Selecting the proper optic to mount on top of a tactical rifle can be a daunting task. Perusing catalogs and websites will turn up a staggering array of riflescopes intended for military, law enforcement, and serious civilian use. Because the offerings range wildly in design and price, it can be very difficult to wade through what’s available and settle on a particular model. This month I’ll offer a few tips to keep in mind when trying to choose the right tactical scope for your new precision rifle.

When choosing a tactical scope, David recommends picking a rugged design with reliable adjustments, superior light transmission, and excellent resolution.

Before you even select a rifle, I suggest sitting down with a piece of paper and asking yourself some questions. How you answer will serve as a guide for selecting the proper optic for your needs.

Things to consider:

• Will it be used for true professional use (law enforcement or military) or recreational use (long-range shooting, sniper-type matches)?


• At what distances do you expect to do 80 percent of your shooting? Be realistic.


• What will your maximum range be?


• How much of your shooting will be at dusk, dawn, in low light, by moonlight, or with the aid of a separate light source?


• What is the caliber of your rifle?


• What are the weight and length of your rifle?


• Will it be deployed with an ancillary night vision device?


• How much did your rifle cost, and how much do you have to spend on an optic?

Answering these questions will give you a better idea of the type of optic best suited to your individual needs. Just be brutally honest with yourself. Keep in mind that any optical instrument is comprised of a number of compromises. There is no “perfect” scope that is the optimum for everything. So you must decide on what features best suit your needs.

The first place to start is deciding if you need a fixed- or variable-magnification scope. Military scopes traditionally have been fixed power. The strengths of a fixed-power scope are that they are more robust, easier to make fog- and waterproof, have fewer lenses (so are brighter than an identical variable-power model), and tend to be less expensive. The downside to a fixed-power scope is its lack of flexibility. With a variable-magnification scope you can power down to increase field of view (FOV) and/or to enlarge the exit pupil to brighten the image. With recent improvements in design and manufacture, variable-power scopes are now robust enough for serious professional use. Because of these advancements, I believe the days of a fixed-power scope on a precision rifle have come to a very definite end. I strongly recommend a variable-power scope.

Magnification
You need relatively little magnification to shoot effectively. On full-size silhouettes 4X gives good results at 500 yards, 6X is effective at 700 yards, and 10X works well at 1000 yards. Too much magnification, on the other hand, can be a serious liability. A small field of view and mirage can both cause problems. So does that mean anything over 6X to 10X is bad? No. While hitting a white LaRue target at 500 yards is simple with a 4X scope, locating and identifying a hidden target at the same distance is a different matter entirely. Higher magnification can be a useful aid in this regard. One of the advantages of the modern variable-power scope is the ability to collect information on a higher magnification and to power down to engage targets on a lower magnification.

What magnification range should you consider? This will depend upon your individual needs, but I think most riflemen are well served with a simple 2.5-10X. A scope in this magnification range provides a large FOV at 2.5-4X for close-range shots on moving targets. Powered up to 8-10X, it has sufficient magnification to identify and engage targets at long range. If your needs dictate jumping up in magnification to 16X or 24X, keep in mind that higher magnification means less FOV and a smaller exit pupil. (I know some prefer a 6-24X scope to use in place of a spotting scope, but the problem with this usage is that few riflescopes can match the resolution and brightness of a high-quality spotting scope.)