It’s been a great year for rifle scope introductions, with at least three new price-point product lines hitting retailers over the last two months, along with some tasty high-end scopes, and a few rifle scopes that are so disruptive they deserve special mention.
In no particular order, here are the scopes that everyone from deer hunters to long-range precision shooters is talking about.
Leupold’s Gen2 Scopes
There’s a whole catalog of newish scopes from this Oregon-based behemoth, but most of them share the same attribute: new tool-less turrets that are endlessly customizable.
The SpeedSet elevation dials on these Gen2 scopes in the VX-5HD and VX-6HD lines are marvels of engineering and CNC machining. They fit tightly enough to the turret post to enable precise dialing, but they come off with the flick of a latch to rezero or add a custom turret that’s milled to the drop of your particular bullet and load. Customers who invest in the VX-6HD scopes get two free SpeedSet dials for free. The Gen2 series has other updates over the original VX-5HD and VX-6HD scopes, including better coatings and erector systems.
Vortex’s Crossfire HD Line
Vortex has improved its already solid Crossfire II scopes with an entire line of full-featured Crossfire HD scopes that cover nearly every hunting and shooting situation. The best part: the new Crossfires cost well under $300, and depending on configuration, under $200. Most feature illuminated reticles, some have parallax, and all have decent second-plane reticles, re-zeroable turrets and a better class of glass than the Crossfire II models they will slowly replace.
My favorite model in the new series: the Vortex Crossfire HD in 4-12x44. It has a fast and useful BDC-style reticle, 15-to-infinity side parallax control, 8 MOA of windage holds, and center-dot illumination. It belongs on every deer rifle in America.
SIG Sauer’s TANGOs (SPR and MSR Compact)
If Vortex is making the case that its Crossfire HD scopes are go-to deer-hunting optics, Sig has come out with a couple of excellent price-point scopes that have enough tactical chops to work on everything from AR-platform guns to chassis rifles and even pistol-caliber carbines.
The 4-16x44 TANGO SPR is probably the most versatile of the two new models. For under $200 you get a second-plane scope with an excellent MOA-based hash-style reticle, responsive exposed elevation turret with an adequate zero stop, and 50-yards-to-infinity side focus. It even ships with a very good mount.
The 1-6x24 TANGO MSR Compact, which costs just under $300, also comes with a cantilever unimount. The second-plane LPVO scope has an illuminated inverted horseshoe reticle with bullet-drop references tuned to standard-velocity 5.56 rounds. Mounted on an AR, it’s a great close-range optic that has enough mid-distance talents to ring steel out to 400 and 500 yards. Both TANGO models have sweet flip-back lens caps and useful magnification throw levers.
Burris Fullfield Line
On the 50th anniversary of the ground-breaking Fullfield, Burris has come out with a redesigned line of simple, versatile, and affordable scopes that range in configurations from close-in rimfire models to all-around hunting scopes. The six models in the new Fullfield line share a 4-times magnification range, second-plane reticles, offshore manufacture (mainly they are sourced from the Philippines) and stylistic flairs such as red turret dials and red exterior accents. And they share their predecessors’ accessible price, with models ranging from under $200 to $600.
Specifically, the models start with a small-game and plinking scope in 2-8x35, and Burris has a pair of 42mm Fullfields, a 2.5-10x42 and a classic 3-12x42. The latter, which retails for $300 for a simple plex reticle, $312 for the distinctive Ballistic E3 reticle, or $396 for the Wind Plex, which has holds for both elevation and windage. The 3-12x56 is a stubby build but that big 56mm objective gives it great last-light talents, making it a good pick for a whitetail hunter.
And Burris offers two 50mm Fullfields, a 4-16x50 that should be center-of-mass for most hunters. Not only is its configuration versatile enough for whitetail hunters to Western elk and pronghorn hunters, but its attributes make it a reasonable all-around target, plinking, and predator scope. Like its Fullfield siblings, it comes in three different configurations, all built on 1-inch tubes with 25-yards-to-infinity side focus. Then the 6-24x50, built on a 30mm tube and the non-illuminated Ballistic E3 reticle, should appeal to many Western hunters.
Burris Eliminator 6 4-20x52
This laser rangefinding scope was disruptive when it was first introduced in 2010. This sixth iteration is no less groundbreaking, but Burris has finally produced a scope that looks like a rifles scope and performs wonderfully, in terms of its optics and electronics.
Making one-shot hits, once you’ve loaded the scope with the ballistic dope from your specific load, is as simple as ranging the target and holding on the illuminated dot in the reticle. There’s a lot more to it, but Burris has made the process of long-distance precision shooting simple and intuitive. It’s such a disruptive product that the Eliminator is prohibited in some jurisdictions, so check your local regulations before you take it hunting, but whether you’re a plinker, competitive shooter, or varmint hunter, this is a marvelous product.
EOTECH Vudu SPF 3-9x32
This new short- to mid-range scope is hard to classify. Is it an LPVO? Not really, because its 3-9x is a little powerful, and because its second-plane reticle isn’t particularly suited to close-range engagement. But it’s not a classic variable power scope either, because it’s so small and light — it fits in the palm of your hand and weighs just a pound. So… what is it? Call it a mini Designated Marksman scope if you want, but the challenge will to find a shooting scenario it can’t handle.
EOTECH has amplified the versatility of its new Vudu by offering kit that includes a reflex red-dot sight and top-mounting ring so that shooters who want non-magnified aiming can transition to the red dot, then use the illuminated hash-style reticle for mid-range precision work. It’s a genius system, and an engineering marvel to pack so much performance in such a tight, capable package. If you don’t want or need the reflex sight, you can buy the Vudu itself.
Hawke XB30 Zoom FFP 2-8x36
This crossbow-specific scope solves a major problem that many horizontal bow shooters encounter with the package scopes that comes on most new crossbows. Those package scopes are almost all in the second focal plane, which means the reticle stays the same size regardless of magnification. Problem is, the distance markings on the reticle can be small and hard to read, especially in dark conditions or against cluttered backgrounds, but the bigger problem is the reticle subtensions are valid only at the highest magnifications, which means if shooters change the magnification, then they change the arrow-drop references.
The new XB30 Zoom from Hawke has an illuminated arrow-drop reticle in the first focal plane, which means it gets larger and smaller in proportion to image magnification. The reticle is tuned to the speed of specific crossbows, and hitting targets is a matter of simply holding the correct yardage mark and sending an arrow. Doesn’t matter if you’re at high, low, or in-between magnification. The Hawke should make crossbow hunters more accurate and lethal.
Burris XTR PS 5-30x56
We saw a hunting configuration of this scope last year, but this year Burris has elevated its XTR to a precision target scope. The most intriguing part of the scope is its digital heads-up display that is tuned to the clickless elevation turret. Once you’ve got the scope mated up with the ballistics of your caliber, rifle, and load, hitting targets is as easy as ranging the distance and then turning the elevation dial until the yardage, or adjustment in either MOA or MIL, shows up in the display.
The first-plane reticle has excellent references for holding for wind and distance, in case you don’t want to use the dial, or in case the battery dies. It’s a smart, simple, and effective system that will have you ringing distant steel in no time.
Bushnell Match Pro ED 5-30x56
With this big, serious, precise scope, Bushnell has delivered a very capable precision target scope for well under $1,000. It has good glass, but its controls and reticle are worthy of a scope that costs twice as much.
The Match Pro ED is built around the illuminated Deploy MIL2 reticle that has a dizzying amount of detailed holdover and windage references. Once you get the reticle map nailed, the scope enables long-range precision target work. And if you’re the sort of shooter who prefers to dial your aiming solution, the Bushnell’s dials turn with tactility and precision. It’s an excellent value in a precision scope that will make shooters of any experience more capable at hitting targets over extremely long ranges.