Which scope

These were the first scopes to use passive infrared. Today, they are not suitable for tactical applications and are hardly used in hunting anymore. Generation 2 — brought smaller, more portable and lightweight devices with an increase in performance and clarity. Generation 3 — saw further refinement and is what most combat troops use.

Despite what you might hear, Gen3 devices are legal to own and use within the US. Generation 4 — could be called experimental: these devices have no protective coating on the microchannel plate. An infrared illuminator sends out a beam of infrared light, which is not visible to the human eye. However, the device can pick it up; think of it like a flashlight for your scope. The range of infrared illuminators varies but can reach out to a yards.

A: Any night vision device is a sensitive piece of technology that needs to be handled with care. A: Night vision works by enhancing light, allowing you to see in inferior light conditions. Thermal imaging shows heat: hot or warm areas show up as red or orange in your sight, with color intensity signifying hotter areas. A thermal device aids you in spotting targets by enabling you to see the body heat of your prey. The great disadvantage is that thermal imaging commonly has a lower resolution, resulting in heat blobs rather than an identifiable target.

The range of thermal devices is limited as well when compared to night vision optics. Generally you get much better resolution with an NVD at least in the same price range. In hunting, thermal devices are largely used for scouting, but you would still rely on a night vision scope to zoom in, identify the target and taking a shot.

Armasight is company specialized in night vision and thermal imaging technology located in San Francisco, California. Their products cover a wide range of prices and are known for their high quality. Same as Armasight, their products are popular with hunters, but also law enforcement and military employees. Firefield entered the market targeting recreational hunters and users of night vision devices.

They provide high quality at affordable prices. The right night vision rifle scope for your needs should feature a high resolution and clear image and work well within the range you need. When matched well with your rifle and situation, a night vision rifle scope will greatly enhance your experience and allow you to take precise shots even in the worst light conditions.

To come up with the top night vision rifle scopes, we researched a variety of sources for reviews such as Target, Dicks Sporting Goods and Best Buy along with our own personal experience. We also consulted online magazines for product research and reviews to get as much unbiased information as we could. To help weed out fake reviews we used Fakespot. With so much quality gear available, we had to narrow it down based on what we felt were the best options for the price.

The staff authors, have extensive experience with a variety of outdoor sports like paintball, roller skating, baseball and golf. To help narrow down the selection they used their personal experience along with recommendations from instructors and retailers. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

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ANT Corp. Dicks Sporting Goods. Notice: OutsidePursuits. Amazon offers a commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Richard Remick Last Updated: June 14, Richard Remick Richard is the founder and the chief editor of Outside Pursuits.

Passionate about the great outdoors, Richard spends much of his time in Colorado enjoying skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, cycling, hiking, and camping.

When at home in Florida, he is most often found in the water. He loves water sports such as paddle boarding, kayaking, snorkeling, and scuba diving. He is a certified scuba diver. Because of his wealth of knowledge and experience, Richard has been invited to contribute articles to many outdoor-focused websites, such as Florida Rambler, and has been profiled on travel websites such as JohnnyJet.

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Examples might be simplified to improve reading and learning. Tutorials, references, and examples are constantly reviewed to avoid errors, but we cannot warrant full correctness of all content. The brand comes off as a sort of budget brand to me for some odd reason, however, each and every time I review one of their products I am impressed! The sight picture is bright and clear and the durability of this scope is hardly any less than our top dollar mil-spec scopes. Here is a pretty good video review on this scope.

I recommend skipping to around in the video. A lot of you may argue with me on this, but Vortex time and time again proves that it is one of the best value brands in the optics game. This optic is incredibly easy to use and fits very well on top of the AR My Review: This scope is probably one of the highest quality scopes you can purchase for an AR that is suitable for short to medium distances. Welcome to the buy once cry once section.

Most of these are probably a bit unnecessary to the casual AR enthusiasts but may be a life saver to a competitive shooter or die hard hunter.

If you are truly looking for the best scope for AR rifles regardless of price, this is where you should be looking. My Review: Firstly, this scope comes in multiple different magnifications. Secondly, this is the budget version of a top of the line scope, the Razor HD. Basically, it has slightly lower-tiered glass and a few corners were cut to reduce the price. My Review: Of course, anything from Trijicon is going to cost big, but do they come up big when you need them?

In the case of the RS24, that answer is absolutely yes! For starters, this thing is built tough! You can really tell that Trijicon upholds its ruggedness no matter if its an ACOG, red dot, magnified optic, etc. Always expect battlefield level durability. Secondly, the glass is incredibly clear but under direct sunlight, I feel like the illumination could be a little brighter. Aside from this one slight drawback, the optic performs great. I love the fact that you can be shooting with two eyes open with the red dot at 1x and with a quick click engage targets accurately at m.

My Review: Steiner originally modeled this optical system to be used in law enforcement applications where ambient light is low but a crystal clear sight picture is non-negotiable. Sure, it falls short of overall magnification range when compared to other similar premium brands coming in with x variable zoom but it does encompass a 30mm objective lens that is larger than something you would find, say, on the EOTech Vudu or some of the other x capable optics.

Steiner chose this configuration as to ensure this scope would operate and perform in low light situations and with that 30mm objective lens coated with some excellent light transmission technology and emphasis on creating a high-contrast sight picture, this is one of the best optics you could fit on your AR for optimum low-light engagements.

By the way, when these first became available and targeted to the general consumer there were two different options. The consumer version did not have the quick variable zoom throw lever that the law enforcement version had.

This particular scope is just as tough as it is beautifully clear. My Review: This scope is probably not for the everyday range queen but more so for those of you looking to complete that dream build with an epic scope atop. In scopes like this, slight increments in glass quality cost huge amounts of money! My Review: I talked earlier about how Vortex always seems like a budget brand but then blows my socks off. For lack of a better explanation, this scope is like the caviar version of the Vortex Viper.

Even at its highest magnification, sight picture remains crystal clear and bright as ever. The scope itself is rock solid, durable enough to drag through dirt and mud and still have a brand new looking and functioning scope.

The scope also comes in 3 different models, with the reticles being the only difference. Do I need to say more? This is one of the most legendary sights on the market today. It is battle-tested and ready to roll with an innovative buy once cry once price and quality!

This thing is meant for rapid deployment and tight groupings at medium range. Buy this and never shop for a mid-range scope again. My Review: EOTech is well-known for its industry breakthrough in holographic technology bringing us some of the best 1x red dot experiences but did you know that EOTech makes short to mid-range magnified scopes?

It just so happens that the Vudu series with its x24mm configuration makes for a perfect match on an AR! The Vudu really does embody everything EOTech stands for. They have been making optics that are combat-ready from the beginning that is not only rough and tough but utilizes what looks and feels like the latest technological advancements. I always feel like their goodies are top of the line and with the beautiful flat black anodized aluminum shell with its knurled adjustment knob, you get just that with the Vudu.

Everything from the extremely smooth turrets to the laser engraved logos just looks and feels the part from a premium brand. Speaking of quality, when EOTech throws out buzz words to describe the quality of their glass, they actually mean it.

The XC high-density lenses you get here covered in EOTechs proprietary lens coatings really does utilize ambient light on another level far beyond what most similar scopes are capable of offering in such a small and light package.

A legendary 1x holographic sight with a 3x prism magnifier that sits on a hinge. Easily flip between the two and engage with targets in both close and medium range. Spend some money and have some fun, this thing is awesome! Capable of handling up to lb, either a single or double nest, and both spreader and non-spreader bar hammocks, this stand was specially built for relaxing with family or a loved one outdoors.

My Review: If you have the money, this scope is incredible. Using this scope will give you the freedom of close up engagements on 1x with both eyes as well as intense 6x magnification for medium to long range targeting.

My Review: Ah, Nightforce. Is it really worth it? There are other options that fit the same role for like a quarter of the cost. For those of you who have scoured every corner of the Earth hunting down only the finest components for your precious AR, keep reading, because this is where your hunt for optics ends.

By the way, Nightforce optics are specifically designed for military applications where stretching out the maximum range capabilities of a service rifle is a necessity. Nightforce has contracts across the Navy Seals, Marines, Green Berets, and many other special forces units across the world and is highly known for its tank-like durability and crystal clear sight picture quality.

To my knowledge, all of their scopes come with an instant zeroing function called the ZeroHold and at the time of writing, this particular scope is available with over 6 different reticle choices. Of course, Nightforce makes scopes of lower magnification but I think for most people, the quality you get from their higher levels of magnification is what makes the optics worth such a high price tag.

Grabbing something lower in magnification would likely warrant another brand in terms of the AR and thus I would only recommend Nightforce optics to the general AR enthusiast if you specifically need something with higher magnification than most of the other optics on this list. If you would like to see a break down of the reticle options you can visit this link here which brings you to the Tacticalstoreusa. The Trijicon VCOG hosts a very healthy x variable magnification packed with a relatively small and low-profile 24mm objective lens.

You get similar submersion resistance at roughly 70 feet and since the objective lens is so compact surrounded by such a well made MIL-SPEC housing, these optics can sustain a regular beating and keep on going! The VCOG is available in so many options that you could get lost. Many service members enjoy the horseshoe reticle when paired up with a weapon designed to fling led downrange in a suppressive manner and more precise rifles are generally paired up with the segmented circle, although both could be used in either situation.

Oh yeah, you get to choose between red or green reticle colors as well. This is the best x variable zoom scope I could muster up for the AR If you disagree, fight me in the comments section.

If you enjoyed the article let me know in the comments, and let me know what you think the best scope for AR rifles is or what ones you are trying to decide between.

If there any optics you think should be added or removed from the list, or if you noticed any errors in this review please let me know. Wikipedia: Telescopic Sight. Wikipedia: Rifle Scope Reticle. Oh and if you want to contact me or stay up to date on the latest shooting and tactical gear like our Facebook page. You can find a link to the Facebook page near the very bottom of the page, thanks! In his free time, he enjoys hunting, hiking, running, shooting guns, and reviewing gear.

He started this website while transitioning out of the Marines, and since has recruited several other Marines to help him work on the Marine Approved website. We are currently looking for former Marines to join the team who are interested in writing about tactical gear, survival gear, hiking supplies, etc.