1 Shot 1… 3 Best Sniper Scopes 2024 [Hobby or Battlefield]

There are few things that a soldier out on the battlefield fears more than the elusive and deadly sniper. There’s no denying that snipers are very skilled warriors because they are able to stay hidden and take out the enemy from extremely long distances. The reason why this is possible for sniper is largely because of the equipment that he or she uses. The rifle and ammunition are the very important elements of the sniper’s load out, but the next most important element is the scope. Lets get into finding the best sniper scope in 2024.

Short On Time? Here Is The Bullet List

• Budget Sniper Scope: Alpen Kodiak Sniper Scope
• Marksman Sniper Scope: Burris Fullfield 2 Sniper Scope
• Battlefield Sniper Scope: Trijicon Accupoint Sniper Scope

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

Even though snipers heavily value precision and accuracy in their scopes, another quality that they strongly desire to have is durability. Snipers are consistently put through harsh conditions, both in their training and in real life scenarios, usually either completely alone or with their spotter. This means that all of their equipment absolutely needs to be able to last when out in the middle of nowhere.

Keep in mind that the primary role of the sniper is to take out enemy soldiers. For that reason and that reason alone, their optic absolutely cannot fail whatsoever, and it has to be as precise as possible – especially if the sniper only has enough time to make one shot.

What is the Best Scope for a Sniper Rifle?

Now that we have established the importance of a sniper having a scope that is equally as durable as it is accurate and precise, the next question is: What is the best scope for a sniper rifle? There’s no denying that this is a bit of a tricky question, especially with all of the complexity and advancements that have been made in optics within recent years. There are also adjustments to things like focal plane and windage and elevation that you want to have control over while still having durability.

Instead, we’ll talk about what the specific features are that a sniper’s rifle scope must have, under no exceptions, and then outline and discuss specific rifle scopes available on the market that come with all of those features and are fully durable and precise.

Whenever you look at long range scopes, you will always see the numbers on the label from the manufacturer reading as #-#x#mm. For example, a scope might read 3-12x40mm. Each of these numbers are important as they tell you the magnification power and the objective lens of the scope, the latter of which directly impacts light transmission and determines how well you can see through the scope in dim conditions.

Magnification

The 3-12x tells you the magnification range of the scope. Some scopes have fixed variable magnification meaning that they would only read one number, such as 12x. Under no circumstance should you, as a sniper, go with a scope that has fixed variable magnification. You simply won’t have the same long range shooting performance if you do go with one. Instead, adjustable magnification allows you to zoom in and out based on what is the most appropriate for any given situation.

The numbers here simply tell you how much closer the image will appear to you through the scope than it would just by looking at it with your eyes. So in our 3-12x example, this means that the object in the scope will appear to be three times closer to you at the least and twelve times closer at the most. Is this the kind of magnification that a sniper would need? Preferably not since the best sniper scopes and the best long range sniper scopes,have far greater range than this. But it is just an example to understand the way a scope is coded.

Objective Lens

The final number, which is measured in millimeters, tells you the diameter of the objective lens. So in this example, our scope has an objective lens diameter of 40mm. The diameter of your lens greatly impacts two things: the overall size of the scope and the light transmission of the scope. As a general rule of thumb the larger the scope is, the more light transmission there will be meaning that the image through the scope will appear to be brighter. Since a lot of shooting is done in dim and dark times of day, such as dawn and dusk, it is especially important that a scope for a sniper have a large objective lens for different light conditions.

40mm is generally considered to be a middle of the road objective lens and the size favored by many hunters. For a sniper, however, your scope has to exceed the performance of a typical hunting scope. Try going with a 50mm diameter objective lens for a sniping scope.

Eye Relief

The next thing to look for in the best sniping scope is eye relief. This is the physical distance that exists between the scope’s ocular lens and your eye while still having a clear view of the image through the scope. The more eye relief your sniping scope has, the better. As it currently stands the largest eye relief on scopes on the market these days comes in at around four inches. This is more than enough distance between your eye and scope, especially when you take the recoil of the rifle into account.

Field of View

The next major thing to take into account with a sniping scope is the field of view with the scope. Field of view is defined as the distance that you are able to see from left to right (or vice versa) through your scope and is measured to every 100 yards in most scopes. Just as how your sniping scope has to have adjustable magnification, it also has to have adjustable field of view, no questions asked.

Your magnification adjustments will also impact your field of views as well. As you decrease your magnification, the field of view of your scope will simultaneously increase and vice versa. In our 3-12x scope example, if your magnification is three times, you should have a field of view of at least a 100 yards. If you zoom in your magnification to 12, then that field of view will decrease to around 10.

Next, let’s talk about three specific rifle scopes that are also the best sniper scopes on the market right now. They not only meet the specifications discussed above, they actually exceed them.

Best Sniper Scopes in 2024

Best Budget Sniper Scope:

Alpen Kodiak Sniper Scope

There’s always a strong section of the optics market that are looking for high quality products on a budget. We’re here to tell you that the Alpen Kodiak is the best budget sniper scope the market currently has to offer. There are many reasons why, but the major reason is because of the great variety of models Alpen sells this scope in – The Kodiak is offered in the standard 3-9x magnification variation, and it’s also offered in the much wider ranged 6-24x magnification, which is a far more suitable option for snipers. All the same, Alpen also sells the Kodiak in a number of different variations when it comes to the objective lenses, with 32mm being their smallest model and then 50mm being their largest with a number of different models being sold in between. An Alpen Kodiak 6-24x50mm scope will easily be the best choice for a sniper, especially for a military sniper. The lenses are also multi-coated to permit enough light transmission for you to view targets in dim conditions.

In our introduction to this article we made it clear that the durability of the scope is just as important as the functionality of it in regards to precision and accuracy due to the unforgiving conditions that snipers can find themselves in. The Alpen Kodiak is as rugged as you could ask it to be because it is fog proof, shockproof, and waterproof all at the same time. Thanks to the strong aluminum construction, you could toss this scope around on the ground and it will still work just fine when you pick it up.

The Alpen Kodiak may not be the absolute finest sniping scope on the market, but the for the $125 price range it offers you everything a sniper would need in their scope.

Learn More On Amazon

Best Marksman Sniper Scope: 

Burris Fullfield 2 Sniper Scope

All things taken into consideration, the Burris Fullfield 2 scope is one of the best marksman/sniper’s scopes period. If you’re looking for a rough and tumble scope that has also been tested for long range precision shooting, this is the scope for you. There is no glare through this scope thanks to the multi-coated lenses that offers you a high definition view.

In addition to the nearly four inches of eye relief, which provides plenty of buffer space between you and your eye in the event you’re firing a heavy caliber rifle such has .300 Win Mag or .338 Lapua. The Fullfield 2 scope also comes equipped with an objective lens of 42mm and a magnification power of 4.5-14x in their best configuration for a sniper. And all of these features come in a package that doesn’t weigh anymore than 18 ounces.

Learn More On Amazon

Best Battlefield Sniper Scope: 

Trijicon Accupoint Sniper Scope

If you’ve been doing a little research into military sniper scopes already, then there’s no doubt that you’ve come already come across the Trijicon name. Trijicon is a brand that designs optics purely for the battlefield. Their ACOG scopes in particular are quite renowned and popular with AR shooters. Trijicon’s Accupoint scope is not quite as well known, but equally as durable and even more powerful. The Accupoint is hands down one of the best sniping scopes available, which is why it makes our Best Rifle Scope list.

Trijicon tests all of their scopes in extreme torture tests before selling them on the market to make sure that their products are ready for military service. This means that the Trijicon Accupoint is shockproof, waterproof, and fogproof. This is a rugged scope that is built to last you your entire life, no matter what you decide to put it through.

While the Trijicon Accupoint may be built to last, it is also built to perform when it comes to precise, long distance shooting. The multi-coated lenses are high definition and designed to provide you with the most crystal clear clarity possible. The objective lens is also large at over 50mm, which further enhances the light transmission and minimizes glare. Also reducing glare is the sun shade, which a neat little feature that may sniping scopes don’t come with. The Accupoint has a magnification power of 5-20x, which allows you to zoom in very closely to targets at extremely far distance and still make dead on accurate shots.

Last but not least, the Accupoint is constructed out of just one piece of fully sealed aluminum that will not allow any entry of debris or water up to ten feet deep. The Trijicon Accupoint may be an expensive buy, but it’s very easy to see why and is fully worth every penny. If it’s good enough for the military to be used in military operations all around the world, it’s good enough for you too. If you are looking for a great long range setup putting this on a .308 precision rifle will not disappoint.

Learn More On Amazon

Best Sniper Scope Conclusion

With the information in this article you have now learned the different qualities that the best scope for a sniper rifle must have and three scopes on the market that exceed those qualities in the budget, middle, and high price ranges.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re training to be a sniper on a security contractor team, law enforcement, in the military, or if you just want to train to be ready to outlast whatever doomsday scenario comes at you. You have to have the highest quality scope available and that quality comes in two forms that each must be fully met: the scope must be machined to be absolutely durable, meaning you should be able to toss it around on the ground without its performance being affected, and it must be dead on precise with a large objective lens and a wide range variable magnification power. After that you side focus and go.

If you can find a scope that strikes just the right balance between those two qualities, then you will have found the best scope for a sniper rifle for you, and any of the three scopes that we have recommended meet those two qualities.

Thank you for visiting Reloadingpresso.com. If our article has helped you make a decision about the best AR-10 rifle scope for you, please click through to Amazon using one of our buy buttons. We are an Amazon Affiliate website and we keep our website running 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 Progressive Reloading Press Buyers Guide and our Best Gun Safe Buyers Guide.