Deer hunting season is coming!
Have you planned anything? Don’t skip this exciting challenge.
Before starting, make sure you have excellent skills and patience. And we will help you choose the right equipment.
Although there are a lot of models available on the market, not all of them are the best deer hunting scope. You have to consider many features before making the final decision. We also list top 5 scopes for the best hunting deer experience. Depending on your specific demands, you can consider one.
The comparison of the best deer hunting scope
In this table, you will know the basic features of the 5 products. Let’s see and choose which features can meet your demand. Then, read the specific review in the next part. This way can help you save a lot of time.
| Product Name | Product Detail |
|---|---|
| Editor's Choice Nikon ProStaff 3-9 x 40  Highlights ● Fairly standard size ● Large lens ● Aluminum material ● Waterproof | |
Vortex Optics Viper HS 4-16 X 44 Highlights ● Objective lens ● Extra-low dispersion glass | |
Vortex Viper HS Long Range 4-16 x 50  Highlights ● Long-range shooting ● Advanced optical system ● XR multi-coated lenses ● Shockproof, fog proof, and waterproof | |
Ledsniper riflescope 6-24 x 50 Aoe  Highlights ● High-end technology ● Sunshade and mounting rings ● Waterproof and shockproof | |
Simmons 8-Point 3-9 x 50mm Highlights ● Reasonable price ● Simple and impressive design ● The fully coated optics system ● Intuitive windage and elevation system |
The in-depth review of the best deer hunting scope
Based on our experience as well as feedback of other buyers, we listed the top 5 products on the market. They can meet most of the requirement of users. Please take a look below:
1. Nikon ProStaff 3-9 x 40
Nikon brand is famous for producing high-quality scopes which suit both beginners and professionals.
The manufacturer also adds a few extra features to support users as much as possible.
This scope is designed for average-experienced hunters because of its reasonably standard size – a 40mm objective lens with 3-9x magnification.
The lens is big enough to provide you with light for shooting your target accurately. And it is pretty lightweight, which doesn’t influence your performance.
Thanks to the aluminum material, the tubing is O-ring sealed, nitrogen sealed, and waterproof. Thus, whether you use it in wet or foggy conditions, it can work well. Specifically, its fully multi-coated optical system transmits 98% of light through the tubing.
It’s not ideal to aim and shoot a too-faraway target. This requires you to reach the deer closer.
With a reasonable price, the scope is great to shoot your deer exactly at a near distance. However, if you aim at something further, please consider other options.
Pros
- Clear glass
- Easy-to-enter the zero distance and target distance through an app
- Quick-to-integrate the app with both Apple and Android operating systems
- Simple to mount
- Solid construction
Cons
- Not perfect for shooting at a far distance
2. Vortex Optics Viper HS 4-16 X 44
Vortex Optics Viper HS 4-16X44 belongs to an advanced scope line, so it suits hunters with higher-level of requirement about a wonderful balance of accuracy, ease of use, comfort, durability, and magnification. Moreover, this variable range scope comes with a 4x zoom range. All of these features are great for hunting deer.
Here are specific examples:
Although the objective lens is smaller than some of its competiors(about 30mm in diameter), there is enough light through the tube so that you can see your target clearly and shoot it precisely.
Please take a look at the outstanding features:
Because of the extra-low dispersion glass, the model provides you with high resolution, increased color fidelity, and amazing overall image quality.
Apart from the precision, it also minimizes guesswork in windy days. While the reticle on the second focal keeps the same appearance, you can adjust your aiming on the target through the dead hold BDC reticle.
Compared to others, the lens of Vortex Optics is pretty small with less amount of light, but you can still see your target clearly to shoot. If this is not your problem, you should choose this scope to hunt deer.
Pros
- Sharp
- Perfect for holding zero
- Super clear
- Very well made
- High power
- Precise
Cons
- A small amount of light
3. Vortex Viper HS Long Range 4-16 x 50
While Nikon ProStaff 3-9×40 suits near distance, Vortex Viper HS Long Range 4-16×50 is designed for shooting long range. It works well for almost any range.
Thanks to an advanced optical system, you can see a sharp and clear image from edge to edge through the XD glass. Besides, the XR multi-coated lenses help you capture the clearest details.
If you mount this scope into your rifle to hunt deer within 200 yards, it may be overkill. Thus, you should take longer shots.
It comes with rugged construction, O ring seals, and Argon gas. No matter where you hunt and how the weather is, this scope is also shockproof, fog proof, and waterproof.
Although this scope is quite massive, it doesn’t influence performance too much, especially for hunters with good skills. Skilled professionals should invest in one because it is convenient to hunt when the weather is not good.
Pros
- Fast to focus for speedy target
- Solid construction
- Very clear optics
- Easy to adjust
Cons
- Heavy
4. Ledsniper riflescope 6-24 x 50 Aoe
Here is the best thing:
Ledsniper riflescope 6-24×50 Aoe is integrated with high-end technology which is usually found on military scopes.
It comes with a whopping six to 24 magnification, which is enough for you to see your target clearly.
The sunshade and mounting rings will keep your model away from environmental elements thanks to the waterproof and shockproof features.
What’s more, it also has 2 different colors settings for the illuminated mil-dot reticle, so that you can choose a suitable solution for your demand.
Although the scope wasn’t easy to use 30 years ago, now, you can mount this high powered illuminated scope on your deer rifle.
This is a worthy investment for achieving precision and sharpness. With its durability, you can use this product for a long time. However, like Vortex Viper HS Long Range 4-16×50, it’s quite heavy, so make sure you have good skills to control your weapon.
Pros
- Durable
- Sharp image
Cons
- Pretty heavy
5. Simmons 8-Point 3-9 x 50mm
Most of the products above are pretty heavy, so they suit professionals more. If you are a beginner, Simmons 8-point 3-9x50mm is your solution.
Apart from the reasonable price, this is a simple and impressive choice.
The scope is designed with a fully coated optics system, which offers the maximum amount of light and maintains high-quality images.
Thanks to an intuitive windage and elevation system, you can easily use it without needing a guideline.
While the 50mm objective lens is large enough to provide you with clear images, the 3x-9x magnification allows you to adjust easily and quickly.
It doesn’t fit the low scope mounts, so you have to consider whether or not it suits your weapon carefully.
Once you determine this scope is for your weapon, you had better add this scope into your list immediately since it gives you a lot of benefits.
Pros
- Very slight
- Easy to mount
- Clear and bright optics
- Easy to adjust
Cons
- Small issues on the adjustment knob
What is the best deer hunting scope?
There isn’t an exact answer. This depends on many features, but hunting deer is challenging, which requires a high-quality scope.
Whitetails deer is intelligent, so the smallest mistakes can make them run away quickly. Your deer hunting scope should work well in a farther distance. The size of the deer is quite large, so the lens and glass should be bigger a little.
Things to consider when choosing deer hunting scope
Although there are some top-end brands which are famous for producing high-quality products available on the market, not all of them can meet your demand. That’s why we has written this part. The best deer hunting scope must meet the following considerations:
- Glass: a high-quality glass is pretty expensive. So, if your budget is tight, try to choose a reliable brand.
- Coatings: this is as important as glass. So, you had better avoid buying cheap products with bad coatings. This is a worthy investment.
- Magnification: to hunt deer successfully, you have to pay attention to clarity and sharpness in place of power. If your budget is under $300, you should try to stay under 10x.
- Accuracy: actually, precision is key to the best deer hunting scope. Anyone who is looking for a scope wants to shoot precisely. After mounting the scope into your reticle, move it a little to make sure your right sight, windage and bullet drop corrections.
- Low light quality: deer tends to be active around dusk and dawn, so you will want a scope with high-quality glass, and coatings, especially large aperture.
- Price: hunting deer requires a scope that can work in further distances, hard conditions, and low light, so an expensive and high-end product is a worthy investment. In case you don’t have a lot of money and you hunt during daytime for 200 yards, it’s good to purchase a more affordable one.
- Warranty: the majority of the deer hunting scope has a limited lifetime warranty on the current market. Nowadays, some brands can provide you with customer service and repair or replacement coverage as well.
FAQs
When visiting some forums about deer hunting scope, we see that a lot of people are wondering about the following questions. Thus, we also answer them in this article. Hope it is useful and informative for you.
What magnification do you need for deer hunting?
This depends on each specific distance. Usually, the lowest magnification can provide you with the clearest image of your target.
Keep in mind this rule:
You should have at least 1x magnification/ 100 yards.
For big games, you will have to hunt within a 200-yards distance which requires you to go with at least 2x (or 3x). At 300 yards, we highly recommend you look for 4x-5x, and a 6x for 400 yards.
If you hunt a smaller animal, it’s better to select higher magnifications for the same distance that will offer a clear image.
What do the numbers on a scope mean?
To be clear, we will give you an example. With Nikon P-223 3-9X40 SF, the 3-9×40 is the most important part.
3-9 means that your target will appear 3-9 times closer to you. 40 is the objective lens diameter in millimeters.
How to choose the best rifle scope for 300 yards?
A scope for 300 yards needs at least 3x magnification. Depending on lighting conditions and the size of your target, you will want to look for 4x magnification even higher.
Which objective lens sizes is the best?
The standard object lens size is 40-44 millimeters. There are larger objective lenses on the market, but these are not essential. If you choose too big lens, it may be uncomfortable to shoot, unbalanced, heavier, and clumsier.
What to expect in the best rifle scope under $500?
Although this price range is average, you can still find out many amazing riflescopes for hunting and shooting deer. However, you have to consider some features such as situation, lighting, and distance before buying.
Let’s go hunting!
You have good skills, patience, and now, the best deer hunting scope. What are you waiting for? Let’s start your trip immediately.
If you aren’t sure and want to know our choice, listen to us. We choose Vortex Viper HS Long Range 4-16×50 because it works in the long range very well. Moreover, we usually hunt in adverse conditions and position, the shockproof, fog proof, and waterproof features are very beneficial for us.
Which one is your choice? Please let me know what’s on your mind by leaving your comment in the section below.
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