Shooting Optics

Rifle Scopes 101 & Buyers Guide

It is blamed for missed shots, bad shots, or for not being able to pull off a shot at all. It's rejoiced as the reason for a spectacular 300-yard shot that brought down a world-class elk, and it has been the epitome of frustration and defeat. It's aftermarket equipment that if not chosen correctly, can make or break an otherwise phenomenal firearm. It's the scope on your rifle, and it's a critical component to hunting, target shooting, competition, and tactical engagement.

Although you can hunt with traditional iron sights, a scope gives you the advantage of target magnification, allows you to make ethical shots in the early light of dawn or the waning light of dusk, gives you the ability to make surgically accurate shots hundreds of yards away, and lets you take full advantage of long-range ammunition ballistics.

Scope Terminology You Need to Know

Shooting is a science, and each time you pull the trigger, the laws of physics propel a projectile hundreds of yards downrange. The scope mounted on your weapon is much like a refracting telescope that assists in placing that projectile on to your desired target. Knowing a few technical terms about this equipment can help you understand how this works, and "talk shop" at the range with confidence.

• FOV or Field of View: This term describes the amount of real estate you see at 100 yards, measured in feet. Generally, when scope magnification goes down, the FOV increases, and the higher the magnification, the smaller the viewing area where the target stands. When shooting, if quick shots at closer range are the norm, you will need a scope that offers a broader FOV at a lesser magnification.
• MOA or Minute of Angle: MOA is an angular measurement. It is equal to one 60th of a degree of an angle that widens as it gets further down range. MOA spreads about one inch (1.047-inches exactly) per 100 yards, and this measurement is independent of the distance. At 100 yards, one MOA adjustment will move the bullet's impact point one inch, and at 400 yards, an adjustment of one MOA will move the impact point 4-inches. For example, if the bullet impacts 4 inches low at 400 yards, you will only need to come up one MOA.
• MILs or Milliradians: A MIL is a military standard unit of angle measurement defined as a thousandth of a radian. In a nutshell, 1 MIL equals 3.438 MOA at 100 yards. MIL increments are often seen on sniper-type scopes as horizontal lines and are best utilized for fast target acquisition.
• Windage and Elevation: These two terms define the scope's vertical and horizontal adjustment. Windage is the side to side adjustment used to compensate for the bullet deviating either left or right from its trajectory due to wind drift, and elevation is the vertical adjustment you may need to make for similar environmental factors.
• Parallax: This expression is fancy terminology that describes the situation where you get an inconsistent view when you look through the scope. As your head or eye position moves, the crosshairs appear to move over the target. When properly adjusted, the crosshairs will stay put even as you change eye gaze through the lens.
• Magnification Power: Most firearm owners are familiar with this optic jargon as it is the level of target magnification of the scope. When shopping for riflescopes, you will see a series of numbers such as 3-9X40. The first number is the lowest magnification of the product, in this case, that digit is three, which means the lowest magnification on this scope allows you to see the target three times closer than you would with the naked eye. The second number indicates the maximum magnification, which in this example would be nine times closer than the naked eye. The 3-9 means this scope adjusts from 3X to 9X and anywhere in between, and the final number of 40 indicates the diameter in millimeters of the objective lens on the front of the optic.
• The Anatomy of a Riflescope: Now that some of the basic terminologies are out of the way, the next step to choosing a scope involves a little bit of optics anatomy.
• Ocular Lens: This lens is the glass you look through that focuses the light gathered by the other end of the rifle scope. The distance from this lens to your eye where a clear image appears is called eye relief, and that measurement averages about 3 ½ inches.
• Eye Piece: This component holds the ocular lens and, in some scopes, has an adjustment to fine-tune clarity.
• Scope Tube: These metal components are the backbone of the scope and where attachment rings are located for affixing the optic to the rifle. They come in 30mm and one-inch sizes, so when choosing a scope, pay attention to that number to ensure you select the correct attachment rings.
• Objective Lens: This lens faces the target and assists in gathering incoming light to illuminate the FOV. They are often coated with light-transmitting and water-repellant finishes to aid in visual clarity.
• Objective Bell: This component is the housing that starts at the scope tube and gradually widens to contain the objective lens. 
• Power Ring: When a scope's magnification is adjustable, this ring allows you to increase or decrease the magnification power.
• Elevation Turret: This dial is the adjustment point for elevation and is manipulated either by hand or in some cases, by using a tool or coin.
• Windage Turret: Usually located on the side of the scope, this dial is your adjustment point for horizontal scope alignment.
• Parallax Control: Some rifle scopes, particularly those meant for long-distance shooting, have a dial to correct parallax error generally positioned on the other side of the scope opposite the windage turret.
• Coatings: With hunting or other shooting sports, extreme conditions are just another day at the office. High-quality lens coatings help solve issues related to rain, snow, and lighting variations.
• Coated: This term indicates a single layer of finish on at least one lens surface. The most common type applied to standard scope lenses is an anti-reflective coating.
• Fully Coated: When a scope is fully coated, this means there is a single layer of finish on all exterior lens surfaces.
• Multicoated: This label indicates you have a scope with multiple layers of coatings on at least one lens surface. These might include anti-reflective, as well as phase-correction, water-resistant or abrasion-resistant coatings.
• Fully Multicoated: Often on the luxury end of the scope spectrum, fully multicoated scope lenses have multiple layers of coatings on all exterior glass surfaces.

High-Tech Features

Manufacturers are continually developing innovative features for those who want more than a basic optic.

• ED and HD Lenses: Of the chromatic, achromatic, and apochromatic options in glass, most modern rifle scopes use achromatic glass. However, higher-end models advertise either ED or HD glass as a selling point. ED stands for "extra-low dispersion" and assists in reducing the light separation that occurs with other types of lenses. HD is short for "high density" glass and is used as a replacement term for ED glass by some optics manufacturers.
• Motion Sensor Technology: In some scopes with illumination capabilities, this technology automatically deactivates illumination after a specific timeframe of inactivity and will reactivate when movement is detected.
• Electronic Reticle Levelers: High-tech in-scope reticle leveling systems will indicate via an illuminated dot when the scope isn't level, which can simplify mounting and improve accuracy.
• Rangefinder Combos: These 2 in 1 optics act as both a scope and a rangefinder and are generally designed for hunters, with some models boasting Bluetooth pairing to smartphones for uploading data to create automatic shot configuration calculations.
• Digital Displays: Some high-end scopes have displays much like those seen on digital cameras. Calculations of distance and trajectory are at your fingertips and assist in zeroing in on the precise aiming point.
• Night Vision: Although they offer low magnification capabilities, night vision scopes allow you to view your target better by amplifying any shred of available light. Some have automatic controls systems which adjust the light amplification as needed to keep the image as stable as possible.

Reticle Types

The reticle on a scope is the aiming point which you place on the target. There are numerous types available, and each is suited for specific genres of shooting. Crosshairs are the gold standard for hunters and have evolved over the years for differing shooting requirements. Configurations vary, but they all follow the same template in their design.

• Fine Crosshair: These thin-lined crosshairs intersect at the center of the visual field and provide an unobstructed view of the target.
• Duplex Crosshair: Similar to its fine-lined counterpart, this commonly used reticle has thicker lines on the outer part of the crosshairs that gradually slim down to a thin cross in the center. This design aids in quickly drawing your eye to the aiming point.
• German Reticles: This style is seen in numbered variations and features thick lines at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions with fine lines at noon and throughout the intersecting point in the center.
• BDC: More complex, and best suited for long-range marksmen, BDC or Bullet Drop Compensation reticles can provide the shooter with an exact point of aim at a known distance thus compensating for bullet drop. Advanced versions are called "Christmas Tree" reticles and are intended for serious long-distance shooting.
• Mil-Dot: Ballistic reticles such as these have a series of vertical and horizontal dots in place of crosshairs with each dot representing 1 MIL. They are ideal for extreme distance shooting and sniper-like scenarios.
• Illuminated: Most of the above reticle configurations come in illuminated versions where the crosshair or dots are lit up to provide contrast for simplified viewing.
• Red Dot: Not classified as a scope per se, this option is more akin to pistol use, as a typical red dot or reflex sight has low magnification. It projects an illuminated dot via an LED light on to the target for rapid acquisition. This attribute makes it ideal for the close-range targeting seen in home defense scenarios or close-quarter hog hunting.
• Holographic: Once again, this state-of-the-art sight isn't a scope but still has a place on the list because of its undeniable advantages. In these sights, a holographic reticle floats over the target and is visible with both eyes open for fast target acquisition. However, most optics of this type offer little in magnification.

Manufacturers

The optics industry has come a long way in offering products big on technology and features. When you're ready to pull the trigger on a scope purchase, you can't go wrong with one of these reliable brands.

• Aimpoint: An originator of red dot technology, this company offers red dot sights for hunters and tactical shooters that feature an unlimited field of view, are parallax-free, have a rugged construction, and long-lasting battery life.
• ATN: Offering innovative thermal imaging, night vision, and ultra-HD optics, ATN produces high-end scopes with all the bells and whistles you want on an optic of this caliber.
• Burris: Over 40 years of engineering goes into this company's products, and for those who want a traditional style optic with state-of-the-art features, the hunting and tactical rifle scopes they produce are some of the best in the industry.
• EOTech: Holographic, thermal, and night vision is this company's specialty, and their products stand up to abuse, offer a fast transition between short and long-range targets, and have sight/magnifier combos to give you 3x magnification.
• FLIR: Catering to the military, law enforcement personnel, and government agencies, FLIR riflescopes offer laser systems, night vision, and thermal imaging that are second to none in technological superiority.
• Leupold: This optics manufacturer is a legend among the shooting world and produces scopes used by the United States Army, the Secret Service, and the Navy SEALS, as well as the United States Navy and the Marine Corps. Leupold products are rugged, reliable, and backed by over a century of design innovations.
• Trijicon: A leader in the optics community, this manufacturer utilizes cutting edge technology in their fixed and variable power riflescopes, RMRs, MROs, and Reflex sights. They are used by several branches of the military, as well as government and law enforcement agencies.
• Schmidt and Bender: This German manufacturer is the cream of the crop in high-end optics, producing elite scopes for hunting, sporting, and professional use.
• Steiner Optics: Another prestigious company from Germany, this optics firm offers hunting, tactical, and marine scopes featuring multicoated lenses and rugged construction for survival in the most brutal conditions.
• US Optics: This American manufacturer produces custom riflescopes and optics for civilian, military, and hunting applications with some of the most technologically advanced features available on the market today.
• Vortex Optics: From extreme long-range shooting to close quarter battle, this company offers scopes with a wide array of features and a price range that fits everyone's budget. They do business in the heart of Wisconsin, are veteran-owned and operated, and produce high-quality, innovative optics for all genres of shooting sports.

Considerations When Making the Final Choice

• Price: Like in most purchases you make, when it comes to riflescopes, you get what you pay for, so it's best to buy the highest quality product you can afford. Cheaply made scopes may seem like a great deal upfront, but when you're on point in a deer drive or positioned on a bluff facing off a grizzly, scope failure is not an option.
• Purpose: The scope's intended use will play a critical role in what model you choose. Are you hunting antelope across vast expanses of the flat prairie? Hog hunting in heavily wooded terrain? Perhaps you plan to compete in 3-Gun matches or long-range target competitions? These shooting venues all demand different scope configurations and deriving a list of must-have features for your preferred application will help narrow down the choices.
• Compatibility with Your Firearm: When outfitting your rifle, to thine own weapon be true, which means know what works and what doesn't on your model and platform. Mounts, rings, and attachment systems vary across rifle types, so sift through a little research and owners manuals before hitting that "buy now" button on your online dealer's webpage.
• Shooting Conditions: Desert-like sandstorms, tropical rain, nor 'easter level blizzards, and mid-season sleet are all experienced at one time or another in the field, and in some locales, these weather events happen all in one day. Although you are tough enough to ride these weather systems out, is your scope? Look for a waterproof, fog proof, and impact-resistant model to ensure you give up long before your scope does.

Practical Application

So, now down to the brass tacks. The one thought that's on your mind at this point in the game is probably… "all this information is great and wonderful, but what's the best rifle scope for hunting?"

Generally speaking, if you are after deer or elk and expect to take close to mid-range shots in broad daylight, then a 3-9x40 scope with a basic crosshair-type reticle and some sort of anti-glare, water and fog proof coating to defer potential weather-related issues should fit the bill. However, if you know the shots you're going to take will be out past 200 yards, then a more advanced long-range scope with higher magnification and a more precise reticle arrangement is what you should aim for when on your search for the ideal product.

In the end, the choice is ultimately yours, and now that you have a bit of knowledge under your belt, the scope you choose will most likely elevate your accuracy to a level where every shot you take is consistent, precise, and beyond legendary.