These are our top picks for Long Range Centerfire Shooting. We've chosen these based on our experience of using these scopes in the field.
Magnification
The magnification choice on the Long Range Rifle scope is very open to choice but scopes tend to be from mid to high mags ie: 5-25x right out to 10-50x etc
First or Second Focal Plane
Long range riflescopes are available in two reticles choices the most commonly used are First focal plane which appear to grow in size and allows the user to have a consistent reticle subtentions on every magnification allow for easier hold offs & hold unders aswell as windage calculations.
However, Second focal plane reticles are also widely used and these style reticles are set to subtend correctly at one magnification and will remain the same size as the user increases the magnification.
Generally, scopes will be equipped with side parallax, for easy adjustment between focus ranges
Turrets on long range riflescopes tend to be an external bdc tactical style in the following adjustments – 1/8 to ¼ moa or 0.1 MRAD also known as mils or cm clicks.
Turrets & Internal adjustment
These large BDC turrets are be easy to operate to allow the user to adjust the internals of their scope without having to remove turret caps. Scopes that have been design for long range centrefire have anywhere from 60 to 120 moa dependant on model, most will be used in conjunction with moa rails or moa rings, 20-30 moa etc to ensure enough elevation for chosen discipline, and so not using turrets to extreme ends of travel to keep best optical performance
Tube Size
Tube sizes of long range discipline optics will range between diameters of 30mm -34mm -35mm 36mm & 40mm the larger the tube size ensure the scopes allows maximum moa/mil travel
Objective Size
Objective sizes of long range scopes are usually larger then 44mm and this larger objective size will maximise available light to help improve clarity of image.
Reticle Choice
Reticles in long shooting will often be a bit more complex then your generic duplex reticle. They will incorporate range finding aids, graphs or windage/holdover visual indicators.
The weight of the reticle will also be of a finer in weight. Long range scopes will often be equipped with illumination which helps to combat this fine nature of the reticle but also helps with shooting in low light or into dark backgrounds.
Reticle will often be available in both MOA or MIL subtentions and 90% of the time will have a matching click value.
Entry Level Vortex Viper HS-T 6-24×50 SFP
£550.00 - £575.00
The Vortex Viper HS-T 6-24×50 takes many of the best features from our popular Viper HS and Viper PST riflescopes, the new Viper HS-T (Hunting Shooting Tactical) delivers shooting versatility for hunters, as well as tactical enthusiasts. The Viper HS-T boasts a hashmark-based second-focal-plane reticle perfect for accurate holds at extended ranges. Incredibly precise, repeatable and durable target-style windage and elevation turrets built specifically for dialing, along with a hashmark-based MOA or MRAD reticle, top off this highly versatile riflescope’s long-range performance features. Tree stands to mountain tops, bolt guns to ARs, the Vortex Viper HS-T 6-24×50 is ideal for a wide range of shooting applications.
Mid Level Bushnell Elite Tactical DMR 3.5-21×50 FFP G2DMR Riflescope
£1,335.00 £895.00
At less than 13” in length the Bushnell Elite Tactical DMR 3.5-21×50 offers more performance than any scope in its class. The Bushnell Elite Tactical DMR 3.5-21×50 provides long-range precision without sacrificing short-range capability. This quality optic is built on a massive 34mm tube and provides 34 mils (117 MOA for the imperial thinker) of internal adjustment ensuring you can get out to 1000 yards with no worries at all. The Bushnell Elite Tactical DMR 3.5-21×50 comes with the non illuminated G2 designated marksman reticle which features a mil hash marked FFP reticle designed for ranging, holdover and windage correction or an non illuminated mildot.
Top Level IOR 4-28×50 Recon Illuminated FFP MIL MIL Scope
£1,995.00
Meet the new IOR 4-28×50 Recon the ultimate in long range shooting with 120 moa (35 .mrad) of elevation adjustment & 50 moa of windage adjustment already in installed into this BEAST of a rifle scope. With a wide field of view and parallax correction from infinity to less than 8 metres (9 yards) makes this scope ultra versatile allowing it to fit into wide range of shooting disciplines. The IOR 4-28×50 Recon comes with MC-7 Wide-Band fully-multicoating process that includes 7 to 11 layers of coatings per lens surface.