How To Choose The Right Rifle Scope For Your Hunting Gun

Gone are the days when rookie hunters were taught how to shoot through metallic sights. Every hunter today worth a penny uses a scope to obtain a clear sighting of their target and aim with precision. For the uninitiated, a rifle scope is that miniature telescope mounted on the barrel, just above the trigger that helps a shooter get a magnified and accurate sighting of his target. 

Your Hunting rifle can go from fab to drab based on the scope you choose. If you think one scope is as good as another, you couldn’t be more mistaken. The saying, “The more you spend the more you get” doesn’t apply to scopes because a costlier scope doesn’t quite guarantee a more precise shot. So, don’t make the mistake of picking the most expensive one scope on the rack.

If you’re in a fix on choosing a scope for you gun, here are five essentials factors you need to tick off to zero in on the best scope for your firearm. 

Magnification 

Your scope magnifies your target for you. Simply put, it gives the perception of seeing your target closer. A 4X magnification means you see your target 4 times closer through the scope than with your naked eye.

Now, don’t we all want to see our target as close as possible? Certainly, but that doesn’t mean you load on a scope with the highest magnification. You’d have wasted a lot of money for a feature you won’t fully make use of. Choose the degree of magnification based on the nature of your shooting. For short range target shooting or home defence, you typically don’t need a magnificent beyond 4x. Only for long range hunting or shooting in open landscapes would a firearm enthusiast need to look at anything around 12x.

Scope Reticle

The aiming point you see when you look through a firescope is a reticle. It is along the Reticle that you line you target and get an aim. There are three kinds of Reticle in a firescope, each of which are ideal for a certain kind of firearm use. A duplex reticle is the intersection of two red lines when you look through the scope and is ideal for target shooting. It’s the easiest crosshair to get a hang of and also the most widely used one. A mil-dot reticle is ideal for long distance shooting when you need to determine the distance of the target. It is mostly used in military shooting. Lastly, there’s a BDC reticle that’s quite complex in that it helps estimate Bullet drop over a distance and holdover, which means taking an aim after factoring in the effect on gravity on the bullet on its release. Needless to say, a BDC reticle is best suited for long distance shooting where wind speed, gravity and location impact your shot. 

If you’re a target shooter or a hunter, or even just a shooter protecting your estate from animals, a duplex reticle would be the best choice. Just go with a combination of the best 300 Win Mag Rifle and a duplex reticle worth its name should have you sorted on anything and everything you’ll need to do with your hunting gun!

Objective Lens

That lens at the end of your scope which makes your target view clearer and brighter is an objective lens. The larger the objective lens, the better it does for you. Now, wouldn’t we all want a scope that offers the clearest and brightest image of your target? Of course, but at what trade-off?

Most scope buyers often overlook the a larger objective lens means a heavier gun, more fatigue, stronger sunlight reflection and bigger scope rings. Do close range shooters really need the works to get their job done? We think not. A short range hunter wouldn’t need a scope with more than 30mm objective lens. Don’t load you gun with unnecessary features you wouldn’t need and lighten your pocket in the process.

Eye Relief

Ever heard of a scope bite? You’ll end up with one if you don’t factor in eye relief when you consider buying a scope. Simply speaking, a scope bite is that rude smack from your rifle when it recoils after a shot due to action force. And, eye relief is the distance between your eye and the ocular lens of a scope that prevents the recoil from causing harm. You want to maintain an eye relief of about 4 inches to steer clear of accidents from recoil. If your firearm has a stronger recoil, consider a larger eye relief. That being said, lighter guns tend to have a sharper recoil and in some cases even a muzzle rise you’ll want to be vary of.

Lastly, don’t forget to gauge optimal eye comfort on your scope before you make it yours!