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.
Nightforce Atacr 7-35X56

Score: 86.5
Price: $3,600Nathaniel Welch
Sig Sauer Whiskey5 3-15X52

Score: 85.6
Price: $1,650Nathaniel Welch
Swarovski Z8I1-8X24

Score: 84.9
Price: $2,610
Contact: swarovskioptik.comNathaniel Welch
Bushnell Elite Tactical DMRII-I 3.5-21X50
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Score: 84.5
Price: $1,600
Contact: bushnell.comNathaniel Welch
Kahles 624I 6-24X56

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Kahles 624I 6-24X56
Score: 87.7
Price: $3,000Nathaniel Welch
Cabela's Covenant FFP 6-24X50
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Score: 76.8
Price: $300
Contact: cabelas.comNathaniel Welch
EOTech Vudu1-6X24

Score: 83.2
Price: $1,300Nathaniel Welch
Leica Magnus 2.4-16X56I

Score: 81.1
Price: $3,000Nathaniel Welch
Leupold VX-6HD-18X44

Score: 81.0
Price: $1,500Nathaniel Welch
GPO Passion 3X 4-12X40

Score: 79.2
Price: $350Nathaniel Welch
Nikon Black X1000 6-24X50

Score: 78.7
Price: $650Nathaniel Welch
Tract Tekoa 3-12X50
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Score: 78.4
Price: $594
Buy It Now!Nathaniel Welch
Athlon Cronus 4.5-29X56

Score: 76.8
Price: $1,800Nathaniel Welch
Vortex Diamondback Tactical 4-12X40
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Score: 74.3
Price: $400Nathaniel Welch
Meopta ZD 6-24X56

Score: 73.9
Price: $1,900Nathaniel Welch
Hawke Frontier 30 SF 2.5-15X50

Score: 68.7
Price: $720Nathaniel Welch
Vanguard Endeavor RS IV 1.5-6X42

Score: 67.8
Price: $430Nathaniel Welch
Oculus Phaze 6-24X50

Score: 66.6
Price: $500
Contact: oculusoptics.comNathaniel Welch
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 | 6-24x56 | 7-35x56 | 3-15x52 | 1-8x24 | 3.5-21x50 | 1-6x24 |
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 | 2.4-16x56 | 3-18x44 | 4-12x40 | 6-24x50 | 3-12x50 | 6-24x50 |
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 | 4.5-29x56 | 4-12x40 | 6-24x56 | 2.5-15x50 | 1.5-6x42 | 6-24x50 |
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 |