How to Choose a Gun Scope
- 1). Choose a model designed for your gun type. Rifle, handgun and shotgun scopes are all designed to work best with only one type of gun. Installing a handgun scope on a shotgun may not give you the accuracy you are looking for.
- 2). Consider the optimum magnification of the scope. The experts at Optics Planet say that hunters should buy a rifle scope between 3x and 10x magnification, while shooters who need to hit more distant targets may want up to a 25x magnification. Handgun and shotgun scopes tend to be more useful in the lower magnification range.
- 3). Look for an adjustable model if purchasing a handgun scope. Chuck Hawks, a gun expert, says that a fixed scope will not work properly when installed on a handgun and will require the user to learn how far to move the gun off target to hit accurately with the scope.
- 4). Choose a gun scope that is fully sealed and waterproof. The experts at Optics Planet say that most quality scopes are fog and waterproof, as well as offer coated lenses to reduce glare.
- 5). Examine the reticles of each scope to choose the one you like best. The reticle is the aiming mark, most commonly seen as a crosshair, but modern gun scopes offer a variety of styles, say the experts at The Rifle Scope Store.
- 6). Test the gun scope for repeatability, if possible. Repeatability is the ability of the gun scope to stay sighted, or on target, after the firing of multiple rounds, say the experts at Optics Planet.
- 7). Measure the recoil distance of your gun to choose the right eye relief distance. The experts at Optical Planet say that the eye relief distance is the space between the shooter's eye and the scope. A gun with three inches of recoil can damage a shooter's eye if a scope with only one inch of eye relief is used.
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