The Best Rifle Scopes Under $500, Tested and Reviewed. PART 3

Hunting
1

PLEASE SEE PART 1 AND 2 FIRST. :slightly_smiling_face:

Best Entry-Level: Bushnell R3 3-9×40


Photo by Scott Einsmann
Photo by Scott Einsmann

See It

Score Card

  • Optical Performance: Fair
  • Mechanical Performance: Good
  • Design: Fair
  • Price/Value: Very good

Key Features

  • 1-inch tube
  • Second-plane DOA-QBR reticle
  • Capped re-zeroable turrets tuned to .25 MOA clicks
  • 65 MOA windage/elevation adjustment range
  • Reticle references out to 600 yards

Pros

  • 3x magnification range
  • At about $120, a good value
  • Bullet drop holds informed by Bushnell ballistic app

Cons

  • Fixed parallax causes some focus issues
  • No illumination
  • Spongy turret tactility

With its new R3 family of optics, Bushnell has a new entry-level scope that offers some very appealing attributes for a beginning hunter or a shooter on a budget.

First is its price. For a little over $100 you get an honest scope with enough reticle references to make informed shots at middle distances. The glass is murky but it’s good enough for 90 percent of a hunter’s time in the field. The re-zeroable turrets are mushy but serviceable. In short, it’s a solid effort.

We’ve been fans of Bushnell’s DOA reticle since it came on the scene in the brand’s Trophy line of scopes nearly 20 years ago, and the combination of bullet-drop references and simple windage marks makes it a fast, simple, and effective hunting reticle. With a 100-yard zero, shooters have four 1 MOA dots for elevation holds, and the top of the extended duplex post provides a 600-yard reference. It’s not overly precise, but at least the references are informed by ballistic parabolas. Users can further fine-tune their bullet velocities to the reticle by pairing it with the free Bushnell Ballistic App.

We worry about the durability of this scope, though it was one of the few budget scopes that didn’t fog after a freeze-thaw test. Additionally, the Bushnell’s fixed parallax limits its utility at both very short and very long distances. But those are relatively minor quibbles for a scope that would be at home on a first squirrel gun or deer rifle.

Best Straight-Wall: Hawke Vantage IR Straight-Wall Marksman 3-9×40


Photo by Scott Einsmann
Photo by Scott Einsmann

See It

Score Card

  • Optical Performance: Good
  • Mechanical Performance: Very good
  • Design: Good
  • Price/Value: Very good

Key Features

  • 1-inch tube
  • Second-plane Straight-Wall Marksman BDC MOA-based reticle
  • Capped turrets tuned to .25 MOA values
  • 100 MOA total windage/elevation adjustment range
  • 10-step red/green illumination
  • Optimized for 450 Bushmaster, .45/70 Gov’t, 350 Legend, 400 Legend
  • Parallax set at 100 yards

Pros

  • Reticle has easy-to-see distance references
  • Good mounting dimensions
  • Handy illumination
  • At about $220, a fair price

Cons

  • Turrets are small and indistinct
  • Turrets aren’t re-zeroable
  • Turrets aren’t properly indexed

This scope absolutely ruled our four-scope straight-wall cartridge shoot-off, thanks to a clear and useful reticle that literally gives shooters specific hold-over directions. You want to zero at 100 yards? The reticle has a 100-yard reference, with the number etched on the reticle. There are other numeric etching at 150, 200, 250, and 300 yards. I know what you’re saying: all those numbers probably clutter the view.

You’re not wrong; the references are a little busy. But our testers found them to be fast, precise, and idiot-proof.

“I was skeptical about lobbing a 300-grain bullet out at 300 yards, but I just held where the scope told me and rang steel on my first shot,” noted tester Dale Manning. “It’s precise, but it’s also really fast in real-world field conditions.”

The very specific references that make this the best straight-wall cartridge scope in our test limit its wider utility. Those etched bullet drops aren’t going to help a rimfire shooter or a hunter who’s using a .30/06 or 6.5 Creedmoor. And testers hated the Hawke’s turrets, which are small and hard to turn and lack indexing.

But if you’re in the market for a scope that will lob bullets surprisingly precisely, from both 350 and 400 Legends, 360 Buckhammer, 450 Bushmaster, and .45/70 Gov’t, this is absolutely the scope for you.

How to Choose A Budget Rifle Scope

The author testing budget rifle scopes at the range. Scott Einsmann

The author testing budget rifle scopes at the range. Scott Einsmann

Given the organizing principle of this category, price is the biggest consideration for a budget scope. But be careful with that definition, because as your mother (or cynical uncle) probably told you, budget sometimes means cheap. When it comes to rifle-mounted optics, cheap fails. Instead, try to find that sweet spot between an accessible price, purposeful performance, and quality components and build. Sounds like a unicorn, but such products do exist.

First, check to see if the glass is actually described by the manufacturer. Most price-point scopes use cheaper generic glass, but if you see a brand that boasts of using ED (or extra-low-dispersion) glass, or HT (high-transmission) glass, give that product a second look. Often Japanese-made scopes have a slightly higher grade of glass than those sourced elsewhere in Asia. Check on-line reviews of the product. If you see a constant theme of returns or failures, move along, but if previous buyers are generally favorable and charitable to the product, look deeper.

Depending on whether you’re looking for a scope to do a single job (ringing long-range steel, winning a rimfire competition, or killing a whitetail at modest distances) or whether you want a scope that can handle many situations, you’re going to want to pay attention to the reticle, turrets, and parallax adjustment, as well as the magnification range.

Lastly, consider the warranty. Especially in this class, where malfunctions occur at a higher rate than on pricier scopes with high-quality components, you want to make sure manufacturers have your back. A fully transferable lifetime warranty—that will be honored regardless of whether you were the original purchaser or not—is worth a lot, and can mitigate some of the reluctance to buy scopes at the higher end of this “budget” category.

Final Thoughts on the Best Rifle Scopes Under $500

Back to that question we posed in the intro: what’s a sensible definition of a “budget” rifle scope? It might be $50 for a 4-power you want for your squirrel gun. Or it might be $1,500 for a scope to pair with your $5,000 custom rifle. I think of it this way: I’m never uncomfortable spending half the price of a rifle on a scope. Back in 1990, when I bought my first VX-3 for $300, the new Remington 700 in 7mm Rem Mag I mounted it on cost about $600. Now that many production rifles cost $800 to $1,000, our $500 ceiling for a quality, versatile scope is right in the ballpark. And, as our test should show you, there’s a lot of quality and choice in that ballpark.

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