Optics(Page 2)

We put the top new optics to the test, including binoculars, rifle scopes, and range finders.

Latest in Optics

The best thermal scope overall.
Gear

Thermal Scope Deals: Black Friday 2024 Savings on Monoculars, Scopes, and Clip-Ons

By Scott Einsmann

The Best Optics Deals: Early Black Friday 2025 Savings on Binoculars, Thermals, Rifle Scopes, and More
Gear

The Best Optics Deals: Early Black Friday 2025 Savings on Binoculars, Thermals, Rifle Scopes, and More

By Scott Einsmann

The Pulsar Thermion 2 is the best overall thermal.
Gear

Pulsar Thermal Scopes on Sale at Bass Pro Shops

By Scott Einsmann

The new Nikon Image Stabilized binocular
Gear

First Look: Nikon’s 12×25 Image Stabilized Binocular

By Andrew McKean

Holosun eps carry height
Gear

The Best Pistol Red Dots, Tested and Reviewed

By Tyler Freel, John B. Snow

A man shooting a wooden airgun looking through a black air rifle scoppe
Gear

The Best Air Rifle Scopes of 2025

By Jim Chapman

The best rifle scopes
Gear

The Best Rifle Scopes of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

By Andrew McKean

The best overall budget rifle scope of 2023
Gear

The Best Rifle Scopes Under $500, Tested and Reviewed

By Andrew McKean

The best scope rings for your rifle
Gear

The Best Scope Rings of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

By Andrew McKean

We tested the Tract Toric UHD 1-8x24.
Gear

The Best Budget LPVOs of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

By Andrew McKean

Two of the best binoculars for hunting being tested
Gear

The Best Binoculars for Hunting of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

By Andrew McKean

Testing the best binoculars for bird watching
Gear

The 7 Best Binoculars for Bird Watching, Tested and Reviewed

By Andrew McKean

Bill McRae holds up a resolution wheel.
Opinion

Remembering Bill McRae, the Godfather of Modern Sporting Optics

By Andrew McKean

Testing the best binocular harnesses in Montana.
Gear

The Best Binocular Harnesses of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

By Andrew McKean

The author tests two of the best rangefinders for hunting.
Gear

The Best Rangefinders for Hunting of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

By Andrew McKean

Great scopes under $200
Gear

7 Great Scopes Under $250, Tested and Reviewed

By Andrew McKean

The author tests the best hunting scopes.
Gear

The Best Hunting Scopes: 18 Modern and Versatile Options

By Andrew McKean

Testing straight wall scopes
Gear

The 4 Best Scopes for Straight-Wall Cartridges, Tested and Reviewed

By Andrew McKean

Vortex Defender pistol red dots.
Gear

Vortex Defender Red Dot Review: We Range Tested Every Model of the Defender

By Scott Murdock

The Best Rimfire Scopes of 2025, Tested and Reviewed
Gear

The Best Rimfire Scopes of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

By Andrew McKean

vortex viper
Gear

Vortex Viper HD Rifle Scope Review: We Put 3 New Vipers to the Test

By Scott Murdock, Scott Einsmann, Alex Robinson

Leupold RX-5000
Backcountry Hunting Gear

First Look: The New Leupold RX-5000 Laser Rangefinder

By Andrew McKean

The Maven B.7 fit in the palm of your hand.
Binoculars

The Best Compact Binoculars, Tested and Reviewed

By Andrew McKean

The Swarovski Visio smart binocular
Gear

Swarovski AX Visio Review: The Most Advanced, and Controversial, Birding Binocular

By Andrew McKean

Outdoor life contributor, Sean Murphy, shooting with the aid of night vision Goggles.
Gear

The Best Night Vision Goggles of 2025, According to Experts

By Joshua Skovlund

mil vs moa
Guns

MIL vs MOA: Here’s What Hunters and Shooters Need to Know

By Andrew McKean

We tested the best long range rifle scopes.
Gear

The Best Long Range Rifle Scopes, Tested and Reviewed

By Andrew McKean

A hunter looks through a red-dot sight on a duck gun.
Guns

Red-Dots for Wingshooting? Manufacturers Say We’ll Soon Have Optics on Our Duck Guns

By Natalie Krebs

The Accufire OMNIS is a new digital spotting scope that represents the shift toward digital optics.
Opinion

The Next Generation of Digital Smart Optics Promises to Replace Traditional Scopes and Binoculars

By Scott Einsmann

The ATN X-Sigh Pro 4K is one of the best night vision scopes
Gear

The Best Night Vision Scopes of 2025

By Joshua Skovlund

The new for 2024 Holosun DPS night vision red dot sight for pistols mounted on a pistol with a range in the background.
Gear

Holosun DPS: A First Look at the New Thermal Red Dot for Pistols

By Scott Einsmann

A pair of night-vision binoculars shows a showroom floor at SHOT Show 2024.
Gear

The New Buk Ops Binocular Turns Low Light into Daylight

By Scott Einsmann

AGM Rattler V2
Gear

New Thermal Scopes and Optics of SHOT Show 2024

By Scott Einsmann

A look through the new Holosun DRS
Gear

Holosun DRS Thermal Sight: First Look and Update on Availability

By Scott Einsmann

The new Vortex Triumph HD binocular was put to the test in the field and at the range.
Gear

Vortex Triumph HD Review: The Best Deal in Binos?

By Scott Einsmann

Teach a New Hunter to Shoot a Rifle More Accurately with a Red-Dot Scope
Gear

Teach a New Hunter to Shoot a Rifle More Accurately with a Red-Dot Scope

By Tyler Freel

The best rifle scopes for deer hunting laid out on rocks.
Gear

The Best Rifle Scopes for Deer Hunting of 2025

By Andrew McKean

Testing the best red dot magnifiers
Gear

The Best Red Dot Magnifiers of 2025

By Joshua Skovlund

The author tests the best value rangefinder binocular, the Sig Kilo 6K
Gear

Best Rangefinder Binoculars, Tested and Reviewed

By Andrew McKean

The best muzzleloader scopes were tested for their glass clarity, durability, and features
Gear

The Best Muzzleloader Scopes of 2025

By Brad Fenson

The Best Rangefinders for Bow Hunting.
Gear

The Best Rangefinders for Bow Hunting of 2025

By Andrew McKean

The Vortex Razor HD compact spotting scope is light and packable.
Gear

The Best Compact Spotting Scopes, Tested and Reviewed

By Andrew McKean

Turrets will help you be more accurate with your rifle.
Gear

Adjustable, Custom Turrets Are the Hot Trend. Here’s How to Use Them On Your Riflescope for Better Accuracy

By Tyler Freel

How to Choose the Ultimate Concealed Carry Gun

How to Choose the Ultimate Concealed Carry Gun

By Outdoor Life Commerce Team

Trijicon Tenmile 3-18x44 FFP scope on an H-S Precision 7 PRC rifle
Gear

Trijicon Tenmile 3-18×44 First Focal Plane Scope, Tested and Reviewed

By John B. Snow

Zeiss LRP S5 5-25X56 on a precision rifle
Gear

Zeiss LRP S5 5-25×56 Review and Field Test

By John B. Snow

Holosun EPS Carry
Gear

Holosun EPS Carry, Tested and Reviewed

By Scott Einsmann

Leupold's new rangefinding binocular
Gear

Leupold BX-4 Range HD First Look

By Andrew McKean

The Leupold FullDraw 5 is the best rangefinder for bowhunting
Gear

Leupold RX-FullDraw 5, Tested and Reviewed

By Scott Einsmann

Vortex Razor HD LHT on the side of a mountain
Gear

Vortex Razor HD LHT, Tested and Reviewed

By Scott Einsmann

electro optics
Opinion

Electro-Optics Will Take Over Hunting—and More Lessons from Testing the Year’s Best Optics

By Andrew McKean

How to Sight in a Rifle
Gear

How to Sight in a Rifle

By John B. Snow, Tyler Freel, Kyle Wintersteen, Alex Robinson

Leica geovid pro
Gear

Review: Leica Geovid Pro 10×32 with Applied Ballistics Elite Is the Ultimate Hunting Binocular

By John B. Snow

black binoculars
Gear

Maven B Series Review

By Matt Cashell

A lineup of three rifles with scopes on a bed of quarters.
Gear

The Best Affordable Deer Rifles

By John B. Snow

Vortex SPARC Solar
Gear

Vortex SPARC Solar Review: A Red Dot for Your Turkey Gun

By Adam Moore

No More Guessing: The Leupold Custom Dial System Puts the Hunter Right on Target!
Gear

No More Guessing: The Leupold Custom Dial System Puts the Hunter Right on Target!

By Brian McCombie

Kicking a Nightforce ATACS scope across the gravel.
Gear

Watch Our Shooting Editor Do Unspeakable Things to His Nightforce ATACR Scope—In the Name of Science

By John B. Snow

aiming big game rifle
Hunting

Aiming Systems for Big-Game Hunting: MPBR vs. BDC Reticles vs. Turret Dialing

By Ron Spomer

browningrifle
Gear

Choosing the Best Riflescope for Your Western Big-Game Rifle

By Ron Spomer

Leica Geovid binocular
Gear

Leica Geovid 3200.COM Rangefinding Binocular

By Andrew McKean

There are lots of advantages to a first focal-plane scope.
Gear

The Benefits of First-Focal Plane Scopes

By John B. Snow

The differences between mils and MOA can be frustrating, but they're each useful in their own way.
Guns

How to Use MOA and Mil Reticles for Long-Range Accuracy

By John B. Snow

Maven riflescope mounting
Gear

An Expert Guide to Mounting a Precision Riflescope

By John B. Snow