Great Shot! 3 Of The Best Scopes For 30-06 In 2024 [Help Is Here]

One of the longest lasting American rifle cartridges in history has been the highly regarded .30-06 Springfield round. It was first introduced in 1906 and quickly found service with the United States military. It continued to be used for over seven decades. Even though it has since been replaced by the military and also by most law enforcement units in favor of the .308 Winchester and .300 Win Mag, it has still not found any decrease in favor with the shooting public. The reason is that for many people, the .30-06 Springfield meets just the right balance between affordability, performance, and overall versatility.

Short On Time? Here Is The Bullet List

• .30-06 Scope For The Money: Leupold VX-I Rifle Scope 3-9x50mm Rifle Scope
• .30-06 Scope On A Budget: Nikon Buckmaster 3-9x40 Riflescope
• .30-.06 Scope Overall: Vortex Optics Diamondback HP 4-12x40 Riflescope

**Below are our more detailed reviews. Click the links above to see current prices or read customer reviews on Amazon.

Since the .30-06 is one of the most popular centerfire rifle calibers in America today, it only makes sense that there also be a plethora of scopes out on the market that are compatible with the .30-06 round, if not made directly for it. With this wide range of scopes that are available for the .30-06, there is also a wide range of quality. Some scopes are of exceptional quality, but also pricey. Some rifle scopes cost a lot less, but suffer from a dip in quality. However, some other rifle scopes for the .30-06 round are built and tested to strike the balance between affordability, performance, and versatility – just like how the actual .30-06 round has done for many shooters.

We discuss the criteria the best .30-06 scope must meet, and we will discuss the specific options for you. Before we get started we should mention that as a general rule of thumb, you should buy the scope that is the most practical for your needs, of high-quality construction, and within your price range. 

Criteria to Consider When Choosing the Best .30-06 Rifle Scope

We’ve mentioned the first thing to look for in your scope: a scope designed to do what you need it to do. If you don’t plan on making shots at 1,000 or more yards, then you don’t need to spend the extra money for a scope that can. Just ask yourself the different applications you need your scope for, the usual distances that those applications need, and you should have a general idea of the basic kind of scope that you will need.

Field of View

For the purposes of this article let’s say you decide that you need a scope for your .30-06 rifle that can touch targets at around 400 yards. That’s a reasonable distance for a hunter who wants to bring down medium to large sized game such as deer and elk. The .30-06 can easily take down that kind of game at 400 yards, so the only question now is if your scope will permit you to make shots at those distances accurately.

For this to be a possibility, your scope should have a power of 3-9x. The lower the power of the scope, the larger the field of view you will have for making shots that are closer such as 100 yards or less. What’s important is that the magnification of your scope be adjustable. A fixed variable scope severely limits what you can do as a shooter, and it certainly limits what you can do as a long range shooter.

Objective Lens

The next thing to look for in a scope for your .30-06 is the objective lenses. The quality of the objective lens cannot be called into question. If the viewing though the lens is too dim or hinders your ability to see the target in anyway, you should absolutely reject that scope. Remember that as a hunter, you’re going to be doing quite a bit of shooting in low light conditions such as dusk and dawn.

A rifle scope that has a larger objective lens is able to gather more light to make shooting in these kinds of conditions far easier. As a general rule of thumb, aim for a scope with an objective lens of between 40mm to 50mm. A scope with an objective lens of this size will be able to gather enough light for you to shoot accurately in dim shooting locations. Anything smaller won’t be able to gather enough light, and anything larger will only become more of a hassle to carry around.   

Scope Rings

Something that you will need to think about sooner or later for your .30-06 rifle scope is a good set of scope rings. Some scopes sell with scope rings but many others do not. If you use a scope with the incorrect rings, it’s going to make sighting in that rifle nearly impossible, and you’ll become very frustrated. Avoid this problem by carefully doing research into whether or not the scope you are thinking about comes with scope rings. If you discover that it does not, conduct even more careful research into finding out which rings fit that scope best.

Price

Never forget to carefully take into consideration the price of the scope. Ultimately you want to be able to get the best bang for your buck, right? Scopes are available in all sorts of price ranges, with some costing only around $50 while others that cost over $5,000. Only you know what your budget is, and you should try to buy the highest quality scope you can within that budget. Remember that just because a scope costs less doesn’t mean that it won’t serve you well. Even the big scope companies such as Leupold, Bushnell, and Nikon sell budget-minded scopes for less than $500 but also meet the standards for quality that each of those companies have set.

By now you should have a pretty good idea of the type of scope that you will be purchasing for your .30-06 rifle. What is the specific best scope for a Remington 700, or any other popular kind of bolt action rifle that you can buy? Well, we’re going to try and answer that question with three specific scope models that not only effortlessly meet the criteria that we have set, but but also exceed them in some areas.   

Best Scope for .30-60 in 2024

Best .30-06 Scope For The Money: 

Leupold VX-I Rifle Scope 3-9x50mm Rifle Scope

You might have expected to see a Leupold scope in our list of recommendations due to the popularity and high reputation of the brand. The best thing about Leupold is that you will always get a lot for your money when you buy from them, and the VX-I scope is no exception. There are a few models of the VX-I available, but the best one for a .30-06 is the 3-9x50mm scope. The reason it is the best is because it offers you more magnification range and larger objective lenses than the other models. Keep in mind that you’re likely looking for a scope that will allow you to shoot at distances of 400 to 500 yards. Some shooters may consider an objective lens of 50mm to be a little large for four to five hundred yards, but remember that it will also gather plenty of light so you can easily view targets in dim conditions.

If 50mm is too large for you, Leupold also sells the VX-I in a 2-7x33mm configuration. This version provides a lot less magnification power than the larger one, but on the flip side it’s also smaller, lighter, and easier to pack on your rifle.

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Best .30-06 Scope On A Budget:

Nikon Buckmaster 3-9x40 Riflescope

The Nikon Buckmaster is another incredibly high quality .30-06 riflescope with a 3-9x magnification range, and a 40mm objective lens, which are also multi-coated in order to permit nearly 100 percent light transmission. In other words, this is the best .30-06 hunting riflescope for shooting in lowlight conditions such as dawn and dusk.

However, the features of the Nikon Buckmaster do not at end there. As you would expect, this scope is completely waterproof and fog proof, so it can be carried through in the harshest of conditions. Nikon made sure that there were at least three and a half inches of space between your eye and the scope itself, which is more than enough eye relief than you would need and also offers you plenty of field of view when you peer through it.   

Last but not least, Nikon sells the Buckmaster with a lifetime warranty. This is not a necessity for buying a riflescope, but it certainly is a nice thing to have. It’s just another reason why this is one of the best .30-06 riflescopes for the money.

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Best .30-.06 Scope Overall:

Vortex Optics Diamondback HP 4-12x40 Riflescope

While Vortex is a relatively younger company in the scope and optics industry, they have proven themselves to be of no less quality than other big names such as Leupold, Bushnell, and Nikon. As with those brands, Vortex produces high-quality scopes that offer a lot for the price. You can be assured that the Diamondback is no exception, which is why it makes our Best Rifle Scope list.

For one thing, the quality of the lenses in the Diamondback couldn’t be any better. The glass itself is constructed out of a low dispersion material, which greatly enhances resolution when you peer through the scope. The lenses are also multi-coated, as you would expect from Vortex, which capitalizes light transmission in especially dim scenarios.

With an objective lens of 40mm, many shooters will find this scope to be just the right size for their hunting needs on their .30-06 rifle. 40mm to 50mm is the general range hunters typically look for in their scopes, so 40mm is absolutely perfect since it delivers you enough light transmission while also not being obtrusive enough to hinder your hunting expedition.

All in all, the Vortex Diamondback offers you just the right combination of size, magnification range, and image clarity to allow you to make long distance shots with your .30-06 rifle. It is for these reasons that it is currently one of the best .30-06 riflescopes on the market.

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Best Scope for .30-06 Rifle Conclusion

What is the best scope for a .30-06? Well, the answer to that question is largely subjective as everyone has their own preferences or their own features that they desire on a scope. What we have attempted to do with this article is list out the most significant features that your riflescope should have and then point out three of the best scopes currently available for the money that meet that criteria of features.

Many hunters are completely loyal to the .30-06 round because of its versatility. It doesn’t just give you the trajectory and the range to make long range shots, it also offers you enough power to take down medium to big sized game at those long ranges as well. When the military was utilizing the .30-06 in their Springfield M1903 and M1 Garand rifles, they would train soldiers to take accurate shots at distances of over 1,000 yards.

It is for these reasons that any .30-06 rifle demands the highest quality scope that you can get for it, regardless of what you will be using it for. The Leupold VX-1, Nikon Buckmaster, and Vortex Optics are all proven and high quality scopes that will give you a lot of value for what you will pay for them. Are there other excellent scopes for a .30-06 rifle out there? Absolutely. But if you’re going to be narrowing down your list to a handful of options when in the market for a .30-06 scope, these are the three scopes that you should absolutely check out first.  

Thank you for visiting Reloadingpresso.com. If our article has helped you make a decision about the best rifle scope for you, please click through to Amazon using one of our buy buttons. We are an Amazon Affiliate website and how we keep our website running is through the small commission we receive when you purchase a rifle scope from Amazon after visiting our site. There is no extra expense for you – the price is the same as if you went to Amazon directly. If you’re looking for more than just the best rifle scope, please review our Best Brass Tumbler Buyers Guide and our Best Gun Safe Buyers Guide.