In this comprehensive guide, I’ll unveil top-tier best scopes for Ruger Scout Rifle favored by optic experts and competitive shooters alike.
What is a scout rifle?
A scout scope refers to a type of rifle scope strategically mounted ahead of the receiver on the barrel. These scopes are characterized by their lightweight, compact build, offering low magnification and ample eye relief.
Crafted for shooting with both eyes open, scout scopes excel in providing rapid recovery from recoil, enabling shooters to swiftly take follow-up shots.
What are the factors to consider?
When selecting a scope for your Ruger Scout Rifle, consider factors such as magnification range, eye relief, durability, reticle type, and your shooting preferences.
It’s also a good idea to ensure the scope’s compatibility with the scout rifle setup, as scout rifles typically require long eye relief scopes mounted forward of the receiver.
What’s more?
I’ve meticulously categorized these scopes based on their purpose. So, whether you’re seeking a cost-effective option or aiming for the pinnacle of premium scout scopes, your ideal match is right here.
Let’s dive in and explore the finest scout scopes available!
Top 4 Best Scopes for Ruger Scout Rifle
- Leupold VX-Freedom 1.5-4×20: Best Scope for Ruger Scout Rifle
- Burris 200261 Ballistic Plex 2-7×32: Best Burris Scout Scope
- Vortex Razor HD Gen II-E 1-6×24: Best Vortex Scout Scope
- Nightforce ATACR 1-8×24: Best Long Eye Relief Scout Optic
Leupold VX-Freedom 1.5-4×20: Best Scope for Ruger Scout Rifle
The Leupold VX-Freedom 1.5-4×20 stands out as the top choice for a scout scope designed for Ruger Scout Rifles due to its tailored features.
When it comes to optics, this scope offers exceptional glass clarity with a crystal-clear image, thanks to its fully multi-coated lens. The reduction in glare and color distortion ensures a bright and accurate sight picture, further enhanced by Leupold’s Twilight Light Management System.
This unique system maximizes light intake, extending visibility by an extra 20 minutes during dawn and dusk, making it a great fit for low-light scenarios encountered in hunting or home defense.
The Duplex reticle is a standout feature, facilitating fast target acquisition with its thin crosshairs and thick outer posts, crucial for swift aiming in hunting or close combat situations.
With an eye relief ranging from 4.17 to 3.74 inches, this scope provides ample room for eye maneuverability, ensuring a comfortable shooting experience without concerns of eye contact with the scope under recoil.
Durability is a hallmark of Leupold, and the VX-Freedom lives up to that reputation. Crafted from aircraft-grade aluminum, it’s both robust and lightweight. Its waterproof and fog-proof design, along with scratch-resistant lenses, ensures reliability even in adverse conditions.
The scope’s ¼ MOA adjustment turrets deliver precise and accurate adjustments, crucial for scout rifles or AR-15s.
Featuring a variable magnification of 1.5-4x, this scope is ideal for short-range hunting and home defense, although a 1x starting magnification would be an improvement. Nonetheless, its 3:1 zoom ratio makes it versatile for various shooting situations.
Pros
- Clear glass
- Lightweight
- Price
- ¼ MOA finger click
- Scratch Resistant Lenses
- Compact and lightweight
- Twilight Light Management System
Cons
- No labeling on the dials for visual confirmation
Burris 200261 Ballistic Plex 2-7×32: Best Burris Scout Scope
Renowned for its reliability and effectiveness, this scope proves to be a formidable companion for hunting across various environments, particularly excelling in woodland or mountainous terrains.
Crafted with Hi-Lume multi-coated glass, the optic provides crystal-clear clarity while minimizing glare, ensuring excellent visibility even in bright daylight conditions.
The SFP Ballistic Plex Reticle offers simplicity and efficiency without unnecessary complexities, featuring trajectory compensation up to 500 yards, an invaluable aid for accurate shooting.
Notably, the variable eye relief ranging from 9.2 to 12 inches, coupled with a generous eye box, enhances the shooting experience, allowing comfortable sighting with both eyes open, and promoting situational awareness in wilderness settings.
The scope’s durability is impressive, being recoil, water, and fog-proof, with nitrogen purging and quad seals providing exceptional moisture protection.
Constructed from high-grade aluminum, it remains robust and functional even after accidental submersion in water bodies, showcasing its reliability in adverse conditions.
In terms of adjustments, zeroing in at 100 yards is effortless, and the turrets offer audible, precise clicks, though they may require careful handling to prevent unintended shifts.
However, the Posi-Lock system stands out, ensuring a consistent zero by utilizing a retractable steel post, enhancing its reliability significantly.
Featuring a 2-7x magnification range with a 32mm objective lens, this scope is optimized for woodland hunting, capable of effectively targeting up to 600 yards.
Pros
- Hi-Lume multi-coated glass
- Super durable
- Ballistic Plex Reticle
- Recoil, water, and fogproof
- Adjustable eye relief of 9.2-12”
- Posi-lock system for unerring accuracy
- Awesome magnification range
- Extended eye relief
Cons
- It weighs 13 ounces. This could make the rifle feel a bit heavier with the optic forward mounted.
Vortex Razor HD Gen II-E 1-6×24: Best Vortex Scout Scope
This Vortex scope not only meets but surpasses expectations across various aspects crucial for a scout rifle optic.
The optical experience through this scope is simply stunning, characterized by unparalleled color fidelity and exceptional image sharpness.
From edge to edge and throughout the magnification range, the clarity remains outstanding, a testament to Vortex’s meticulous engineering, incorporating indexed lenses, HD extra-low dispersion glass, and XR plus lens coatings. The result is a remarkably clean and vivid sight picture, complemented by superb light transmission and focus.
The illuminated BDC reticle, with its simplicity and precision, offers accurate bullet drop estimations, especially with heavier loads at full magnification.
The brightness levels of the illuminated dot cater to diverse shooting scenarios, and the variable illumination knob, featuring a lock and battery-saving options, add to its practicality.
Featuring an ample 4-inch eye relief, the Vortex Razor HD Gen II-E offers an extremely generous eye box, allowing easy maneuverability behind the scope, crucial for engaging targets from awkward defensive positions.
This scope facilitates shooting with both eyes open, akin to a red dot sight, enhancing peripheral vision while maintaining focus on the target.
When it comes to durability, this scope defies expectations by maintaining robustness while significantly reducing weight compared to its predecessor.
The rugged construction, crafted from aircraft-grade aluminum, instills confidence in its ability to withstand rough handling and adverse conditions.
With its ArmorTek coated lenses, hard anodized finish, and comprehensive protection against fog and water, it remains unfazed even after enduring rough handling and harsh environments.
Tactile and user-friendly, the turrets offer audible and tactile feedback, allowing for precise adjustments even while wearing gloves. Zeroing the scope is efficient, and despite rigorous use, it retains zero reliably.
With a magnification range from 1x to 6x, this scope is remarkably versatile, serving adeptly for short-range tactical situations as a red dot sight and extending to 600 yards for accurate shots at higher magnifications.
However, the zoom dial stiffness and its rotational span through the magnification range are slight drawbacks, remedied by aftermarket throw lever accessories.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Built like a tank
- Quality glass
- Capped turrets
- Great eye box
- Versatile Illumination
- Do-it-all versatility
- Easy to shoot with both eyes open
Cons
- Zoom dial stiffness
Nightforce ATACR 1-8×24: Best Long Eye Relief Scout Optic
The Nightforce ATACR 1-8×24 stands out as an exceptionally long eye relief scout optic, offering unparalleled features and performance.
Undoubtedly, this scope justifies its cost with exceptional optical quality, owing to the utilization of extra-low dispersion glass that consistently delivers a crystal-clear and sharp image, free from any blurring or distortion across various magnification settings.
The illuminated FC-DM reticle, with its daylight-bright illumination and external adjustment turrets, enables quick changes and precise adjustments, maintaining clarity even in brightly lit scenarios without cluttering the view.
With a generous eye relief of 3.74 inches, the ATACR ensures extended shooting sessions without causing eye fatigue, thanks to its crisp and distortion-free glass. The eye box complements this relief, offering ease of use even at full zoom without any struggle to center the picture.
Durability is a hallmark of the Nightforce ATACR, showcasing its ability to withstand harsh conditions. Its bomb-proof reliability, reinforced by its fog-proof and waterproof construction, remains unaffected even after being fully submerged and roughly handled.
Crafted from aircraft-grade aluminum in a one-piece construct, this scope epitomizes toughness.
The turrets of the ATACR are among the best, providing audible and tactile feedback while remaining easily adjustable with caps to prevent accidental adjustments.
Its ability to hold zero after minimal rounds for zeroing is commendable, ensuring consistent performance over time.
With a fixed parallax at 125 meters and a versatile 1-8x magnification range, this scope remains functional across various shooting scenarios.
The clear reticle at lower magnifications facilitates quick and precise shots at close range, while the higher magnifications bring out the rifle’s potential for longer-range shooting.
Pros
- Extreme durability
- Crystal clear glass
- Very forgiving eye relief
- Precise and audible tactical turrets
- Versatile magnification
Cons
- Doesn’t come with mounts & rings
Conclusion
In conclusion, selecting the best scopes for Ruger Scout Rifle involves careful consideration of multiple factors such as magnification range, eye relief, durability, reticle type, and personal shooting preferences.
Each of the scopes highlighted here—the Leupold VX-Freedom, Burris 200261 Ballistic Plex, Vortex Razor HD Gen II-E, and Nightforce ATACR—showcase exceptional qualities tailored to meet the demands of a scout rifle.
Whether prioritizing clarity, durability, versatile magnification, or precise adjustments, these scopes offer various advantages suited to different shooting scenarios.
Ultimately, choosing the ideal scope for a Ruger Scout Rifle entails finding the right balance between these factors to complement the rifle’s intended use, ensuring optimal performance and accuracy in diverse shooting environments.