Rifle Scopes – What You Need to Know to Make the Smart Buy

Telescopic Rifle scopes revolutionized both hunting and warfare.  The ability to put rounds down range accurately changed the way we use our firearms.   While history has records of 17th-century inventors fiddling with the telescopic rifle scope concept, the first documented rifle scopes didn’t hit the scene until an American engineer by the name of John R. Chapman documented one in his book The Improved American Rifle in 1844.This inventor partnered with a company out of Utica, NY to create the Chapman-James sight. 

These first sights used achromatic lenses like those used in telescopes, to give the shooter a better view of their target.  Windage and elevation settings were added later and improved long range accuracy significantly.  By 1880, foreign countries had picked up the rifle scope concept and their respective inventors had begun improving upon the original design.  Companies such Davidson and Parke Hale committed their efforts to creating quality optics.  These innovations led to the invention of the refractor telescope and eventually the active infrared night vision scope.

Light Transfer
Light transfer is the ability your scope has to maintain the light level captured from the lens and deliver it to your eye.  The general rule of thumb is the more lenses in your scope the lower your light transfer will be.  The amount of light transfer that you get is really important and if you are shooting in low light conditions, you may find it impossible to get a good view with a scope that does not have good light transferability.  The front lens of your scope is known as the objective lens and it plays a major role in determining the amount of light that is captured by your scope.  It also helps with clarity and distortion.  In general, the larger the objective lens the better in terms of light transfer capabilities.

Eye Relief
Eye relief is the distance your eye must be from the scope in order for you to get a full view of your target.  Higher powered scopes will have narrower eye relieve making them more difficult to use.  The eye relief of your scope will be listed as inches.  This is the distance you must maintain from your scope to keep your target area in full view.

Field of View
The field of view a scope possesses simply means the with you can see from a distance of 100 yards.  A wider field of view means an easier scope to target with.  A powerful scope will have a reduced field of view.  You should start off with a wide field of view until you get your shooting down to a science.  Once you are on target with every shot, step up to a more powerful scope.  You will notice the difference in terms of field of view as you go over 9X magnification.

Choosing the Reticle
A reticle is the crosshairs of your scope.  These come in avariety of different styles to fit your particular needs.  You are looking for a reticle that you feel comfortable with.  It shouldn’t be so thick that it blocks your target but it must be highly visible even in low light conditions.  If you are planning on shooting very far you may want to consider Tactical-reticles.  These will have mil-dots to help you calibrate the minutes of angle to your target and other helpful markings that can be of use to the trained marksman.  A dual reticle can be a good choice for a new hunter as it provides you with thin center lines and thicker outer lines.  Glowing and electronic reticles are also another option to consider.  This style ofreticle will give you the highest visibility but may require batteries or charging.

Stick to Reputable Manufacturers
Don’t be swindled into buying a cheap off brand scope that doesn’t perform up to your quality specifications.  The internet is flooded with new optics and it can seem a bit overwhelming sorting through the mess in order to find a quality scope for your rifle.  The ideal scope will be the perfect balance between quality and budget.  Sticking to reputable manufacturers will help you to ensure you purchase a product that is designed to withstand years of use.  Most reputable manufacturers offer some sort of warranty with their product and the best companies will provide a lifetime warranty with their optics.  You may pay more for this type of scope but in the end, you will have a quality optic that can last a lifetime.  Check out the 10 best rifle scopes for the money.

1. Nikon Buckmasters II 3-9×40 BDC

The Nikon Buckmasters II 3-9×40 BDC is a durable and versatile scope that offers brighter, advanced anti-reflective technology. This product is developed by the famous Nikon Sport Optics division for Buck Master. The company wanted a scope that would be affordable yet sturdy, capable of enduring extreme hunting conditions.

The most notable feature of this scope is the anti-reflective technology. Through a series of anti-reflective lenses, resulting in a 92% reduction in reflection, Nikon has produced a brighter scope that offers optical clarity at all times of day, from dawn to dusk. Nikon cuts the lenses, then covers each lens with multiple coats of their anti-reflective blend that also boosts light dissemination. The end result is improved optical contrast and truer color that provides a high-quality image, making the game stand out of its habitat. The proprietary anti-reflective coating also reduces the likelihood of flare.

This scope is calibrated to provide quick, accurate aiming at a variety of distances. In addition, the housing is fog and water-proof. O-rings seal the housing, and it is filled with nitrogen gas to keep moisture out of the inside of the scope.

This item comes with a limited lifetime warranty from the manufacturer.

2. Vortex Optics Diamondback  1 Inch Tube (DBK-04-BDC) 4-12×40 Dead-Hold BDC Reticle

The Vortex Diamondback is one-piece construction, made of aircraft-grade aluminum. Its construction makes it extremely durable and capable of
withstanding repeated magnum recoil. This design works equally well on rifles and shotguns, and is popular with hunters for a wide range of prey, from predators and pests to big game. It has long-range use as well, utilizing the Precision-Glide Erector maintain smooth focus during changes in magnification.

The dead-hold, BDC reticle uses a custom dot-design to compensate for wind corrections and holdover, making it a good choice when hunting at varying ranges. The scope utilizes argon for waterproofing, which also makes it fog-proof. The optics are multi-coated so that the view is exceptionally clear and sharp, even in the harshest of weather conditions.

3. UTG 3-9X32 1”BugBuster Scope

The one inch tube of the BugBuster Scope has the UTG’s proprietary Emerald Coating that provides for better transmission of light. The zero is lockable, with resettable turrets. The turrets have an adjustment of ¼ MOA per click. This scope has both red and green illumination, making it useful in all kinds of weather conditions and environments. The RGB feature also helps eliminate the use of a rheostat, which can be bulky.

The BugBuster uses a mil-dot reticle for estimating range in order to provide for optimal aiming, with adjustment possible from 9 feet to infinity. UTG is a pioneer in this field, and has refined the use of mil-dot reticle for range finding. This technology provides for 19 to 21 aiming points, as opposed to 11 with competitors.  This scope has a large viewing field and an eye relief feature to optimize your critical CQB mission. This provides for parallax-free sighting for the full range of the scope, with a wide angle that is adjustable. The scope comes with a 2” sunshade and lens caps that flip open.

The BugBuster is filled with nitrogen and is rainproof and fog-proof. It is sealed, and shockproof, and built on Leapers’ True Strength Platform. The TS Platform uses the Smart Spherical Structure for interaction between the outside and inside tubes. This technology has been in use for over a decade, and has served the company well.

4. Nikon P-223 Mate BDC 600

The Nikon Mate is a precision scope made of polymer material, making it lightweight yet sturdy. It is designed for use on an AR platform with .223 cartridges. The trajectory used for developing the BDC 600 reticle was the 55-grain, polymer-tipped bullet used by NATO. The unique construction of the reticle provides shooters open-circle aiming points, with hash marks for distances over 100 yards.

The Nikon optic system features multicoated lenses to maximize brightness and transmit up to 98% of light. Magnification is accurate, offering versatility and multi-use from range work to hunting. This scope is sealed with o-rings and filled with nitrogen. It is waterproof and fog-proof.

The tactical-style turrets have a positive click adjustment for more precise ¼ turns of the MOA. With the construction, you have quicker and more accurate adjustment, even during heavy use and frequent firing. The Nikon Mate also has a 100-yard Parallax setting, which means parallax is eliminated. This aids more precise targeting.