Rifle Scopes

A rifle scope's main purpose is to provide the shooter with a precise sighting system suited to the distance and shooting conditions for which the rifle is to be used. It's essentially a tool that helps hunters in locating their prey from afar. While you may believe that having a scope will make hunting much easier, it can have just as many disadvantages as advantages, especially if you don't know how it works and what it can do.

Focus on the following features when selecting your new scope:

• Magnification: The scope's magnification, also called power, is how many times the scope magnifies a target in comparison to the naked eye. A fixed-power scope will only have one magnification setting, such a 3x, which means the scope will make the target appear three times larger than it does to your naked eye. Variable-power scopes offer a range of magnification settings, like 3-9x, 4-12x, 6-24x, etc — this makes the scope more versatile in different situations. The amount of magnification you need typically comes down to personal preference, but 3-9x and 4-12x are very popular choices for most types of hunting.
• Objective Lens Diameter: A larger objective lens will make better use of available light and can help improve target clarity, especially in low-light conditions like early morning and dusk. Keep in mind that the scope's weight increases with the size of the lens.
• Tube Diameter: Tube diameter refers to the main portion of the scope located on either side of the turrets. Larger tubes can offer more versatility when it comes to elevation adjustments, and potentially greater resolution, but the tube size will not directly affect light transmission. Make sure to double-check the size before purchasing scope mounts or rings.
• Lens Coatings: Most scope manufacturers apply a chemical coating to the lenses to help reduce reflection and preserve light. For optimum performance, look for fully multi-coated optics.
• Eye Relief: Eye relief is the maximum distance you can hold the scope away from your eye and still see a clear image, usually around 3.5 inches.
• Field of View @ 100 Yards: Measured in feet, Field of View (FOV) indicates how far you can see from left to right at a distance 100 yards away. For variable scopes, this distance will become narrower as magnification increases, so manufacturers will typically show a minimum and maximum FOV.