The 7 Best Long-Range Scopes for Your AR-15

Comparison of The 7 best long range rifle scopes for your AR-15

PRODUCT	DETAILS
Our Top Pick	Brownells – Match Precision Optic 3-18x50mm Rifle Scope	Maximum light transmission Reticle and Turrets in MRAD for easy adjustments Waterproof	View Latest Price
Our Top Pick	Trijicon -Tenmile 4.5-30x56mm Illuminated Long-range Scope	Durable All-weather protection Illuminated Fully multi-coated lenses 56mm objective lens	View Latest Price
	Vortex Optics – Diamondback tactical 6-24x50mm FFP	Durable Matte-black finish for low glare Low weight Easy to sight in Great light collection	View Latest Price

The AR-15 is America’s favorite gun, both for hunters and target shooters alike. Couple one with great optics you can expect accurate and precise long-range shooting. But if you just got your first AR-15 and never bought a long-range scope before, you’ll easily get lost in all the choices available on the market.

As usual, we are here to help you choose the best long-range scope for your needs. However, please bear in mind that choosing the top one might be a little bit problematic due to the fact that most AR-15 long-range scopes have deceptively similar features. The criteria we will be looking for include durability, accuracy, ease of mounting, and use, of course, the price, and much more.

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What’s The Effective Range of an AR-15 with a long-range scope?

According to U.S. Military standards, effective range means the range in which a firearm is effective and can reach a target. A scope will be viewed as long-range if it allows for accurate shooting within the AR-15’s effective range. The range of an AR-15 is a popular topic for a debate among shooters. According to the factory instruction manual, the AR-15 has an effective range of approximately 600 yards (550m).

In reality, the effective range of your AR-15 will depend on multiple factors.

1. Weather conditions when you are shooting. The effective range will be longer on a dry clear day than when it is windy or raining.
2. Is the shooter a beginner or a seasoned AR-15 marksman. The effective range for a beginner might be around 200 yards on a sunny day without wind. On the other hand, a shooting ace can precisely reach targets up to 1000 yards.
3. What is the length of the barrel? AR-15s are available in at least three common barrel lengths.
   • Carbine: up to 16 inches,
   • Standard: 16 – 20 inches, and
   • Target: at 24 inches.

   Longer barrel length means that the round reaches a higher velocity due to the longer time the powder has to burn. The trajectory of high-velocity bullets is flatter over a long-range and has less drop. That allows for better accuracy over a distance. The effective velocity of a 16-inch barrel will be around 500 yards and for a 20-inch barrel close to 800 yards.

4. What caliber are you using in your AR-15. The effective range of 500 yards applies to 5.56/.223 rounds. If you use heavier rounds like .224 Valkyrie, your effective range will be around 800 to 1000 yards.

What to Look for in an AR15 Long-Range Scope

Telescopic sights, commonly referred to as “scopes,” use a system of lenses to magnify the appearance of a target from a distance. Not surprisingly, this magnification effect on the user’s field of vision is beneficial for styles of shooting that require precision from a distance. While distance shots, to some degree, are capable with mere iron sights, adding a scope reduces some of the challenges involved. For the purposes of this article, we will decide that long-range means up to around 1000 yards as that is more or less the maximum effective range of an AR-15. That means that we will be looking at scopes that can handle 500-1000 yards.

How Scopes Work

Telescopic sights generally have a combination of curved lenses and reflective surfaces within a metal sleeve. The shooter looks through the ocular lens (smaller, and of lower magnification), and the objective lens at the scope’s far end increases magnification. Some telescopic sights are fixed in the amount of magnification they can provide. Others are variable.

The “power” of the magnification of any particular scope is usually denoted like so: optical magnification x objective lens diameter (for fixed magnification optics), or minimum magnification – maximum magnification x objective lens diameter. For example, the Leupold scope shown below is denoted 2-12×42. This means the lowest magnification is 2x larger than the naked eye, minimum, with a maximum of 12x, and the objective lens is 42mm in diameter (lenses are often measured in metrics, rather than the US customary units).

Basic Scope Terms

Magnification

Shooting at a range of 1000 yards does not require very high magnification. There is an old rule of thumb which says that every 1x equals 100 yards. That would mean that a scope with a maximum of 15x magnification would do the trick. However, in reality magnification of twice that much, around 30x is popular for shooting at 1000 meters. Magnification beyond that will make it difficult to reach your target quickly and consistently.

Objective size

A larger objective lens means more light can pass through the scope and give you a brighter picture. That means the size of the objective will be important for long-range shooting. Generally, scopes with around 12x magnification have a 40mm objective lens.

Having a larger objective lens diameter is a benefit as well as a disadvantage. The larger the objective lens, the more light can enter through the end of the telescopic sight. More light provides a brighter image. However, having a large optic means the profile is larger. If one wishes to put their rifle through heavy use, the delicate glass within their optic may not survive potential impacts. And, the more glass on the scope’s end, the more surface there is to try to keep clean and free from scratches – both of which could impede vision through the implement temporarily or permanently. However, if one is gentle enough with their scope use and storage, these issues can be avoided.

A large objective lens is, however, heavier and bulkier and needs to be placed higher over your rifle.

Reticle types

The reticle marks the point of aim in your sight picture. There are different types of reticles (also called cross-hairs) for different shooting purposes. To name a few, dot reticle, German reticle, duplex reticle, illuminated reticle, etc. BDC and mil-dot reticles let you, for example, adjust your elevation and windage with preset dots so you don’t have to adjust the turret every time you use your scope.

Focal plane

A front focal plane reticle is optimal for long-range shooting. The focal plane the reticle is on determines the size of the reticle when the scope is zoomed in. There are two focal plane options:

1. The front focal plane (FFP) means that the size of the reticle will appear to change as the scope’s magnification is changed.
2. The second focal plane (SFP) means that the reticle will appear to stay the same even under magnification.

Turret and MOA

Minute of Angle (MOA) is a unit of angular measurement meaning one inch off target at a hundred yards. Generally, high-power scopes can make adjustments at a fraction of MOA per click. The turret adjustment should be easily accessible, smooth, and audible for precise long-distance shot calibration.

Target turrets

All long-range scopes have windage and elevation knobs. These help you to sight in the optic at a set distance. Most turrets are, however, small and have a low profile. That makes them hard to use.

For long-distance shooting, a scope with target turrets can be a major asset. Target Turrets are tall, easy to turn, make tactile or audible clicks, and have external markings to represent MOA or mil (MRAD).

Eye relief

Long eye relief means the scope is mounted forward on the rifle and the shooter has a wider field of view. However, for long-range accuracy, short eye relief is standard. The scope is mounted more to the back of the rifle which makes it more balanced and allows the shooter to use the magnification fully.

Eye relief refers to the distance your eye needs to be from the scope to achieve an optimal focus. There are two categories of eye relief:

1. Short eye relief where the distance between the eye of the shooter and the lens is less than 5 inches, and
2. Long eye relief where the distance is at least 6 inches.

Another notable feature of telescopic sights which could contribute to whether or not they suit your rifle’s purpose is the visual phenomenon of field of vision that is necessarily altered. The magnification that telescopic sights provide is limited to the expanse of the lens. Therefore, an additional benefit to having a scope with a wide objective lens allows for a larger field of view when looking down the scope. When one is shooting from a fixed vantage, or other position that requires little movement, having a limited field of view is not as significant of a detriment as to those who may wish to change shooting location frequently in one sitting, or for someone who wishes to shoot while on the move.

Lens quality

There is a vast range of telescopic sights available, not only with varying levels of magnification and lens diameter, but also differing coatings for the glass (both to protect the glass itself, and to alter the way the light enters the optic, which could improve clarity and color, levels of adjustment for windage and elevation, and there are even some scopes that include electronic elements that assist in ballistics calculations.

Most high-quality scopes have high-quality coated lenses. Fully multi-coated lenses are the best choice. The optical coatings reduce the loss of light due to reflection, minimize glare, maximize light transmission through the scope, and protect the lens from scratches.

Here are the different types of coated lenses:

1. Coated with at least one layer on at least one lens,
2. Fully coated – there is a single coat on each air-to-glass lens,
3. Multi-coated – the scope has a single coat on most air-to-glass lenses with multiple coats on at least one lens,
4. Fully multi-coated – all air-to-glass lenses have multiple layers of coating.

Minute of Angle and MRAD

MOA and MRAD/mil are two types of measurements used for sighting in a rifle. Sighting in or zeroing means aligning the scope with the point of impact, allowing the shooter to place bullets predictably and precisely at a given distance. Both systems are equally effective, however:

1. MOA is used more in countries with imperial measurements, most ballistic tables are in feet and yards, and ¼ MOA adjustments are more precise than 1/10 mil adjustments.
2. MRAD (Milliradian) are metric and easy to calculate. Also, the U.S. Military and high-end equipment use MRAD.

If you are more comfortable with imperial measurement then MOA might be more of your jam and vice versa. MOA is equal to 1.047 inches at 100 yards while mil is equal to 3.6 inches at 100 yards.

Parallax

Parallax is an inconsistency in the view that you see when you look through your rifle scope. It causes the reticle to move across the target as you shift your eye position. This means the reticle is not accurately reflecting where your rifle is pointing. Parallax is noticeable in higher magnification and it occurs when the projected image is too far away from the cross-hair in the scope.

There are ways to adjust for parallax:

1. Place your AR-15 in a shooting stand or anchor it to a shooting table,
2. Adjust the parallax adjustment ring to be as close as possible to the range you’re shooting out to using a quick guess at the distance from the target and dial it in from there,
3. Aim down your scope and adjust your eye position slowly.
4. Pay attention to the crosshair’s position on the target.
5. If you’re seeing the crosshair move as you move your eye, you’re experiencing parallax.
6. If you move your head to the left slightly, pay attention to how your crosshair moves. If it moves to the left on the target, it means your image is too far in front of the reticle and you need to increase the distance of the adjustment. If the reticle moves to the right on the target as you move your head left, you need to decrease the distance adjustment.

Benefits of Investing in a Long-Range Scope for your AR-15

Long-range target shooting has enjoyed increased popularity recently which means the number of long-range scopes has increased as well. If you want to shoot precisely at a long-range, you will need a quality rifle, precise ammunition, and a high-performance optic. There is just no way around it. I know, rifle scopes are not the cheapest but having a high-quality rifle scope will help you to become a great long-range shooter with precise and accurate shots. This skill will come in handy when you decide to get into hunting or try out a shooting competition.

How to mount a long-range scope on your AR15

Generally, people use two types of mounts for long-range precision shooting. Both are very easy to use and neither is better than the other. They simply offer shooters different options since they have two distinct roles. It is always important to examine your firearm to choose one or the other mounting system. Always weigh your options.

1. A single-piece scope mount is two scope rings mounted to a single base.
   One-piece scope mounts are:
   • Very rigid,
   • Durable,
   • Perfect for high recoiling systems,
   • Not suitable for bolt action rifles,
   • More pricey than two-piece mounts.

   There are a few different reasons why they are typically used on modern semi-automatics:

   • They can push your scope forward, allowing the bell of the scope to sit above certain handguards.
   • They allow proper clearance for a long-range scope.
2. Two-piece rings are much lighter than a one-piece mount but still very durable.
   Other important characteristics include:
   • Suitable mainly for bolt action rifles,
   • Need to be aligned properly,
   • Can stay on the scope and be moved to a different firearm, and
   • Great affordability.

You will need some tools to mount your long-range scope on your AR-15. These include:

• A torque wrench is the most important tool for precise mounting of your scope. The screws and the scope rings should never be overtightened. A proper torque wrench will click when screws are properly tightened.
• Loctite or Sure Thread can secure the bolts in place.
• A lapping bar and pin set, screwdriver and bits, and a modular level system will make sure the gun is leveled with the scope.

The following steps should be followed when mounting your scope:

• When your rifle is clear, get rid of any grease on your rifle’s rail as well as the mount and scope.
• Position the one-piece mount on the top rail (place the cantilever mount’s base just above the magwell/for non-cantilever mount’s place it further forward).
• If you are using ring mounts, then adjust the rings individually to fit the scope’s size.
• Put your scope on the mount and shoulder your rifle. Look through the scope, move it backward or forward on the rail until you see a full clear picture through the scope.
• Fix the mount to the rifle.
• Place your rifle into a vice and with help of the bubble level check that the mount is balanced in all directions.
• Set your scope inside the mount again to verify your eye relief.
• Place the top caps on and tighten the screws once you find the perfect position.
• Use a level to see if the scope is positioned right from all angles.
• Unscrew each top cap screw and add a drop of blue Loctite on the threads. Then screw back down. Do not over-torque it as it might make the scope shift. Repeat with each screw.

To learn more about how to mount a long-range scope on your AR15

Best Long Range Scopes – The Winner is…

We have reviewed seven long-range scopes in this article. Based on their price they can be divided into two groups:

1. The higher-end options including
   • Trijicon -Tenmile 4.5-30x56mm Illuminated
   • Kahles – K624i 6-24x56mm FFP
   • Shmidt & Bender – PM II/P 12-50x56mm FFP Illuminated
   • Sightron, Inc. – SVSS ED 10-50x60mm
2. The lower-end, including
   • Burris – AR 5.56 4.5-14x42mm Adjustable Objective Scope
   • Vortex Optics – Diamondback tactical 6-24x50mm FFP
   • Athlon Optics – Midas Tac 6-24x50mm FFP Side Focus Aprs2

The first group of high-end and high-priced AR-15 long-range scopes presents amazing optics. They all are made of very durable materials, most of them waterproof and suitable for all weather conditions. On the other hand, most of them are also long and heavy. My favorite is the Kahles scope. It has amazing lenses, easy precise adjustment, top-notch clarity and it is illuminated.

The other group, in the lower end of the price range, still offers decent long-range scopes for your AR-15. However, using them at high magnification may cause a blur. Some of them are also quite heavy. My favorite from this group is the Athlon Midas scope as it is small and lightweight and it has better optics than most competitors at this price range.