Best Rifle Scope Under $600 [2024 Review]

Finding the right riflescope can be a challenging task as it requires lots of research and time. There are lots of scopes available in the market that has premium features at a budget-friendly price. But I have done all the research and spent lots of hours to bring the best rifle scope under $600.

In this price range of below $600, you will find a medium to long shooting and hunting range with waterproof, shockproof, fog-proof features in the rifle scopes, etc. Remember, you can find the perfect, quality rifle scope at a price range of $100, or you may also find a great option even at $10000 price.

I highly recommend for low-cost scope is the Vortex Optics Viper HS Second Focal Plane Riflescopes. Read on to learn more.

Best Rifle Scope Under $600

Vortex Optics Viper HS Second Focal Plane Riflescopes

If you search for a rifle scope with an advanced optical system with bright and high-quality images, check out Vortex Optics Viper HS Second Focal Plane Riflescopes. The scope comes with a Dead-Hold BDC reticle that is perfect for hunting or shooting from any range. Comes With a Lifetime Warranty.

The advanced optical system has XD, a glass that renders the image sharp and clear even in low light conditions. Vortex has a scratch-resistant ultra-hard coating by Armortek protects the exterior lens of the scope. The argon purged protects the scope from water or fog due to waterproof and fog proof protection.

With a 30mm tube, you increase the windage and elevation for excellent adjustment according to your need. The powerful 4x zoom range pulls the target very closely, making it easy to shoot. The capped turret can be quickly reset to zero while in action. It has a magnification range of 10 at the highest and 2.5 at the lowest point idle for shooting and hunting.

• Advanced Optical System
• Renders Image Crisp And Clear In Low Light Condition
• Quick Turrent Quickly To Zero When In Action
• 4x Zoom Brings Target Closer
• Scratch Resistant Armortek coatings To Protect External Lens
• Lens Does Not Have Any Cap

Nikon P-Tactical .223 3-9×40 Matte BDC600

The Nikon P-Tactical scope is great for hunting. Regardless of the platform, you choose to mount your scope, and you will have a great hunting experience. It consists of an optical system that is multi-coated and housed in aluminum tubes. These aircraft-grade aluminum tubes help brighten what you view even in an unforgiving surrounding or dismal environment.

The unique BDC reticle in this scope will offer you great open-circle pints to aim at. It also offers you hash marks where the range starts from 100 yards to 600 yards. The body tube measures 1 inch, and there is a lot of eye relief consistently. There are also instant zero-reset turrets that are spring-loaded, as well as elevation turrets and elevated windage.

This scope is made of Chiffon material, and the diameter of the objective lens is 40 millimeters. The total weight of the scope is 16.9 oz. It comes in a beautiful jet black color. The magnification you can get with this scope is 3-9x, and the scope length is 12.4 inches long.

The scope is fog proof as it may be used in such circumstances. Also, the scope, if O-ring sealed and nitrogen purged, protects it against any thermal shock.

• Best For Shooting 100 To 600 Yards
• Bright Fully Multi-Coated Optics
• For Quick Adjustment, Windage and elevation turrets Are Marked Clearly
• Shockproof/Fogproof/Waterproof & O-Ring Sealed To Prevent Any Moisture
• Crystal Clear Glass & Excellent Light Condition
• Problem In BDC Marking As It’s Impossible To See

Leupold VX-3i 4.5-14x50mm Riflescope

The magnification range this riflescope offers is great for getting the job done. You can use the Leupold VX-3i riflescope without it adding many ounces.

What do hunters look for in a rifle scope?

The answer is a lightweight design that works well and doesn’t lower visibility in low light or touch conditions. It has a twilight max light management system that helps you view objects in low light conditions.

The lens cover is extra durable and is made in the bikini style. It does a great job of protecting the fragile lens. The exterior lens surface is treated with the Diamond coat 2, a kind of lens coating. It assists in brightness, contrast, clarity, light transmission and is worthy even in wild places.

This particular scope offers the 2nd generation krypton/argon waterproofing. This gas blend is great for almost eliminating any effect of thermal shock.

The eye box is generous, and it offers long eye relief. Even at high powers, there is amazing head position latitude as well as brightness. The picture fills the eyepiece.

There is a twin bias spring that applies a lot of holding force upon the erector. This basically eliminates erector system backlash and helps to extend the life of the scope.

• Diamond Coat 2 & Ion Lens Finish Gives Great Level Of Abrasion Resistance
• Super Clarity Even In Cloudy Or Fog Condition
• Gives Rugged Performance & Lightweight
• Wide Magnificant Range
• Designed & Assembled In the USA
• Pricey
• The LRP Turret May Not Appeal To Everyone

Athlon Optics Hunting Riflescope

The Athlon Optics Hunting Riflescope comes in a jet black color. The reticle of the first focal plane is valid at every power setting. You can thus use the reticle that will grow or shrink as you zoom out or zoom in.

The lenses are advanced and are completely multi-coated. They give good light transmission and help bring the optimum brightness and vivid color covering the whole light spectrum.

The 6061T6 aircraft-grade tube is made of aluminum and has great strength and mechanical integrity. It will protect the optics regardless of the circumstances. Argon purging assists in waterproofing as well as thermal stability.

This scope offers 4X magnification and thus is super versatile in the shooting. The Argos BTR also has an XPL coating. What this does is protect your fragile lens from grease, dirt, as well as harsh conditions around.

The Argos BTR scope also has a feature known as side parallax adjustment. You can thus take care of adjustments as per your requirements to any range.

Thus, the reticle is illuminated, thus offering great visibility during dusk and dawn and any other low-lit areas. It has an etched glass reticle that offers great support for complex reticle designs.

• Comes With Aircraft Grade Aluminum Tube With Excellent Strength
• Exclusive XPL Coating Protects The Lens From Extreme Condition
• Illuminated Reticle Give Brighter Condition In Low Light Condition
• Has First Focal Plane (FFP) Reticle
• Affordable Scope
• In Full 24x Magnification Clarity Will Not Be Clear

Vortex Optics Crossfire II Riflescopes

These Vortex Optics Crossfire II Riflescopes are available in the color jet black. They are used for hunting and are made of aluminum metal. The Strike Eagle is all about versatility and speed. When you need to aim at objects at great length, you can easily shift to six power.

The lenses are completely multi-coated and of high quality. They help to deliver a crisp and clear picture and a great performance even in low light. The glass-etched BDC reticle is illuminated and offers 11 settings for illumination. This is useful for accommodation during light conditions that are constantly changing.

With this rifle scope, one extra battery can be placed and stored in the cap, and it can be easily removed or released. Your reticle will always be sharp, which is ensured through the fast focus dial present on the eyepiece.

It is reliable in all kinds of conditions that are adverse. This is due to it being fog proof, shockproof, and waterproof.

The dimension of this Crossfire rifle scope is a measurement of 1-6×24 inches. The magnification offered is 1-6x. Eye relief is 3.5 inches. The tube size is 30 mm, and the turret style is capped.

• Best For Short To Long Range Shots
• Fast Focus Dial Eyepiece Ensures Reticle Is Always Sharp
• 30mm Withstand Impact & Recoil
• Vortex Lifetime Warranty
• Scopes Are Sealed With O-Ring
• 11 Illuminated Brightness Level
• No Mount Is Included

Monstrum G3 6-24×50 Scope

This rifle scope from Monstrum has a lens coating that is complete of the multi-layer type. The eye relief measures 4-4.5 inches. The magnification is great, of 6-24x. The tube size measures 30mm. It is of a beautiful jet black color, and the weight of this riflescope is 1lb 14oz. The length of this riflescope is 15.75 inches.

In FFP rifle scopes, the magnification lens is right behind the reticle. The reticle is located at the first focal plane. The size of the reticle of the rifle scope either grows or shrinks, depending on the magnification.

This rifle scope generally is offered with a warranty period of 2 years. But it also depends on where you buy it from. The FOV with this rifle scope at 100 yards is 18.6’-4.84’.

This rifle scope has magnification made for mid-up to long-distance ranges shooting out to 1000+ yards.

This package also includes high-profile Picatinny scope rings. It also includes a detachable and attachable honeycomb filter sunshade. It also has flip-up lens covers that are loaded by spring. This riflescope comes with one CR2032 3V battery. The reticle of this riflescope is the illuminated custom type H.

• Best For AR-10 Rifles
• Objective Lens Of 50mm
• Scope Rings Provide Lockable Turrets
• Low-Cost For Long Range Shooting
• Comes WithFlip Up Lens Cover That Protects From Any Dust
• Heavy In Size
• Front Cap Cover Is Made Up Of Cheap Plastic

Buyer Guide

When one is interested in shooting and is looking to buy a rifle scope, many things come to mind. It can be rather difficult and confusing to buy the perfect rifle scope. If you are a beginner and do not know what to consider before buying, do not worry.

The below buyer guide has been put together just for you!

Power

The power of the rifle scope may be expressed as something like 3.5-10×50. This refers to power-power x objective diameter. Power refers to the magnification with the naked eye. So, when talking about a fixed power scope and the power 4 x 32, the power is magnified four times. Therefore, its greater number means more magnification.

The power that you will be selecting majorly depends on the kind of hunting you are into. If you hunt on the close cover, you will use a low power fixed rifle scope like a 4X. If you are into long-range shooting, you will want to go for a rifle scope that goes high, like a 16X or a 20X.

Objective

This number refers to nothing but the diameter of the objective lens in the form of millimeters. A huge number means a huge lens. Although a large lens is bulkier, they tend to let in more light and give you a wide field of view. This will allow you to see the objects clearly.

Low light performance is because of the maximum exit pupil that is due to a large objective. Exit pupil is basically the size of the beam of the light that is leaving the rifle scope. The exit pupil is basically calculated by dividing the diameter of the objective lens by the riflescope power. This calculation is done in mm.

Hence, a scope having measurements 4×32 basically has an exit pupil of nothing but 8 mm. on a regular bright day, the pupil of a person will be varying from 2mm at the noontime to 4mm later on in the day.

When a person’s eyes adjust to the evening time, the pupil measurements start varying from 5 mm to 9 mm maximum.

On a bright day, a rifle scope with a large exit pupil will not affect much. You might feel the advantage that even if you move the scope, the image does not move.

Tube Diameter

Most of the rifle scopes in the market have a tube diameter of 1” diameter. Many European models offer a tube diameter of 30 mm. However, a large tube diameter does not mean more light reaches your eyes. The exit pupil is what has a say in this aspect.

A large tube diameter, however, adds strength as well as rigidity. A large tube diameter also means a higher range for adjustment for the elevation and windage.

Length and Weight

You might have to hold your rifle for a long time. This can be not easy, and every ounce matters. If you want to reduce the number of ounces you carry, you should look into a compact and fixed power scope. You also need to ensure that it has a medium-sized objective.

This will be providing a huge exit pupil and provide a pretty bright image. This will also weigh lesser than a scope that has variable power.

Conclusion

If you are looking for budget-friendly scopes, then the above-listed will do its work. Today there are lots of great quality rifle scopes under $600 available in the market. So you don’t have to invest so much these days to get quality rifle scopes.