“second focal plane”

Among all the world’s riflescope manufacturers, Nikon has arguably done the best job of making it easy to buy the right scope for specific shooting jobs.

Looking for new glass? 2016's batch of new hunting optics is pretty impressive. Here are some of the top new wares.

The Swarovski X5(i) has the best dial-up system of any long-range scope Bryce Towsley has used, and without a doubt it’s the easiest one to learn. Of course, the optics are brilliant; after all it’s a Swarovski.

“Buy the best scope you can afford” is good optics advice because you almost always get what you pay for, but what if you have only a couple hundred dollars to spend?

Riflescopes with parallax adjustments, illuminated reticles, 8X zoom ranges and turrets dialing past 1,500 yards are impressive, but do we really need that to still-hunt whitetails in Ohio farmland or chase elk at 8,000 feet in Idaho? An optic like Leupold’s new VX-3i 3.5X-10X-40mm with the Boone & Crockett ballistic reticle is likely better suited for most hunters’ needs. This 12.6-ounce scope, a reengineered upgrade from the previous VX-3, is bright, sharp, slim and extremely reliable.

Here's a little sage advice to think over before choosing your next optic.

SIG Sauer is known as a quality producer of military and law enforcement firearms that come at a premium price. Previously SIG had an association with the hunting market by way of its sister brands, Blaser, Sauer and Mauser, until they were separated approximately 10 years ago to serve the hunting market as stand-alone entities.

With apologies to vegetable juice and automobile engines, riflescope users can now have a V8, too. A Zeiss V8.

Never heard of Tract Optics? We can fix that.