A rifle can only shoot as well as you can see and aim it. That is why experienced shooters will tell you to spend more on glass than feels reasonable — a modest rifle with a good scope outshoots an excellent rifle with a poor one, every time.
This guide covers what the numbers on a scope actually mean, which features matter for hunting versus target work, and how to mount it so it holds zero.
Before you order: optics, electronic sights, and illumination devices are final sale and cannot be returned — see our returns policy. Choose carefully, and ask us if you are unsure.
Reading the numbers
A scope described as 3-9×40 means variable magnification from 3x to 9x, with a 40mm objective lens. A 4-16×50 goes from 4x to 16x with a 50mm objective.
Magnification is the one people over-buy. High magnification narrows your field of view, magnifies your wobble, and makes it harder to find an animal quickly at close range. Mirage also gets worse as you magnify — on a hot Arizona afternoon, 20x may show you less useful detail than 12x.
Objective diameter gathers light. Bigger means brighter at dawn and dusk, but also a heavier scope that must sit higher above the bore. A 40-44mm objective is plenty for most hunting.
Matching magnification to the job
| Use | Sensible range |
|---|---|
| Brush and timber hunting | 1-4x, 2-7x |
| General big game | 3-9x, 2.5-10x |
| Open country and western hunting | 4-12x, 3-15x |
| Long range target | 5-25x and up |
| Rimfire and small game | 2-7x, 3-9x |
Most hunters spend most of their time at the bottom of the magnification range, whatever scope they bought.
First or second focal plane
This decides whether your reticle grows as you zoom.
- Second focal plane (SFP) — the reticle stays the same visual size. Subtensions are only correct at one magnification, usually the highest. Simpler, and the right default for hunting.
- First focal plane (FFP) — the reticle grows and shrinks with magnification, so holdovers are correct at every setting. Essential if you range and hold with the reticle. The downside is a reticle that can look very fine at low power.
If you dial your turrets rather than holding over, SFP is entirely fine. If you hold over at varying magnifications, buy FFP.
MOA or MIL
Two units for the same thing. MOA is roughly an inch at 100 yards; MIL is a decimal system, roughly 3.6 inches at 100 yards.
We break both units down with worked examples in MOA vs MIL explained.
Neither is superior. What matters absolutely: your turrets and your reticle must match. A MIL reticle with MOA turrets is a recipe for missed shots and frustration. If you shoot with partners, matching their system makes spotting corrections far easier.
Turrets
Capped turrets are protected from being knocked in the field. Right for a hunting rifle you zero and leave alone.
Exposed tactical turrets are meant to be dialed for every shot. Right for target work and long-range hunting where you range, dial, and fire.
If you buy exposed turrets, a zero stop is worth having — it lets you dial back down to your zero by feel, without counting revolutions in the dark or under pressure.
Parallax and eye relief
Parallax is the apparent movement of the reticle against the target when you shift your head. Fixed-parallax scopes are set at a distance (often 100 or 150 yards) and are fine at typical hunting ranges. Above roughly 10x, an adjustable parallax knob becomes genuinely useful, and at long range it is necessary.
Eye relief is the distance from the ocular lens to your eye. Generous eye relief matters more as recoil increases — a hard-kicking rifle with a short-eye-relief scope mounted too far back is how people get cut. Set the scope so you have a full sight picture in your natural shooting position, not by leaning forward.
Where the money goes
Price buys three things that matter and several that do not.
What matters: glass quality (resolution and contrast in bad light, not just brightness), tracking (does the reticle move exactly as much as the turret says, every time, and return to zero), and durability (does it hold zero under recoil, impacts, and temperature swings).
Tracking is the one that separates real optics from bargains, and the one you cannot judge in a shop. If a scope will not return reliably to zero, nothing else about it matters.
Mounting it properly
More “bad scopes” are actually bad mounting jobs.
- Use a base and rings matched to your receiver. Consider a canted base if you plan to dial for long range.
- Use the lowest rings that clear the barrel and let the bolt operate — high rings force a poor cheek weld.
- Set eye relief with the rifle shouldered in your normal position.
- Level the reticle to the rifle, not to the room.
- Torque ring and base screws to the manufacturer’s specification with an actual torque driver. Over-tightening crushes tubes; under-tightening lets scopes shift.
- Confirm zero at the range, then re-check torque after the first outing.
See mounts and iron sights if you want a backup sighting system.
Common questions
How much should I spend relative to the rifle?
A common rule is to spend at least as much on the optic as the rifle. Treat it as a guideline, but err toward the glass — you can always upgrade the rifle later and move the scope.
Is an illuminated reticle worth it?
Useful in low light against dark targets, and largely irrelevant otherwise. Do not let it drive the purchase, and remember illuminated optics are final sale here.
Do I need 30mm or 34mm tubes?
Larger tubes provide more internal adjustment range, which matters for long-range dialing. They do not, by themselves, make a scope brighter.
Where to start
For most hunters: a 3-9×40 or 4-12x, second focal plane, capped turrets, from a maker with a real warranty. For long-range target work: first focal plane, exposed turrets with a zero stop, matched reticle and turret units, adjustable parallax.
Browse optics, rifle scopes, and binoculars — or ask us first, since optics cannot be returned.