5 Best Scopes for 500 Yards

If you are looking for the best scope for 500 yards, read on as we go through the best medium to long-range scopes.

The demand for long-range rifles is never likely to fade or decrease as the enthusiasm for long-range shooting will always last, whether you are a serious long-range shooter or just enjoy the challenge of pulverizing watermelons or milk jars at 500 yards.

Scopes are the best gift for rifle enthusiasts.

To be able to bring out the maximum potential of rifles, you will require to be equipped with the right scope to go along with it.

Whether you are a hunting beginner or a professional shooter, you will require something more than what the standard sight can offer and this is where long-range rifle scopes for 500 yards come in.

Here is a quick summary of the best scopes for 500 yards.

Best Scopes for 500 Yards

Factors to Consider when Choosing the Best Scope for 500 yards

The current market is filled with numerous scope models, each ranging different in price, features, and specs. Choosing the best rifle scopes for 500 yards can, therefore, turn out to be challenging.

Below are some of the riflescope features to check that will guide you in selecting the best rifle scopes for 500 yards.

1. Magnification power

Most people pay more attention to this feature than anything else. Most people also believe that the more powerful the magnification the better. This is partially true but relies on your shooting situation and overall shooting goals.

If your optic is super powerful, say 10-40 power, you are stuck with long-range shooting and have very little versatility. This isn’t too big of an issue if you are shooting long-range or if you are bench shooting.

To determine how much magnification you will need, consider your intended shooting range and the size of your target. The farther the target is, the greater the magnification power you will require.

For competition shooting for 500 yards, 20x+ power is ideal. With zoom ratios of 6:1 becoming popular on sporting scopes, you can take advantage of true 3-28x power scopes that can be able to cover about all the bases you need for either close or long-range shots. Scopes with greater magnification power cost more than those that cannot zoom in as much and are heavier.

The best rifle scopes for 500 yards have greater magnification power.

2. Scope body

This goes a bit into the durability aspect of firearms but can also affect the optic’s precision. A high-quality rifle scope for 500 yards should be made from high-quality and durable material.

In addition, the scope body should be a single-piece design. This means that the actual scope tube should be made from a single piece of aluminum. This makes the scope more durable as well as aid in the optics overall precision. Single-piece scope bodies are the standard on most high-end scopes.

3. Objective lens size

Every scope obviously has an objective lens but what should you be looking for in a scope for shooting 500 yards? The objective lens is what transmits the ambient light in order to focus it into an image.

The larger the objective lens is the more light it is able to transmit to your eye which means a brighter and clearer image making it useful for shooting in low light conditions such as dawn or at night.

Large objective lenses usually accompany higher magnification, and it’s only at higher magnification such as 12x and above that the difference between the 40mm objective lens and the 50mm objective is best appreciated. In addition, a larger objective lens gives a larger field of view which makes it easier to track and spot the target.

For shooting at 500 yards, a larger objective lens may increase the weight of your scope. Not only can this affect the balance of a rifle, but it can also make it easier for the scope to accidentally knock into things, which can cause a cracked lens or even loss of zero. This shouldn’t be a major issue as generally your shots will be taken from rested positions on a bipod or rest.

4. Target turrets

Target turrets perform the exact same function as the standard windage and elevation turrets on your scope. However, rather than being quite small and unobtrusive and being accessed by unscrewing a small cover to allow you to make adjustments, they are large and marked for easy adjustment.

They make adjusting for windage and elevation much easier and once these adjustments have been made you don’t have to guess at how far to hold over or adjust for wind.

Range and wind calculation and adjustment is all art of the skill set of a long-range shooter and finger adjustable target turrets makes the most of these calculations allowing them to input them into your scope and take a calm shot. Turrets also enable you to easily return the settings your zero range ready for another shot under different conditions.

5. Adjustment ranges

The ability to adjust your turrets on the fly is one that is invaluable. It has more to do with elevation adjustments rather than windage, however, turrets frequently adjust equally for both windage and elevation. Shooting for 500 yards can demand some serious elevation and adjustments. Rounds like the 308 can drop over 50 inches at 500yards. 50 MOA ca be enough for a 500yards shooting.

6. Lenses

Lenses are the most important feature of any rifle scope. You need lenses that present a crystal clear picture at either high or low magnifications. You require this high level of clarity to be able to read the wind.

When shooting 500 yards plus, you need to be able to read the wind at your target. At extreme ranges, the wind can differ at your target.  You should be able to clearly see how the dust or grass is blowing, therefore, you need a good lens.

How do you determine if an optic has good quality lenses? Well, light transmission can be one way, therefore the best way is to simply look through the different optics for a side-to-side comparison.  This way you will be able to determine which scope has a solid lens and which one doesn’t.

7. Adequate eye relief

The last thing that should happen to any shooter is getting hit in the eye by the rifle due to recoil. It is therefore important that you select a rifle scope that has adequate eye relief.

Adequate eye relief is essential especially if you are using a high-caliber rifle in shooting 500 yards.  The recoil on high caliber guns tends to be a lot harder’s good rifle scope offers adequate eye relief that measures a minimum of three inches.

8. Lens coating

Riflescopes optics are prone to image distortion caused by glare and mirages. To help reduce the majority of these effects, most modern-day lenses come with chemically treated coatings.

Lens coating makes images through the scope seem more apparent. The four different types of lens coating include; coated lenses, multi-coated lenses, fully coated lenses, and finally, fully multicoated lenses.

From the coated lenses to the fully multi-coated lenses, there is a remarkable improvement in the quality of images. The cost of the lenses also increases with an increase in the number of coatings.

It is wise to consider your budget and the intended use of your scope before selecting the type of lens coating for your scope.

9. Focal plane

The other option modern 500 yards scopes feature is the choice of two different positions for the reticle within the scope which include the first focal plane and the second focal plane.

The majority of scopes nowadays use the second focal plane reticles and what this means is that when the magnification level of the scope is changed, the reticle stays the same size in relation to the overall image size.

The advantage of this is that it presents a clear and consistent sight image at all magnification levels. The downside of the first focal plane is that on low levels of magnification such as 3-5x the reticle becomes difficult to see. They are therefore suited for shooting at 500 yards where they will rarely be set to low magnification.

Best Scope for 500 Yards FAQs

• What kind of magnification should I use?

Riflescopes for 500 yards come with a variable zoom feature to adjust the magnification power. The magnification power you decide to use depends on the shooting activity you are going to engage yourself in. shooting mobile targets that are about 500 yards away from you will require a low magnification scope.

If you intend to shoot still targets that are far away, a high-powered magnification scope would be ideal. If you plan on hunting with your 500 yards rifle scope a medium magnification power will be ideal.

• What size of rings will my scope require?

The size of rings that your scope requires depends on the size and make of the scope you intend to mount on the firearm. There are different sizes and heights of rifle scope rings for each and every rifle scope out there.  When mounting the scope, you want it to be as low as possible to the firearm without actually touching it.

• Which objective lens is ideal for 500 yards rifle scopes?

As earlier stated the size of a scope’s objective lens determines the field of view that the scope can be able to see. The type of shooting activity you intend to engage in will determine the size of the objective lens required.

Small-sized objective lenses are ideal for shooting activities such as hunting and target shooting while large-sized objective lenses are ideal for bird shooting and shooting moving targets.

• Which is the best, fixed or variable zoom scope?

The answer to which zoom scope is the best really depends on personal taste and preference. If the shooting activity you intend to engage in involves shooting at a constant distance all the time, a fixed zoom scope will be ideal.

On the other hand, if you are going to be shooting at different distances, a variable zoom scope will be better. Fixed zoom scope is therefore ideal for shooting 500 yards.

Best Scope for 500 Yards Advantages

1. Enhance accuracy.

The chances of hitting your target regardless of which rifle activity you are engaged in increase when using a rifle scope. The improved accuracy that a 500-yard rifle scope provides ensures that you have more successful shots, and save on time as well as bullets.

2. Lengthy range.

Long-range shooting is one of the important elements that shape ones shooting skills and experience. When hunting being too close to the wild animal you are hunting makes the hunter uncomfortable as the animal may be a threat to him/her. Using a rifle scope allows for longer-range shooting. Targets as far as 500 yards away will now be closer, giving you the comfort to shoot as you prefer.

3. Improved scoreboard.

With a quality rifle scope for 500 yards, you will be able to perfect your game enabling you to have a better scoreboard in your shooting competition.

4. Boost self-confidence.

Becoming the best shooter out there in the field raises your self-esteem and ego. Looking at your faraway target through a quality 500 yards scope enables you to clearly see your target and this automatically increases your confidence in pulling the trigger.

Disadvantages

• Expensive

Quality and durable rifle scopes for firing at 500 yards are costly and can be out of reach for the casual rifle shooter.

• Complex crosshairs.

Some rifle scopes for 500 yards have complex crosshairs that can be difficult to use especially for shooting beginners.

• Added weight.

Riflescopes with large objective lenses increase the weight of your rifle which can be tiresome.

Conclusion

No single rifle scope no matter how perfectly build and designed can cater to every customer’s needs. Therefore before you select a scope, ensure that the model you decide to buy has all the particular features that you want and require.

Also, put your budget in mind before you feel like using all your savings for the high-end 500 yards rifle scopes. This is your best rifle scopes for 500 yards guide today.

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