Hunting Rifle Scopes
Rifle scopes are essential pieces of equipment for any hunting trip. These rifle scopes are available in a variety of brands, including Leopold, Bushnell, and Nikon. The rifle scopes also come in differing magnification and optics levels, ranging from 2X to 15X, allowing hunting shooters to sight a target that is hundreds of yards away with their rifle.
What are the types of reticles available with the scopes?
When you are considering purchasing a rifle scope, you will have a wide array of different reticles to choose from. Reticles are the series of lines or dots within the lens that allows hunters to mark where their target is located. Although there are various reticles to select from, the frequently used models include:
- BDC: A BDC reticle is a bullet drop compensator that considers how much the bullet will drop when shooting at different lengths, such as 100 or 200 yards away. When aiming the rifle, you will notice a cross pattern in the lens. In the smaller line underneath the most prevalent horizontal line, there are several notches, which correlate with different yardage amounts.
- Crosshair: This is a common type and is noted by the presence of a cross pattern with a small open circle in the middle of the lens that highlights the exact point that you should focus on while youre aiming at your target.
- Duplex: These are designed to be used in low-light conditions, and they allow you to extend your range when turned down to half-power.
- Illuminated: These are crafted specifically to allow you to hunt at night or in other low-light environments. The crosshairs will light up depending on how much light you currently have outside.
- Mill dot: Although there are four lines in the middle of this lens that make up the reticle, similar to the crosshair, the open, circular area in the center is filled with four smaller, dotted lines, providing you with the ability to accurately hone in on your target at varying distances.
What does the lens diameter of a rifle scope indicate?
Each scope that you consider for hunting purposes will come with a specific lens diameter, the width of which indicates how much light is able to pass through the lens. This number will also allow you to identify how well the scope will sit on your rifle. These hunting scopes include lens diameters that range from 32 millimeters to 50 millimeters.