
Remember the old days, when a riflescope was an accessory to a rifle, an aiming device that was interchangeable between guns? You can still buy those basic scopes with duplex reticles in the second optical plane. But if submissions to this year’s riflescope test are any indication, those simple optics are being displaced by task-specific scopes that have sophisticated—and sometimes caliber-specific—reticles optimized for defined shooting challenges and dedicated rifles.
This trend toward specialization has been building for some time. But we’ve never seen more scopes with first-plane reticles and aiming systems (which we define as the interplay of turrets and reticle) designed for long-range shooting as we saw in this year’s Outdoor Life Optics Test. These are serious precision instruments, and they’re often seriously big hunks of glass and metal. Four scopes in this year’s test are built on 34mm tubes, and their average weight of 2 ½ pounds makes them a poor choice for a walkabout rifle.
Luckily, there’s a riflescope for every shooter in this year’s test—high-priced precision scopes alongside inexpensive 1-inch riflescopes. You’ll find a few with attributes to appeal to long-range shooters, but with the versatility to be useful in a wide range of shooting situations.
Nathaniel Welch
Nathaniel Welch

Swarovski Z8I1-8X24
Score: 84.9
Price: $2,610
Contact: swarovskioptik.com

Bushnell Elite Tactical DMRII-I 3.5-21X50
Score: 84.5
Price: $1,600
Contact: bushnell.com

Kahles 624I 6-24X56
Nathaniel Welch

Cabela’s Covenant FFP 6-24X50
Score: 76.8
Price: $300
Contact: cabelas.com
Nathaniel Welch
Nathaniel Welch
Nathaniel Welch
Nathaniel Welch
Nathaniel Welch

Tract Tekoa 3-12X50
Score: 78.4
Price: $594
Buy It Now!
Nathaniel Welch
Nathaniel Welch
Nathaniel Welch
Nathaniel Welch
Nathaniel Welch

Oculus Phaze 6-24X50
Score: 66.6
Price: $500
Contact: oculusoptics.com
Riflescopes | Kahles 6241 | Nightforce Atacr | Sig Sauer Whiskey5 | Swarovski Z8 | Bushnell Elite Tactical DMRII-I | EOTech Vudu |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Price | $3,000 | $3,600 | $1,650 | $2,610 | $1,600 | $1,300 |
Configuration | 6-24×56 | 7-35×56 | 3-15×52 | 1-8×24 | 3.5-21×50 | 1-6×24 |
Image Resolution | 7.0 | 9.5 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 7.8 | 8.3 |
Low-Light | 9.2 | 9.3 | 8.8 | 7.9 | 6.9 | 6.1 |
Image Quality | 8.8 | 8.5 | 9.0 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 8.3 |
Mechanics | 9.5 | 9.0 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 8.5 |
Reticle | 9.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 9.0 | 9.5 |
Aiming System | 9.5 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 8.0 | 8.8 | 9.0 |
Construction | 8.8 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 9.0 | 8.3 | 8.5 |
Durability | 9.3 | 9.5 | 8.5 | 8.8 | 9.3 | 8.8 |
Meets Purpose | 9.0 | 8.3 | 7.8 | 8.3 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
Value | 7.3 | 7.3 | 8.3 | 7.3 | 8.5 | 7.8 |
Score | 87.7 | 86.5 | 85.6 | 85.6 | 84.5 | 83.2 |
Riflescopes | Lecia Magnus | Leupold VX-6HD | GPO Passion 3X | Nikon Black X1000 | Tract Tekoa | Cabela’s Covenant FFP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Price | $3,000 | $1,500 | $350 | $650 | $594 | $300 |
Configuration | 2.4-16×56 | 3-18×44 | 4-12×40 | 6-24×50 | 3-12×50 | 6-24×50 |
Image Resolution | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.9 | 6.1 | 6.4 | 6.4 |
Low-Light | 9.5 | 9.3 | 8.8 | 7.6 | 8.3 | 7.9 |
Image Quality | 8.8 | 8.3 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 7.3 | 7.8 |
Mechanics | 9.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.3 |
Reticle | 8.3 | 7.5 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.0 |
Aiming System | 7.3 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 7.5 |
Construction | 9.0 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 7.5 |
Durability | 8.8 | 8.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.0 |
Meets Purpose | 7.3 | 8.3 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 7.8 |
Value | 6.8 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 8.8 | 8.3 | 9.8 |
Score | 81.1 | 81.0 | 79.2 | 78.7 | 78.4 | 76.8 |
Riflescopes | Athlon Cronus | Vortex DiamondBack Tactical | Meopta ZD | Hawke Frontier 30 | Vanguard Endeavor RS IV | Oculus Phaze |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Price | $1,800 | $400 | $1,900 | $720 | $430 | $500 |
Configuration | 4.5-29×56 | 4-12×40 | 6-24×56 | 2.5-15×50 | 1.5-6×42 | 6-24×50 |
Image Resolution | 8.0 | 6.4 | 8.7 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 6.1 |
Low-Light | 8.8 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 7.4 | 7.2 | 5.8 |
Image Quality | 7.8 | 7.3 | 8.5 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.5 |
Mechanics | 8.0 | 8.3 | 7.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 7.0 |
Reticle | 6.8 | 7.8 | 7.3 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.5 |
Aiming System | 6.8 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.3 | 6.5 |
Construction | 8.3 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 6.8 | 6.5 |
Durability | 8.3 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 6.8 | 7.0 |
Meets Purpose | 6.8 | 7.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 6.5 |
Value | 7.5 | 8.5 | 7.3 | 6.8 | 7.3 | 7.3 |
Score | 76.8 | 74.3 | 73.9 | 68.7 | 67.8 | 66.6 |