Wow, I didn’t think it would download all of this long article. 
Edit- I will have to download in 2 or 3 parts. Only allowed 32000 character limit.
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The Best Rifle Scopes Under $500, Tested and Reviewed
Story by Andrew McKean
• 3w • 30 min read
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Let’s get this out of the way: $500 is a lot of money to spend on a rifle scope, and for some readers (and optics testers) it stretches the definition of a “budget” scope. That’s a fair perspective, and one that I shared as a beginning hunter who sweated a little to spend $300 for a Leupold VX-3 back in 1990.
But we picked $500 as the cap for our budget rifle scope category for an intentional reason. That tends to be the break point between scopes that have crappy glass, underwhelming reticles, and mushy turrets and those that are more purposefully built for specific shooting situations. Under $500, you don’t really know what you’re buying. It could be junk, or it could be a lifetime scope that you trade around between favorite rifles because it simply works.
That’s what our test is designed to find out: which rifle scopes under $500 are worth your money and which you should avoid.
- Best Overall: Meopta Optika5 2-10×42
- Most Versatile: Tract Tekoa HD 4-16×44
- Best Value: Bushnell R5 4-12×40
- Great Buy: Vortex Venom 1-6×24
- Best for Big Game: Burris Signature HD 2-10×40
- Best Budget Big-Game: Redfield Rebel 6-24×50
- Vortex Diamondback 4-12×40
- Athlon Talos BTR Gen2 10×42
- Sightmark Presidio HDR2 2.5-15×50
- Hawke Vantage 30 WA IR 3-9×42
- Best Mountain Hunting Scope: Maven CRS.1 3-12×40
- Leupold VX-3HD CDS-ZL 3.5-10×40
- Best Crossover Scope: Riton 3 Primal 3-18×50
- Best Entry-Level: Bushnell R3 3-9×40
- Best Straight-Wall: Hawke Vantage IR Straight-Wall Marksman 3-9×40
How We Tested the Best Budget Rifle Scopes
Low light testing rifle scopes. Scott Einsmann
Because this is ultimately a test of value, we wanted to find out how much performance and reliability could be packed into a rifle scope.
More on that value proposition in a bit. The bulk of our evaluation is no different than the regimen we use for precision scopes that cost on average $2,000. We want to determine how repeatably precise a scope is, how well it guides a projectile, how clearly it allows you to see the target (and the world around it), and how durable it is.
Because rifle scopes are essentially aiming devices, we evaluate them on a different basis than binoculars or spotting scopes, optical instruments that have broader utility. We’re interested in the precision of a rifle scope, so our scoring criteria gives more weight to attributes that achieve that goal.
Tracking and Reticles
Tracking tests confirmed mechanical reliability. Scott Einsmann
We test optical performance, same as we do spotters and binoculars. But we spend more time on four criteria that we think are the heart of a solid rifle scope. Our “interior aiming system” considerations are reticle style and utility, illumination, reticle references and visibility. Our “exterior aiming system” evaluation considers turret positivity and indexing, the scope’s zero stop, parallax control, and total internal adjustment range, or how far shooters can stretch the turrets’ elevation and windage clicks. We also test a range of attributes that we bundle under the heading “precision,” which include turret tracking, return to zero, the trueness of the scope’s magnification, parallax, and field of view. And then we ask testers to rate every scopes’ “shootability,” which considers eye relief, the ease of use at various magnifications, and the scope’s versatility.
Benchmarks
We actually brought in two ringers as the basis for our evaluation. Remember that Leupold VX-3 that I bought over 30 years ago? We used that as the Platonic ideal of a budget rifle scope, along with an old Nikon Monarch that I pulled off a deer rifle. Both bring lots of talent to the show: reliability, decent reticles (the Leupold has a duplex, the Nikon the circle-based BDC), good glass, and adequate controls. We wanted to see how a modern class of budget scopes performs against the OGs of the category, and whether the definition of a “budget” scope has changed over the past 25 years. Happily, it really hasn’t. The best modern scopes compared very favorably with these relative ancients, but test team members noted that they would happily strap either the Leupold or Nikon to just about any of their rifles.
Optical Performance
We measured the optical resolution of the best spotting scopes using a resolution target developed by the Air Force. Scott Einsmann
Back to our evaluation. Our criteria has been refined over the nearly 20 years of our optics test. First, we measure optical resolution, using the diminishing black-and-white lines of a 1951 Air Force Resolution Target to score the optical performance of each submission. We also measure the low-light performance of each budget scope by mounting them to tripods and focusing them as a group at 200 yards at a black-and-white resolution target at twilight, all in order to measure the brightness of the glass.
Scoring
We break our scoring into four general categories: optical performance (25 percent of total grade), aiming system (50 percent of total grade), design (10 percent), and value (15 percent). The average of these categories is the basis of our grades, detailed below.
Optical performance includes the resolution and low-light tests plus the more subjective assessments of image quality and brightness. Aiming-system performance assesses interior and exterior aiming system, precision, and shootability. Design considers the exterior finish, interior blacking, mounting dimensions, and durability.
And then our price/value score rates how much scope—along with warranty and amenities such as rings, extra turrets, and lens covers—you get for your money. This is maybe the biggest and most impactful category for testers interested in finding that gem in the ore: The scopes that are true bargains, not because of their price but because of their quality components, glass, robust construction, and warranty.
The budget rifle scope that gets the highest overall score wins our Editor’s Choice award for the best in the category; the optic with the highest price/value score wins our Great Buy recognition, which in this category is possibly even more noteworthy than the Editor’s Choice award. We awarded other “Bests” for various noteworthy attributes.
How We Grade Precision Riflescopes
Our 100-point evaluation adds up to a total numeric score, but we translate those to grades for each submission. Our optical performance grade combines the scores from resolution, low-light, and image quality. And our aiming system performance grade aggregates the interior/exterior aiming system, precision, and shootability scores. The design grade considers construction, innovation, versatility, and durability. And then the price/value grade is our value grade.
To earn an “excellent” grade, the average of that category must be 9 or higher, which is extremely hard to achieve. “Very good” is an average score of 7 to 9. A “good” grade is 5 to 7. Our “fair” grade is 3 to 25, and “poor” is anything under 3.
Best Budget Riflescopes: Reviews & Recommendations
Best Overall: Meopta Optika5 2-10×42
The Meopta Optika5 2-10x42 is best overall.
Score Card
- Optical Performance: Very Good
- Aiming System: Very Good
- Design: Good
- Price/Value: Good
Key Features
- Second-plane Z-Plex reticle
- 1-inch tube
- Fixed 100-yard parallax
- Rezeroable turrets tuned to .25 MOA click values
- 60 MOA of adjustment
Pros
- At about $425, a fair price for quality glass
- Plex reticle useful on variety of firearms and situations
- Responsive turrets
- A clean, honest, simple scope
Cons
- The “tractor-tire” controls are too aggressive
- Blurry inside 25 yards
- Reticle could use some drop references
For about $425 you get a very serviceable scope that can perform well in any number of shooting situations. Let’s first talk about what you don’t get for that money with Meopta’s Optika5, which has been on the market for a couple years. You don’t get a side focus that allows you to fine-tune parallax, which is the perceived alignment of the reticle and target. You don’t get a reticle with useful hold-over or hold-off references. And you don’t get illumination.
But what you get in the Meopta is a better class of glass than most of the other scopes in this budget category, very responsive controls, and both durability and versatility. This is a scope that can transition from your mid-range deer rifle to a rimfire plinker, and could even serve on a turkey shotgun in a pinch.
The Optika5 provides a ton of value for a $350 scope. Scott Einsmann
The Optika5 won our budget rifle scope category by being pretty good in every consideration without wowing us with any specific attribute. It scored near the top of our low-light and resolution tests, and its crisp, responsive turrets tracked with pleasing precision and tactile feedback. Similarly, the power-changing control was one of the smoothest and easiest-turning of our test, maybe owing to its oversized rubber grips. The scope’s Z-Plex reticle—a fancy name for the standard duplex—is fast and versatile, but seems a little dated given the number and type of BDC-type reticles in the field. We can live without illumination, but it would be nice to have a side focus on this scope. Though you should note that the PA version of the Optika5 does offer side parallax adjustment for about $100 more than the basic Optika5.
“It’s fun to shoot, easy to dial, clean and smooth operation with great clicks and no play,” says tester Todd Netto of the Meopta. That’s about the best description of this scope with European heritage as we can deliver, except to add that the glass and image are both on par with those responsive controls.
Most Versatile: Tract Tekoa HD 4-16×44
We tested the Tract Tekoa HD 4-16x44.
Score Card
- Optical Performance: Good
- Aiming System: Very Good
- Design: Very Good
- Price/Value: Good
Key Features
- Second-plane “Impact BDC” reticle
- 1-inch tube
- Capped turrets with .25 MOA adjustment
- Tool-less rezeroable turrets
- 50 MOA of adjustment
- 15-yard-to-infinity parallax adjustment
Pros
- Versatile bullet-drop compensating reticle
- Bullet-drop references useful for both standard and magnum calibers
- Excellent glass
- Oversized eyebox
- Very responsive controls (turrets, parallax, and power-changing dial)
Cons
- At $499, the most expensive budget scope
- “Morse-code” reticle can be confusing
Owing to its wide versatility, the Tract came close to winning our budget riflescope category. It’s clearly configured for an Eastern deer hunter, but it would be equally at home on a mule deer rifle or target rimfire. The heart of the Tekoa HD is its “Impact BDC” reticle, which is designed to be zeroed at 100 yards for standard center-fire calibers (pushing bullets at about 2,800 fps) and 200 yards for magnum calibers, with 3,000 fps velocities). With that zero, the first drop should equate to 200 yards for standard calibers and 300 yards for magnums, and so on until the final drop reference, which is about 500 yards for standard calibers and 600 yards for magnums. Tract has a handy calculator that will give you more precise hold overs for your specific ammo, scope, and environmentals.
While the Tract Tekoa is configured for whitetail hunting, it’s at home on a precision rimfire. Scott Einsmann
Want to stretch your range even farther? Use the top of the lower post on the duplex reticle to get out to 600 yards for standard loads and 700 yards for magnums. With windage references for both 5 and 10 mph right-angle winds, you have all the hold values you need for most hunting situations.
The Tract has ample room to mount on a wide range of receivers. Scott Einsmann
Beyond that versatile reticle, the 15-yard close focus is a great asset for rimfire plinkers, and the capped turrets move with assured precision. The other attribute of the Tract, and a consideration that’s overlooked by a lot of scope-buyers, is the ample mounting dimensions both fore and aft of the turrets. This is a scope that’s easy to mount on long-action receivers, on the quirky dovetail slots of older .22s, and on any rail. Also worth noting: the Tract’s tool-less rezeroable turrets that require only the removal of a threaded cap to allow the indexed turret to be moved to a new zero. It’s a simple, smart, and very useful design. Like the Meopta, the Tekoa HD has excellent glass.
The only consideration where the Tract lost ground to the category-winning Meopta: on our price/value assessment. The Tekoa HD retails for $499, at the very tippy-top of our under-$500 cap, and some testers thought that was a little rich. It’s worth noting, however, that as a direct-to-consumer brand, Tract doesn’t mark up its optics for retail distribution, an indication that even at $500, this is a lot of scope for the price.
Best Value: Bushnell R5 4-12×40
Score Card
- Optical Performance: Good
- Mechanical Performance: Very good
- Design: Good
- Price/Value: Good
Key Features
- 30mm tube
- Second-plane DOA-LRH800 illuminated reticle
- Capped, re-zeroable turrets tuned to .25 MOA clicks
- 60 MOA windage/elevation adjustment range
- 10 yards to infinity side parallax control
- 6-step red center-dot illumination
Pros
- 4x magnification range
- Versatile hunting reticle with elevation and wind holds
- Excellent illumination with off settings between intensity steps
- Reticle references informed by Bushnell Ballistic App
Cons
- Poor turret/reticle tracking
- Turrets tighten noticeably as they bottom out
The Best Rifle Scopes Under $500, Tested and Reviewed
Bushnell has packed a ton of features into its new R5 line. The 4-12×40 in our test has a very good center-dot red LED illumination, and the side parallax focuses targets as close as 10 yards, making this a good air gun or rimfire scope. The second-plane reticle has decent references out to 800 yards. And the short (11.5-inch) scope nicely fits AR-pattern rifles or youth guns.
The accessible price (MSRP is $239 but you can probably find this for under $200) makes it a smart choice for a wide variety of hunting and shooting platforms, especially for budget gunners.
But there’s a cost to all those amenities in a budget scope, and users will pay it in creaky controls. We noticed that the zoom dial turns easily at lower magnifications, but then tightens toward higher powers. Same with the turrets; they turn easily and sharply in the middle of their adjustment range, but as they near the higher and lower ends of their travel, they start to stick. That’s a sign of cheap erector components, and we worry that users who really force the turrets could end up breaking them.
The Bushnell’s glass was better than we expected; it posted a very good resolution score and the 40mm scope did okay in low-light evaluations.
The DOA reticle is decent, offering MOA-based holds out to 800 yards and windage holds in both 5 and 10 mph right-angle winds. But the references are very fine, and some testers noted that they disappear against cluttered backgrounds.
Still, for a hunter who wants a scope with lots of moving parts and amenities, the R5 is priced right, and Bushnell’s lifetime warranty is a good backstop in case any of those moving parts stop moving. Given its abundant hunting chops for a very fair price, we awarded the R5 with our great buy award for the hunting-scope category.
Great Buy: Vortex Venom 1-6×24
Score Card
- Optical Performance: Good
- Mechanical Performance: Excellent
- Design: Very Good
- Price/Value: Excellent
Key Features
- 30mm tube
- Second-plane AR-BDC3 reticle
- Capped turrets tuned to .25 MOA click values
- 140 MOA total internal adjustment
- Parallax fixed at 100 yards
- 6-step red illumination
- Weight: 19.5 ounces
- Price: $300
Pros
- Reticle configured for AR platforms
- Ships with flip-up lens caps and throw lever
- 10.3 inches and 19.5 ounces
- Reticle tuned to ballistics of 5.56 loads
- At about $300 real-world price, a screaming deal
Cons
- At low magnifications, image fishbowls
- Reticle a little small for longer-range precision
You could subtract points from this scope for its very narrow utility. Its AR-BDC3 reticle in the second plane is tuned to the ballistics of standard loads from a 5.56 with velocities from AR carbines. With that use-case in mind, and with a 100-yard zero, the reticle’s holdover references should drop a 55-grain bullet into your target out to 650 yards.
Testing the Vortex Venom LPVO with a mix of fast and precise shooting.
While the Viper was one of the best AR-specific LPVOs in our test, it would be a mistake to limit your consideration to AR-15s. The scope is a wonderful rimfire optic, and we found it to be fast and reliable for dangerous-game hunting. While we might not put it on a hard-bucking turkey shotgun, it’s suitable for straight-wall cartridge rifles.
The Vortex Venom’s reticle.
The heart of the scope is an MOA-based segmented circle. The 16-MOA circle halfway surrounds a floating 1-MOA illuminated dot. Non-illuminated hashes provide holdovers at 200, 400, 500, and 600 yards with a 100-yard zero and windage dots represent holds for standard-value right-angle winds. Note that the subtensions work only at the scope’s highest power.
The scope’s controls received mixed reviews, as you might expect in a price-point optic. Most testers recorded indistinct turret clicks and noted the illumination is useful only at the highest and lowest intensities. We also noted significant distortion at 1X, with convex “fishbowling” curving the image when we panned across the landscape. Do it quickly, and you can feel almost seasick.
But the Vortex has so much value, and brings attributes to the game that many of its peers couldn’t bring at twice the price, that it is the consensus pick for our Great Buy award as the screaming deal of this year’s LPVOs.
Best for Big Game: Burris Signature HD 2-10×40
We tested the Burris Signature HD 2-10x40.
Score Card
- Optical Performance: Fair
- Aiming System: Good
- Design: Very Good
- Price/Value: Very Good
Key Features
- Second-plane E3 ballistic reticle
- 1-inch tube
- Rezeroable locking turrets with .25 MOA adjustment
- 120 MOA of elevation and windage adjustment
- Oversized eyebox
Pros
- Reticle has drops out to 400 yards
- Reticle has references for standard wind holds
- At $400, good value for the price
- Compact length
- At just over 1 pound, very lightweight
Cons
- No illumination
- No parallax adjustment
- Forgettable glass
Just about any scope in this category can capably serve a Midwest whitetail hunter, but the Burris Signature, which has been on the market since 2020, has a few attributes that allow users to reach out across the distances sometimes required for elk, mule deer, and pronghorns. The scope’s excellent reticle and exposed locking turrets allow shooters to either hold or dial aiming solutions.
The Signature is available with four different reticles, both fine and bold plex designs, a BDC version with 6.5 Creedmoor holds, and the Ballistic E3 MOA, which is the version we tested. Tapered plex stadia bracket a fine center aiming cross, but what gives the E3 so much versatility are the three hash steps that allow shooters to hold out to 400 yards with a 100-yard zero. Cascading dots enable hold-offs for 10 mph right-angle winds out to distance, and 2 MOA hashes on the horizontal crosshair also inform wind holds. It’s a simple, useful, and fast reticle, but because it’s in the second focal plane, magnification will dictate subtensions.
The low-profile turrets pull to turn, and feature a handy rezeroable feature. Loosen a locking screw on the turret cap and you can reset the zero in the field, if necessary. Also in the plus column, a light 17.6-ounce build and a handy length of just 11.7 inches, making the Signature a good companion to a lightweight mountain rifle.
On the minus column, the glass. The Burris scored in the middle of the field in both optical resolution and low-light performance, and the lack of manual parallax created some focus problems for testers. But the team felt the price, around $400, is fair for the wide utility of this nimble, smart scope.
Best Budget Big-Game: Redfield Rebel 6-24×50
The Best Rifle Scopes Under $500, Tested and Reviewed
Score Card
- Optical Performance: Poor
- Mechanical Performance: Good
- Design: Fair
- Price/Value: Excellent
Key Features
- 30mm tube
- Second-plane “Accuranger” hash-style reticle
- Capped turrets tuned to .25 MOA clicks
- 11-step red illumination
- 50 yards to infinity parallax
Pros
- At $249, a very accessible price
- 50mm objective useful for low-light hunting
- MOA-based reticle useful for mid-range precision shooting
- Daylight-bright illumination
Cons
- Mushy turrets
- Durability concerns
As noted elsewhere, it’s nice to see Redfield’s distinctive red badge in our test, and this iteration of the Rebel scored better across the board than the rimfire scope. Of course, it’s more than twice the price, but we found a lot to like for $250, starting with the configuration.
This is a bit of an oddball for the versatile scope category, since you’d expect a 6-24X scope in the precision field. But there’s not enough talent in the Redfield to compete with true precisions scopes, and it’s a little overbored for many hunting situations. Still, if you’re a low-light hunter who wants simple reticle references, you can do worse than this big scope with both illumination and parallax.
The glass is underwhelming, and we found the turrets tinny. The Redfield was one of several budget scopes that fogged when subjected to a freeze-thaw test. But the scope tracked well, and does double duty as a mid-range hunting scope or a target optic. The close focus and versatile reticle make it a decent choice for a precision rimfire scope.
As we noted, Redfield is the house brand for Academy Sports, and frequent shoppers may well find this on sale for significantly less than its listed price, making it an even better deal on a big, powerful optic.
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SEE PART 2