Rifle scopes come in all different price categories. Usually, you’ll get better quality and more features when you pay more. Long-range scopes also typically will cost you more, at least if you’re looking for a great quality scope. But, what can you expect when you’re looking at the best scopes under $500? Have a look at our buying guide and reviews below!
Buyer’s Guide to Finding the Best Rifle Scopes under $500
Spending up to around $500 to $600 on a rifle scope ensures that you get solid quality and performance that matches your shooting and hunting style. You won’t have an issue to find a high-quality scope for that price as we show in our reviews of the best rifle scopes under $500 to $600 below. You will find scopes from all the best-known rifle scope manufacturers in this category.
You can expect a high-quality scope at this price point. Most scopes will target the medium-range to long-range hunting and shooting market. You won’t find your typical 3-9x scope in this price range and you also will not find any ultra-high magnification levels – what you need to know to find the best magnification power range for scopes. If you shoot shorter distances, then have a look at our Best Rifle Scope under $300 review. If you’re only interested in long-range shooting, then check our Buyer’s Guide for Long-Range Rifle Scopes. Otherwise, enjoy our reviews of the best rifle scopes under 500 to 600 Dollars below.
- Vortex Optics Viper HS 4-16×44 V-Plex MOA
- Burris Signature HD 3-15×44
- Athlon Optics Helos BTR 6-24 x 50
- Vortex Optics Strike Eagle 4-24×50
- Leupold VX-3HD 3.5-10x40mm
- Vortex Optics Viper 6.5-20×50 PA
- Primary Arms SLx 3-18x50mm FFP Illuminated ACSS-Apollo-6.5CR
- Burris 6.5-20x50mm Fullfield II
- Sig Sauer Whiskey 3 4-12x50mm
- EOTech 512.A65
What to expect from the Best Rifle Scopes under $500 to $600
You can expect to get a great quality scope in this price range that will support medium to long-range shots (Should you use a scope level as an anti-cant device?). Typically, you can get a scope that has a starting magnification of 4x. On the upper magnification level, you can go up to 20x or even 25x in this price category. Some of these magnifications provide enough zoom to qualify the scopes as one of the best scopes that you’d use for long-range shooting.
You will typically see rifle scopes in this category that feature better optics and visibility than what you can get in the under $300 range. Most of the scopes offer better features and capabilities as in the lower price range. You also will usually get at least a 1-inch tube on the scope with a sufficiently large objective diameter. The combination of this is usually a much better image than what you get in the sub-$300 range.
Most optics in this price range of scopes under $500 will have a second focal plane reticle. Sometimes you can find a scope with the reticle on the first focal plane but that’s usually the exception.
You can expect high-quality materials to be used. Having an aircraft-grade aluminum tube is something you definitely can expect when you’re looking at the best rifle scopes under $500.
Glass quality is certainly a step up from cheaper scopes. The top brands will have high-quality extra-low dispersion glass built into the optics. You can expect good light transmission with fully multi-coated lenses producing vivid sight images.
The gun optics in this price range of rifle scopes under $500 are also all to be expected to be waterproof, fog proof, and shockproof. You can also expect these scopes to hold zero without a problem.
Overall, you can get a great scope in this pricing range. Don’t expect the best of the best optics but it will be great optics you can get. Most likely better than any scope in the above $1,000 range would have gotten you 10 or 15 years ago.
Best Rifle Scopes under 500 – 600 Dollars
Below you find our picks for the best scope under 500 for different uses. Check them out and leave a comment if you have a different opinion. We’d love to hear from you!
Vortex Optics Viper HS 4-16×44 V-Plex MOA – Best Rifle Scope under $500 – $600
Undoubtedly, Vortex scopes are among the best you can get for the money. In previous years our top-rated suggestion was the Diamondback HP which you still can find at times. If so, don’t hesitate to get one. It’s no surprise that our top overall choice is again a Vortex scope, even though in this price range it’s not the high-end Vortex Razor HD Gen II scopes that we reviewed here.
This year our pick is the Vortex Optics Viper HS 4-16×44 with a V-Plex MOA reticle. It’s a great match for hunting mid- to long-distances.
The scope offers a 4x magnification spread ranging from 4x to 16x. This is a sufficient adjustment to shoot out to many hundreds of yards. The objective diameter sports 44mm and allows sufficient light transmission which is necessary if you go to higher magnification levels.
This is not a good scope if you want to go shooting and hunting across short distances. You’ll have a hard time getting your target into the crosshairs even though the Field of View at 100 yards is a solid 27.4 feet.
The quality of the extra-low dispersion glass is where the Viper HS 4-16x44mm shines. It uses Vortex’ Extra-low dispersion glass, also referred to as XD glass. All lenses are fully multi-coated to reduce glare and reflections and allow for a crisp and clear image.
Vortex placed the V-Plex MOA reticle on the second focal plane. Using a second focal plane reticle works great for hunting. Picking a first focal plane reticle would usually be a better choice for long-range target shooting. Windage and Elevation can be adjusted by 50 MOA with 0.25 MOA per click.
The tube is a large 30 mm tube that allows a lot of light to go through. This is a great plus in conditions where you don’t have exceptional lighting and will allow you to shoot earlier and later which can make a huge difference when hunting deer – find the top-rated scopes for hunting deer.
Being a Vortex scope you expect good quality and build. The Viper HS scopes are waterproof, fog-proof, and designed to withstand recoil and shock.
For the price, you’ll have a hard time finding a better scope on the market. It offers everything you could ask for in this category for shooting and hunting use. The features offered in this scope made it our choice for the overall best scope for under $500.
Check out our review of the Vortex Viper HST scope here!
Another great Vortex scope is the Strike Eagle? Check our recommendation!
Lastly, the Vortex Crossfire II showed in our review that quality and affordability can be combined!
Burris Signature HD 3-15×44 Rifle Scope – Best Rifle Scope for Hunters under $500 – $600
While Burris is known for innovative and high-quality scopes, the Burris Signature HD 3-15×44 pushes this reputation to a whole new level. It comes with great features, including crisp glass for excellent scope images.
The 3-15x magnification makes it about as good as it gets for many hunting scenarios. Whether you stay within 100 yards or reach 500 yards, the magnification supports either ranges and anything in between. The 44 mm objective lens provides enough diameter to let lots of light into the tube to present a crisp target image.
You need a great scope to shoot 1000 yards or more. Find the best!
The scope tube is made from aircraft-grade aluminum and measures 1 inch in diameter. This is reasonable for the magnification and provides sufficient elevation and windage adjustments of up to 80 MOA in 1/4 MOA increments.
The scope is a rear focal plane optic. The illuminated Ballistic E3 MOA reticle is a great option for hunting. It provides quick target acquisition and is easily adjusted.
The field of view at 100 yards ranges between 37.5 – 7.5 ft. The eye relief is from 3.5 inches to 3.8 inches.
Burris made a lot of things right with the Signature HD 3-15×44. It combines a great magnification range with an excellent reticle and materials. In our opinion, this is the best rifle scope for hunters in the category under $500 to $600.
Please check out our additional reviews of various Burris Riflescopes!
Athlon Optics Helos BTR 6-24 x 50 First Focal Plane – Best Low Light Rifle Scope under $500 – $600
Athlon Optics is not the most recognized name when it comes to gun optics. However, the Athlon Optics Helos BTR series of scopes is a high-quality line of optics with an illuminated first focal plane reticle and outstanding glass clarity making them an obvious choice as the best rifle scope under $500 for low-lighting conditions at this price point.
The reticle sits on the first focal plane. This makes this setup great for longer distance shots where the holdover points stay in relation to the scope image when you use a first focal plane reticle. The large 50mm objective front lens provides a lot of space to let light get into the tube when lighting conditions are less than perfect.
The scope offers a 4x zoom ratio. The magnification ranges from 6x to 24x making it a great long-range scope. The lower end level will make it hard to target smaller prey at shorter distances.
The glass is multi-coated making it glare-free and improving the crispness of the image and optimize light transmission. The scope tube measures 30 mm in diameter and they make it from a single piece of aircraft-grade aluminum. To ensure fog and waterproof-ness the tube is argon purged and sealed.
The elevation and windage turrets lock. You pull them up to dial the correct values and then push them down to lock them in place. Both elevation and windage can be adjusted by 18 mils (60 MOA) with a 6 mil adjustment range per rotation.
Vortex Optics Strike Eagle 4-24×50 – Best Long-Range Rifle Scope under $500 – $600
The Vortex Strike Eagle 4-24×50 comes as a scope with a 6x zoom. This gives the optic outstanding versatility making it an excellent choice for long-range shooting.
The scope is manufactured from aircraft-grade aluminum and comes with ultra-clear glass. The tube diameter measures 30 mm. In combination with the 50mm diameter of the objective lens, you’ll be able to shoot during the early morning hours or at nightfall while still having a clear scope image.
Windage and elevation can be adjusted by 80 MOA with a 1/4 MOA adjustment graduation per click. The parallax adjustment ranges from 20 yards to infinity.
The Strike Eagle scope comes with a EBR-4 MOA reticle on the second focal plane. It is designed for long-distance targeting and provides great ranging capabilities.
The eye relief on the Vortex Strike Eagle 4-24×50 is 3.5 inches. The field of view @ 100 yards ranges from 26.2 feet to 4.3 feet.
The Vortex Optics Strike Eagle is an excellent choice for long-range shooting. Vortex combined a large lens and tube with a reticle that is made for long-range shooting. The outcome is the best long-distance scope under around $500 – $600.
Vortex Strike Eagle Riflescope Review – A good Scope for Hunters?
Leupold VX-3HD 3.5-10x40mm – Best Overall Image Rifle Scope under $500 – $600
The Leupold VX-3i series of scopes was a solid improvement over the original VX-3 series. Now with the introduction of the Leupold VX-3HD, the bar has been set even higher.
Leupold refined the VX-3i by adding HD glass and their Elite Optical System. You get fantastic light transmission in addition to impressive glare reduction. Lastly, while the overall specs stay pretty similar between the VX-3HD and Leupold VX-3i, Leupold added nearly an ounce of weight!
The outstanding feature of this scope series and specifically the 3.5-10x40mm version are the optics. Leupold worked hard with their Elite Optical System to get the best light transmission in this price category and their hard work paid off.
The combination of the 1-inch tube made from aircraft-grade aluminum with the 40 mm objective lens and the ultra-clear HD glass in the Leupold VX-3HD provides a vivid image with bright colors when you look through it. The magnification range is slightly lower than for other scopes at a similar price point. However, having the magnification starting at 3.5x means that the Leupold VX-3HD is a more versatile scope as it works better at shorter ranges compared to the 4.5x versions we highlighted above.
Looking for cheaper Leupold scopes? Check out the VX-Freedom reviews here.
The 10x maximum magnification makes the Leupold VX-3HD not the pick for one of the best rifle scopes under $500 if you are looking for a long-range scope. It is a good magnification range though for most hunting situations so if you’re not out to shoot targets or truly are intent on shooting your prey across long distances then you’re having a sufficient magnification with this scope.
As mentioned, the Leupold VX-3HD is built with a 1-inch main tube. The reticle on the VX-3HD is a Duplex reticle and it is a second focal plane scope. The eye relief ranges between 3.6 inches and 4.5 inches.
The VX-3HD scopes come with Leupold’s Elite Optical System for optimized light transmission. On the Leupold VX-3i 3.5-10x it was the Twilight Max Light Management System and Leupold has improved on that system. In combination with the HD extra-low dispersion glass and fully multi-coated lenses, you will get a superb target image thanks to the Elite Optical system.
And the scope makes more than up for the missing highest-end magnification with the superb optics and the clear scope image you get. You will get a versatile hunting scope with some of the best optics money can buy at a price point that makes it affordable for many hunters and shooters. Without a doubt, the VX-3HD is a worthy successor to the Vortex VX-3i!
Have a look at our review of how the Leupold VX-3HD scopes compare to the Vortex Viper HST!
We reviewed the Leupold Mark 3HD which is the tactical variant of the VX-3HD.
Vortex Optics Viper 6.5-20×50 PA – Best Long-Range Accuracy Rifle Scope under $500 – $600
The Vortex Optics Viper with 6.5-20x50mm PA is a magnificent designed and built scope for long distances. The impressive magnifications level ranges from 6.5x to 20x. The massive 50 mm objective lens allows a ton of light into the scope. In combination with the fully multi-coated lenses, this great light transmission produces crisp sight images.
Best of all, the long-range rifle scope features a 30mm scope tube made from aircraft-grade aluminum compared with many one-inch tubes you can find at a similar price. This tremendously improves the accuracy of long-distance shots in less-than-perfect light conditions due to the improved light transmission.
You might ask why we didn’t pick this as the overall best long-range scope? Well, we could easily have done that but the Nikon Prostaff has a more versatile magnification range, and therefore, we picked it as the best rifle scope under $500 for long-range hunting and shooting. Yes, that might be a compromise if you’re really into long-distance shooting but a magnification starting at a 6.5 level restricts the scope to only be useful for long-range shots. It loses some all-purpose features and that’s why we picked the Prostaff as the overall long-range scope.
However, when shooting long-range in less than perfect light conditions, the Vortex Viper shines. This scope is all about optics combined with the overall quality. The Vortex Viper is a great choice if you are on a budget yet looking for a scope to shoot long-distance.
Vortex positioned the reticle on the Viper PA on the second focal plane. Elevation and windage adjust within a 65 MOA range and the turrets come with 1/4 MOA clicks. The eye relief at max. power is 3.1 inches. The field of view at 100 yards ranges between 17.4 feet to 6.2 feet.
The downside is that the larger tube size, the impressive objective diameter requires a lot more glass and components. The result is a somewhat heavy scope that weighs in at over two pounds.
How do Vortex scopes compare to Leupold scopes? Have a look!
If you use an AR-15 then have a look at the best scopes and optics for the AR-15 platform!
Primary Arms SLx 3-18x50mm FFP Illuminated ACSS-Apollo-6.5CR – Best FFP Rifle Scope under $500
The Primary Arms SLx 3-18x50mm is a perfect companion for your 6.5 Creedmoor rifle. Once sighted in, you basically can skip all calculations while targeting out to 1,000 yards!
The scope comes with PA’s own ACSS reticle, which is calibrated for the 6.5 Creedmoor. You can also pick a different variant of the reticle that is a match for a .308.
The magnification ranges from 3 to 18x, making it a great option for any hunting scenario from short to long ranges. The SLx scope comes with a 50mm objective lens and a 30mm tube diameter. In combination with the excellent glass, you get a crisp scope image in about any light condition.
You can adjust windage and elevation by 14.5 MIL in 0.1 MIL clicks. This is sufficiently large for a scope allowing you to target 1,000 yards.
The eye relief at 3x magnification measures 3.9 inches. At 15x, you’ll have an eye relief of 3.5 inches. The field of view ranges between 36.70 ft and 6.10 ft at 100 yards – Find out how to stop scope creep!
The Primary Arms SLx 3-18x50mm is an excellent choice as your FFP scope under $500. The ACSS reticle alone is of great help when shooting longer distances and makes the scope an excellent choice.
Comparing Hunting vs Tactical Scopes – What are the Differences?
Burris 6.5-20x50mm Fullfield II – Best Affordable Long-Range Gun Optic under $500
The Burris Fullfield II scope is another solid scope at a price point under $500. The problem it has is that it competes with the Vortex Viper listed above. Is it a worse scope than the Viper? We can’t say it is. It’s just that the Viper feels just a touch better and brighter. In all fairness, this might just be our subjective take on it.
The Burris scope is solidly built with great optics. It offers a magnification ranging from 6.5x to 20x which makes it a great choice for long-range shots. The 50 mm objective lens lets a lot of light travel into the scope for better visibility in low light conditions.
There’s really nothing that makes this scope worse than the Vortex Viper. One thing we liked was that this scope is significantly lighter than the Vortex. It comes in at just 1.2 pounds versus the over 2 pounds on the Vortex scope.
The reticle on the Burris Fullfield II is positioned on the second focal plane. This makes it a little harder for long-range target shooting but an overall good choice for hunting. The windage and elevation turrets allow you to adjust by 30 MOA. The eye relief is a solid 3.1 to 3.6 inches.
It also is significantly cheaper than the Vortex. You can expect to save between $50 and $100 when you choose the Burris scope instead of the Vortex. We think that the Vortex is just a hint better. If you have the additional money to spend, then go for the Vortex. Otherwise, this Burris scope is an excellent choice.
Have a look at our review of the Burris RT6 – an excellent scope for the money!
Sig Sauer Whiskey 3 4-12x50mm – Best Illuminated Rifle Scope under or around $500
The SIG Sauer Whiskey3 4-12x50mm features a Hellfire Quadplex reticle. The main difference to the SIG standard Quadplex reticle is that it is illuminated.
The red dot illumination provides a better aim at low-light and long-range shots. In combination with the lower dispersion glass, it provides top-of-the-line optical clarity for pretty much any shooting environment.
The reticle sits on the second focal plane. That’s not a surprise at this price point as first focal plane reticle scopes are usually more expensive. Having a second focal plane reticle scope works well for hunting. The quick-focus eyepiece allows for fast adjustments of the reticle and rapid target acquisition in any environment.
The scope is reasonably sized at 14 inches in length and the scope tube is made from aircraft-grade aluminum. The scope provides a max. eye relief of 3.6 inches. Windage and elevation can be adjusted up to 70 MOA in 0.25 MOA steps.
The SIG Sauer Whiskey 3 comes with multi-coated lenses to keep it free from glare and reflections. It’s a sturdy build that is waterproof up to 3 feet. The tube measures one inch in diameter and it purged to make the scope fog proof.
EOTech 512.A65 – Best Holographic Sight under $500
Last but not least, we wanted to include a holographic scope into our list. The EOTech 512.A65 is probably the most popular holographic scope. These kinds of scopes are mostly designed for tactical and target shooting use. They are less usable for hunting except for somewhat shorter distances.
EOTech designed the scope for shooting within 200 yards but it works best for shorter ranges. It provides a clear view of the target and provides a 1 MOA red dot. Within the 200 yards, the dot is right on where the bullet hits after zeroing the scope.
This is not your traditional hunting scope yet there’s no reason you couldn’t use it for that purpose. The scope has 20 different brightness settings to allow you to adjust it to whatever daylight condition you’re in. It does not offer night-vision capabilities. You must spend more money to get that in a high-quality holographic lens.
The scope is great on an AR-15 for target shooting. It’s sturdy and performs well. The only drawback is that the batteries only last up to around 1,000 hours. That might sound like a lot but other holographic scopes provide a much higher battery life. On the bright side, the scope uses AA batteries which you can easily get pretty much anywhere on the planet.
How does the EOTech 518 compare to the 512?
EOTech holo sights are not cheap. Find our reviews of the best EOTech alternatives and clones here.
Conclusion – Best Scope under 500
There’s no simple answer to what the best rifle scopes under $500 might be. We tried our best to highlight 10 great rifle scopes above and figure out what we think each one is best used for.
Mostly the ‘Best of’ will depend on your intended use of the scope. If you’re shooting a max. of 300 yards then you won’t really need a 25x magnification – what is the best magnification you need for your AR-15? Our best suggestion – think of what you need and then pick the match out from our list above.
There are a number of other scopes out there that are good. We don’t assume or think we’ve seen them all. However, the ones above are a safe bet with practically no risk on your end. Get the best scope for you and then happy shooting and hunting! For more on riflescopes, click here! You can also find a list of our riflescope reviews.
What changed between 2018 and 2021?
Actually, quite a few things. Several scopes we had in our ‘Best Of’ list in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 are no longer available or have increased in price and are no longer under $500. We kept our reviews and our take on the scopes here for your reference.
Find the 2018 sights that did not make it on the 2019 list below:
Vortex Optics Diamondback HP 4-16x42mm
The Diamondback HP 4-16×42 was our top choice for a scope under 500 in 2018. However, it’s basically unavailable and if you can find one then grab it! We took the Vortex Diamondback off the list for 2019 as it is hard to be available. It does not make sense to keep the Vortex Diamondback on the list when you have a hard time finding it.
Carl Zeiss Terra 3X 4-12x50mm
Zeiss no longer offers the Terra 3X. At least we couldn’t find it (reliably) available and for that reason alone it didn’t make the list for 2019! Alternatively, you might want to check out the scopes that made the list of the best leupold scopes for .308 rifles!
Millett 6-25 X 56 LRS-1
The Millet 6-25×56 LRS-1 is still around. Unfortunately, it’s not available under $500 anymore and that’s the only reason it didn’t make it in the 2019 best-of list. If you are willing to pay over 500 Dollars, then this is a great scope. Go for it!
Nikon Rifle Scopes – Nikon Monarch 3, Nikon Prostaff 5, Nikon M-308
In our previous versions we did list various Nikon scopes. They are without a doubt excellent rifle scopes. Unfortunately, Nikon no longer produces any rifle sopes. For that reason we took the Nikon Monarch 3, the Nikon Prostaff 5, and the Nikon M-308 out of our list of the best scopes under $500 to $600.