There are few joys as great as a shooting with a high-end, premium optic, with its crystal-clear image from premium lenses. There are also the realities of a modest hunting budget, and staying within your financial means makes for a happier home. Thankfully, the more affordable riflescopes of today are much, much better than the affordable optics of my youth, in that they will actually hold zero, and they don’t make you think you’ve developed cataracts—at least most of them don’t. A good value is different from an inexpensive item, and sometimes just a few dollars more can bring you into an entirely different level of optic, so buying the cheapest model on the market might not be the best idea. Instead, I’ve picked five hunting riflescopes which represent the best value, with a budget cap of $600. And surprisingly, there are some really good models under that price point, some of which are on my own rifles.
1. The Leupold VX-3HD CDS-ZL 3.5-10x40mm
Coming in one penny under the limit, the Leupold VX-3HD line might just be one of the best riflescope values on the market today. Not only does this scope feature the excellent Leupold lens coatings which make the low-light shots much easier, but it offers Leupold’s amazing Custom Dial System on the elevation turret, with the Zero Lock feature. For those who like to dial for holdover, this system can be your new best friend, as the cap which is supplied is marked in ¼-MOA clicks, but if you provide Leupold with all the data pertinent to your chosen load, they will cut a custom turret marked in yardage. Simply range the target, dial the scope to the appropriate yardage, and you’ve got a dead hold for elevation. The turret is held in place with a small set screw, and the Zero Lock affirms that you’ve brought your scope back to zero after any adjustment. The VX-3HD 3.5-10x40mm features a one-inch main tube, and that magnification range is one of the most useful in the hunting fields. Like most Leupolds, this is a light and rugged scope, weighing in at 13.1 ounces, yet giving just under six inches of mounting space, measuring 12.7-inches overall. The parallax is fixed at 150 yards, and the windage turret is capped. Leupold’s famous Duplex reticle (using a wire crosshair) is onboard here, and nearly all hunters are familiar with using that type of reticle. I’ve toured the Leupold factory in Beaverton, Ore., and the facility is highly impressive; once you meet the folks working there and see the processes, you’ll understand why they have the excellent reputation they have. Bottom line: you get a ton of value for $599.99 here, as Leupold’s Lifetime Performance Guarantee sees that, no questions asked, your scope is repaired or replaced. In the humble opinion of this offer, it is worth saving your coffee money to buy this scope.
2. The Maven CRS.1 3-12x40mm SFP
Maven Optics hails from Lander, Wyo., offering an excellent line of optics made in Japan. They have a full range of riflescopes, spotting scopes and binoculars, with price tags ranging from budget-minded to in the four figures. The CRS.1 3-12x40mm SFP gives a lot of bang for the buck; with a one-inch tube and a 4x magnification range, the hunter gets a scope which checks a lot of boxes. Weighing 14.2 ounces and measuring 12 ½-inches long this scope won’t ruin the balance of your rifle, and that Japanese glass is wonderfully clear. Mike Lilygren—cofounder of Maven Optics, and a pretty good guy to hunt antelope with—is proud of his company’s product line, and feels the CRS.1 makes one of the best values for the budget-minded hunter. “The CRS.1 is an awesome all-around hunting scope. The 4x construction, with a bottom end of 3x magnification, allows for great performance in low light as well as in the dark woods, and the 12x top end will allow you to reach out for the longer shots. The 40mm objective lens allows for low mounting, and the weight is perfect for everyday use,” Lilygren related. I do agree with his observations, and like the higher-end Maven Optics products, the CRS.1 delivers a clear, crisp image, edge-to-edge. Equipped with ¼-MOA adjustments under caps, this scope gives the shooter a whole lot of useable features for the $425 price tag. The CHSR-W reticle gives the shooter three hashes on the vertical hair which subtend 5-, 10- and 20-MOA at 10x magnification, and 2-MOA hashes on the horizontal hair for quick wind adjustments.
3. The Vortex Diamondback 3-9x40mm
The Diamondback series from Vortex has been very successful, as this model is as affordable as it is effective. With a one-inch maintube, a classic magnification range and a 40mm objective lens for a bright image, the Diamondback has capped elevation and windage adjustments (with ¼-MOA clicks) featuring 70 MOA of total adjustment. This scope gives over three inches of eye relief, tips the scales at 14 ½ ounces and has an overall length of 11.6 inches. Vortex loads this scope with the Dead Hold BDC reticle, which gives the hunter three hashes on the lower vertical hair, marked at 1.5 MOA, 4.5 MOA and 7.5 MOA from the intersection at the full 9x magnification, with 2 MOA hashes on the horizontal crosshair for simple wind adjustments. This Diamondback will set you back $349.99 and comes with Vortex’s renowned VIP Warranty.
4. The Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9x40mm with Hunt Plex
Here we see the famous Gold Ring, but at a highly attractive price point, giving the hunter a rock-solid platform at $399.99. Nothing crazy here, just a simple, effective, and reliable optic which will give the hunter a lifetime of service. The 3-9x magnification range is the most popular for a reason—it allows the deer hunter in the woods to make those close shots, yet 9x is enough for an elk at 300 paces—and this VX-Freedom gives between 3.7 and 4.3 inches of eye relief, so even the hard-kicking cartridges won’t pose a problem. Leupold scopes are tough as nails, yet are lighter than many of their contemporaries. The VX-Freedom 3-9x40mm weighs just 12.2 ounces, and measures 12 ½ inches, with 5.39 inches of mounting space. The Hunt Plex reticle uses thick, tapering pickets on the horizontal hair and lower vertical hair, naturally centering the eye for fast target acquisition on running game, yet the thinner hairs toward the center allow for precise shot placement. Parallax is fixed and set at 150 yards. The ¼-MOA adjustments are under caps, and the VX-Freedom gives 60 MOA of travel on both elevation and windage. Designed, machined and assembled in the USA, the VX-Freedom comes with Leupold’s Lifetime Guarantee. This is a whole lot of scope for $399.99.
5. The Tract Optics 22 Fire 3-9x40mm rimfire scope
Tract Optics is a bit of a sleeper, and that should change because they have a great line of riflescopes. So as not to leave the rimfire crowd out, I've chosen the Tract 22 Fire 3-9x40mm, with the company’s BDC reticle. The big difference with the rimfire scopes is that the parallax (for those models which don’t have a parallax adjustment) is usually set at 50 to 75 yards, with this model being set at 50 yards. The capped elevation and windage adjustments give an audible click and are set for ½-MOA intervals. The 3-9x40mm conformation is very common, and will mount just fine on so many of today’s rimfire rifles—gone is the day of those blurry little rimfire scopes with the ¾-inch main tubes; this one features a one-inch main tube. The scope is argon purged, and completely fogproof, waterproof and shockproof. Tract uses a proprietary FMC (Fully Multi-Coated) lens treatment to enhance light transmission and low-light images. The 22 Fire measures 12.2-inches long, but tips the scales at 15.2 ounces—a little bit heavier than some of the big-game scopes above—which will help some of the lighter rimfire rifles settle down a bit easier. That BDC reticle offers hashes on the lower vertical hair at 2, 4.5, 7.25 and 11 MOA (all measured at 9x magnification), so there is plenty of flexibility for the rimfire shooter with a bit of experimentation. The scope is finished in a matte-black, and at $294, it offers the serious rimfire hunter a good, reliable optic.
