yards at low power. These reticles have a Christmas tree type presentation, such as a Trijicon Acog, or a web like on many Nikon Scopes such as the M-308 tactical scope. The classic cross hairs are still probably the most useful for hunters and target shooters. The newer age ballistic calibrated reticles are iffy at best.
These reticles are great and in many ways extremely useful. The old school mil dot reticles are an example. Ballistic drop compensated reticles are reticles tailored to the load they were designed for. If you deviate in any way from the specs the reticle was designed for, you’ll be off. This could be a different load from another company, different weather or a shorter barrel meaning slower velocity. If you are confident with holdovers this isn’t an issue because the reticles get you in the ballpark. Otherwise, you may want to think long and hard about these reticles, especially as you start to range out with a .308.
Durability
AR 10 carbines are rifles made for hard use. They work well in the sand and mud, where they were designed to excel. Anything you put on your gun should match the job at hand. The best scopes for AR 10's are bomb proof and rugged. They also recoil hard mounts, and rings need to be slop free and reinforced or you might be using the warranty for your scope before you expected.
Small scratches on the objective bell can ruin the scope and make it painful to look through. Dings and nicks in the finish of a rifle scope can rust and weaken it over time. Look for scopes made of hardened optical glass, and tough finishes that resist scratching in hard weather.
Final Word
Choosing the best scope for an AR 10 can be daunting. Sifting through the reviews of .308 scopes and searching through catalogs for good AR 10 scope options takes time. These scopes presented make up the best the market has to offer. These days it’s hard to go wrong if you stay with a reputable manufacturer and use some common sense. Above anything else be careful with your weapon and have fun using it.
