Best Rifle Scopes In 2025: Hands-On Testing Of Vortex, Bushnell, Burris And Others

Rifle scopes help you shoot farther and more accurately. I tested the most popular models and picked the best options you can get on Amazon right now.

FYI, Prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.

1. Vortex Optics - Viper PST Gen II First Focal Plane

HIGHLIGHT:

Super-low dispersion glass for color fidelity and increased resolution.

PERSONAL BACKSTORY:

My absolute favorite rifle optic is the Vortex Viper PST generation 2. I absolutely love this rifle scope; there are many reasons for that. I’ve been using the Viper for a while, and I also own other top-shelf riflescopes. The Viper has left the most significant impression on me. It has variable magnification; I do most of my shooting out here in the West, so I do a lot of cross-canyon shots.

HUNTING CONTEXT:

Out here, you may find a deer 100 yards away, and the critter keeps moving until you finally locate it again. Now it's moved another hundred 100 yards, and so you're gonna have to be able to adjust the scope. The perfect scope for me is a 3 to 15 magnification or 3 to 12 magnification. Almost everybody around here uses 3 to 9 power magnification; hunters have been using scopes for hunting deer for… I don't know since guns had scopes on them.

OPTIC ADVANCEMENTS:

Growing up in a deer-hunting family, we all have 3-9 magnification scopes on the trusty bolt action, and I was no different until I learned about Vortex. My first choice as a young, broke hunter was Leupold, but I wanted to have a car more than a deer rifle scope. As an older and more seasoned hunter (aging like beef jerky), I find myself drawn to Vortex more than any other, like everyone else. The current generation of scope magnification tends to be 3-12 magnification, and now a 50mm objective lens is common; what a time to be a hunter. These days, even the cheap scopes have good glass, and Vortex has amazing glass. The clarity is right on the money and does not distort (if at all) until I reach the maximum magnification. Let's get specific on the quality of the Viper. This scope will be crystal clear from 3 power magnification all the way to 15 power magnification. There is zero blurry vision at any point when adjusting it.

OPTIC PREFERENCES:

I put a Viper 5-25x50 on my Remington 700 and could not be happier. My brother-in-law put one on his 6.5 Creedmore built on the AR platform, and he loves it. I don't like the high magnification scopes on the AR platform, but that is only my opinion; many people use them on AR platforms and never look back. If I put an optic on an AR rifle I build for myself, I will use one of the fantastic Red Dot optics or a Low Power Variable Optic (LVPO). I may someday use a magnifier with a Red Dot just to see what that magic is all about.

LONG RANGE CAPABILITY:

The Viper is an excellent first-plane focal plane for long-range shooting or hunting. I put this rifle in the lead sled on the range to sight it in, with more to come later, and sandbagged it in the field, shooting at coyotes. I am not going to pack around sandbags hunting deer, I barely like taking the gun, but that seems to be needed, so I suck it up and quit whining. The Viper has windage and elevation knobs that click into place and stay there.

ERGONOMICS:

The Viper also has a side knob for parallax. Behind the parallax knob is the adjustment for the illuminated reticle; think about two knobs in one place, a lot like some adjustments on a modern car. The focus ring is on the back, around the tube, and if this is a hunting rig, get a throw arm to make it fast and easy.

TARGET VS HUNTING:

The Viper reticle is fantastic, and for anyone who doesn't know, the reticle is basically the crosshairs. Around here, we sight rifles in at 100 yards and then use holdover because we're hunting stuff that moves, so you have to get really good and kind of lucky to make the shot. With this reticle, you can figure out the holdover correctly. If you got your scope sighted for 100 yards and the animal walks out of 250 yards, that reticle is your "cheat code," you can use that as your holdover, and you'll be on the bullseye. The one issue is that the reticle on this needs to be daylight-bright. That means that the more sunshine you get outside, the more the reticle washes out. So, the Viper is more at home as a target scope; however, it's a fantastic hunting scope, but you do have the issue with it washing out in the sun.

SIGHT IN NOTES:

Now let me tell you about the sighting-in embarrassment moments. After bore-sighting in my shop, I took the Remington and Viper to the range. When I got there and opened my shooting bag, I brought a whopping 25 bullets because I didn't remember buying some ammo. Good boresighting got me shooting on paper, and four rounds after that, I hit the two-inch ring until I ran out of bullets. With about half an hour's worth of effort into it, it's a perfect fit to put a Viper on a bolt-action Remington 700. The Viper is a full-size scope; to me, that scope goes on a bolt-action rifle. I put it on a Remington700 in 7mm magnum, figuring it's a fantastic gun to shoot way the heck out there.

REVOLUTION COUNTER:

One good thing about the Viper is that it has a revolution counter. The revolution counters do just that. They counted how many times I turned the turrets when dialing in the scope for precision; for other scopes, I would have to count my clicks as I turned the knobs. It's easy to use this scope for precision work; it's like cheating. It takes some of that remembering and guesswork out, which is great when you're nervous and focusing strictly on reading mirages and trying to read the wind and all that stuff.

ZERO STOP FEATURE:

Along with many other high-quality scopes, the Viper has a zero stop. A zero-stop sounds very impressive. All that means is when you get your rifle zeroed, you set it to zero so you can twist those knobs all you want, then twist it back to zero, and you're right back to where it was before.

FINAL TAKEAWAY:

When it comes to the Viper, would I buy another one? I've bought three of them so far, so I would definitely buy another if I could get a good deal on one. But if you're looking to upgrade your scope and can afford the Viper, make sure to take advantage of every car payment to buy a rifle scope. Save up for it; when it's easy to buy it, get it, and you will love it forever.

Get it from Amazon now: $899.09 & FREE Returns

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2. CVLIFE - EagleTalon LPVO 1-6X24

HIGHLIGHT:

Illuminated BDC with tiny red dots at crosshairs makes precision target shooting possible.

CARBINE ROLE:

This may be the perfect carbine scope. Especially if that carbine is a hunting gun, the reticle is thin and stays out of the way when trying to get a shot at prairie dogs.

MAGNIFICATION:

The variable magnification in this scope will allow me to shoot things right in front of me or at point blank range when I set the magnification ring to 1x power magnification. When I dial that ring up to 6x power magnification, I am good to shoot beer cans on end at 100 yards all day long or until I run out of ammo. The reticle is thin, the center cross hairs are thin, and the outer part of the hairs are thick, like the old world hunting reticles. The very center of the crosshairs has a tiny red dot. The illuminated dot makes my eye track directly into the middle of the lens, and I come on target faster.

BATTERY:

What I like most about this reticle is that it will work when the battery is dead or the red dot washes out in bright daylight.

BDC OPTIONS:

This reticle seems like the old days for old guys like me, and I am very comfortable using it. The reticle has a Bullet Drop Compensator, or BDC, a built-in way to adjust elevation. When the BDC is available, holding over-shooting feels like cheating. I have mine as a 5.56 BDC. They also make one in 7.62 for the AR10 guns.

HUNTING CONSIDERATIONS:

The main body tube is 30mm, and the eyepiece is 35mm. This makes it very friendly and easy to use and allows me to pick up my target quickly. The reticle has exposed adjustment knobs that will allow me to twist the knobs when I feel the need to try and dial the scope in without using hold over. The knobs can be locked down, to keep them from getting turned when I don’t notice. That is why hunting scopes have covered adjustments, so the twigs and scrub oak can't get the scope aim off.

WEATHER RESISTANCE:

This scope claims to have a waterproof rating, but I did not throw it in the tub because I forgot to do that part of the testing. The main body is O-ring sealed and filled with gas, so the scope should never fog up. The lenses are coated to help with scratch resistance and fighting glare from bright sunshine.

INSTALLATION:

My scope came with an excellent cantilever scope mount to hold the 30mm tube and clamps tightly onto the picatinny rail on the upper, and it was mounted. After a few minutes in the shop with the laser bore sighter, I was ready to go to the range. I set the target at the end of the 100-yard range, put myself in a folding chair, and got to work.

ACCURACY RESULTS:

I shot about 200 rounds at the bullseye target and found that the scope and carbine were shooting around a two-inch group. I spent a few minutes double checking the screws and found that three had backed off a little, so out came the range tools and they were tightened and back to the bench. After tightening everything again, the groups tightened up to about an inch multiple times, and I felt good about that.

OVERALL:

The battery is one of the coin-looking units and fits into the O-ring sealed compartment with almost zero effort. As I said, if this scope has a dead battery, the reticle will still be the same and will work no matter what happens with the illumination. The illumination has six brightness settings, and the dot only gets brighter, not bigger, like others I have used. The brightness dial is on the left side of the scope, and that is where the battery housing is also located.

Get it from Amazon now: $109.99 & FREE Returns

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3. Vortex Optics - Viper 6.5-20x50 Second Focal Plane

HIGHLIGHT:

Side knobs focus for quick adjustment.

SCOPE SELECTION:

OK, everyone, let's talk about one of my latest builds, a .300 Win mag, and I decided to get a second focal plane Viper. I picked one up in a 2nd focal plane, and I was trying to decide if I would shell out the money for a Leupold or if I should stick with the Vortex brand. Obviously, I decided to get the Viper. The fact that an extra 1500 bucks stayed in my checkbook put the Leupold back on the shelf for right now. I mounted this Vortex Viper on the 300 Win mag a Savage Model 10 (if anybody cares to know). I got it boresighted in the shop, sold a kidney on the black market to buy ammo, and went to the range. I hammered 100 rounds from that bolt action gun, I should add that includes everyone who went that day, I don't know if I am that level of tough to shoot that much magnum rifle in one range visit.

OVERVIEW:

When I shop for super clear scope, I always compare it to my all-time favorite Nikon rifle scope. The Viper glass is just as clear, even more so than my Nikon scope. Nikon does not make rifle scopes anymore; they focus on camera gear and stuff like that, and it is a shame to lose that player in the rifle scope game. Everything about the Viper works like a champ. Every review and claim to brag about their Vortex Viper is correct, but you can't get anything better.

WARRANTY FLEXIBILITY:

While browsing for scopes, I saw an entry in the Vortex FAQ, and someone asked: can I paint this scope?" I never considered this a question to ask, so my interest was piqued. Some want to do the entire camouflage thing, including barrel, stock, and optic. Vortex stated that painting the scope would not void the warranty. I don't know why it would; it's just painted on the outside of it. Some manufacturers say if you paint their scope, you own it forever, and they won't warranty it. Vortex doesn't have an issue with it.

MOUNTING METHOD:

I mounted the Viper with a Vortex one-piece mount (sold separately). If available for the rifle mount, the one-piece mount should be used to mount anything, especially a large body scope on a high-recoil rifle. The solid block will prevent the rings from twisting during the scope mounting. It will also help keep the scope on target during heavy recoil, like a 300 Win mag.

MAGNIFICATION:

The Vortex Viper has a massive magnification range of 6.5-20 magnification power! Talk about reaching out and touching something, the magnification gets into the crazy zone. The turrets are not exposed and have knurled caps making it easy enough to adjust in the field if you find that necessary. All the shooter has to do for turret adjustment is unscrew the cap, and move the crosshairs with a coin or the screwdriver blade on the multi-tool I know everyone has in their hunting kit. The Viper does have an exposed parallax knob on the side, so that adjustment is quick and easy, and you are going to need it; more on that in a minute. The rear body magnification ring has a built-in throw arm of sorts, it is more like a ridge, but at least it has one.

RETICLE STYLE:

The crosshairs or reticle if you care, could be a little darker; I find them to be a little thin. Mine Vortex Viper reticle is not illuminated; if I had an illuminated reticle that may be a difference maker. The reticle does have a dead-on bullet drop compensator making this an amazing long-distance scope. As I zoom in the magnification the crosshairs don't cover up anything on the target, and that's a great feature of thin crosshairs and non-illuminated reticles.

EYE RELIEF WARNING:

The Vortex Viper has a pretty short eye relief. You will need the parallax adjustment often, or at least I do. What about short-eye relief? What that means is the shooter's eye must be relatively close to the rear of the scope to get a good sight picture. When mounting this on a heavy recoil rifle, like a 300 Win Mag, the recoil is going to drive that scope back at your eyebrow like it's pissed off at ya. When this happens, and everyone has done it or will do it soon, the scope will return and give you the “scope bite” right over the top of your eyebrow. Lucky for me, I had a ball cap on that day. I think that's the reason it didn't cut me over my eyebrow, but it felt like it did. I would tell folks thinking about mounting this on a high-recoiling rifle they may want to look into another Vortex scope with more eye relief.

Get it from Amazon now: $451.94 & FREE Returns

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4. Sightmark Wraith - HD 4K 4-32x40 Day/Night

HIGHLIGHT:

High-resolution scope with 4K recording.

PERSONAL BACKSTORY:

I am not big on space guns or space scopes on my rifles. That does not mean they are not good; it is a struggle for me. This is not a scope but more of a camera that mounts where the optical scope typically sits.

NIGHT VISION RANGE:

This optic can see up to 200 yards in the dark with the IR illuminator (flashlight) and send that information to my eye in 4K. Is it worth the money? probably. Depends what you need it for. Remember - this is a night vision riflescope. It's of superb quality - but ask yourself before shelling out that much money: "Do I really need it?" The hang-up with any of the "space scopes" is the need for power to work. I wish for a rechargeable option that brings size and weight to get enough energy to operate the scope for a long time. Maybe someday, the manufacturers of this optic style will use an onboard battery and can plug in an external battery pack that I can carry in my pocket for more prolonged operations.

SYSTEM EXPLAINED:

This scope is heavy. Think about how it works for a second. It uses an IR (InfraRed) projector, and the camera sees the light in that spectrum. The computer processor then sends that information to the eyepiece, so it is like watching a one-inch TV that sits inches from the shooter's eyeball.

RECORDING FEATURE:

Since the Sightmark uses a processor and camera to make the IR ability, that comes with the ability to record the hunt or night shooting in real-time. I can't think of a time I will use this, but I can think of some very cool things to make happen in the future just because they are cool and I want to do them.

BATTERY LIFE:

This computer and camera set-up requires batteries to run. I have extra batteries in my pocket to replace if they go dead. I discovered that this thing would burn up the batteries in a hurry. Unlike a true optic, this scope cannot be left in place or used all day. It lasts about two hours or less on four double (AA) batteries.

IR FLASHLIGHT:

The IR projector looks like a small flashlight that sits on top of the scope and puts out more light so the scope can see in the dark or, as some will say night vision.

CAMERA ZOOM:

When this scope talks about magnification, what is actually happening is a camera zoom. The scope makes a claim for optical zoom and then some digital zoom after that. I had a camcorder once upon a time that did the same thing. The camera can look closer at the target, but the clarity is instantly destroyed. That does not mean the shooter will miss a 600-pound hog, but they will miss a 25-pound raccoon.

DAYLIGHT PERFORMANCE:

The daylight function of this scope is horrible. I don't see this as a deer-hunting scope, but for a feral pig or coyote gun that takes out the problem in the dark, this thing would be awesome until the batteries die.

EYE RELIEF ISSUES:

Eye relief is somewhat of an issue; a different scope base will be needed. All that must be done is get a base that will allow the scope to cantilever rearward, which will be fine. Remember, the eyeball looks at a tiny screen inside the scope's body, so it must be closer to the shooter.

FINAL NOTE:

My hang-up is that I don't feel good shooting at a target I cannot identify with my own eyes. It would be great if I needed this to defend something, but the hang-up is the battery life.

Get it from Amazon now: $499.97 & FREE Returns

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5. Vortex Optics - Venom 5-25x56 First Focal Plane

HIGHLIGHT:

Gives amazingly accurate holds at any magnification.

OVERVIEW:

To say the Vortex Venom has an excellent scope is a massive understatement. It is straightforward to use. The glass is magnificent and may be one of Vortex's best-performing optics. The scope body is well made, and it will bring some heft. This may not be a scope that you want to put on a deer rifle that you'll have to pack for a while. This is more for one you will put into a position and hold it there. If you're gonna go into some long-range hunting you can steady the rifle on a bipod, tripod, or even a lead sled at the range.

WEIGHT IMPACT:

I know that weight issue because I put one of these on a Winchester Model 70 Featherlight in 30.06 with a wood stock. I am curious to know what kind of feathers Winchester is comparing this to. Carry this around for a few hours, and it feels more like a Stoneweight Model 70. There is nothing featherlight anymore when I put this Venom on that rifle. The body of the Venom has thick wall construction, so much so that this scope will add 2.2 pounds to the gun's weight. This added weight is great to help tame recoil, but hell on a hunter packing this around all day. This weight may also test the quality of your rifle carry bag. Ensure you only buy high-quality gear for carrying around a precision rifle, that goes for carry cases and slings.

ADJUSTMENT:

Let's talk about the exposed and well-marked adjustment turrets. The turrets are stiff to turn; they will exactly click into space. They're not quick adjusting, like I wanted for a hunting rifle, more for taking time to nail a shot perfectly. Another thing about the turrets is the many markings, which are excellent for exactness. They are too hard to see for a hunting adjustment due to the many tiny markings. I can't think of a better, more affordable precision rifle optic. The Venom has a feature built into the turrets called RevStop Zero System, this is a built-in feature that allows fast and accurate return to settings on the turrets.

MAGNIFICATION:

The First Focal Plane Venom has a magnification of 5-25x power. I think I can see Nevada from the range some days. The objective lens is a huge 56mm. I can see nearly the entire range through the scope. The tube is 34mm, which means it needs 34mm rings to mount it. It also means there is a ton of room to adjust for elevation. The large tube allows more light to reach the shooter's eye and makes shooting all day very comfortable. The Venom also has a side-mounted parallax knob to make the scope fit the shooter. The one thing Vortex did not do is put a better rear tube magnification throw lever on the magnification ring. It's a simple fix; they included it in the kit, and all I had to do was put it on. It is strange that with everything else they put into this scope, that is the one thing they left out of built-in options.

OPTICAL SYSTEM:

The lenses are coated with Vortex XD Optical System, which removes chromatic aberration and gives the sight picture a clear and undistorted view from edge to edge. What the heck is Chromatic Aberration? That basically means lens flare, or the sight picture looking like a different color as the light passes through the curve of the lenses. The lenses are also protected from harm by a coating called Armortek. Armortek protects not only against scratches but oil as well.

Get it from Amazon now: $444.87 & FREE Returns

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6. UTG - BugBuster 3-9X32 RGB

HIGHLIGHT:

Most commonly used along with airsoft assault rifles.

MOUNTING SETUP:

I mounted this baby on my factory Bushmaster without any modifications to the original weapon. I mainly got it to replace a red dot sight that I freaking detested. When I used it last week, I managed to zero it at the fifty yard mark and I hit all fifteen of my shots, and I even got the smaller pieces after my first few shots.

LONG RANGE TESTING:

When I went out on the longer ranges, I found that for one hundred yards, I only needed to adjust one mil left. I ended up skipping two hundred yards and jumped straight to the three hundred mark, and that was where I got to really test it out. Without using any data on this scope, I guessed the mils based on my .308’s MOA dope and found that using Monarch 55 grain ammo at seven bucks a box, I judged I had about five shots to locate the target, then another five to test out the repeatability. I wasn’t far off, and after a few minor tweaks, I hit five out of five shots at both the three hundred and four hundred yard mark. When I got to five hundred, I hit three out of five. But I only missed the first two and landed the last three, so there’s that.

PERFORMANCE SUMMARY:

At the three hundred yard mark, I adjusted up four point one mils, at four hundred yard, I put it up to eight mils. At five hundred, I went to thirteen mils, and I still had some room to spare in the scope. Overall, the whole experience took like less than half an hour, and I did all of this based on a fifty yard zero, using the cheapest ammo available haha.

PRO TIP:

You can collapse the stock halfway and that helps to make it consistent.

OVERALL:

The red dot of this rifle really annoyed me, and I couldn’t even get the clay at fifty yards, and now I rarely miss it! Also, it’s way cheaper to shoot than my .308 (granted I still do use that for those longer one thousand yard shots). I love the eye relief at about the three times power, but it does get a bit on the tight side when it hits nine times. So what’s the bottom line you ask? If I haven’t made that clear, yet, I freaking love this scope haha! For the price, you’re not gonna find much better. This baby is proof that you don’t need to spend a massive fortune so you can successfully shoot long distances. I like this baby soooo much. Bet you will too.

Get it from Amazon now: $172.99 & FREE Returns

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7. Vortex Optics - Diamondback 6-24x50 First Focal Plane

HIGHLIGHT:

Extra-low dispersion glass; fully-coated lenses.

OVERVIEW:

The Diamondback is a mid-range scope and a great buy. It's very popular with our friends back east and down South hunting whitetails in a field or from a tree stand. I don't know why white-tail hunters seem to be the biggest fans; maybe Vortex puts more effort into sales for white-tail hunters. The Diamondback will do fine out west taking the 400-yard shot. It is gonna be magic for you. Get bored-sighted, then get out to the range and practice shooting. Pretty soon, it will do everything that you need to do.

MAGNIFICATION:

It carries a lot of magnifications with it at 6-24x50 magnification. The big difference is that the objective diameter is smaller than most after Vortex hunting scopes at 50mm. 50mm is a lot more objective than the scopes we all grew up hunting with, and one great thing about a smaller objective is they will fit on any rifle.

RIFLE COMPATIBILITY:

The Diamondback will also fit on a rifled barrel shotgun. They will fit on the shotgun, but there are better fits for the Diamondback. For the folks that want to put a high-powered scope on an AR platform rifle, this is a good choice as the mounts can be lower and the objective is lower, making the battle rifle work more like it should like it was meant to be in the first place.

FIRST FOCAL PLANE:

Being a first focal plane scope, there's a minimal adjustment when moving the magnification. When you increase the magnification, the site picture will not change much.

CONSTRUCTION:

The Diamondback, as anything that Vortex makes, has no problem in bad weather. The standard gun shop joke is that you can hammer a nail with a vortex, and it will keep on working. They build these things to take punishment and keep on performing. The Diamondback is not gonna fog up, it's not gonna lose its zero, the turrets aren't gonna freeze up, and the adjustment rings aren't gonna freeze up. If the scope freezes or does not keep working, you send that back to Vortex, and they'll fix it or replace it with no questions asked.

RETICLE CHOICE:

If I were to rebuy a Diamondback, the one thing I would make sure to do is I would get the illuminated reticle. Mine is just a standard black reticle, and as I get older, that starts to become more of an issue. A green light reticle that I could turn up the brightness and make it easier to see. Especially if I'm using that reticle to adjust for holdover, the scale would be a lot easier to see, especially when you've got buck fever and are wearing glasses. The reticle has a built-in bullet drop compensator, so holdover is made much easier for the shooter.

RANGE PRACTICE:

The horizontal also has lead marks, so moving animals or wind adjustments are in place. Just because the reticle is covered in all of the Terminator-looking stuff, as a shooter, learn how to use the marks and things. All that means is more range time and trigger time; how hard can that be? You're trying to get this hunt taken care of, so it sure would be neat to have that just easier to see.

GLASS QUALITY:

The glass in this scope is as clear as a blue sky. The lenses are coated so they do not show aberration or warping along the edge of the glass that some scopes suffer. The objective lens and eyepiece are also coated to resist scratching, which is excellent for a hunting scope.

TURRETS:

The adjustment turrets are nice and tight. They turn quickly and will click both audible and tactile (feel it in my fingers), so counting off MOA adjustments is easy.

NO ZERO LOCK:

The one hang-up with the Diamondback is it does not have a zero lock. All this means that the shooter will need to pay closer attention when twisting knobs. For distance or target shooters, this is not a thing; for a long-distance hunter who does not have time to double-check the clicks, it may be an issue.

PLATFORM OPTIONS:

This scope will match any rifle that you put it on, so if you're going to hunt Prairie dogs with the .223 Savage bolt action, you could put it on an AR15 if you feel like it. I've seen prairie dog shooters use an AR with a scope and I have seen prairie dog shooters use a 7mm Magnum. The Vortex Diamondback HP is at home on smaller calibers as well as bigger rifles and takes care of any issues you have or any needs for our rifle optic. This scope recently went on my brother-in-law Ruger's Number One rifle. He has this rifle in 7mm-08, and it is a tack driver. So, to go with this tack-driving rifle, we decided to test out the Vortex Diamondback in the First Focal Plane. The long-distance folks will choose a first focal plane scope all day over a second plane scope. For hunters, this truly is not that big of a difference compared to the price tag for the first plane optic.

FINAL TAKEAWAY:

This is a tremendous and affordable hunting scope. It can be an excellent introduction to long-range shooting as the shooter's skill comes up to par with the gun and the optic ability to put rounds where they are aimed.

Get it from Amazon now: $349.88 & FREE Returns

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8. UUQ Prism - 4x32 Red/Green/Blue

HIGHLIGHT:

Compatibility with 20mm weaver and ⅜ inch dovetail rails.

REVIEW DISCLOSURE:

Before we get into the details, let me start off by sharing two important details: First, I got this scope at a pretty solid discount in exchange for writing a full review, so I wanna be honest with that right out the gate. And second, I didn’t technically need another scope, I already have a few of them for my rifles, but I really enjoy testing out new gear so I can find great values for good prices. I consider myself a pretty seasoned hunter, and I’ve definitely seen my fair share of poor quality scopes. I’m usually the go to for friends who are just getting into hunting, so I do like to test this stuff out so I can give solid recs to newbies or those who are on a budget.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

I’ll be honest, I didn’t have high expectations for this scope, thinking it would be just another one of those cheap, plastic tactical gadgets that have pretty much a limited use. And then I actually tried it out, and man, this scope is solid. And I don’t say that lightly. This scope is legit solid.

GLASS QUALITY:

That being said, if you're looking for superior glass quality you won’t necessarily find it at this price point. But for a budget scope with solid glass for the cost, yeah, this is pretty impressive. It’s not gonna be a high end prism scope, but it’s not really marketed as such. For a budget tool, yeah this definitely ranks the top. For less than a hundred bucks, the quality of the glass is definitely clear. There’s pretty good contrast and focus, and yeah, there’s a bit of distortion around the edges that kind of creates this fish eye effect, but it's not something you’re really gonna notice unless you really focus on it. With 4x magnification, it does the trick for the price.

EYE RELIEF:

I’d say that the eye relief hovers around three inches, and I think it works pretty well for a .223, but it could also work good for even heavier calibers on an AR. Probably not for 458 or .500 though. The eye box isn't as forgiving as red dots I’ve tested on other models, but I like that it’s magnified. Take that for what you will.

RETICLE DESIGN:

I like this reticle a lot. Because it’s a prism scope, the reticle is essentially etched in the glass and it lights up, meaning that you can still use it even if the battery dies. There’s hold over marks out to four hundred yards, and they’re small but helpful when you’re focusing on those targets that are further away. The reticle lights up in three different colors–red, blue, and green–and I like the blue, because it’s the most subtle, but that’s probably more a personal choice.

ADJUSTMENT:

The adjustments on this are pretty straightforward for the most part, and they have small knobs, and just a heads up, you’ll probably need a dime or a small tool to actually adjust the knob. The clicks are fairly solid and from testing it out, I’d say they’re accurate. A lot of pricier scopes don’t even have that. I’d also say that there’s a good amount of internal adjustment so you can get on the target quickly.

DURABILITY:

I tested about thirty rounds yesterday and it held zero, which was awesome. Not necessarily a torture test, but budget scopes have failed at less. The durability wasn't necessarily designed for a shotgun, so yeah, I’m not gonna test it on that. Use it on the tools it’s meant for and you’ll find that it works. I reached out to the manufacturer out of curiosity and was actually surprised when they got back to me and told me to try it out on a shotgun using slugs for deer and see how it works. In other words, they’re confident in the durability of this thing. Just keep in mind that at the end of the day it’s a prismatic scope, there’s a solid, yet simple, erector that holds zero. Pretty happy with it if you ask me.

OTHER FEATURES:

I really enjoy the fiber optic sight on the top; it’s a nice touch if you ask me. Def a handy feature if you’re planning to use it for quick target acquisition on a shotgun or even a 300 Blackout. I’ll be honest, I haven’t had it long enough to test out its longer term durability, but I’d say it seems pretty solid for what you’re paying for it. If UUQ added struts to the fiber optic, it’d probably help it stay in the spot for a little bit longer. Battery life is pretty good if you ask me. I found that out because I actually left the scope on overnight haha and yet still worked the next day, which actually surprised me.

FINAL TAKEAWAY:

Overall, what are my thoughts? I’d say it’s worth it. It’s a solid value, especially if you're looking for a scope with that budget mindset. Sure, there’s gonna be better scopes out there, but you’re gonna spend twice as much, and for under a hundred bucks, I really don’t think you can get better than this.

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9. Monstrum - Guardian AO 3-9x40

HIGHLIGHT:

Three to nine times magnification is adjustable, allowing targeting up to five hundred yards and beyond.

INITIAL EXPECTATIONS:

After looking at the reviews on the Monstrom, I figured that for this price point, I’d probably get an optic that wasn’t too great in the quality of the components. I mean, it’s pretty much cheaper than buying a solid box of good ammo haha. I figured best I’d get it for one use, and worst case, I’d just reuse it for parts.

BUILD IMPRESSIONS:

The build quality surprised me at first. It all just looked solid and felt good–including the adjustment points and the tolerances on the tube. Even the mount was awesome. Yeah, the optic is kinda heavier than the specs, but only by a few ounces. I really expected the glass to be poor, but the clarity was surprisingly clear. Yeah, you’re gonna get sharper clarity if you spend more, but for the price, it was solid. I mean I didn’t think I could have something like this for under sixty bucks haha. Granted I had low expectations, but still. I will say that the reticule is on the basic side and the instruction booklet lacked info on the mils appropriate caliber.

LIMITATIONS:

You’re not gonna get a real FFP rangefinder on this. It’s budget for a reason, but honestly for the price it’s still really good! The AO dial allowed me an estimate between the distance to the target mainly by judging the optical sharpness. Didn’t expect that to be on this because again, it’s cheap, so it was a nice plus.

PERFORMANCE:

The glass is really good. It gives a pretty good range calculation, too and it offers really solid visual acuity, which is saying a lot considering the magnification is at nine times. You’re getting every cent out of this thing. When I tested it out at the range, I began at a hundred yards and missed the papervat min magnification. I ultimately ended up rotating the windage dials and the elevation one unit each and lo and behold–missed again. After a few more twists, I finally hit the paper. In other words, you may have to play around with this to figure it out, but once you do, it gets the job done.

ZEROING PROCESS:

After a few more shots after a full mount, I managed to get the actual feel of the reticle mils, and I pulled to fifty yards and discovered zero in three shots. Back at a hundred yards, I got a solid zero after I figured out the system adjustments, and I was able to get a good zero after learning the system and adjustments.

EYE RELIEF:

The eye relief definitely went above my expectations. Def excellent.

RECOIL BEHAVIOR:

I also found that the recoil was pretty much non-existent. The optic probably held zero across two hundred shots throughout the day.

FINAL TAKEAWAY:

Honestly, I just can’t say it enough: a scope at this price range probably shouldn’t have this level of accuracy and quality haha. Sure, it’s not a high end two grand piece of equipment, but by far, it’s better than my five hundred dollars scopes. Never ended up in my box of parts and have definitely used it more than once! You won’t regret spending fifty bucks on this haha. Do it. You’ll thank me later.

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