If you want to make sure you use your tag this hunting season, you need the best rifle scope for taking the shot. That means you need a scope that’s tough enough for the field, engineered to give your kill-shot accuracy, and user-friendly so your skill can get the greatest benefit from it. That’s why we brought the same attention to detail and dedication to real-world practicality to creating a hunting scope that helped you take better aim at your prey, not at your bank account.
You may remember the traditional telescopic scopes your grandpa used to use, and for generations, they were the best rifle scopes available. Comprised of a series of magnification lenses in a metallic tube, the target image was enlarged and sharpened to allow for shot placement using a cross-hair type reticle. This was a reliable method that bagged plenty of game over the years, but it was ready for a refresh.
The best modern rifle scopes may look similar on the outside–with a flared objective lens to take in the image of the target and a smaller eyepiece to fine-tune it for the shooter’s eye–but the inside has evolved. Along with precision-ground optical lenses, they can now be outfitted with much of the same technology that’s made red dot sights so popular among tactical shooters. This improves the speed of target acquisition, accurate shot placement, and precision with follow-up rounds.
It starts with a more dynamic reticle that helps shooters account for bullet drop as ranges increase and makes micro-adjustments for windage and elevation easier within the sight picture. The etched reticle is then illuminated by bright LED emitters, increasing its visual contract in almost any lighting condition. Rapid adjustments to illumination, magnification, windage, and elevation are possible without impacting the scope’s reliability, thanks to engineering that’s focused on making complex shots more achievable by the widest possible range of shooters.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the positioning of the reticle in the first or second focal plane of your optic, which will affect which option is the best rifle scope for you. As light enters your hunting scope, it meets the first focal plane just inside the objective lens. After traveling through the magnification lenses, the light moves through the second focal plane before exiting through the eyepiece. The position of the reticle determines how it interacts with the target’s image under magnification.
First focal plane reticles are positioned before the magnification lenses just like the target, meaning that the reticle enlarges at the same rate as the target. This means any reference marks on the reticle remain consistent in their relationship to the target. Second focal plane reticles are split from the target image, being positioned after the magnification lenses, so as the image of the target enlarges, the reticle will stay the same size. The relationship of any reference markings on the reticle will remain consistent with the reticle itself but not with the target at all magnifications (usually only maximum magnification).
When it comes to outfitting your gun for hunting success, we’ve got two favorites that are effective, affordable, and beginner-friendly.
The Guardian 1-8X24mm FFP LPVO is a first focal plane scope that uses a “Christmas tree” type reticle to provide plenty of reference marks to account for windage, elevation, and bullet drop adjustments on the fly. At low magnification, the illuminated reticle is easier to see than traditional FFP reticles, while higher magnification levels give you a crisp view of your full aiming-adjustment options for incredibly accurate shot placement.
The Guardian installs easily to a 1913 Picatinny rail with compatible scope rings or our precision-engineered Guardian Mount, which is available at a discount when the scope is purchased. Windage and elevation are adjusted using push-pull locking turrets, and a simple knob moves your illumination through eleven brightness settings, including eight daytime-use and three night-vision compatible brightness levels. To make sure this is the best rifle scope for a range of hunting conditions, the body is made from aircraft-grade aluminum, and the scope is fog-proof, water resistant for a half hour under a meter of water, and shockproof to over 1000 Gs.
At 1X magnification, target acquisition is fast and seamless. Adjusting the magnification with the adjustment ring enlarges the target and the reticle up to 8X for more precise placement. With a little range practice to familiarize yourself with its usage, the Guardian FFP can be your best rifle scope option for mid-to-long-range hunting.
The Guardian 1-10×28mm SFP is a second focal plane hunting scope that offers higher magnification to make this scope effective at both short and intermittent ranges. It shares many of the same characteristics as the smaller FFP Guardian LPVO but uses a less complex and more straightforward bullet drop compensation (BDC) for quick ranging between 100 and 300 yards when used at magnification. Because the reticle does not zoom with the target image, its definition is just as clear at 1X as at 10X magnification for quick or precise shooting situations.
It’s important to note that this scope does not share the same dimensions as its FFP cousin, so it uses a separate Guardian Scope Mount. We also offer the Guardian 1-8×24mm SFP LPVO, which bridges this gap, bringing the same SFP and BDC reticle benefits with a slightly smaller maximum magnification to a chassis that’s identical to the FFP Guardian LPVO.
Make sure you’re ready to put food on the table and a trophy on your wall. Don’t forget to sign up for our email list to get the latest in optics products and price drops sent to your inbox. Get a reliable hunting scope for your rifle. Order the best LPVO rifle scope for your money from Gideon Optics today.
