The 5 Best Long Range Scopes: Buyers Guide & Reviews

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Long range shooting isn't just for Scout Snipers in the Marine Core anymore. In fact, the distance shooting craze has swept the competition shooting and hunting worlds by storm. It's no surprise either because who wouldn't want to peg a target at a thousand yards-plus while staring through the best long range scope available. The technical skill required and the thrill of achievement when those shots are on point keep any shooter wanting more.

Of course, when taking shots a thousand yards out or more, the type of equipment you have will drastically affect the outcome of your shot. You could be the most skilled marksmen around, but when it comes to cheaply made gear, you could easily miss as if it were your first time at the range.

That is why it is absolutely necessary, if you plan on long range hunting or long range competition shooting, you have the gear that gives you the best advantage. Not to mention how key it is for you to also know each element of your gear, from the type of ballistics you're using to the trigger pull itself.

Arguably the most important tool for any and all long range shooters is the optics. The quality of scope you are using will either put your bullet dead on target or not even give you enough clarity far down range to make an accurate attempt.

The 5 Best Long Range Scopes

In this article, we will examine what we believe to be the top 5 long range scopes out there. This list includes a couple top dollar and a couple of the best "cheaper" scopes as well. These recommendations are for the average shooter looking to up their long distance game, hunters looking to take down a trophy buck in the vastness of the U.S great plains, or any average competition shooter looking for an upgrade.

This list does not include anything over $3000.00 USD because at that point those scopes are mostly for professionals and the differences are too minuscule to notice unless you do it for a living. You can get just as serious about long range shooting without taking out a small loan to do so.

Before we begin to dive into the specs of the scopes in this list, let's take a look at some of the important features to be thinking about when choosing your next long range scope for purchasing.

LENS

The glass in your scope is the bread and butter of shooting at extensive ranges. Without great lenses, you won't have the clarity necessary at long range to read the wind, let alone have a clear picture of your target.

You may be thinking, "Well, I don't need to see the animal that clearly to put my crosshairs on it", and although you may be right to a degree what you may not understand is adjusting to the wind at one thousand yards or more is technical and not easy.

The wind may be very different compared to the breeze around you at such distances. There also may not be any branches, bushes, trees, etc. that will help you discern the wind direction and speed. You may have to rely on the grass movements or sand and dust in the wind. In order to see such things, you need a lens that can provide a beautifully clear image even when maxing out the magnification.

To figure out which ones are the best we recommend looking through the optics you are choosing between side-by-side. You can also base your judgment on light transmission, or just go off our list here. Since most of the time you won't be able to do side-by-side comparisons it is always safe to just stick to scope brands that have a history or incredible glass.

RETICLE

Your reticle choice is important as well with long shots. Although there are many great types of reticles out there and seemingly, even more, specialty reticles. The ones to look for are the MIL or MOA measurement crosshairs. These are the reticles with even dots or hash marks along the crosshairs themselves. These marks, with a bit of practice, will allow you to use holdovers to account for both wind speed and elevation changes.

Video explaining holdovers:

Remember, you can always get more complicated reticles as your skills and experience increase but MIL and MOA are a great starting point to build off of.

Some shooters like bullet drop compensator reticles which are all fine and dandy but really only at medium ranges. Once you get out past 600 to 800 yards they really limit your ability to be accurate. They also typically lack windage holdovers and limit you to using one specific load and cartridge which is just not practical, especially for hunters.

MAGNIFICATION

The level of magnification your scope has to offer is the main factor that determines the scopes range variation. Far too often you'll see people focussing solely on magnification power when it comes to long range shooting, and that's fine so long as they understand that high magnification isn't everything. Your specific situation and shooting objectives are going to determine the type of magnification you should get.

Some would have you believe the higher the magnification the better, and that is only true if you are a serious competition shooter consistently shooting at a fixed target from a fixed position on a fixed platform.

If you're a hunter, the magnification ratio is going to be much more important. This is due to the fact that most high powered magnification scopes don't offer much clarity at closer ranges, or in other words, there are always limits.

Again, this is fine for target ranges but when it comes to hunting you can't always count on your game to walk into your perfect range. That is why if you're hunting you'll want something that offers clarity at both closer and longer ranges.

We suggest a minimum magnification for long range shots to be 16 power, of course slightly more or slightly less is okay too. A great choice for hunters would be something along the lines of 3.5 to 25 power which offers a wonderful level of versatility. If you try to hunt with a 10 to 40 power scope and you need to take a shot at under 50 yards, you will most certainly be shooting with a handicap that can be so great you can miss the really close ones that should otherwise be a given.

THE BODY

The body of your scope will determine the durability your scope has to offer; however, it does play a role in shooting precision. The top of the line scopes are typically made from aircraft grade aluminum so you don't have to worry too much about the material. All high-end scopes will be made with the highest quality material, but that doesn't mean you should dismiss the scope body and assume it's perfect.

You should always make sure that the scope you are going to buy is made from one solid piece, which means the scope was created from one single block of aluminum. This will make the most durable shell to hold your top notch lenses.

OBJECTIVE LENS

The objective lens is the farthest lens away from your eye or the last lens in the scope. It is also the largest lens and the reason is for light transmission. The larger the lens the greater the light transmission and therefore you can see more clearly in darker settings.

Many would have you believe that bigger is better, and although that might be true for hunting coyotes in the near dark, it isn't great for average long distance shooting/hunting. This is due to the fact that once you get over 50mm in objective lens size you can start to sacrifice accuracy because in order to mount the scope you'll need higher rings which will keep the scope farther up from your barrel. That, and once you start getting around and over 50mm the light transmission difference is minimal.

We recommend an objective lens between 40 and 50mm. This will give you optimal lighting without having to mount up on too high of scope rings.

A FEW MORE THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Turrets: The best long range scopes have turrets that can easily be adjusted in the field. This ability is critical for distance shooting and especially hunting when changes need to be made on the fly.

The best scopes have turrets which will allow adjustments for windage and elevation and parallax. Those adjustments are essential the further out your target is. Consider the fact that your standard .308 round can fall several feet at just 500 yards.

Focal Plane: This has to do with reticle changes in correlation to magnification changes. There are two categories of focal planes, front focal plane and second focal plane.

We recommend front focal plane optics because the dots or hash marks on your reticle remain the same size regardless of magnification. The second focal plane has the dots and hash marks adjusting the size depending on your magnification which can just cause an unnecessary headache due to added calculations or be having to memorize specific zoom settings in order to be accurate.

Considerations: In this top 5 list we did not consider night vision or high powered sniper rifles. This is because of the average market, quality of affordable night vision, and the demand from hunters. Also, there's the fact that high powered sniper rifles such as a .50 caliber will require a specific scope designed for the extra power. If you were to mount one of the scopes in this list on such a powerful rifle the recoil alone could potential break it.

The Top Long Range Scope Reviews​

Now let's take a look at some long range scope reviews in order from most expensive to least expensive.

Nightforce ATACR

Nightforce is an absolute premium brand of optics that has created some of the best long range scopes on the market. Built for higher-powered rifles, the ATACR riflescope is no exception to the high standards we've come to expect from Nightforce.

This scope has a 5-25 magnification and a whopping 56mm objective lens. It is ruggedly built for a long life and comes with MOAR-T illuminated reticle, 3.5 inches of eye relief, and a wide field of view so you never lose the target regardless of the conditions. It also has fast adjustments with ZeroStop technology.

Some other notable features include the ER glass that has been coated for 90% light transmission, wind adjustment turret, and parallax adjustment so any shooter can see clearly at any distance.

This is a top notch scope on the higher end of the price scale, but it's not so far out it can only remain a dream. It is easily argued that the Nightforce ATACR is the best long range scope for .308 caliber rifles.

Leupold Mark 4 ER/T Riflescope

The Leupold Mark 4 ER/T riflescope is next on the list, but if these long range scopes were ranked on awesomeness then it would most likely be number one. For many shooters, not too many scopes even come close to the sheer beauty, high quality, and level of performance of the historic Leupolds. This is especially true for the Mark 4 ER/T riflescope.

Tried and proven through extensive military use, the Leupold Mark 4 features a 50 mm objective lens and a 6.5 to 20 magnification. This tactical scope comes with an illuminated MIL dot reticle, good eye relief, and a side parallax adjustment for quick and easy adjustments on the fly.

Leupold has also added the XTended twilight lens technology and when you combine that with the illuminated reticle and large objective lens you get one deadly scope from dawn to dusk.

This scope is usually under 1500.00 which makes this a fantastic buy. It is not only the best long range scope for the money right now, but it is the best long range scope for AR15 rifles in general.

Burris XTR II Riflescope

The Burris XTR II riflescope is a durable long range scope designed to be extremely tough. In fact, Burris took extra measures to ensure toughness and overall quality including making the tube 25 percent thicker than other models.

They also have hand-fitted assemblies on the inside of the scope body that are triple-spring tensioned which creates an absolute shockproof scope body. It's designed to handle high volumes of recoil along with being impervious to vibration which is ideal for any hunter looking to travel long distances with their weapon on something small such as an ATV.

Other notable features include an illuminated MIL dot reticle installed on the first plane, higher contrast coated lens for maximum light distribution, and it has the standard long range scope adjustments of windage, elevation, and parallax. The 8 to 40 magnification gives this scope a great range variation for clear shots up close and far away.

At right around a thousand dollars, you can't go wrong with the Burris XTR II.

Vortex Viper HS-T Riflescope

This Vortex scope is an incredible scope for beginners, or shooters looking to enter the exciting new world of long distance shooting.

Why?

Because this scope has many of the same features that are offered on high-end long distance scopes but you can get this one for relatively much less. This scope is an incredible price considering all that it has to offer. For example, being made from a single block of aircraft grade aluminum for maximum durability, waterproofing, and accuracy make this cheaper scope still top of the line.

It has a 6 to 24 magnification with a large 50mm objective lens for superb target acquisition at close range and far even in low-light conditions. It has upgraded glass for superb resolution and light dispersion.

If you choose to go with the Vortex Viper HS-T riflescope you'll learn how to utilize the windage, elevation, and parallax turrets as you enter the world of long distance shooting. It doesn't matter if you're trying to hunt at great distances or compete in competitions, this versatile scope will give you what you need.

Nikon Prostaff 5

If you are looking for the best long range scope under 500 dollars then don't bother looking at any other scope, click on the link above, and buy yourself a Nikon Prostaff 5 long range scope. This scope has been designed with the hunter in mind. It doesn't go over the top in specs, it has a durable build, it has great zoom variation, and it contains all the essential features any shooter would desire in a long range scope.

The Prostaff 5 line has many versions that all have slightly different specs specifically regarding magnification, but the best one for long distance hunting seems to be the 3.5 to 14 magnification with the 40mm objective lens. This huge zoom variation allows you to clearly see the target at both close range and long distances.

It also features a BDC reticle so you can quickly calculate your bullet drop which is highly effective for hunters. It is useful in competition shooting as well, but the ability to gauge elevation on the reticle itself is perfect for hunters. Think of it like sights on a bow, set for certain distances, all you have to do is know the distance and pick the correct sight, dot, or "circle" to aim through.

Other important features include the turrets which are spring loaded and have the Zero-Reset technology. Also, the eyepiece is designed to be quick focussing for faster target aquisition, and the wide field of view allows you to shoot through thick woods and brush without losing your target.

So there you have it, the top 5 long range scopes from most expensive to least expensive. I hope you enjoyed reading and I also hope it helps you chose the best long range scope to purchase next.