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Am I Spending Enough on My Scope?

How much should you spend on your rifle scope? You've already purchased the rifle, the binoculars, the hunting safety gear, the case for your gun and so much more. How much more should you shell out for the scope? This is certainly a typical question and one that deserves attention. Many people believe in the philosophy that they would rather have a great scope than a great gun.

Great Scopes

This seems counter-intuitive. Why would you rather have the thing that sits on your gun be great, and have the gun itself be second rate? This, however, is the philosophy that many have. Why? The gun is going to work when you pull the trigger. But, if you don't know where you want the bullet to go, what, after all, is the point of having the gun to begin with. This, of course, is why the scope needs to be first class, durable, and accurate. You can pull the trigger with just about any gun on the market today; what makes the difference in your hunt is the scope on top of the gun that you have guiding you.

Balance It Out

Rather than purchasing a very expensive gun, and a cheap scope, rings and bases, make the two break even. If you are going to spend $500 on a gun, spend a similar amount on the scope and scope accessories. This will, hopefully, ensure that your scope will work, accurately, on the hunt and that you'll be able to enjoy the overall experience. You should also spend a good deal of time practicing with your gun and scope together. Don't let your hunt be the first time that you try out the two together. It takes awhile to get comfortable with the scope and with the way that it works and feels. Make sure that you've given yourself plenty of practice time, and factor that into the amount of money that you have budgeted for your rifle and scope.

Smooth Hunting

All of these tips are to ensure one thing - a great hunt. The more that you practice and are ready for the experience, the more natural the gun and scope will be together. You have enough things to do while hunting; you don't need to think about how your gun is working and to focus on your scope while you're going in for the kill.

The Bottom Line

When budgeting for the gun and accompanying equipment, spend as much as you can afford to on the rifle scope. Spend less on the firearm itself, as necessary, to make sure that you get a great scope. If you can spend the same amount of both, that is great. If you need to spend a bit more on one item, make it the rifle scope. Make sure that you purchase a scope with great glass that you can count on, and that it's a rifle scope that you learn to use well. You can use a rangefinder if you feel the need to do so, but make it only for short shots. For longer shots, you should be able to know your bullet's trajectory without the extra aid. Happy hunting!

*You may also want to consider used shotguns for sale, as they are often good quality and much less expensive than new ones.