What is the Best Scope for AR 10?

Click here to see the Best Scopes for AR 10 in 2017!

ar 10 scopesThe AR-10 essentially is the big brother firearm version of the AR-15. The AR-15 is usually the main topic of conversation when people discuss riflescopes and what type of guns they support since it’s such a well-known and much-bought firearm in the last decade or so, but the AR-10 itself has been getting a popularity boost itself from interested gun owners.

Therefore, it’s only natural that in the realm of scopes and optics, people are also wondering What’s The Best Scope For an AR-10. AR-10s look quite like AR-15s in terms of outward appearance, but the former has far more powerful chambered cartridges, thusly they require optics with specific important features.

Top 4 AR-10 Scopes Comparison Table

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Picking the right scope for these huge AR-10 monsters might seem like a daunting task for newbies, which is why this article exists. You’re given top recommendations of short-range, mid-range, and long-range scopes of varying models and prices so that you can adjust your needs and budgets to the right AR-10 riflescope listed here.

What’s more, it alleviates guesswork in every shooting attempt from close-range to long-range, thus making your AR-10 the best possible home defense weapon and big game rifle you can have at your disposal. Long story short, your AR-10 scope choice is a big deal, so don’t take it lightly. 

The Best AR-10 Scopes Currently Available 

  1. Vortex Strikefire Red Dot: In a nutshell, the Vortex Strikefire Red Dot is the AR-10 offers the best value in terms AR-10 optics due to its red dot specs. More to the point, the Vortex Red Dot AR-10 isn’t only compatible to AR-15 rifles as well, it’s also a scope you can depend on that’s a personal favorite among hunters because it’s cost-effective and it gives many other scopes a run for their money because it shoots accurately under 50 yards and is parallax-free beyond 50 yards, a double whammy of optics goodness. This outstanding scope device is hard to beat because of its reliability regardless of the weather conditions it’s facing.
Vortex® StrikeFire Red Dot Rifle Scope(Suitable for AR-15)

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars from over 325 customers. Click the image for prices and reviews!

It doesn’t have to worry about moisture and fog because it’s waterproof and fogproof. Also, unlike certain other high-magnification scopes out there that have terrible low magnification clarity, the Vortex Strikefire Red Dot is perfect for close-quarters combat. It can shoot from close-range because it has at most a 2x magnification for detailed viewing. It’s also a product that proves that low-magnification scopes aren’t obsolete and still see loads of action even though many gun owners associate scopes with long-range shooters and snipers more often than not. It isn’t only half the price of an EOTECH; it also features a red or green light option.

The scope comes complete with 4-MOA-diameter dot with adjustable density and can be colored green or red depending on the backdrop of what you’re shooting at (in the forest or during sunset, when the sky is painted red and orange). You can basically adjust this scope depending on whatever viewing condition you’re faced with, and it even has unlimited eye relief to boot so that you can acquire your target quickly without worrying about whether or not your eye is too near or far away from the scope. This scope will make your AR-10 quite happy if it had feelings.

With that said, this is not a long-distance scope. If you want something for long-range sniper-tier shooting, then you should avail of the best distance value model in this list, which is the Bushnell Trophy XLT 4-12x40mm. If you want a scout-level, close-range scope that enable you to scope out and zero-in on your target from 50 yards away (and below) without having to depend on the more troublesome open sights that you have to line up perfectly from the ones near your hammer to the ones near the end of your barrel, then the Vortex Strikefire Red Dot Riflescope is at your service.

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  1. UTG 3-9×32 Compact Bug BusterAs for the unusually named UTG 3-9×32 Compact Bug Buster, it does more than assist in busting bugs like some sort of scope for an airsoft toy gun pea shooter. Instead, it’s so accurate that even from many yards away it is possible for you to hit a bug with sniper accuracy. What’s more, if you have a strict budget for a riflescope that you might as well buy one for a BB gun, then the UTG 3-9×32 Compact Bug Buster is the best optic for you. It’s one of the best choices you can get when it comes to hunting at a short to medium range.
UTG 3-9x32 Compact CQB Bug Buster AO RGB Scope with Med. Picatinny Rings, 2" Sunshade

Rated 4.3 out of 5 stars from over 906 customers. Click the image for prices and reviews!

As per usual of modern scopes, it’s fogproof because its body is filled with dry nitrogen that’s sealed from within it, which keeps the moisture out. It’s also been developed to take rugged use due to its shockproof benefits and inclement weather conditions due to its weatherproofing features (i.e., it’s rainproof as well). It’s also a top AR-10 scope recommendation because of its compactness. Its dimensions are 9.8 inches by 3.4 inches by 3.9 inches, plus it weighs 13.9 inches overall. What this means is that it’s the perfect lightweight scope that won’t bog your AR-10 down thanks to its mobile design (which even includes a 2-inch sunshade and Picatinny Rings).

Although it doesn’t feature red or green dot reticles, its short-range shooting system does include durability features branded as the True Strength Platform. With this so-called platform, you should be able to get from this nitrogen-filled, completely sealed scope that’s fogproof and rainproof some quality shock absorption as well. For something so small, it can take a punch and packs a punch in terms of quality specs. The tube is an inch in diameter, plus its lenses are emerald coated for a crystal clear view of your target every time.

Even during low-lighting conditions, you’ll get a clear shot because the lenses ensure maximum light transmission to boot. If that’s not enough, then there’s also the fact that UTG 3-9×32 Compact Bug Buster has Premium Zero Lockable and Zero Resettable Target Turrets, a 32-millimeter objective (a generous one for its compactness), and a super-accurate, always-consistent MOA per click adjustment. That’s what the UTG 3-9×32 Compact CQB Bug Buster AO RGB Scope with Med. Picatinny Rings, 2″ Sunshade brings to the table. Pure quality as an inexpensive but high-quality scope that gives the many other budget scopes a run for their money.

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  1. Bushnell Trophy XLT, 4-12x40mmAs mentioned earlier, this is the long-distance model of scope that won’t leave a hole in your pocket when everything is said and done. It’s worth every penny for sure, and the reason for that is because it has an impressive 4x to 12x range in magnification plus a 40 millimeter objective to match. The Bushnell Trophy XLT, 4-12x40mm is no trophy scope that you’ll leave in the shelf, though; it’s the kind of scope that wins you gold trophies at shooting contests and stuffed animal head trophies after hunting expeditions. It’s a sniper’s kind of long-ranger AR-10 riflescope.
Bushnell Trophy XLT DOA 600 Reticle Riflescope, 4-12x40

Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars from over 32 customers. Click the image for prices and reviews!

This economical option for AR-10s offers a lot of built-in value, such as its wide coverage of close-quarters ad log-range varmint hunting. You can take on small and big game with this beaut of a high-powered scope, with features that include a DOA 600 reticle, a fast-focus eyepiece that enables you to get into focus and find your target or “sweet spot” at a glance, ergonomic power ring (so that yo won’t have to fumble around while in the middle of aiming and shooting your AR-10), and reasonable affordability. It even has maximum light transmission of 91%, making it one of the class leaders when it comes to fully multicoated optics.

Furthermore, it features Butler Creek flip-up scope covers and impressive compactness by weighing only 16.4 ounces and having the length of 12.8 inches. It even includes a warranty that’s easy to work with to boot. This scope is also an excellent sniper or marksman choice in optics because you won’t have to break the bank when acquiring it, yet you won’t have to compromise much to get something so affordable in the first place. Hunters all over the world love the Trophy XLT because it has a DOA reticle that enables them to accurately gauge distance from the crosshairs itself to mule deer and whitetail. Like the lesser-magnification-powered UTG 3-9×32 Compact Bug Buster, the Bushnell Trophy XLT has MOA adjustments.

Essentially, you should buy the cost-effective long-range XLT because its DOA really works, it’s accurate, and it’s bright thanks to its 91% light transmission that’s perfect for low-lighting conditions (from dusk and dawn). However, it does come with cons such as the fact that the scope’s cool lens caps tend to interfere with adjustments from the rifle bolt and either end of the scope. You should also remember to write down other settings when it comes to the DOA because it only works on 12x by default. That’s what the Bushnell Trophy XLT DOA 600 Reticle 4-12×40 Riflescope specifically brings to the table.

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  1. Leupold VX-R Patrol 1-9x25mmIf you have money to spare and you want a high-end version of what the Bushnell Trophy XLT DOA 600 Reticle Riflescope has to offer in terms of overall accuracy and range, then go with the Leupold 113769 VX-R Patrol FireDot Illuminated Rifle Scope with Motion Sensor Technology, Black Matte Finish. It’s your top long-distance choice for a high-end gun scope for sure that truly gives your AR-10 an edge and then some. The idea here is that instead of simply picking an AR-15 scope and putting it on your AR-10, it’s better to find something that best suits your big game gun.
Leupold 113769 VX-R Patrol FireDot Illuminated Rifle Scope with Motion Sensor Technology, Black Matte Finish

Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars from over 20 customers. Click the image for prices and reviews!

That’s the whole point of this collection of reviews. The Leupold VX-R Patrol 1-9x25mm upholds that logic with quality specs that understand how much more powerful the AR-10 is than the AR-15 and thusly highlights that attribute with more durability, shock absorption, and built-in signature Leupold ruggedness from the scope in question. The Leupold VX-R Patrol is compact so that it doesn’t make the heavy rifle any heavier than it has to be, extremely incredible light transmission for the clearest images even under low-lighting conditions, like in the middle of the forest or if you’re facing dusk and dawn as well as the starlight and moonlight of night

The glasses are furthermore edge-blackened for the sake of ensuring image clarity. Meanwhile, the Leupold VX-R Patrol’s turrets aren’t hard to manipulate and as per usual with the company that innovated the fogproof standard in all scopes, this scope is also waterproof, rainproof, weatherproof, and fogproof thanks to the sealed gas that keeps moisture away. This optic’s size of 25 millimeters for the objective lens diameter and 1x to 9x magnification range makes it not only a sniper’s shooter but also a close-range one, such that you won’t have to pay for a 1x to 4x scope any longer to fulfill your non-open-sight close-range-shooting needs.

Whatever your assault rifle application, the Leupold VX-R Patrol 1-9x25mm is the kind of scope that fulfills all of them, particularly when it comes to its illuminated reticle that’s perfect for night shooting. Only an $8,000-$12,000 scope that has infrared night vision or thermal capabilities can outdo the capabilities of the always-impressive Leupold and its VX-R Patrol 1-9x25mm. Although illuminated crosshairs (like the fogproof standard) is present in all optics nowadays, the Patrol is able to make itself stand out due to the propriety Leupold motion sensor. If the system can’t sense movement for five minutes, the reticle saves power by turning itself off. 

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The Verdict 

The four models outlines above represent the best of the best AR-10 riflescopes out there. Sure, you can make an AR-15 scope double as an AR-10 scope, but you’re not really getting the best out of those scopes unless they offer the specific ruggedness and accuracy specs of these scopes that have been built—or arguably precision engineered—to get the best out of your assault rifle experience with the much more powerful and heavy-armed AR-10, from its caliber to its type of bullets and so forth.

These amazing scopes also score high marks in Amazon, so rest assured that thousands of gun owners across the nation can’t be wrong in choosing the Vortex Strikefire Red Dot, the UTG 3-9×32 Compact Bug Buster, the Bushnell Trophy XLT, 4-12x40mm, and the Leupold VX-R Patrol 1-9x25mm.

Click here to see the Best Scopes for AR 10 in 2017!