How Do You Compare Riflescopes?

by
posted on December 16, 2014
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

The Quandary
On a fairly regular basis, I am sent riflescopes for testing and evaluation. Testing objective factors such as the accuracy of adjustments, durability and eye relief is a relatively straightforward process. That said, testing optical quality can be really difficult without sophisticated testing equipment (which I don't have).

The Question
How do you objectively compare and evaluate the subjective qualities of a riflescope?  Until recently, the only way for me to evaluate factors such as optical clarity and light transmission was by mounting the scope to a rifle and taking it (and a few other rifle/scope combos) outside in various lighting conditions. At dusk, for example, I could take turns looking through scopes at a 1951 Air Force Resolution Target and see which scope gave me the best performance in the diminished light. The problem was that by the time you switched rifles and scopes, your brain "forgot" exactly what the previous image looked like. Not a perfect system to say the least.

The Solution
A few months ago, a box showed up at my door—sent by a well-known gunsmith friend. It was a steel bar, fitted with four different scope rings set side-by-side. The bar allowed for up to four scopes to be mounted and adjusted so that they all shared the same point of aim. The entire package can be mounted on a camera tripod so that the evaluator (me) can sit comfortably for long periods of time behind the glass. By moving my head an inch or so in each direction, I can compare scopes on the same plane, focused on the same target, in the same conditions. As dusk falls, I can quickly move back and forth between images, comparing apples to apples. Simple, but very effective.

Nothing groundbreaking here, but a little window into what methods we use to evaluate products.

Latest

Oklahoma Department Of Wildlife Conservation Logo
Oklahoma Department Of Wildlife Conservation Logo

Oklahoma Wildlife Commission Passes Rules for Nonresident Hunters, Public Hunting Lands

New emergency rules and resolutions for public hunting lands were approved last month by the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission.

First Look: Premium and Premium Deluxe Die Sets From Redding Reloading Equipment

Redding Reloading Equipment has expanded its Premium Die Set and Premium Deluxe Die Set product lines, including over seventy of the most popular cartridges in the industry today.

Junior Hunter Gear: Get Your Kids Into the Field

Looking for ways to get your fields out from behind the screens and into the great outdoors this summer? Check out these great pieces of outdoor kit to help spur the process.

Stealth Cam Adds On-Demand Livestream

Shortly after teasing the launch of its new trail camera functionality at the 2025 SHOT Show, Stealth Cam has announced that On Demand Live Stream is available via the Command Pro app.

#SundayGunday: Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 A.I.

On this week's #SundayGunday, Digital Associate Editor David Herman talks with Benelli Vice President Tim Joseph about Benelli's new Super Black Eagle 3 with A.I. barrel technology.

NRA Foundation Awards $13,500 in College Scholarships

The National Rifle Association is proud to announce the Grand Scholarship winners from the 2024 Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.)—a group of exceptional students selected for their leadership, initiative, and dedication to advancing NRA programs within their communities.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.