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videos >Top 10 Tactical and Precision riflescopes
- By Chris Parkin
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- Last updated: 05/12/2016
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The most commonly asked question I receive is ‘what is the best scope’? It is an impossible task to reply correctly as two massive factors intrude, how much do you have to spend (value for money is my golden rule) and what do you actually want it for? Well considering I shoot a lot of longer range targets and love to stretch the legs on most rifles on paper, steel and on vermin, some of my personal favourites also remain well within the hunting world too. When it comes to Tactical, Long Range and Precision optics, here are my top ten, in no particular order.
Nightforce, namely the NXS 8-32x56 was my first foray into high end long range optics nearly 10- years ago and the brand still holds high in both my own, and the regard of others across the globe. With moderate weight, 30mm tube sizes and versatile specifications they are a solid performer but two years ago, the appearance of the A.T.A.C.R really raised their game. Moving up to a 34mm tube and retaining the latest fast turn turrets with zero stop, new ED glassware really made one of the firmest steps any non-Euro manufacturer had in terms of image quality, combined with mechanical range of adjustment. Multiple reticule choices, M.O.A. (Minute of Angle) or mRad (Miliradian) adjustment values and both first and second focal plane options, Nightforce really did improve their OWN previous ‘benchmark’ market position in my opinion. Reticule choice is a very personal option and I would advise caution with it, one man’s perfection is another man’s hell, often too busy for your eyes so choose carefully with consideration to target size and ranges. This is especially true in a fast fire situation where multiple holdover or windage markers can steal milliseconds from your shot execution time. A very safe bet and great value for money!
Name: Nightforce ATACR 5-25×56 with ZeroStop, NP-R2 ret
Price £2174.99
Contact: Sportsman Gun Centre, 01392 354854
If any scope can be accused of turning my head, the Kahles 624i is it. Kahles have made beautiful, modest and discreet hunting scopes of the highest quality for a long time now. Yet some behind the scenes activity from police/military environments and no doubt money from the parent company Swarovski, they hit the ground with a tactical precision offering. This didn’t just hit the ground running, it was sprinting with a really ‘outside the box’ approach that not only worked perfectly, but was really attractive and intuitive to use. The practical 6-24x zoom with broad field of view had the usual fast focus eyepiece allowing rock hard and solid reticule focus. The difference came when controlling elevation and parallax as the two almost melted into one another with a normal finger sized dial up top yet at its base, surrounded by a parallax control dial that was both indexed for approximate ranging (correctly too) and almost an integral part of dialling out to distance. Image quality was razor sharp and when I tested it two years ago, the specification list was minimal but well chosen. First focal plane with Mil-based reticule and turrets dialling 0.01 mRad per click (1cm @ 100m) and it immediately gave me my ‘hit’ of visual relaxation. Few of these big mag scopes will give the low light performance of the hunting models at last light but here we got Swarovski image quality with great mechanics. I have often said it’s a great choice for the left hander too as with parallax on top it’s just that little bit more ambidextrous but Kahles have had the last laugh there too. At IWA this year I saw the 2-12 model with the windage dial on the left side of the saddle, specifically for the lefties, I just love the way Kahles think of doing things that little bit differently, virtually always with fantastic execution and insight, I take my hat off to them. This will cost you £1000 less than a PMII and that is a serious consideration!
Name: Kahles K624i 6-24x56
Price: £1895.00
Contact: RUAG Ammotec UK Ltd, 01579 362319 (for your nearest dealer)
Although available in a growing range of specifications from 3-12, 4-15, 12.5-50, 3-20 and 3-27, the venerable 5-25x56 is still to my mind the king of the hill. Its military background and usage has no doubt helped to convince buyers of its credentials but I have owned and shot one of these units for 7- years. It has still to be beaten in my eyes for creating what I believe is my highest compliment, a visually relaxed environment. I regularly shoot fast fire stress competitions but have used it for hunting and long ranges on vermin too, well beyond 1500 yards on several rifles in its time. Like a premium car it has been back to the ‘garage’ for a service but I have yet to be drawn away from it and temptation is at my doorstep every day. For the serious tactical types the mil/mil reticule turret combination is the number one choice with a first focal plane reticule but as for which pattern, well I like the P3 old school mil-dot although there are P4 with hash marks and Fein (fine options ) too. Newer kids may approach the block but ‘school bully’ will beat them down with serious authority and the full backing of his prefects and headmaster. Optical clarity and brightness comparable to the finest hunting optics in low light, this cope delivers all its promises. One of very few products I will ever call the best of breed, few eyes have withdrawn from this scope without a slightly joyous glazed look, my own included.
Name: Schmidt and Bender PMII 5-25x56 Illuminated
Price from: £2819.00
Contact: http://www.schmidtundbender.de, +49 (0) 6 40 9 / 81 15 – 0
14 approved UK dealers
March initially appeared as the premium brand within F-class and Benchrest crowds, high prices secured a small market share but aspirational ownership qualities. With second focal plane reticule coupled to 8 and even 10 times erector tube zoom ranges they certainly won the mechanical gold medal but all those pro’s do lead to a few cons in terms of exit pupil size and image brightness towards the end of the day. Well, March moved on and whilst still offering delightful mechanics, turrets, illumination controls and finishing quality, they added first focal plane reticules and the scope that really caught my eye for its versatility was the 5-40x56 model. Designed and specified more for field conditions and versatility rather than just benchrest or F-class, the exit pupil was more forgiving yet the mechanics still gave all that was required for ultra-long range. Reticule and turret choices in moth Metric and Imperial units allowed these high end scopes to be tailored precisely to YOUR needs and preferences but the turrets are still a little small for fast correction with pre-adhered labels.
Name: March FX 5x40x56mm
Prices from: £2,872.71
Contact: March Scopes UK-Europe, 01293 606901
Sightron are one of the great success stories of the UK shooting market over the last 5 years and deservedly so. Great glass, specification options and a magnification range to suit your needs in the SIII model range with several reticule options and focal plane choices. The weight is good for the class which makes them very competitive in target disciplines and lower magnification range units retain good field of view and exit pupil size for more tactical environments, some shooting positions need that little bit more assistance to acquire full field of view. Optics are a serious investment and Sightron’s UK distributor offers first rate services and warranty. Sightron would be my winner in terms of value for money and first choice at the £1000 level. I do like their turrets as you can get your load labels on them and the Japanese glass punches well above its weight for both sharp focus and decent light transmission with no distortion near the edges. All controls are smooth and functional and I have seen and used a lot of these, I have yet to find one with any ‘tight’ spots when rotating a zoom ring or parallax dial! Specific S-Tac and S-V target scopes are showing the latest updates with both First focal plane and 34mm body tubes appearing to tune the two ranges to their markets.
Name: Sightron S-TAC 2.5-17.5x56 IRMH
Price: £800
Contact: Aim Field Sports, 01606 860678
Bushnell’s scopes are real performers. Often appearing shod upon test rifles from importers Edgar Brothers, they just quietly get on with their task and that alone is an indicator of their ability. My current favourite is the 3.5-21x50 Elite Tactical with the DMR reticule. This reticule is a Miliradian-based design, set in the first focal plane combines perfectly with the turrets that provide beautifully smooth lift-to-turn properties with 5 mils per rotation. The turret is easy to hold and control with a good fist sized grip but moderate in height, matching the proportions of the 34mm tube perfectly. Ok there is no zero stop or turn indicator but the vernier scale below the lift top turret is far easier to use than many of its competitors and the image quality and functionality is delightful and clear edge to edge. Bushnell doesn’t try to push the glass beyond its radial limitations and the weighting of the reticule is ideal for both aiming and spotting long range bullet strike. It is marketed as a compact scope although it isn’t really, at 360 mm long it’s about par for the course and a 1kg weight is not to be forgotten. There is plenty of tube space to fit your rings though, just remember that the ocular end is quite long so even though eye relief is as normal, the rings are proportionally further forward and a one piece rail is really mandatory. I’d like the option of illumination though.
Name: Bushnell Elite Tactical 3.5-21x50 DMR reticule
Price: £1070
Contact: Edgar Brothers Ltd, 01625 613177 (for your nearest dealer)
Vortex is where Leupold should have been by now. The American brand have stuck to home grown rules that mean everything worth owning in the States is both functional, well made and most importantly, bombproof warranties and backup. They make a lot of optical products, all of which have greatly impressed me but the most applicable here is the Razor. I tested one a couple of years ago in a 5-20x50 spec with mil/mil turrets and reticule in the first focal plane. All controls were perfection personified with solid clicks and 10 Mils per turn on the turret, each click giving 1cm @100 metres. Reticules were well weighted and specified, neat little touches like fibre optic illuminators indicated settings externally in low light. The Gen II has now come along and I have yet to run that test but from a brief viewing, the glass has taken another step up from what was already good and yet again, those nicely sized handful turrets are easy to label up. One downside is a rotation indicator on elevation but within that tall column up top is the unusual addition of a ‘perfect zero setting’, the ability to disengage the clicks to set your point of impact to perfection at zero, a pinpoint zeroing factor those with ultra-accurate rifles are continually seeking. The Viper range is just as mechanically trustworthy at a slightly lower price point too; 4-16 and 6-24x models have superb clicks on their turrets and first rate external design and finish. The glass in full daylight is strong but does soon lose its ability as dusk descends. Gen II glass is worth the £5-600 extra if you can justify it.
Name: Razor HD 5–20x50 Riflescope with EBR-2B reticule
Price: £1400
Contact: Vortex UK Www.vortexoptics.com For UK dealer network
It is all very well looking at the medium and high end scopes but it serves to mention lower cost options. I have a particular liking for Hawke Sidewinder as I find them honest, dependable and well-priced for what they offer. One advantage of what can be deemed the tactical/precision market is that magnification alone is not the driving factor and at the lower end, chasing x30-40 zoom is a little counterproductive. The Sidewinder range really is worth a look as long as you keep the magnification moderate, perhaps 16 or 24x. The range has had a recent update both visually and mechanically, a close inspection at my local range showed some distinct improvements over older units, particularly in the eye relief consistency across the mag range and parallax turret weighting and click controls. Reticules like the Half Mil Dot are really as much as you need although these are second focal plane and that is a Marmite factor, some like that, others don’t! But in fairness, does anybody range find with a reticule… probably not? Although it is used to gauge aim off when viewing shot splash on visually helpful backers when plate shooting or pest controlling. A great buy to test the water at modest cost, well worth the asking price.
Name: Hawke Sidewinder 6-24×56 ½ 20x Dot
Price: £369.99
Contact: Deben Group Industries, 01394 387762, www.hawkeoptics.co.uk
Minox were a bit of an enigma to me for a long time and I must admit early use of their optics did little to inspire confidence in the brand! But new arrivals to the product range in the hunting optics have followed up well on a brief encounter with one of their prototype 5-25x56 high end units last year. As is often the case, I had a rifle pressed into my hands with no time for inquiry and atop this 338 Lapua PGW I found a scope well up to the game. I would be a liar if I didn’t find the design, build and specification a little ‘PMII ish’ but hey, why change what works? This scope received a full day of intermediate range plate shooting out to 1000 yards and to say I was impressed was an understatement. The first focal plane mil-based reticule and mil turrets combined perfectly to give me a bolting day of 100% shooting fun and functionality. The scope appeared again in front of me at the British Shooting Show this year and I am hoping to get one on longer term test when stock allows. This is a scope for a serious look and if Minox pricing across the range is anything to go by, will more than likely offer superb value for money, it turned my head! Double turn Turret, zero-stop, 2 turn indicator……this could be very good, optical clarity on tiny long range bullet splash was definitely to be ‘mentioned in dispatches’!
Name: Minox ZP5 5-25x56
Price:: TBC
Contact: Garlands, 01827 383300
Meopta really do make some lovely optics with durable mechanics but only recently have we started to see some more of their tactical offerings. The latest of which is a little too low in magnification to be a direct competitor in the civilian market perhaps, but you can bet this will change when this unsung hero of the optical world gains momentum, they haven’t been in business for 80 years for no reason! The current MeoTac 3-12x50 is compact yet retains sufficient tube mounting space for rings to control the eye relief on two piece bases and, although a little visually bulky the turrets are delicate to use and precise in feel. I can’t wait to have a go with one of these. Image quality in ‘ideal’ conditions was utterly superb and being Meopta, the prices will be keen yet the service and warranty will be long lived. This company have all the mechanical and optical ingredients ready to mix together; I just hope the marketing team let them as I predict a real roadrunner, meep meep!
Name Meopta Meotac 3-12x50
Price: TBC
Contact: Viking Arms, 01423 780810
You may think there are one or two notable exceptions to this list of premium optics and you are correct but so far, they don’t quite offer models that fit this billing. But and behind the scenes, I hear rumblings of a player appearing from Zeiss, which if the V8 I tested last year is anything to go by will be seriously good! Swarovski have announced the X5i range which I have seen, but am yet to shoot with, watch this space as on paper, the breeding and specification on both items may be Game Changers?
There is one factor that really separates these scopes for me personally and when I see any new model regardless of its specification or breeding I think to myself; where do I put my drop data? The PMII demonstrates this one well as though many criticise larger turrets (and don’t get me wrong, the Nightforce B.E.A.S.T. just seems enormous) they allow for speed. When I want to shoot and watch, wind and engage a specific target I want to rangefind it and ping, a number is in my head. I want a scope where I have a turret to which I can print standard condition range indicators and the same for wind. I see 657 yards in my rangefinders, I want to dial straight to ‘6.5’ on my turret and crack on, I don’t want to break my concentration and firing hold on the gun to consult a laminated range card, stuck on my stock or not. This speed especially when long range varminting is a very subtle, yet a key factor that many seem to bypass. No article can encompass all of these optics but key matters are there to investigate, if I were to name my no.1 to actually buy with my money tomorrow, for my needs: Kahles for now!
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