Best Rifle Scope Under $300 in 2024 (Tested by Experts)
You are surely looking out for a scope that offers great value for your money. Well, you have ended up in the right place. Here, you can find the top-rated Riflescope that provides top-notch performance in the $300 price range.
A scope is the best companion of any rifle, whether hunting or exhibiting your shooting skills. But, finding a good rifle scope that meets your requirements in every aspect is a challenging task these days. As the market is flooded with tons of options with similar specs, you may get lost in the pool of riflescopes. But, here is the solution.
Now, all you have to do is go through this selective range of rifle scopes, and that’s it. We have filtered the scopes which lead in their categories after broad research with experts. So, let’s begin.
TOP 3 Options for a Rifle Scope Under $300
1. UTG 4-16×44 30mm Rifle Scope
If you’re looking for a solid low cost rifle scope, especially for a pellet gun or another low-power solution, this scope by UTG will do the job for a relatively low cost. This company is based in Taiwan, which is a US ally if that’s important to you.
The scope itself comes with Weaver/Picatinny style mounts, but a pair of scope rings will easily adapt it for use on rifles that aren’t equipped with that. This scope is built with a 30mm tube. It has a design with a built-in sunshade, and also has flip-open lens caps.
This rifle scope is completely sealed to be fogproof and rain proof, and nitrogen filled to keep a clear view for the user no matter what conditions you are in. They call their coating system Emerald Lens Coatings. I didn’t see any information on their website about what that means exactly. I did see a patent number on some of their product descriptions (US patent number 8437079), which is for the rifle scope’s color illumination enhancing system. Best I can tell, this is to improve clarity and visibility at dusk and dawn.
This rifle scope features a mil dot reticle. The turrets can be set for an easy reset after making any adjustments for an individual shot. The turrets provide quarter MOA adjustments, as well.
| Pros |
| Zero-Lockable & Zero-Resettable Turrets |
| Built-In Sunshade |
| Side Wheel Adjustable Turret for Parallax Adjustment |
| Rainproof and Fog Proof |
| Cons |
| Less Eye Relief than Optimal |
2. Bushnell PRIME 6-18×50 Rifle Scope
The first thing you’ll notice about this scope is the large objective lens. This thing has 50mm diameter to receive as much light as possible for dusk and dawn conditions. It’s designed so that users should be able to make adjustments without getting out of shooting position, giving them more chances to make their shot. This means the parallax adjustment is on the side of the scope.
The rifle scope is designed to be weatherproof (IPX7 waterproof construction), featuring O-ring seals. The sales page from Bushnell boasts this piece is designed to be immersed in up to 3 feet of water for 30 minutes without any harm to the rifle scope. The glass also has Bushnell’s ‘Eclusive Exo’ barrier to prevent condensation on your glass. Bushnell also has a fully transferable lifetime warranty.
| Pros |
| Large 50mm Objective Lens |
| Waterpoof – O-Ring Sealed |
| Fully Multi-Coated Optics |
| Side-Mounted Fast-Focus Knob |
| Lifetime Warranty |
| Cons |
| No Lens Covers |
| Limited Recticle Options |
3. Athlon Optics Talos 3-12x40mm Second Focal Plane Rifle Scope
This second focal plane rifle scope is a versatile pick for a rifle scope under $300 that will work for varmint shooting, deer hunting, and turkey hunting. This is a great budget scope for those who want a little more than iron sights on their setup.
This rifle scope has a lot of features I see on the more expensive scopes. It has fully multi-coated lenses and a nitrogen-purged construction to make the rifle scope fog-proof. This also improves light transmission during dusk and dawn conditions.
It’s constructed to be waterproof in case of accidental submersion. It’s solidly built from a heat-treated 1” tube of aircraft-grade aluminum to make it rugged. It comes with several reticle choices, including mil dot, center x and BDC 600 IR.
| Pros |
| Fully Multi-Coated Lenses |
| Fog-proof |
| Nitrogen Purged |
| Waterproof |
| Aircraft Grade Aluminum |
| Cons |
| Eye relief is a Little Shallow (Not Recommended for Shotguns) |
Happy Hunting
By now, you must have selected one of the riflescopes suiting your requirements. If you are looking for a scope that provides good value for your money besides delivering efficient performance, one of these is for you. Just be sure to go here for our article on how to adjust your scope once you have it.
If you are a professional hunter or a shooter, Vortex Optics could meet your expectations with great low light performance. Besides, it is easy to mount and gets pretty brighter even in a dark environment. It can be a great option for you if you want to upgrade your old scope to a modern scope with advanced features. Vortex has packed almost all features that favor the shooters and enhances their user experience.
