Which rifle scope to choose

Some people might call this progress. But you need the right tool for the job. A x scope , specifically a x40 scope, is considered one of the best scopes for deer hunting, and for good reason. Three power is low enough, with a large enough exit pupil and field of view for close shots in most applications, and nine power gives you plenty of magnification for longer shots.

We have a wide selection of x scopes for sale if you want to take a look at available options. A major percentage of people now want to choose scopes for whitetail deer with top magnifications of fourteen, or twenty, or even more. This is, more often than not, a mistake. Less is more. Use the kiss principle. Bells and whistles like giant turrets and bubble levels are often a waste, particularly in lower-priced models.

If you aren't experienced enough to know why you want these upgraded features, then you're just adding a more complicated and less-reliable optic to your firearm. You have enough to do without troubling over how to work your scope. Our best-rated riflescopes have quality attributes that can be relied on.

Not only does higher magnification subtract from your exit pupil size and available light, but the low end of a high magnification scope is much too high to take a very close shot. Your scope on a whitetail rifle should almost always be kept at its lowest power. If that power happens to be five or six, many times your deer appears as a hairy patch through your scope, your field of view is so narrow you can't find him, or it's so dark you can't make him out.

Just as those bold Navy pilots, it's prudent to know how low a scope goes, not how high. Low is more important in most cases. You can always shoot far with low power, or have time to turn the scope up, but you can't shoot close with high power because your field of view FOV and exit pupil are too small. In a x40 scope, the 3 means three power, or 3x.

This means that the image you see through the scope appears three times 3x closer than it does with your naked eye. The 9 means nine power, or nine times 9x closer than it appears with your naked eye. The forty 40 is the objective lens diameter in millimeters.

This is a variable scope because you can adjust the magnification of the scope from three to nine, stopping anywhere in between. You would describe this scope as a "three to nine by forty. In a lot of cases, a versatile scope means that you can use one optic for multiple applications instead of buying another one. You can read more about scope numbers here.

Scopes don't gather light, as most people think, although the term "light gathering ability" has become accepted jargon. Scopes transmit available light through the lenses to your eye, always losing a bit in the process. You have to take light transmission figures with a grain of salt.

Manufacturers measure light transmission differently, sometimes for specific wavelengths to boost their numbers. The more magnification you have, the less light you get to your eyepiece.

The larger the objective lens, the more you get through your eyepiece. Aged eyes may dilate to only about four millimeters. Younger eyes may open up to seven millimeters and even more. An exit pupil much larger than your eye can use is wasted.

Like drinking out of a fire hose. The small circle of light that appears in the eyepiece when you hold a scope at arm's length is called an exit pupil. Here's an interesting experiment to help explain it. Take a variable scope, put it at its lowest power, and hold it at arm's length. See the circle of light in the ocular lens? That is the exit pupil.

The diameter of it in millimeters is the exit pupil size. Now turn the scope up to its highest power and try it again. See how much smaller it gets?

Imagine if you are using this scope during poor lighting conditions as common in hunting situations, like dawn or dusk. How small and dark will that exit pupil be? How well do you think you'll be able to see through that tiny circle of light? A formula for exit pupil is as follows: Divide the objective lens size in millimeters by the magnification. Example: if your x40 scope is set at 3x, 40 divided by 3 equals If your scope is set at 9x, 40 divided by 9 equals 4.

The difference in available light from the larger exit pupil is significant. The larger the exit pupil, the less critical the position of your head in relation to the scope is, also. The distance that your eye must be to the ocular lens to get a full, clear picture is called eye relief.

Lower powered scopes will have a larger range of distance available for a full view. Higher powered scopes are sometimes very critical in relation to the centering of your eye through the middle of the tube, and the distance your eye must be from the ocular lens. Sometimes there is only a half inch closer or farther you may be to see the whole available view. The largest eye relief currently available for a standard riflescope is about four inches.

Four inches is great, and offers enough room for the gun to recoil and not hit your face, if you do your job correctly. Most standard riflescopes have between three and three and a half inches. Higher recoiling guns including slug guns require lots of eye relief to prevent "scope eye" or the cut that some people get from the ocular lens of the scope coming back under recoil and cutting a semicircular gash above the shooter's eye.

Shotgun, muzzleloader, and dangerous game scopes sometimes have 5 or 6 inches of eye relief to prevent scope eye, but often at the expense of field of view. IER Intermediate Eye Relief scopes, also known as "Scout scopes" are mounted in front of the receiver of a long gun and require around inches of eye relief. LER Long Eye Relief scopes, also known as "Pistol scopes" used on handguns may have around inches of eye relief.

When mounting a scope, it should be at its highest power and in a position that your head and neck are comfortable. Your head should be placed on the stock in the position you will be shooting the most. For instance, if you sight in a gun while shooting off a bench rest, your head tends to sneak up on the stock a bit.

If this gun is then used for snap shooting for deer in the woods, your eye relief and sight picture might not be optimal. Always mount your scope so you don't have to move your head for optimal field of view. Move the scope to your eye, not your eye to the scope. As we have already discussed, a scope in the magnification range for a whitetail deer gun is pretty standard. In Western states for mule deer or antelope, a or 4. On the plains or in open country you can even leave your scope at a higher power.

You can often see all around you, with little chance of an animal surprising you, which they seem to do occasionally, anyway. In some cases you might have to shoot from hilltop to hilltop, or mountain to mountain. Hunting scopes in this magnification range are excellent for target shooting as well. For prairie dogs or long-range target shooting, a x or x variable scope does not have too much power. Keep in mind though, on hot days, mirage and heatwaves can make a high power scope almost unusable.

Some people prefer fixed power scopes for their simplicity and fewer moving parts. On some rifles, people like nothing more than a fixed 4x. Squirrel rifles and many. Some target shooters use fixed-power scopes with high magnification such as 24, 36, or 40 power. A 2x scope is the most common for a handgun in a magnified scope. The more magnification you have, the harder it is to find your sight picture and target, and the more critical and closer your eye relief becomes. Shooting a handgun with a scope requires lots of practice, especially with anything over 2x.

Higher powered variable scopes are really for the experienced shooter and are used almost exclusively from a rested position. Shotgun scopes and muzzle loaders often have lower power scopes for short-range deer hunting with slugs, and for turkey. Again, a fixed 2x is fairly standard, but the trend is for variable power or even scopes.

Sabot slugs for shotguns and muzzleloaders fly much faster and flatter than the Foster-type slugs and Maxi Balls they replaced not too long ago. These new projectile types make shots that were way out of range just two decades ago now very possible. Parallax is often factory set at 50, 60, or 75 yards.

Shotgun and muzzleloader scopes generally have maximum available eye relief to prevent "scope eye. Remember to take into consideration the type of rifle you will be using. Most riflescopes have the option for an illuminated reticle.

This can be an extremely helpful feature if you find yourself taking shots early in the morning or later in the evening. Though most would say the difference is negligible, it is worth mentioning illumination options typically add to the weight of the riflescope.

Is the scope going on a lightweight mountain rifle or a bench rest competition rig? When shooting from a bench or not far from a vehicle, the weight and size of a rifle or scope are not as big a concern. Regardless of the unit of measurement, MOA vs MIL , try to consider the mental gymnastics of making your ballistics calculations in the field. Will you be hunting with a buddy?

Are you ranging in yards or meters? Most riflescopes designed for hunting feature second focal plane reticles — meaning the reticle is etched on a static lens such that it does not change in scale at any magnification. The marks on a second focal plane reticle are typically calibrated for the highest magnification on a variable power scope ex.

This means that at half-power 15 power on a scope the reticle measurements will be twice what they are at full power. For example, if each mark is measured in. On the contrary, first focal plane reticles increase in scale as the magnification is increased. As a result, the reticle marks represent the same measurements at any magnification. Understanding what parallax is and how it can affect the outcome of your shooting is very important.

Most riflescopes above a certain magnification, most of the time around 9 to 12, have a parallax adjustment but you may not need one for the type of shooting or hunting that you plan on doing. To some people this may be a task that you have always entrusted to your local gunsmith or gun shop but with the right tools and a little bit of reading it can be mastered by anyone.

Mounting your own rifle scope properly on your own can increase the trust you have with your entire system.

The distance that you plan on shooting at will significantly effect the riflescope magnification that you need. Also, the size of your target will effect how much you will need to magnify it to get a clear and accurate shot. If you mainly plan on hunting large game in densely wooded areas, chances are that you will never be too far away from your target. Rifle scopes that offer either fixed or variable magnifications between 3.

If you will mainly be hunting in large open spaces, and shooting targets that are small, or further than m away, then you should consider a rifle scope in the 12x magnification range or sometimes as high as 20x. Many hunters choose a rifle scope with a variable magnification as they offer much greater versatility and mean that targets that are both near and far can be focused on clearly.

If you are unsure where you will be using your riflescope, or wish to shoot in a range of locations and situations, then a x40 rifle scope is a good all rounder. If you're not sure whether you need a fixed or variable rifle scope, then why not check out the main features of both in our Magnification - Fixed vs Variable blog , and also find out more in our FAQ section.

The distance that you wish to carry your rifle and riflescope, along with the time of day that you wish to use them, will effect the size of objective lens that will be most suitable for you. Larger objective lenses increase the size and weight of your riflescope, so you may want to opt for a lighter, more compact rifle scope with a small objective lens diameter if you will be walking long distances in search of targets.

However if you are planning on using your riflescope in low light conditions early in the morning or in the evening, or even in bad weather when light is at a premium, then larger objective lenses will gather as much light as possible and produce clear images for accurate shots. In addition, large objective lenses provide a large field of view, meaning that you can see a larger expanse of landscape than you would with a rifle scope that has a smaller objective lens.

Field of view is also dependent on the magnification of your riflescope, with field of view reducing as magnification increases, even in riflescopes that have a large objective lens.

In most cases, rifle scopes with an objective lens diameter of 40mm will be sufficient for use in most light conditions, and will provide an adequate field of view.

You will only need a larger lens if the riflescope that you choose uses high magnification levels in the 14x to 36x range. As mentioned earlier, rifle scopes include visual markers known as reticles or crosshairs, which provide you with an aiming point and show you where your shot will go when you pull the trigger. Reticles come in a variety of designs, and it is important that you choose a reticle that is appropriate for the activity you intend to use your scope for and the distance that you plan on shooting.

Below we provide more information about the most common reticle designs and discuss what and where they are best used for. The simple cross hair reticle design was the first reticle designed for riflescopes.

The cross hair reticle design is good for very precise target shooting but is not always ideal for hunting. This is because the fine crosshairs can be hard to see against a target or in low light, and aren't as effective as other reticles if you are trying to quickly take aim at a target.

The duplex reticle is by far the most common reticle design for hunting and many hunters consider this design the best riflescope reticle. The thick outer crosshairs of the duplex reticle stand out easily against targets, and the combination of thick to thin cross hairs allow you to quickly take aim at a moving target, or aim more accurately at a smaller target without obscuring it.

Most brands of riflescope will have a line that incorporates the duplex reticle. Manufacturers often have their own name of the duplex design that incorporates the term 'plex'. Mil Dot reticles are most commonly used for long range shooting in situations where you need to be able to estimate the distance between you and your target. By performing certain calculations, the mil dots on the reticle can be used to compensate for bullet drop and wind drift. Using a mil dot scope is a complex operation and requires a good bit of study and practice.

Due to this, we wouldn't recommend this design for beginners, but for long-range target shooters, the mil dot reticle can be very useful. If you are keen to estimate the distance to your target we'd suggest using a rangefinder for ease of use and speed.

Ballistic, or BDC reticles as they are often known, are designed to compensate for the effect of bullet drop; that is the effect that gravity has on a bullet as it travels through the air from your rifle towards your target. The simplest of ways to overcome the pull of gravity on bullets towards the ground is to aim your shot a little higher than your desired target, so that the bullet will hit the right spot on your target regardless of the pull of gravity.

This technique is used by many shooters, but others choose to opt for a riflescope which includes a special BDC reticle.