I tested and ranked the best AR-15 scopes for the money. Here are hand-on reviews of the best options you can get on Amazon right now.
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
1. Vortex Optics Diamondback Second Focal Plane Riflescope
Highlight: Made to be shockproof.
Helpful review: The Diamondback is a fantastic scope that needs a home. The variable magnification makes it an excellent and affordable hunting scope. The scope is 4 – 12 x 40mm. This is a perfect deer rifle scope, and for some reason, not many people use it for that. The AR community loves the Diamondback, and at that variable power range and the objective on the large size, it has a hard time fitting in there like it is comfortable on an AR15. Now comes the AR10 people, shooting for distance, and this scope has a home, especially when it sits on top of a .308 Winchester gun.
The scope is made to take the shock from a high caliber round; it will even withstand the punishment dished out by a Barret rifle shooting a .50 caliber BMG. This scope is not a lightweight or small tool, so this is not the choice for a gun that may see service in tight quarters. Suppose this scope goes on a firearm that may see wide open distances and need to cover folks downrange in nasty areas of the world. In that case, it is on the money for that, and the rounds coming from a standard AR15 in .223 or 5.56 will quickly reach out and ruin a threat's day.
Vortex's glass and coatings will have this scope competing with the higher dollar units and holding its own or exceeding, and I bring them home every time. Some clients will order the most expensive optics for bragging rights (more money than brain types), and the Vortex comparable will beat out the target and sight picture almost every time.
If the Vortex does not beat the others, it will match them point for point every time. I sell a lot of Diamondbacks and install and bench-sight them for many people here in Utah on all of the different rifle platforms; I even put one on a crossbow for a neighbor at about 250 bucks; how can a shooter go wrong? — Nicholas Martin
Get it from Amazon now: $299.99 & FREE Returns
2. CVLIFE EagleFeather 1-6x24 LPVO Rifle Scope
Highlight: ½ MOA per click adjustment turrets.
Helpful review: This scope is what is called the LPVO or Low Power Variable Optic. This style of scope is best suited for the AR-15 platform. The significant part about the 1x power is that it works like a red dot, a Red Dot with a long tube. The problem with using a scope for a Red Dot is the field of view is hammered down to a small point versus a real Red Dot or reflex optic that will leave the field of view open so I can see everything. The primary value of using the 1x to 2x magnification is that close things will be in focus. So, if someone out there uses a shotgun that can mount a scope for turkeys, this will also work.
The objective lens is small at 24mm. This will make the field of view very tight, so looking for stuff with this scope, I will need to get right on the money before I see it. With this small objective lens and the magnification turned up, I can only see the exact area I will shoot at, not the whole chest zone, just the area in the middle. This is fine, but not too fast, unless I use two eyes open shooting, then close my left eye right before I pull the trigger.
The turrets on this scope are the old-school turn with a dime and cap, just like a hunting scope. The adjustments are made with a zero lock, making it easy to return to the beginning if I lose my place. The turrets adjust at ½ MOA per click. The eyepiece will adapt to focus on the target. The illuminated reticle switch is located on the left side of the scope, and it looks like the third knob on the scope. The illumination is either green when it's on or black if I don't turn on the lights. The reticle has five levels of adjustments, so it will work to fit wherever and whenever I take the scope.
The body of this scope is made from aircraft aluminum and sealed with an O-ring to keep humidity out. The optics are treated with anti-fogging coatings, so this scope is ready for anything I can throw. The eye relief is about four inches, suitable for everyone on an AR-15. The AR platform, but stock, does not have much more room than that. When I look through this reticle, I see a circle with graduated posts that I can use to estimate the range. A thin round battery powers the reticle and comes with the box's scope. I was ready to sight this in about ten minutes. — Gary Anderson
Get it from Amazon now: $129.95 & FREE Returns
3. Crimson Trace Hardline Riflescope
Highlight: Exposed and easy to adjust turrets.
Helpful review: Crimson Trace makes high-quality products, and this one is priced at a range that everyone or most everyone can afford. Again, this scope is more designed for precision or hunting rifle use. I had to use higher rings to mount this scope on an AR platform so the objective lens would clear the upper. This is no big deal, and some magic or hard-to-get items; remember that objectives around 50mm or larger will need more space between them and the upper, and order the higher or taller mounts.
The reticle in this scope is a BDC or Bullet Drop Compensator. The BDC brings some premade "dope" calculations for easy shooting at a distance. The hang-up with the BDC is it is caliber, maker, and barrel length specific. A BDC is also bullet weight and twist rate specific. This sounds like I am throwing shade on the Hardline scope; I am not just letting everyone know if they get a scope with the built-in BDC and it is not exactly on the money, it's not the gun or the fault of the scope, it's both. All that is required is to move a target to 300 yards and see if the BDC is putting the rounds in the X-ring. If not, you will know the difference and make the calculations easy to fix.
The turrets are tight, some may say too tight; I like it this way as I know the clicks are precisely right, and the adjustment will stay in place and not wonder as some scopes can do.
The aluminum that makes up the tube or scope body is thicker, and this scope is heavier. This heavier, thicker tube also means the scope can take on the world of an AR rifle, as it should be used. The glass is high quality, and the lens coatings are high quality.
This is a very nice scope. The scopes come in caliber-specific optimizations, so ensure you get the right one for your gun. I have mine on an AR10 that shoots 6.5 Creedmoor; if I bought a scope made for the 6mm, my BDC would be OK, but it would be more hassle than it would be worth. — Michael Jacobson
Get it from Amazon now: $338.99 & FREE Returns
4. Vortex Optics Crossfire II Second Focal Plane Riflescope
Highlight: Fast focus eye ring.
Helpful review: I like to use Leupold scopes for my hunting rifles. There are many great makers in the optics world; my favorite is Leupold since Nikon stopped making rifle optics. AR platform rifles and carbines don't fit with Leupold scopes. So, I looked into what is available in magnified optics for AR rifles. Most of the time, if I put an optic on my ARrs, I use the reflex or red dot sights, so this is a grand experiment. It will also give me more insight into seeing the same optics for customer upgrades outside the standard go-to scopes.
The first on my list is the Crossfire II. This Vortex scope is fantastic, along with everything they make and the stuff they have for AR rifles. Rifle glass costs too much to get poor-quality items, so I only want quality on my guns.
The number one thing a scope on an AR must be is tough. Like the rifle, it must take a beating and keep working, just like when it came out of the safe. The other thing an AR scope must be able to beat is the weather—raining, snowing, freezing, and superheated summertime weather, which is the Utah way. Other environmental issues are the dust and sage pollen that seems to crawl when it gets onto or into things. It is everywhere.
The Crossfire II is a variable magnification scope 6-18x44, with many scopes for an AR rifle. The 5.56 round will shoot that far and can hit a target with pretty good accuracy way out there. This scope is better suited for an AR-10 platform shooting higher caliber rounds, but it will work on the AR-15 with no problems. The objective lens is 44mm, which covers the whole field at 500 yards. The magnification adjustment ring is on the back, and the eyepiece has a fast-focus reticle. When I put my fingers on the magnification, the focus is right there simultaneously.
The turrets are exposed and easy to turn. The knurling is nice and not too aggressive like some sniper model stuff, so this will work as a hunting scope and fit along just right. The eye relief is long and makes shooting easy. Long eye relief is essential for a shooter who moves a lot. The long eye relief allows the shooter to move and requires the target to be in a hurry. The check weld on a long eye relief is comfortable and allows the shooter to find my comfort spot on the stock and not have to fit the gun.
The final thing to mention about a Vortex scope is the no-questions-asked warranty. If I break this by letting it fall off the cliff, gathering all the parts, and shipping them to Vortex, they will fix it or send me a replacement. This is a genuine buy-once, and don't worry about the scope; the warranty will even be transferred to the new owner if I sell it on the rifle or by itself. I have no idea how they can afford that, but they do and stand by the warranty no matter what. — Steve Lofton
Get it from Amazon now: $229.99 & FREE Returns
5. UTG EZ-TAP Outdoor MS Rings Scope
Highlight: Integrated front sunshade.
Helpful review: UTG is famous for making stuff that is, at best, good quality. They are not great quality items, but they are just good, so I was hoping this one would be OK, and if it did not work out, I could use it on something else later. To my great surprise, it is a pretty dang good little scope. And when I say little, it has a small footprint and does not take up a lot of space on top of the upper on the AR platform.
The included mounting rings looked suspicious, so I grabbed a better pair and used them to install the scope. This form, which I have read and practiced, was the difference maker in keeping this scope accurate. From what I see, the scope reticle stays in line, and the adjustments are tight after trying to wear out the excellent fit.
The turrets are exposed and easy to turn with gloves on, a nod to the precision turrets. If, for some reason, I need to adjust the crosshairs for a scope that is good for 300 yards or less, it will be an easy adjustment.
The reticle's crosshairs are thick, and it is easy to find a target, especially if it's moving. When I turned on the illumination for the first time, it was red and purple. Purple reticle lights are a new one for me. Being a little color-blind, this is not a big deal for me; I wish it had a green option instead of purple. The brightness is so bright that if I used it turned up at night, I may have an issue with night blindness. So, I always turn the brightness down to the halfway mark on any of the lighted reticles, just for that reason.
The last thing to say about this scope is the ease of dialing the crosshairs for the initial sighting. It took me about 15 minutes to get into the middle rings, not just on paper, but in the rings. In about another five minutes, I had the gun drilling out the X ring, which made me smile a lot. All of this for under 150 bucks—what's not to love? — Michael Smith
Get it from Amazon now: $169.99 & FREE Returns
6. Pinty 4-in-1 Combo Red & Green Dot Sight and Green Laser
Highlight: Red and Green reticle with a compact laser.
Helpful review: This scope is new to me, and I am impressed with a newcomer. The price tag is low, so I am not expecting it to compete with the heavy hitters, but this is not too shabby for an entry scope. I plan to keep this scope and use it for display purposes at the gun show.
This kit has a red dot optic, an illuminated scope, and a laser sight thrown in for good measure. I am not in love with this scope, but am not mad at it either. The build quality is way better than the price of a hundred bucks. With all the optics and sighting things in one kit, a shooter can choose the kind of sight they want to use on the gun. When fully assembled, this setup looks like it came from a sci-fi movie.
The red dot-style optic determines if a shooter wants fast action and rapid target acquisition. Paired with the laser sight, it was a speedy way to get on target. The red dot and laser will come off the central scope cluster to see if this is the way to go for a shooter. The scope itself is excellent, and the reticle can work without illumination. When I look through the scope, I can see the black crosshairs, and if it gets dark, I can turn on the lighting, which is pretty clever.
The variable magnification goes from 3x to 9x and has an objective of only 32mm. This setup works more towards a hunting rifle with that much magnification, and with the small objective, the target will be small and hard to find. If I pair this with the red dot to get me there and then zoom in on the scope, I see what this setup is about. For me, using one optic to fill in the weakness of another is just not correct; it goes against nature.
The manufacturer states it is fully waterproof, O-ring sealed, and filled with nitrogen to keep out the fog. The reticle can be green or red in a bright sun or a dark hallway. The scope will mount on any Picatinny rail, so if the AR has a flat-top upper, this thing can find a perch. — Charlie Garza
Get it from Amazon now: $104.59 & FREE Returns
7. Monstrum Guardian Series AO Rifle Scope
Highlight: 6x to 18x magnification.
Helpful review: Monstrum is one of my go-to scopes for upselling clients on optics. For just over a hundred bucks, this scope will be a great place to start on an AR-10 rifle chambered in .308 Winchester. Monstrum sells this scope as a hunting scope and has all the makings of an excellent long-range scope. For my customers who shoot the AR-10 for distance, this one is where I start; many of the guns leaving my shop have this maker's scopes installed right off the bat.
The scope body is made from 6061 aluminum, sealed with O-rings, and filled with argon or nitrogen; depending on which one I buy, this one is filled with nitrogen. I have tried to drown these before, and they do not fail this test. I have even taken one to the lake, tied a string, and chucked it in the muddy water. Three days later, I pulled it back, and after washing the muck off, it worked exactly as it did before the test. The only thing I would suggest about avoiding this style of testing is that the scope will stink like the bank of a lake. That scope will eventually end up in the trash because I could not get the smell out of the shop.
This scope will fit in the supplied mounts on the flat-top uppers or in any other AR15 scope mounts. The glass is good, not great, but the thing costs just over a hundred bucks. It will not have Nikon-quality glass, but it does not warp or go weird like other low-cost scopes on the market.
The AO dial will give a sufficient rangefinder effect and quickly get a shooter on target. This scope is not made to shoot at its full magnification; the picture will distort, and at 9x, most of the time, the picture looks fuzzy to me. For a shooter looking to learn how to work a scope before spending a significant amount of cash on a great one, this one will do everything needed to raise the shooter's skills to match the rifle's ability. — Shannon Credle
Get it from Amazon now: $119.95 & FREE Returns
8. Vortex Optics Viper PST Gen I Second Focal Plane Riflescope
Highlight: Illuminated BDC for shooting at dusk.
Helpful review: This would be my last article about scopes if I did not mention the Vortex Viper. This scope is a true AR15 perfect-fit optic. It is an LPVO, with the BDC made for the round. Its small body and light weight make it easy to use and do the job for this exact application.
With the ability to zoom in to 4x magnification, this scope will have me hitting X rings at 400 to 500 yards all day, as long as I can find a place to shoot that far. I turned it down to 1x magnification, and it is almost a red dot optic. I can move with both eyes open, scan a field for coyotes, everything the red dot is excellent at this scope can do the same. With all of that said, this scope is not made to replace a red dot or holographic sight if that is what is needed. This scope is a one-size-fits-most application, and the price tag makes it a first choice for upgrades.
The turrets are exposed and made for bench shooting. Bench shooting turrets are not knobby like a field precision scope; they are smooth and use white highlighted numbers, not dark or black on black, to keep hidden as much as possible.
The eyepiece is large and makes the eyes open operation easy; the objective is small, so a zoomed-in shot will be a compromise. This scope is unlike its cousin, the Diamondback, which is made for hunting deer and for riding on a battle rifle or maybe that crossbow neighbor I have. The only reason I do not send as many rifles home with this scope over the others is the price; this scope is about one hundred to one hundred and fifty dollars more. In my opinion, unless it is going on a hunting rifle, the money is well spent.
This scope is sitting on my bench beside a heavily modified Mosin Nagant. I am trying to figure out how to construct a scope mount for this antique so I can take it to see how they get along. I won't leave the Viper on the old Russian; I happen to have one and want to make it work, to say I did it. — Neil Inabnitt
Get it from Amazon now: $359.99 & FREE Returns