The AR is the most popular rifle platform in United States with a well deserved reputation for performance. Since AR-15’s can have varying specifications, there are some scopes that will fit your rifle better than others.
With hundreds of different scopes on the market with different features and specifications, the abundance of options can be overwhelming. After closely reviewing dozens of scopes by multiple manufacturers, here are our top picks.
The Best Scopes for the AR-15
- Bushnell AR Optics 1-4×24 Drop Zone-223 Reticle Riflescope
- Leupold Mark AR MOD 1 Rifle
- Nikon P-223 3-9×40
- Bushnell TRS-25/AK25 1x25mm Red Dot Riflescope
- UTG Bugbuster 3-9×32
- Barska IR SWAT-AR 1-4×28
- Vortex Optics Strike Eagle 1-6×24
Bushnell AR Optics 1-4x 24mm Drop Zone-223 Reticle Riflescope
Bushnell has been producing high performance optics for rifles for over 65 years, and their consistent quality is evident in the AR Optics 1-4x24mm. This model provides 1-4x magnification, an illuminated and BDC reticle, target turrets with 0.1 mil click value, and is made of durable and light weight aluminum alloy. Bushnell has taken additional care to make it weather-proof and prevent any moisture or dust from entering the scope. It is also very affordable for a high-quality riflescope from a trusted American brand.
Pros: Owners liked the clear picture and brightness. They also liked the value for the money. The clarity is similar to some higher priced options.
Cons: Owners felt the performance was not as good for longer distances.
Coating: Fully Multi-Coated
Finish: Matte
Field of View: 112 feet at 1x at 100 yards, 37 feet at 4x at 100 yards
Eye Relief: 3.5 inches
Weight: 16.9 ounces
Exit Pupil: 13.1mm at 1x, 5.2mm at 4x
Leupold Mark AR MOD 1 3-9×40
This model, by a leading American brand, is made of light weight aluminum, provides an BDC dial, and illuminated reticle for great low light performance. Leupold’s website promises to “turn your AR rifle into a badass” with the Mark AR MOD 1. A mil-dot reticle and matte finish are available with this scope.
According to the Leupold website, every scope they sell is waterproof, fogproof, and guaranteed for life. Leupold offers to repair or replace a scope that doesn’t perform as promised, even if you are not the first owner. The electronic components are covered for two years.
Owners of this scope liked the affordability, the crystal clear glass, and that it never lost its zero.
Weight: 12.40 ounces
Field of View: 33.50 – 14.10 feet at 100 yards
Eye Relief: 3.60 – 4.30 Inches
Width: 12.6 Inches
Nikon P-223 3-9×40
The Nikon P-223 is a popular scope with tons of glowing reviews on Amazon. It is one of the highest reviewed scopes by a major brand in the rifle optics market. It is also a very affordable scope with lots of practical features that make it a great value. Shooters love the BDC 600 reticle which is one of the most useful reticles available. Although it is compact, it has many of the features of larger scopes. The turrets allow you to reset to zero quickly and generous eye relief. It is available in a fixed 3 power, 3-9×40, and 4-12×40. The P-223 is known to have outstanding clarity for the price. Nikon scopes have a lifetime warranty against defects in material and workmanship for the original owner.
Pros: Great clarity, BDC reticle, and lots of features for the price.
Cons: Nikon is not made in the USA
Magnification: 4 – 12 x
Objective Diameter: 40 mm
Exit Pupil: 3.3 – 10 mm
Field of View: 7.3 – 23.6 feet at 100 yards
Eye Relief: 3.7 inches
Weight: 17.5 ounces
Overall Length: 14.1 inches
Overall Length: 14.1 inches
Reticle: BDC 600
Bushnell TRS-25/AK25 1x25mm Red Dot Riflescope
One of the most affordable and popular options for an AR scope is the Bushnell TRS-25. With the dry-nitrogen-filled housing, it is completely waterproof and fog-proof. It has a red dot reticle that follows the movement of the shooter’s eye. A control knob can adjust the red dot setting. A CR2032 battery is required and included. A red dot scope is great for fast target acquisition when long distance accuracy is not necessary.
This rugged little optic features a 3 MOA red dot for precision shot placement. 11 brightness settings provide optimum illumination in any light condition.
Specifications
Finish: Matte
Power x Obj. Lens: 1x 25mm
Reticle: 3 MOA Red Dot
Lens Coating: Multi-Coated
Tube Diameter: Not Applicable
Parallax Adjustment: Fixed
Field of View: Unlimited
Weight: 3.7 ounces/106 grams
Length: 2.4 inches/61.8 mm
Eye Relief: Unlimited
Exit Pupil: 22 mm
Click Value: 1/25.4 in.@100yds/mm@100m
Adj Range: 70/1.9 in.@100yds/mm@100m
Mounting Length: 1.1/28 in/mm
UTG Bug Buster 3-9×32
The UTG Bug Buster is an affordable AR-15 scope manufactured by Leapers, Inc. It has a parallax adjustment of 3 yards to infinity, which is closer than most scopes available on the market. The reticle features a 36 Mil-Dot Tactical Range Estimating Reticle (TRE) with 9 dots in each direction to help with range estimation. Owners like the easy setup, ruggedness, and durability of the scope. They also thought it was surprisingly clear for an inexpensive scope and easy to zero. Overall it offers great value for a low cost.
Pros: Good clarity, light weight, illuminated mil-dot reticle, and low cost.
Cons: Not made in the USA.
Magnification: 3 – 9x
Objective Diameter: 32mm
Eye Relief: 4.2 – 3.2 inches
Exit Pupil: 10.6mm – 3.6mm
Field of View: 37.7 feet – 14 feet at 100 yards
Weight: 13.9 ounces
Parallax Setting: 3 yards to infinity
Barska IR SWAT-AR 1-4×28
Barska ranks high on affordability and offers several models of fixed and variable scopes that cost less than $200. The SWAT-AR is designed for AR platform rifles and provides an illuminated Mil-Dot reticle in both red and green colors. The windage and elevation turrets lock in place to prevent accidental movement. Since it starts at 1x magnification, it can be a good option for home defense or shorter distances in the field.
Owners like the clear picture, very fine crosshairs, good eye relief, and that it maintains its zero well after hundreds of rounds. Some owners said it felt heavy at 16 ounces. Overall owners thought it was a great scope for the cost.
Magnification: 1-4x
Objective Lens: 28mm
Eye Relief: 4.5 inch
Length: 10 inches
Weight: 16 ounces
Field of View: 90 – 22.5 feet at 100 yards
Focal Plane: Second
Lens Coating: Fully Multi-Coated
Exit Pupil: 7-28 mm
Click Value: 1/2 MOA
Vortex Optics Strike Eagle 1-6×24
Owners of the Vortex Strike Eagle thought it was an excellent scope for an AR rifle with good clarity for the price. The illuminated second plane reticle is very functional although some owners did not like the horseshoe reticle pattern and prefer a dot at the center for closer shots. Some people liked the horseshoe reticle pattern and thought it was very useful, especially for longer shots. With a weight of 17.6 ounces, it is heavier than some other options which may cause a challenge during a day long hunt or other extended activities.
Magnification: 1-6x
Objective Lens Diameter: 24 mm
Eye Relief: 3.5 inches
Length: 10.5 inches
Weight: 17.6 ounces
Field of View: 116.5 – 19.2 feet at 100 yards
Parallax Setting: 100 yards
Adjustment Graduation: 1/2 MOA
No comments:
Post a Comment