Our Top Picks
Do you want to impress others with your perfect shots without spending extra money on expensive rifle scopes? Riflescopes made for professional purposes are as costly as $3000, and of course, they are out of reach of many of us. Plus, most people don’t need these expensive models.
Today many brands have introduced budget rifle scopes with remarkable features, excellent optics quality, and reliable construction. In this article, we have reviewed the nine best rifle scopes under $300. All these models are inexpensive, but it doesn’t mean that they are a compromise on quality.
[acf field=”schema”]9 Best Rifle Scope Under $300
1. Vortex Optics Crossfire II
Vortex Optics Crossfire II is cheap but does not compromise on quality. It has an adjustable objective and versatile magnification, which means it is an excellent rifle scope for recreational hunting and shooting.
Having a 6-24x magnification is something special, allowing you to focus your long-distance and short-distance targets accurately. With this rifle scope, you can focus the targets as close as 130 meters and as far as 550 meters.
The objective is adjustable, which makes focusing a breeze. In addition to that, it has a second focal plane, which means you can zoom as much as you like without missing the details and losing the focus.
The handover estimation is a genuine problem, but thankfully this riflescope features a Dead-hold Bullet-drop compensator reticle. This feature automatically calculates the adjustment to nullify the influence of wind and gravity on the bullet.
The tube piece having a diameter of 30mm allows maximum light to enter and gives you a bright and clear view of your target. The lens is anti-reflective and multi-coated; therefore, they provide a clear and bright view quickly. Moreover, the lens is fog and water-proof, which means less obstruction in the view.
The torrents are easily reachable by hands-thanks to MOA clicks. The ultra-forgiving eye-piece is extremely helpful while focusing.
Moreover, the tube piece having a high-quality aluminum build is shockproof and very strong. In addition to solid built, it features the O-ring sealing and nitrogen purged body is shockproof, less prone to scratches and damage.
Vortex Optics Crossfire II is an inexpensive rifle scope that features an SFP reticle for quick and easy focusing. Moreover, the anti-reflective lens with waterproof and fog proof properties give a bright and unobstructed view of your target. In short, it’s the best option for multiple range shots at a reasonable price.
2. Simmons 8-Point 3-9x50mm Rifle Scope
If you are looking for a rifle scope with premium features and robust quality without breaking the bank, consider Simmons 8-Point 3-9x50mm Rifle Scope. It is an excellent choice for hunters, tactile shooters, farmers, and security men because it gives sturdy performance just under $300.
It offers 3-9xmagnification, which means you will get a 31-foot field of view at 3x configuration while 10.5 foot at 3x magnification at a distance of 100 yards.
It uses an anti-reflected, multi-coated lens that provides high-contrast and bright images of the view making your every shot perfect. Moreover, these optics are fog-proof and waterproof, which means you won’t face any obstructions in the field of view. In short, the QTA eyepiece helps you in aiming to make it a perfect shooting tool ever.
The capped turrets are correctly positioned and allow the correct windage and elevation adjustment system. It stays locked at zero, making the adjustment easy in the harsh conditions. Moreover, the MOA clicks are perfect every time you turn the knob. It has a zero rest feature also.
The truplex reticle forms a cross chair along with all the corners of the lens and becomes thinner in the middle so that you can aim at your target correctly.
The objective lens diameter is 50mm, which allows maximum light transmission, making the view more clear and bright for you, but at the same time, it feels quite large as compared to other devices. Although it features a big lens, it is still easy to mount a rifle scope with a weight of 0.63 pounds.
Simmons 8-point 3-9x 50mm riflescope is made with quality materials, which means you can use it in any environment without fear of damage or breakage.
Simmons 8-point 3-9x 50mm riflescope features premium quality lens and truplex reticle that makes the focusing quick and easy. It is one of the best rifle scopes under $300 that offers excellent mid-range shooting with maximum eye relief.
3. Vortex Optics Diamondback Second Focal Plane Riflescope
Vortex optics diamond black is another great option under $300 for long-range, slug shotgun, and hunting. This multi-configuration rifle-scope allows you to focus the target quickly, making the shots accurate and easier for you.
The Dead-hold BDC reticle is an excellent tool to estimate the holdover even in the low light and harshest conditions. The second focal plane gives a long eye-relief making your experience more precise and comfortable.
A quality lens guarantees the best performance of a rifle scope. Vortex Optics Diamondback has a high-quality anti-reflective lens and a fast-focus eye-piece giving you a bright and clear view. The turrets are capped, which means there’s no chance of accidental adjustment; they also allow the re-indexing to zero once you sighted the rifle.
The zero-reset option is handy for multi-distance shooting. The best part of Vortex Optics diamondback is the precision glide erector system. This system enables you to magnify your target by zoom, even under challenging conditions.
The single-piece solid construction makes it a robust and durable device and minimizes the chance of breakage and damage. The ai-craft aluminum construction, fog-proof and waterproof lens and matte finish make it a highly stable and durable rifle scope under $300.
Vortex Optics Diamondback 4-12×40 is an excellent choice for long-range and multi-distance shooting. With a high-quality lens, Dead-hold BDC, SFP reticle, and precision glide erector system, it is one of the best rifle scopes under $300.
4. Vortex Optics Crossfire II 1-inch Tube Riflescopes
Vortex Optics Crossfire 11 with a 1-inch tube is another affordable option for long-range shooting. From V-brite illuminated reticle, coated optics to a 1-inch long tube, this riflescope has everything you can expect from a rifle scope meant for long-range shooting, hunting, and shotgun applications.
Handover estimation is not easy, even if you practice a lot. Thankfully, the Dead-hold BDC reticle helps you estimate handover, making your hunting and shooting a breeze. The objective lens with a diameter of 44mm allows maximum light to come in, and you will get sharp, bright, and clear images of the view.
The anti-reflective and multi-coated optics are ideal while shooting in maximum sunlight, while the eye-piece makes the focus and targets acquisition a breeze.
It offers 60MOA clicks, and capped turrets feature a zero-reset, which means there is no chance of accidental adjustment. The 4-inch eye relief makes multi-distance shooting easier.
The nitrogen-purged body and single-piece air-craft grade aluminum construction make it rugged and sturdy, suitable for any environment.
Vortex Optics Crossfire II 1-inch rifle scope is a tremendous long-range hunting and shooting tool that gives a robust performance at a remarkable price. The riflescope features sturdy construction and premium quality optics, which means this rifle scope is not a compromise on quality in any way.
5. Mueller Tactical 8-32×44 Side Focus Mil-Dot Reticle
Mueller Tactical 8-32X44 rifle scope is a budget option for hunting, mid-range shooting, and target practice. The fast focus and easier view adjustment make it the ideal voice for target practicing and multiple distance hunting.
The fast-focus eyepiece is the crucial feature of this rifle scope. It enables you to focus the moving objects quickly and easily. Its optics are of premium quality, and you can spot the targets at a large distance by zoom. The images won’t get blurred even when you zoom to the maximum level with Mueller Tactical 8-32X44 rifle scope.
It features a mil-dot reticle with five dots along every corner of the cross chair. It means you can easily aim at your target and become confident that the bullet would hit the target.
The magnification power is very strong; this high magnification power helps aged people with poor eyesight. There is no chance of missing the target as you won’t miss any details of the target, even at the maximum magnification.
The lens diameter is 44mm, which means a lot of light will enter and produce a bright and clear image. This feature is handy, especially in the low light condition in the early morning and evening, which is a peak time for hunting.
For accurate targeting, it has exposed turrets. The turrets are easy to use, have reliable construction, and also have a zero-reset feature.
The quality of optics is remarkable. Even at 32x resolution, the images are bright, clear, and sharp. Fog-proof and waterproof lenses are ideal for many different environments.
The overall construction is sturdy, and the black finish is ideal for outdoor environments. The turrets produce the sound for MOA clicks, making it an accurate device.
The Mueller Tactical 8-32x44mm with mil-dot reticle and high-quality optics is an excellent riflescope that gives robust performance for tactical shooting and hunting. This riflescope is also ideal for target practicing, and its high magnification power makes it handy for people with poor eye-sight.
6. Monstrum G3 6-24×50 First Focal Plane FFP Rifle Scope
Monstrum G3 6-24×50 is a first focal plane rifle scope that is useful for long-range shooting. With 6-24x magnification, it is ideal for long-range and mid-range shooting and gives a clear field of view over 1500+ yards.
The custom-design H-type reticle is very useful for fast focus and handover estimation. It features an illuminated reticle, and you can adjust the brightness and intensity of the illuminated reticle by the in-line dial. The illuminated reticle is visible in low light conditions, making it ideal for dawn and dusk hunting. This feature is beneficial to aim at the target.
Moreover, it features an adjustable objective lens that is controlled by a side dial. This AO is especially useful for producing sharp and bright images. AO adds other features to this rifle scope like Parallax removal and range estimation.
Moreover, it has lockable turrets and ¼ MOA Windage and elevation adjustments. It also has the zero-reset option, which means there is no chance of accidental adjustments.
A high-quality lens is used in this rifle scope, a full multi-layer, and has an anti-reflective surface. Also, the optics in this lens are impervious to fog and water, which means you won’t face any obstruction in the view.
It boasts a single piece of air-grade aluminum construction, and a low glare matte black finish makes it less prone to breakage and damage.
It has an objective diameter of 50mm, which guarantees excellent light transmission, but at the same time, this large size becomes problematic while mounting the rifle scope. You may need extra accessories to mount this large-sized objective. The weight of this riflescope is 1 lb, and the size of the tube is 30mm. The best thing about this riflescope is its 4.45-inch eye relief.
Monstrum G3 6-24X50MM FFP rifle scope is a perfect tool for long-range shooters with a limited budget. From an adjustable objective, top-quality optics, and excellent magnification to sturdy construction, this rifle has every feature you may look for in the best rifle scope under $300.
7. CVLIFE 3-9×40 Optics R4 Reticle Crosshair Scope
CVLIFE 3-9X40 is a nice option for shooting enthusiasts who want to start their career with a limited budget. The best thing about this riflescope is that it offers high-power magnification and a 40mm lens diameter at a low price of under $50.
It offers 3-9x magnification to have a clear view of your target that is small in size and is located far away. With 9x power, you can enlarge your target, and you won’t lose any details even at the maximum zoom. It means you can blow your target every time you focus on it.
The 40mm objective diameter allows maximum light to enter and gives a bright view of the target. This excellent light transmission is handy while you’re shooting in low light conditions.
The R4 reticle is excellent while targeting the focus, and also it makes the holdover estimation easier for you. Surprisingly this budget rifle scope has a shockproof capability, which means fewer chances of bullet deviation.
It features a stylish design and quality material construction, making it the best rifle scope under $300. The rifle scope lacks options like parallax removal and zero-reset, which means you cannot use this rifle scope for professional use.
The lens is waterproof and fog proof, making it extremely useful in environments of every type.
The CVLIFE 3-9×40 riflescope is the cheap option for shooting and hunting enthusiasts that offers robust performance and maximum durability. The lens in this riflescope is highly impervious to water and fog so less obstruction in that view. Moreover, its shockproof capability guarantees minimal bullet deviation and exact targeting.
8. Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn Multi-X Reticle Riflescope
Bushnell Banner Multi-X reticle is an inexpensive rifle scope that has features like fast and quick focus, brightness adjustment, and excellent windage and elevation adjustment. Available just under $100, it is the riflescope you must consider if you want to spend less money without compromising on the quality.
The clarity and brightness of view is the key feature to determine the quality of any riflescope. It features a high-quality lens that allows excellent light transmission enabling you to get a clear and bright view of the target even under low light conditions. Hunters would love this feature because dawn and dusk are the ideal times for hunting.
The SFP reticle is excellent to aim at your target and allows you to get the maximum accuracy even in the harshest conditions. It offers ¼ MOA windage, and elevation adjustments and turrets are easily accessible by the user’s fingers.
The eye-piece in this riflescope offers sharp focus, which means you can rapidly see and hit your target. The best feature of the Bushnell Banner rifle scope is its 6-inch long eye relief, which you will get at the lowest magnification. The 3-9x magnification power is a terrific option for targeting the small and distant target.
The Bushnell Banner rifle scope with multi-x reticle uses top-quality optics that are bright enough to be used in low light conditions. This feature makes it very popular among hunters who want to get the maximum game at dawn and dusk.
9. Feyachi RFS-21 6-24x50mm AOEG Rifle Scope
Feyachi RFS AOEG rifle scope works on two different optical settings, green and red, plus it supports long-range shooting, which helps it stand out as the best rifle scope under $300.
It has 6-24x magnification power, enabling you to focus the moving, small, and distant target with accuracy. The optics are of premium quality, and you won’t miss any details even at the maximum magnification.
The 50mm objective diameter is something great that allows maximum light transmission, making your view sharp and bright even under low light conditions. The ultimate eye relief you will get at the lowest magnification level is 81.53 mm, while it will come down to 75.81 mm at the maximum magnification level.
The illuminated reticle works in two settings, green and red, at the intensity level 5. This reticle is ideal for correct focus and target acquisition.
The lens is full, multi-coated, and has an anti-reflective layer, which means clarity and brightness of view are guaranteed in this rifle scope.
The best thing about this riflescope is its reliability. Built with single-piece air-grade aluminum material with nitrogen purged surface, this is highly impervious to damage, cracks, scratches, and water. It means you can take this riflescope to any environment fearlessly.
Feyachi RFS-21 with 6-24x magnification power and an objective lens with a diameter of 500mm is ideal for long-range shooting and hunting. It offers sturdy performance and boasts a sturdy construction at a reasonable price.
Wrapping Up
All the riflescope models reviewed in this article are inexpensive, plus they possess quality features like best optical quality and sturdy construction. All these models are different, and you need to be careful before choosing a single one from the list. Your choice will depend on how much and where you are going to use it.
In the end, we will have shortlisted our top three picks.
- Vortex Optics Crossfire II 1-inch Tube Riflescopes for long-range shooting with maximum eye-relief and quick focus.
- Monstrum G3 6-24×50 First Focal Plane FFP Rifle Scope is an inexpensive model having specialized features for dawn and dusk hunting.
- Simmons 8-Point 3-9x50mm Rifle Scope is a lightweight model having the best optical quality with zero-reset and parallax elimination features.
Wrapping up the discussion, I would recommend you go for those riflescopes that are versatile and have the best optical quality. Optical quality s the critical feature that determines the clarity and brightness of the view.
