5 Best Rifle Scope under $400 in 2023 (Tested by Experts)
Due to the increasing popularity of hunting, getting a rifle scope at less price point is possible. But choosing a suitable riflescope is not an easy task, and the wrong riflescope can make your adventure a nightmare. A quality hunting scope should have features like adjustment turrets, good magnification, durability, weather resistance, etc. Any random low-budget riflescope might degrade the performance of your rifle.
Thus, picking up the best scope from so many other rifle scopes is very crucial. We have made your task of qualifying purchases easy. In the following piece of writing, we have compiled one of the best rifle scopes. By the end of this article, you will be able to compare various scopes and choose the best rifle scope under 400 for yourself. Let’s get started.
List of Best Rifle Scope Under 400
1. Vortex Optics Crossfire II 3-12×56
If you want to be an exceptional hunter or shooter, this Vortex Optics product is for you. Shooting with this riflescope ensures good performance and reliability. This scope is a single aircraft-grade aluminum tube; thus, making the scope robust and shockproof.
The scope is hard anodized, O-ring sealed, and nitrogen purged so that the riflescope is waterproof and fog proof. The turrets are capped, finger adjustable with MOA clicks, and zero resettable.
The Vortex Optics performs well in low light conditions. There is no compromise with the scope’s performance in challenging light conditions as the scope has a V-Brite reticle and an oversized objective.
There are complete image focus and parallax removal features with this scope for shooters. The lenses are anti-reflective, and fully multi-coated to deliver precise and crisp images. The long eye relief and eye box help you to get fast target acquisition. Easy reticle focusing is possible due to the fast-focus eyepiece.
| Pros |
| Adjustable objective lens |
| Fog proof and waterproof |
| Clear and crisp imaging |
| Can be used for hunting and shooting |
| Cons |
| The scope is heavy |
2. Leupold VX-3HD 3.5-10x40mm Riflescope
This Leupold optics is one of the quality scopes at an affordable price. The Twilight Max Light Management system is a major attraction. The glare is less and impressive image quality. Target acquisition is easy with this scope. The target is not lost even in the bright background due to the duplex reticle and thicker peripheral lines. The scope is lightweight and can impressively stand recoils. It is also fog-proof, waterproof, and shockproof.
DiamondCoat2 coating ensures better light transmission and abrasion resistance. The aircraft-grade aluminum tube can stand lifetime recoil. The windage and elevation adjustments keep the riflescope steady in any conditions. The lens maximizes red and blue light transmission and provides the best contrast. The long and generous eye relief ensures hunter or shooter comfort while using it.
| Pros |
| Twilight Max Light Management system |
| Lightweight |
| Generous eye relief |
| DiamondCoat 2 coating |
| Shockproof, waterproof, and fog proof |
| Cons |
| Turret’s design |
3. Burris Ballistic Plex Hunting Riflescope
The riflescope has a lot of amazing features. These features will make your hunting activity easier. The riflescope is small and lightweight, thereby avoiding discomfort while hunting and making it easy to carry a riflescope. The lenses are large to provide better light transmission. Moreover, the lenses are multicoated for excellent image quality. The riflescope is nitrogen-filled to avoid fogging in the internal region of the scope. Thus, the scope is waterproof, fog-proof, and shockproof.
The glass is high-grade, provides brightness and clarity, and has amazing durability. The scope is ideal for shooters and has multi-purpose uses. The fast target acquisition with both eyes open makes this scope a more preferred choice. The scope has a forward mounting design, allowing for mounting it in front of the ejection port. The extended eye relief ensures comfort while shooting.
| Pros |
| Long eye relief |
| Ballistic reticle |
| Impressive shock absorption |
| Weatherproof and fog proof |
| Price |
| Cons |
| No lens caps |
4. Athlon Optics, Argos BTR, Riflescope
With this rifle scope, you do not have to spend too much time focusing before shooting. That’s because this scope allows you to quickly and easily acquire your target. Moreover, it increases your accuracy. Besides that, it has a magnification of 3.4-10x and a zoom ratio of 3:1.
This rifle scope is designed to maximize light transmission due to its red and blue lens coating. Another great feature of this rifle is its long and generous eye relief. The best part is that it has a twilight light management system which enables you to see high-contrast images.
| Pros |
| This rifle scope is quite durable |
| This hunting rifle scope is shockproof, waterproof, and fog proof |
| This scope has generous eye relief |
| Cons |
| This scope has no CDS turrets |
5. Vortex Optics Viper Parallax Second Focal Plane Scope
Vortex Optics Viper Parallax 2nd focal plane scope is a very sound scope for this price range. This scope features a single-piece aluminum casing, which helps keep the internals sealed away from water or other environmental concerns. It also means the Vortex Viper is a tough little unit, rugged against recoil or impacts.
The mil-dot MOA on the second focal plane is helpful for adjusting on the fly for windage, especially at longer ranges. The downside is that the reticle size will not adjust when you change the zoom on the scope. This can make is slightly challenging to land shots at greater distances. That said, this scope will work well for shots under 600 yards. The lenses are multicoated and have anti-reflective coatings to provide a clear and crisp view in dim light conditions. You can adjust the reticle with sharp focus due to the fast-focus eyepiece of the scope.
| Pros |
| Comfortable eye relief |
| Aircraft Grade Aluminum |
| The scope is easy to handle |
| Mil Dot MOA reticle |
| Cons |
| Reticle does not change size as user zooms |
Buying Guide for Rifle Scope Under 400
People often as, “You win some, you lose some.” This means that you may have to make a few sacrifices when purchasing a suitable rifle scope at a reasonable price rifle. Therefore, you need to know the features to consider before purchasing the rifle scope.
We are going to help you identify the various features to look for in a good quality scope. This will help you to identify which scope has features that meet your requirements quickly.
Lenses
One of the factors you need to consider is the light transmission of the lens. This is very important, especially if you are shooting in lower light conditions. Consider rifle scopes with larger objective lenses because they have a more light transfer. Lenses with good light transmission increase accuracy because images are clearer.
Manufacturer
It would be best if you consider the magnification range of the rifle scope before purchasing. The magnification power you need is determined by the shooting range you prefer. For long magnification range shooting, you need a scope with high magnification, such as 20x. On the other hand, if you are a short-range hunter, you need a fixed power rifle scope with a magnification of up to 3.5x.
Happy Hunting
Hunting or shooting adventures can become better with rifle scopes. Be it a beginner or an expert; a right riflescope is a must. With a variety of features that come with rifle scopes, hunting becomes easier. Adjustments in brightness, magnification ability, special reticles, and many other features improve the chances of hitting the target. The best part is you don’t have to spend more money to get the best rifle scope. The above piece of writing has brought to your notice the riflescopes with the best features and those within your budget. Let us know your favorite one.
