In this review, we will scan through 14 different scopes, from several different manufacturers, with a price range of under $50 to over $1000. We’ll present this information in a tabular form. From there, if something catches your eye, you can go to the detailed review of that particular scope, or just read through the entire review.
Our Personal Best Choice
The next step, however, is to take a high-level overview of fourteen different long-range rifle scopes, ranging from very basic, budget-priced scopes all the way up to expensive scopes marketed for the professional hunter, military, or law enforcement personnel.
Comparison Table
In this section, you’ll get a brief introduction to each of the scopes, outlining their best features, magnification capability, objective lens size, and customer ratings.
Product | Best Features | Magnifi- cation |
Objective Lens Diameter | Rating (No. of Reviews) | Price Range | View on Amazon |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Best Rifle Scopes Uunder $200: |
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|
6-24x |
50mm |
4.2 out of 5 |
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4-16x |
50mm |
4.2 out of 5 |
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|
4-16x |
50mm |
4.0 out of 5 |
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|
6-24x |
50mm |
4.0 out of 5 |
|||
Best Rifle Scopes Uunder $300: |
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|
6-18x |
44mm |
4.6 out of 5 |
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|
8-32x |
44mm |
4.6 out of 5 |
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|
6.5-25x |
44mm |
4.2 out of 5 |
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Best Rifle Scopes Uunder $500: |
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|
3-12x |
42mm |
4 out of 5 |
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|
4.5-14x |
40mm |
4.3 out of 5 |
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Best Rifle Scopes Uunder $1000: |
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|
6-24x |
50mm |
4.6 out of 5 |
|||
|
4-12x |
40mm |
4.6 out of 5 |
|||
|
6-24x |
50mm |
4.6 out of 5 |
|||
|
6-24x |
50mm |
4.3 out of 5 |
|||
|
4-16x |
50mm |
4.3 out of 5 |
A Brief History of Rifle Scopes
Galileo is credited with the invention of the telescope in 1608. The first modern-style rifle, the musket, traces its development into the 1600s, with further refinements continuing from there to evolve into today’s automatic firearms. However, the marriage of the two technologies – optical magnification and firearms – did not occur until a couple of centuries later, in the middle 1800s.
The reasons for this were quite simple. Until the introduction of the Springfield rifle in the 1860s, the early muzzle-loading muskets did not have the firing range to require any additional spotting devices. Their range was under one hundred yards, easily within eyesight range of the shooter.
The development of the breech-loading Springfield rifle, with it’s standardized, higher-quality ammunition and machined barrel, increased the effective firing range to almost three hundred yards.
While there were some early reports of homemade rifle scopes being used, the large-scale applications were still not feasible. They were not rugged or durable enough to withstand the recoil of the rifles and lost their center after just a few shots.
The first practical rifle optics were developed by John Chapman, working for the manufacturer Morgan James, in Utica, NY. Although they were fairly rudimentary by today’s standards, these early scopes were usable and rugged enough to stay true to their centering even after several shots.
As rifle range increased, and Springfield Manufacturing introduced repeating rifles, the need for improvements in telescopic sights also increased. More and more US manufacturers began to produce sights, but Morgan continued to lead in technology improvements.
Looking to the telescope as a model, William Malcome produced the first achromatic scope lens in 1855, which did not break light down into its individual color spectrums. This provided shooters a clearer vision of the target.
At the same time, these new scopes introduced windage and elevation adjustments, which are still standard features on most scopes today. The magnification of these early scopes was believed to be between 3X and 20X, although few examples are remaining to prove this theory.
These scopes became the standard, particularly for the northern armies, during the US Civil War. They continued to be used in several military conflicts, particularly the Indian Wars and the Spanish-American War. As the world began to ramp up ramifications prior to World War I, the technical development of scopes kept pace.
Refractor lenses, which had been developed in the 1880s but never able to be successfully melded with firearms, now became small and rugged enough for hunting and military applications. Their ability to pass light directly to the eye of the shooter improved the low-light vision of the shooter, providing improvements in fighting capability in the dusk and other low-light situations.
The German army used an estimated 25,000 rifles with scopes in World War I, as they established a large force of snipers. The Americans caught up quickly, by matching a 6X scope to their then-standard 1903 Springfield rifle. As rifles moved to smaller caliber ammunition, thereby increasing range, scope capabilities continued to increase, led by the introduction of a 10X magnification scope from Unertl.
Night vision scopes began their development late in World War II, again led by Germany, but they came too late in the campaign to affect the war’s outcome.
While not used extensively in the Korean conflict, the sniper came back to vogue in military circles during the war in Vietnam. Specially trained snipers were using the large-caliber M2 rifle, increasing not only the range but power. Carlos Hathcock has been credited with a kill at 2286 meters using this combination.
The 10X magnification scope used by highly trained snipers during the war is now common equipment on today’s hunting rifles. The light transmission of these scopes has also improved, triggered by advances in lens technology. Variable magnification scopes became more widely available on civilian firearms starting in the 1990s, allowing the hunter to use a single scope for both long- and short-range shooting without changing out the equipment.
Red dot laser sighting also became available to help hunters with their sighting, allowing them to see exactly where the rifle is aimed. Lasers have also been incorporated as part of the range-finding capabilities of rifle scopes. Even with this stage of development, further technical innovations are expected, most likely incorporating digital capability into scopes.
How Rifle Scopes Works?
Before we move to the next section of our article, let’s take a look at the science behind how a magnifying rifle scope works. Here’s an example of a typical rifle scope:
Let’s start at the business end of the scope, the objective lens. This lens captures and transmits light back to the ocular lens, at the other end of the scope, closest to your eye. The scope works with the same functions as a telescope. The light coming through the objective lens focuses on a point inside the scope through a magnifying lens (if using magnification power), and the ocular lens magnifies the light, so when you look through the scope, the image you see is that light. You will also see some type of reticle or crosshair, which assists in aiming the rifle and showing the shooter where the shot should go. This image has several variations but is usually in the shape of “+”. Some scopes give you the ability to change to different levels of magnification, for example, a range from 3X to 9X (we’ll explain this in more detail later). This adjustment is accomplished by turning the power ring.
The other two common adjustments on a rifle scope are the elevation adjustment and the windage adjustment. These are the two knobs on the side and the top of the scope tube. A bullet’s flight will be affected by wind, gravity, and friction, and these effects are more pronounced over greater distances.
Wind will typically move the bullet horizontally or left to right or right to left. The windage bell captures this velocity, and the windage adjuster helps the shooter compensate for that movement, and change his aim to allow for it. Gravity and friction will affect the flight of the bullet from top to bottom, or high to low. The elevation adjustment will compensate for this drop, by proposing a shot higher than normal, so that the drop will then reach the critical point of the target, rather than being below it, as without the adjustment.
The last parts of the system are the eyepiece and exit pupil. The ocular lens is contained in the eyepiece portion of the tube, and the exit pupil is the final part of the scope system, where the shooter will see the image and adjust his aim as necessary based on the magnification, windage, and elevation. Within this final section, the shooter can adjust the focus of the scope to match up properly with his eyesight capabilities.
Buying Guide
The purpose of this section of the review is to provide you more detailed information about several key specifications, features, and terminology relative to rifle scopes. Even for the same specification, for example, magnification, you will see a wide range of variation. The goal here is to determine which range is right for your use and application of the scope.
Consider this information from three perspectives. The first is “must-have”. If you hunt in inclement weather, a waterproof scope is most likely a must-have feature. Parallax adjustment (more on this later in this section) could be a “nice to have” feature vs. preset parallax – not required, but something you might use if available to you. And finally, consider “bells and whistles” features – nice stuff but not needed for your use. An example might be a 1000-yard laser range finder. If you are typically a woods hunter, with a visibility of just a couple of hundred yards, you will not get any use out of this feature.
We won’t go into a huge amount of detail in this section, but hopefully, it will be enough to help you make a more informed choice. If you feel more detail is needed, you can always access the manufacturer’s web site or other informational sites such as Wikipedia.
Best Rifle Scopes Uunder $200 Review
CVLIFE Hunting Rifle Scope
This rifle scope starts our review with an extremely affordable $40 price tag, lowest of this category. It’s a top ten seller among rifle scopes on Amazon. It has a wide range of magnification and features both red and green color options in the reticle. The kit contains a cleaning cloth, lens cover, Weaver rail mounting kit, tools, and battery.
Pros
- Rating of 4.2 is comparable to other, more highly-priced scopes in this category
- Good ratings for low light use and mounting system
- Price
Cons
- Customer complaints that magnification specifications are overstated
- Difficulty in sighting in, and maintaining sighting after firing
UUQ Tactical Rifle Scope
With this UUQ scope, we move from the lowest price in this category to the highest, at $130. It also carries a solid 4.2 rating and brings in several additional features to compensate for the higher selling price. Rated for a 1000G shock test, it is also waterproof and fog-proof and constructed from an aluminum alloy.
UUQ Tactical Rifle Scope
Features and specifications:
- comes with a built-in flashlight for additional night hunting capability
- red and green LEDs, with five-level intensity adjustment
- has a standard green laser sight, with 300-meter capability
- adapts to either Picatinny or Weaver rail systems
Pros
- Standard ¼-inch click adjustment for consistency
- Four reticle patterns available
- High rating (4.5) for low light capability
Cons
- Complaints about reticles breaking off inside the scope
- Difficulty in centering, and maintaining center after firing
- Lots of features, but not great quality features
SNIPER Scope
Weighing in at a rather hefty 2.4 pounds, this rifle scope comes with a limited lifetime warranty and satisfaction guarantee. It features red, green, and blue LED capability and comes packaged with lens covers, a heavy-duty mounting system, and a sunshade. A parallax adjustment is also included, with multi-coated optic lenses.
Pros
- Full-featured, mid-range price
- Adjustable parallax settings from ten yards up, rough range finding capability
- Positive comments about long-range capabilities
Cons
- Complaints about maintaining sighting with larger caliber ammunition (shock resistance)
FSI Sniper Scope – Best Value, Best Overall
This is the last of our under $200 rifle scopes. It has a 4.0 customer rating, and costs just over $90. Featuring a red, blue, or greet mil-dot reticle, it has ball bearing adjustments for elevation and windage, improving shock sensitivity. Users rate it five stars for value and shooting accuracy.
Pros
- Customer reviews cite excellent accuracy at distances of 750 yards
- Users cite good clarity at 20X, somewhat fuzzy at 24X
- Good ratings for reticle LED brightness (4.5)
Cons
- Field of view only 15 feet at 100 yards
- Some comments about durability of scope
To summarize this price group, while we normally end up with two different awards for Best Overall and Best Value, in this case, they both go to the same rifle scope, the FSI Sniper Scope. While the #3 Sniper Scope warranted serious consideration for one of the awards, this #4 scope had a very similar price, identical overall rating, but garnered 5.0-star ratings for value and accuracy. Given that you buy a scope to improve accuracy, and you get recognized value by its purchasers, giving this scope both awards was not a tough decision.
Best Rifle Scopes Uunder $300 Review
Vortex Optics Crossfire II – Best Overall
A 44mm adjustable, multi-coated objective lens will provide excellent focus and clarity. This is a one-inch tube, made from aircraft-grade aluminum for strength and shockproof performance. At just under twenty ounces, it’s durable yet lightweight. This is the number two seller in Amazon rifle scopes, and carriers a solid 4.6 overall rating.
Pros
- 5.0 user rating for material quality, 4.7 rating for brightness and accuracy
- Praise for customer service and warranty
- Good reviews for ease of zeroing in sights
Cons
- Complaints about higher magnification optics clarity seemingly fixed with adjustable objective lens, however
Mueller Target Rifle Scope
Tied with the Vortex scope with a 4.6 overall rating, this one is priced just a little bit higher. It’s a 30mm tube, with a standard mil-dot reticle. The lens runs all the way up to 32X magnification, the highest of any of the scopes reviewed here. A side-focus parallax adjustment rounds out the features.
Pros
- Good overall rating; almost 90% of ratings 4- or 5-star
- Highly praised for value
Cons
- Difficulty holding centering with higher caliber ammunition
- Parallax adjustment moves based on multiple reviews
KONUSpro M30 – Best Value
This scope has a couple of nice options, with flip-up lens covers, locking, fast focus optic adjustments, and a four-inch sunshade. Weight is just under two pounds, and this 30mm tube is waterproof, shockproof, and fog-proof. It’s the lowest price of the three in this group, but the differences are not very significant.
Pros
- All reviews are three-star and above, but only eleven reviews total
- 60 MOA range adjustment
- Decent longer-range capability cited (>600 yards)
Cons
- Not a lot of experience with this scope. Under 20 reviews on OpticsPlanet.com also (but also mostly positive)
In summary, I don’t think you could go wrong with any of these under $300 rifle scopes. I got scared off a little bit by the Mueller, as some of the critical reviews were fairly harsh, but to be honest, there were not a lot of them. The lack of customer experience on the Konus made me a little nervous, but I got past it and marked this one best value. With a high overall rating, high ratings on several sub-categories, and a number two seller by volume at Amazon, naming the Vortex the best overall for this group was a pretty easy call.
Best Rifle Scopes Uunder $500 Review
Nikon Monarch 3 BDC – Best Value, Best Overall
The Monarch 3 line from Nikon offers a variety of different magnification and reticle packages. The BDC package offers a three-time zoom range, with a reticle optimized for long-range hunting. Fairly light at only 1.2 pounds, it’s waterproof, shockproof, and fog-proof. It has a one-inch tube, with a quick focus eye adjustment and coated lenses.
Pros
- As you’d expect from Nikon, high-quality lenses
- Locking parallax adjustment knob to stay zeroed once set
Cons
- Low number of reviews, which might be expected as prices go up
- One comment by user not able to lock down elevation settings
Leupold VX-3i
Like the Nikon above, this scope comes in a variety of lens and reticle combinations. The 3i model features a 4.5 – 14X adjustment range with a 40mm objective lens and the Duplex reticle. The lens has a special coating for scratch-resistance and higher light transmission. It’s fairly light at 1.3 pounds, and is constructed from aircraft-grade aluminum.
Pros
- Extreme climate exposure, works in ranges from -40oF to 160oF
- Tested on high impact firing machine for durability
- Full lifetime warranty, transferable
Cons
- Based on specs and literature, no parallax adjustment
While there were only two rifle scopes in the under $500 category, the Nikon is the stronger of the two and gets both best value and best overall ratings. There is nothing technically wrong with the Leupold scope, and user comments are positive. Pricing is almost the same for the two, but the big differentiator for me was the lack of parallax adjustment on the Leupold. If you’re going to drop $500 on a rifle scope, it should have this capability.
Best Rifle Scopes Uunder $1000 Review
Nikon Black FX1000 – Best Value
This combination of reticle and magnification presents an MOA style reticle, preferred for moving target leads and windage adjustments at extended ranges. The coated lenses allow for enhanced light gathering in darker conditions and are low dispersion to provide solid resolution. The barrel is about 15 inches long, and clocks in at a hefty 23 ounces.
Pros
- Number 37 in scope sales at Amazon, despite the price tag
- High ratings overall, and for value and quality (both 4.7) and accuracy (4.8)
- 92% of reviews are 4- or 5-star
Cons
- Comments about clarity of view at higher magnification settings
Leupold VX-2 – Best Overall
This is another variation of the VX line from Leupold, similar to the model reviewed above in the under $500 range. It comes with the same full lifetime warranty and is waterproof, shockproof, and fog-proof. The fine Duplex reticle offers a clearer target view with less image obstruction.
Pros
- Overall 4.6 rating, with 94% of reviews 4- or 5-star
- Lightweight at only 13 ounces, made from aircraft-grade aluminum alloy
- Excellent lens and image quality
Cons
- Several complaints that scope pictured and described did not match scope delivered
Vortex Optics Viper HS-T
This triple use hunting, shooting, and tactical scope features a 4X zoom between 6x and 24x, with a coated lens for increased protection and light-gathering capability. It’s over 15” long, weighing almost 23 ounces. The MOA reticle is effective for moving target leads and works in a wide range of shooting applications.
Vortex Optics
Viper HS-T
Features and specifications:
- field of vision is 17.8 feet horizontally, 5.1 feet vertically
- second focal plane reticle, which stays constant while magnification settings are changed
- up to 65 MOA adjustment for windage and elevation
- parallax setting is 50 yards to infinity
Pros
- 4.6 overall rating, with higher ratings for quality and value (4.7) and accuracy (4.8)
- Transferable lifetime warranty
- Excellent optical clarity up to 20X
Cons
- Hard to distinguish reticle in first and last light
- Fuzzy optics at highest magnification setting
Bushnell Elite Tactical G2DMR
This is the priciest of the four scopes in this section, and the lowest rated, although still a solid 4.4 on 57 reviews. It’s marketed as a tactical scope, with design input provided by law enforcement and military experts. The aluminum, 30mm body checks in at about 18 inches long, and 1.7 pounds, and has a limited lifetime warranty.
Bushnell Elite
Tactical G2DMR
Features and specifications:
- designated Marksman Reticle, military-style hash-marked reticle specifically designed for windage adjustment and ranging
- multi-coated optics for image clarity and improved light amplification
- rain-Guard anti-fogging technology
- fifty-yard to infinity parallax adjustment
Pros
- Designed for long-range accuracy with .1 mil click value
- 94% 4- and 5-star reviews out of 57 total
Cons
- Descriptions indicated the scope was illuminated, while it is not illuminated
Burris 200116 Eliminator
If you are looking for exceptional range and accuracy in a rifle scope (and have a big budget), the Eliminator could be the one for you. This high-tech rifle scope has laser sighting and range finding, elevation and trajectory compensation, and windage capabilities. The highly detailed reticle gives you “through the scope” information to help line up your shot, including a push-button red-dot aiming point.
Pros
- Takes virtually all guesswork out of aiming your shot
- Long-range laser capabilities
- X96 reticle has red dot hold-over capability for exact aiming coordinates
Cons
- A surprising number of 3-star or fewer reviews for a scope costing this much
One of the performance specifications that you expect from a rifle scope is a tight grouping, and that’s what we have here. Three of the four scopes have a 4.6 rating; the fourth is 4.4. Prices range from a low of $597 to $630 for the first three, with the fourth, the Bushnell Elite, costing $722. Performance and specs are pretty much the same top to bottom.
Given all this, we’ve selected the Nikon as the best value scope. This was influenced by user ratings for value, the high number of reviews, and the overall ranking by sales numbers. The Leupold scope garnered the best overall title, primarily on the strength of the easy adjustments for parallax and elevation, complimented by the transferable lifetime warranty.
One warning for the consumer to consider all four of these scopes. They all are part of a line of scopes with multiple variations, features, and specifications, and all expressed in ads with a lot of commonality from one scope to another. This has led to confusion on what was ordered versus what was delivered in several user reviews. We strongly suggest some deeper research, especially on manufacturer’s websites, to make sure you get what you are expecting.
Conclusion
In summary, since this is the only rifle scope in this range, it doesn’t make a lot of sense picking the “best of” categories. This scope is obviously geared to the serious hunter or marksman, and their personal review would be the driving factor for the purchase of this or any similarly priced scope. It does have a slightly higher overall 4.6 rating at OpticsPlanet.com, but there are still several negative reviews on their site.
And that wraps up this review of rifle scopes. We’ve given you a wide range of prices, from budget-priced all the way to top of the line, and hopefully enough information and background to make the right choice for your wants and needs. Happy hunting!