Making the Right Riflescope Choice

The Leupold VX-L 10×50 is a popular low-light scope.

Hunters and shooters go to great lengths to choose the right gun and ammunition for their sports. But if they haven’t chosen their scope just as carefully, the gun and ammo won’t give the results they were designed for. Scopes are important additions to firearms for several reasons.

First, a scope magnifies the target giving the shooter a clearer target picture than with normal eye vision, allowing the shooter to more accurately see the target or game at a greater distance. Using scopes on hunting firearms can give the hunter added hunting time early and late in the day. Scopes accentuate available light, making it possible to shoot in lower light conditions.

Firing a scoped gun can even be safer than shooting with iron sites, since the shooter can better see the target and what’s beyond it. Therefore, he is less likely to shoot something other than the intended game or target.

The right scope also allows shooters to take full advantage of modern calibers and rifles.

Here are some suggestions for the proper scope for various sitiuations.

Intended Use	Recommendations
All purpose big game hunting (deer, elk, antelope)	3-9 x 40 variable, 4-12×40 with adjustable objective.
Shotguns (deer and turkeys)	Low power variables such as 1.75-5×32, 1.5-6×32. The Bushnell HOLOsight ® is also an excellent choise.
Varmint Hunting (prairie dog, coyotes)	Higher magnification scopes with adjustable objectives (6-24×40, 6-18×40, 4-12×40, 5-15×50)
Extreme Low Light Hunting	Larger objective lens scopes (40mm or greater objective lenses) and scopes with large exit pupils (1.5-6×32, 1.75-4×32)
Muzzleloader	Low power variables such as 1.75-5×32, 1.5-6×32. The 1×32 or Bushnell HOLOsight® are also excellent non-magnifying choices.
Handguns	Long, constant eye relief scopes such as a 2-6×32, 2×32 or HOLOsight ®.
Airguns	Airgun scope or scope with adjustable objective (unique recoil pattern of spring piston airguns requires special design)
Small game (squirrels, rabbits, etc.)	Compact .22 scopes (4 x 28),
Shotguns (wing shooting)	HOLOsight ®
Bench Rest	36 x

Other Cool Stuff for Outdoors:

Ray Ban Sunglasses | Polarized Fishing Sunglasses | Ballistic Eyewear | Oakley Sunglasses | Wiley X Sunglasses | Red Dot Sights

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