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You cannot overlook the importance of eye-relief while talking about riflescope’s specifications. It is one of those aspects that is quite underrated. Maximum shooters
Eye relief is simply the distance from the rear lens to the final picture or view. In other words, it is the distance your eye requires to see a full picture. Having a precise eye-relief is very important.
If you hold it too close, and images get blurred around the edges and if too far you lose the vision. In simple words, a bad eye-relief affects the real-world performance.
Basically, scopes can be categorised into two main categories: short and long eye relief scopes. Both serve different purposes and offer different advantages and disadvantages to the user. Another popular category is scout rifles. With scout rifles, you can aim with both eyes open and they work well with low magnifications.
Long eye relief scopes have a smaller magnification as compared to short eye relief scopes. In long range scopes, eye relief can start at 6 inches and can go a lot, a lot further. In short range scopes, eye relief is between 1.5 to 5 inches. However, the largest eye relief currently available for a standard riflescope is about four inches. Most standard riflescopes have between three and three and a half inches, which is great enough.
Long eye relief scopes can be used only on handguns and allow the shooter to hit the target with speed. Only handguns, because with the handguns you need an extreme amount of eye relief to utilize a scoped handgun effectively.
Given the options available in the market, choosing a perfect one is not an easy task. However, to make it a bit easier for you we have listed down several long eye relief rifle scopes and long eye relief scout scopes.Take a look at some of the best scope for the money:
5 Best Long Eye Relief Scopes
Vortex Optics Crossfire II 6-24x50mm AO Riflescope w/ Dead-Hold BDC Reticle
Established in 2002, Vortex has made its mark in Riflescope industry. They are known for their quality products that are truly customer-oriented.
The best part about the brand is that their products are not only engineered by them but pre-inspected in the factory before they are shipped out.
The Vortex Crossfire II riflescope offers a lot more than the previous model.This long eye relief scope is ruggedly constructed from a solid block of aircraft-grade aluminium and anodised with a durable black finish. The low glare anodised matte finish eliminates any unnecessary glare that might hamper the shooter’s attention.
Moreover, it comes with an integrated sunshade that eliminates the possibility of glare from the objective lens. With a length of 12 inches, it contains objective lens of 40 mm.
The lenses are coated with multiple anti-reflective coatings that provide increased light transmission. As light travels from one lens to another within the scope, this scope eliminates refractive index error. The best part is that this rifle scope can be used even in extreme low light conditions.
It features one-piece 30mm main tube that is machined from a solid block of aircraft grade aluminium. This tube is nitrogen purged and O-ring sealed for waterproof/fog proof performance.
The wind and elevation adjustment knobs are capped that provides adequate protection against any physical damage. It comes with the V-BRITE illuminated reticle and the illuminated center dot provides accuracy and precise aiming.
The reticle is located in the second focal plane. It also comes with finger adjustable, zero resettable 1/4 MOA capped turrets.
The minimum eye relief is 3.8 inches, which is sufficient enough and has parallax adjustment on the front. The adjustable objective lens eliminates any parallax errors, i.e. this riflescope gives the real and magnified position of the object.
The fast focus eyepiece adjustment enables easy shifting from one target to another. This riflescope is covered by Vortex’s VIP lifetime warranty.
The price is in the mid-range segment. Easy to install and use, it is a great solid variable long range scope that is worth every penny.
Nikon 8496 P-223 3×32 Matte BDC Carbine
Nikon 8496 is equipped with some fantastic and innovative features that make this riflescope one of the best scope for the money.
Convenient and easy to use, this one is a fixed power scope with a bullet drop compensator (BDC) Carbine scope that is designed specifically for the 223 Remington round.
The BDC reticle comes with 2 additional markings below the crosshairs that can be used at different ranges. This reticle gives a 200-yard range along with the hash marks at 600 yards. Equipped with a one-inch tube, it features 32mm objective lens.
It comes with a fixed 3-power magnification. It offers 3.4 inches of eye relief. It is O ring sealed and nitrogen filled that makes it both waterproof and fog proof. With an overall length of 8.1″, it is very easy to handle.
The anodised matte finish gives this scope a tactical look. The scope is equipped with high-quality lenses and is parallax free at around 100 yards that provides accuracy and precision while shooting.
It consists of 1/2 MOA tactical style turrets which have positive click adjustments and can be made zero quickly.
However, it would have been better if Nikon would have offered covered turrets instead of the knobby ones. Nikon has incorporated a Zero-Reset Turret Feature which enables a shooter to zero the scope. Overall, the field adjustments are very simple.
This long eye relief scope comes with a multicoated optical system which gives around 98% of light transmission that allows the shooter to easily engage long-range targets. It delivers the best performance irrespective of the weather conditions.
In short, it can withstand every environment. This high-quality product comes at an affordable price. The P223 is covered by Nikon limited lifetime warranty. If you are looking for high-level performance for use on an AR-15 or similar kind of rifle, this one is worth the consideration.
Aim Sports 2-7X42 30mm Scout Scope/Rangefinder
Great for beginners, Aim Sports is a strong contender for best scout scope for the money. It is made of plane grade aluminium and features multi-coated lens with regard to superior light tranny, resolution and the beginning resistance.
With a length of 30mm, it has a magnification ranging between two to seven with a 42mm objective lens. It means that this scope can magnify distant object 7 times. It has a rangefinder reticle that provides sharp and accurate shooting.
The Picatinny 1913 ring mounts are included.
It has a long eye relief of 8.5”-10.5″ provides safety from heavy recoil and enables fast target acquisition. This scope is nitrogen charged with weather resistant seals and features a fog proof and shock-resistant housing.
The lenses are multi-coated with a basic anti-glare coating that provides superior light transmission, resolution and scratch resistance. It provides 1/4″ MOA adjustment for windage and elevation.
Given all the features and the price, it is one of the best long-range scopes available in the market.
BSA Deer Hunter 2.5×20 Rifle Scope DH25X20
BSA has grown from a small union of gunsmiths to become one of Britain’s important industrial groups.BSA Optics offers a complete line of precision rifle scopes, pistol scopes, and optics. Their products are superior in quality and budget-friendly.
BSA Deer Hunter features a compact hunting design and is extremely lightweight.The black textured finish lends that quality touch to the scope. It comes with one piece, 1″ tube. It provides a constant magnification, i.e 2.5X which ensures a quick target acquisition.
This Long eye relief scope features fingertip adjustable windage and elevation turret. It provides an optimum 4″ Inches of eye-relief. The easy focus eyepiece keeps the reticle sharp for your eyesight.
All of the scopes chambers are filled with nitrogen gas and then sealed to assure that this scope is waterproof and fog proof.
The lenses are fully-coated and it features 1/4 MOA finger adjustment clicks for easy adjustments when in the field and the target within the crosshairs.
It provides the shooter with fingertip adjustable windage and elevation turret. With an overall length of 7.3 inches, this riflescope comes with a fixed parallax adjustment.
The glass quality of the camera is amazing, providing crisp and clear images. It yields click adjustment value of 1/4” and gives the adjustment range of 40-40. The glass quality of the camera is amazing, providing undistorted and clear images.
It is Covered by the BSA Limited Lifetime Warranty. Overall, this bright scope has all the necessary features that a serious deer hunter would require.
Nikon Force XR 2.5-8×28 EER Matte with BDC
Nikon, as a brand needs no introduction. A Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, it specialises in optics and imaging products. Their products are a glimpse of the company’s unwavering commitment to quality, performance, and technology.
With an overall length of 9.8 inches, Nikon Force XR comes with a 28mm objective lens. This scope features a rugged and recoil-proof construction, thus it is highly durable.
Its construction is one of the main reasons that it is able to satisfy all the needs of the most demanding handgun hunters, varminters, and competitors. It comes with a BDC reticle that is located in the second focal plane.
The problem here is that the reticle is constructed of wire instead of being etched into the glass. Therefore, the reticle on this scope works perfectly with Nikon’s Spot On Ballistic Technology app.
It delivers crisp, clear images with a field of view between four and one-tenth and 13.1 inches at 100 yards. It features fully multicoated optics that provide with 95 percent light transmission, i.e. even under low-light conditions it delivers excellent performance.
It comes with a fixed parallax that is set permanently at 100 yards. It is O ring sealed and nitrogen filled that makes it both waterproof, shockproof and fog proof.
The main tube is one inch in diameter and magnification through this scope ranges from 2.5X to 8X. It has a quick focus eyepiece that provides precise and sharp focus.
However, the eye-piece is bit small. As far as mounting is concerned, this scope is easy to mount and once sighted in, the scope will hold zero for an indefinite period of time. It gives eye-relief of nine to 30 inches, which may seem small to many shooters.
The best part is that this riflescope comes with flip-up lens covers that provides excellent protection even when your lenses are not in use. Ideal for both short and long-range shots, undoubtedly it is one of the best scopes for the money.
Comparison Table of 5 Best Long Eye Relief Scopes
Given below is the comparison table that filters out the main features of the above-listed options:
| Basis | Vortex Optics Crossfire II | Nikon 8496 | Aim Sports 2-7X42 30mm Scout Scope | BSA Deer Hunter 2.5×20 Rifle Scope DH25X20 | Nikon Force XR 2.5-8×28 EER Matte with BDC |
| Eye-relief | 3.8 inches | 3.4 inches | 8.5”-10.5″ | 4″ Inches | nine to 30 inches |
| Reticle | BDC Reticle | BDC reticle | rangefinder reticle | duplex reticle | BDC reticle |
| Length | 12 inches | 8.1″ | 30mm | 7.3 inches | 9.8 inches |
| Objective Lens | 40 mm | 32 mm | 42mm | 20 mm | 28 mm |
Rating Table 5 Best Long Eye Relief Scopes
5 Best Long Eye Relief Scopes
Conclusion
When looking at scopes, there are ample amount of elements that have to be considered. In lieu of considering them, people often overlook the feature of eye-relief and it is one of the most critical elements to the functionality of your scope. So, before buying a scope be sure to measure its eye relief to enjoy the smooth functioning of your rifle.
