12 Best Rifle Scopes With Locking Turrets (August 2026)
I spent the last four months testing 12 rifle scopes with locking turrets across three rifles, including a .308 hunting…
After spending 15 years glassing hunting areas across the West, I’ve watched hunters make the same mistake repeatedly. They buy a spotting scope with 60-80x magnification, use it twice at full power, and spend the rest of their time frustrated by shaky images and heat shimmer.
The best spotting scope magnification for most users is 20-60x.
This range hits the sweet spot between bringing distant game close enough to judge and maintaining a usable image. I’ve personally tested dozens of scopes over thousands of hours in the field, and the scopes that get used most often sit in this versatile middle ground.
The 20-60x magnification range is the best choice for most hunting and shooting applications because it balances detail with usability across varying conditions and distances.
In this guide, I’ll break down exactly what those numbers mean, help you match magnification to your specific needs, and explain why more power isn’t always better.
When you see a spotting scope listed as 20-60x, these numbers tell you the zoom range. The first number (20x) represents the minimum magnification, while the second number (60x) is the maximum.
Magnification works by making objects appear that many times closer than they actually are. At 20x, a deer at 400 yards appears as if it’s only 20 yards away. At 60x, that same deer seems just 7 yards from your eye.
Magnification: The measure of how much larger an optical system makes objects appear, expressed as a multiplier (like 20x or 60x) compared to naked-eye viewing.
The zoom capability between these numbers gives you flexibility. You can scan wide areas at lower power, then crank it up to evaluate trophy quality once you spot something.
Spotting scopes use a two-part optical system. The objective lens (the big end) gathers light and forms an image. The eyepiece then magnifies that image for your eye to see.
Zoom eyepieces contain moving lens elements that change their position relative to each other. This changes the magnification without needing to swap eyepieces. Fixed-power eyepieces exist but have largely disappeared from the hunting market due to their limited versatility.
I’ve found that zoom eyepieces with a 3x ratio (like 20-60x) generally maintain better optical quality throughout their range than those with 4x or greater zoom ratios.
Exit pupil is one of those technical terms that gets ignored but actually matters. It’s calculated by dividing the objective lens diameter by the magnification.
A 60mm objective scope at 20x magnification has a 3mm exit pupil. At 60x, that same scope drops to just 1mm. Your own pupil opens to about 5-7mm in low light, which explains why high magnification looks so dark in dawn and dusk conditions.
Exit Pupil: The diameter of the light beam exiting the eyepiece, calculated by dividing objective lens diameter by magnification. Larger exit pupils (2.5mm+) deliver brighter images in low light.
During elk season in Colorado, I’ve watched countless hunters struggle to identify animals at 60x in low light because their exit pupil had shrunk to 1mm. Meanwhile, I could see clearly at 25x with a 2.4mm exit pupil.
As magnification increases, your field of view decreases. It’s like looking through a progressively smaller tube. At 20x, you might see 120 feet across at 1000 yards. Crank to 60x, and that view narrows to just 40 feet.
This matters when you’re trying to find game. Scanning vast landscapes at 60x is painfully slow. You’ll miss more animals than you find.
Field of View: The width of the visible area seen through the optic at a specific distance, typically measured in feet at 1000 yards. Higher magnification always narrows the field of view.
I learned this the hard way while scouting for deer in the Oregon high desert. I spent an hour glassing a draw at 50x and never saw the bedded buck 300 yards away. When I finally dropped to 20x to scan properly, the buck practically filled the frame.
| Range | Best Use | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15-40x | Backpacking, travel, birding | Lightweight, wide FOV, bright images | Limited detail at extreme range |
| 20-60x | All-around hunting & shooting | Versatile, good balance, widely available | Can be heavy in full-size models |
| 27-60x | Long-range targets, big game | Excellent detail, higher low-power usability | Narrow FOV at low end, atmospheric limits |
| 30-70x+ | Specialized long-range | Maximum reach for extreme distances | Often unusable at max power, expensive |
Compact scopes with 15-40x magnification have become increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reason. I’ve packed a compact spotter into backcountry camps for over a decade, and the weight savings is worth the minor sacrifice in maximum reach.
These scopes typically weigh 2-3 pounds and pack down small enough to fit in a daypack. The 15x low end provides a generous field of view for scanning, while 40x gives you enough power to judge game at reasonable distances.
In my experience, 40x is perfectly adequate for most hunting situations within 500 yards. Beyond that, atmospheric conditions often limit what you can see regardless of magnification.
The 20-60x range has become the industry standard for a reason. It’s the Goldilocks zone – not too little power, not too much.
Most full-size spotting scopes fall into this category. The 20x low end gives you a 120-150 foot field of view at 1000 yards, making initial scanning efficient. The 60x high end brings distant game into clear view for trophy evaluation.
I’ve used 20-60x scopes for everything from calling shots at 1000-yard matches to judging mule deer across canyons. This versatility explains why you’ll see this magnification range on more spotting scopes than any other.
Higher-magnification spotting scopes start their zoom range at 27x or 30x and extend to 60x, 70x, or beyond. These are specialized tools for specific situations.
The higher starting power reduces your field of view at the low end, which can make finding animals more difficult. However, it also typically comes with larger objective lenses (80mm+) that maintain better brightness at high magnifications.
I reach for these scopes when I know I’ll be glassing extreme distances. During antelope hunts in Wyoming, where shots can stretch beyond 600 yards, the extra magnification helps me evaluate bucks at ranges where a 60x scope would leave me guessing.
| Use Case | Distance | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Game Hunting | 300-800 yards | 20-45x | Balances detail with usability |
| Varmint Hunting | 200-600 yards | 20-60x | Versatility for varying ranges |
| Target Shooting | 500-1500+ yards | 27-60x with reticle | Maximum detail for shot calling |
| Bird Watching | 50-500 yards | 15-40x | Wide FOV and color fidelity |
| Long Range Competition | 800-2000 yards | 30-70x premium glass | Every bit of detail matters |
For big game hunting, I recommend staying in the 20-45x range for most situations. The exception would be open-country antelope or sheep hunting where you might benefit from higher magnification.
Most big game is killed inside 400 yards. At that distance, 30-40x gives you plenty of detail to evaluate antlers or horns. More importantly, it keeps your field of view wide enough to actually find the animals in the first place.
I’ve sat on ridge lines with other hunters watching me glass at 30x while they struggled at 60x. They’d ask what I was looking at, and I’d point out the bedded elk they’d missed while viewing through a narrow tunnel at excessive magnification.
Varmint hunters often benefit from the full 20-60x range. You might be glassing PD towns at 200 yards one minute and evaluating coyotes at 600 yards the next.
The wider zoom range gives you flexibility. I’ve spent many summer days calling prairie dogs with a spotter on a tripod, constantly adjusting between 25x for quick scanning and 50x to confirm hits.
For target shooting, especially beyond 500 yards, higher magnification becomes genuinely useful. You’re not scanning for game – you’re trying to see bullet holes or trace.
Spotting scopes with reticle eyepieces have become increasingly popular in this crowd. The reticle allows you to communicate precise holdover corrections to the shooter. A 27-60x magnification range works well, with premium glass being more important than maximum power.
At my local precision rifle matches, I’ve watched spotters struggle with 60x to see impacts at 800 yards on overcast days. Meanwhile, those with premium 50x glass could see clearly because their superior optics maintained contrast and resolution.
Bird watchers have different needs than hunters. Color fidelity and field of view matter more than extreme magnification. Most serious birders I know are perfectly happy with 15-40x scopes.
The wider field of view at lower magnifications makes it easier to follow moving birds. Color accuracy helps with identification. And birding often happens in good light, reducing the need for large objectives and high magnification.
The atmosphere is the ultimate limit on usable magnification, and this is something most buyers don’t consider until they’re in the field.
Heat waves, dust, and humidity distort light as it passes through the air. This distortion becomes more apparent at higher magnifications. On warm days, I’ve found that 40-45x is often the practical limit regardless of what your scope can theoretically do.
Mirage is the most common limitation. That shimmering effect you see above hot pavement also exists over open country, especially during midday. At 60x, mirage can make an image nearly unviewable. Drop to 30x, and the image stabilizes.
Mirage: Optical distortion caused by heat waves rising from the ground, visible as a shimmering effect that worsens at higher magnifications and limits usable power on warm days.
During a recent prairie dog hunt in South Dakota, temperatures reached 95 degrees by midday. Despite having a 20-70x scope available, I rarely went above 40x because mirage made the image dance too much to be useful.
Every time you double magnification, you lose about 75% of image brightness. This isn’t a problem in bright sunlight, but it becomes significant during the prime hunting hours of dawn and dusk.
High magnification also amplifies any flaws in the optical system. Cheap glass at 60x looks worse than quality glass at 40x, even though the specs might suggest otherwise.
High magnification demands excellent tripod stability. Every tiny vibration gets magnified along with the image. At 60x, even your heartbeat can cause noticeable shake.
I’ve learned to budget 30% of my optics budget for a quality tripod. A $150 scope on a $400 tripod will outperform a $2000 scope on a $100 tripod at high magnification.
During a windy elk hunt, I watched another hunter’s cheap tripod vibrate so badly at 50x that he couldn’t identify anything. My heavier setup remained steady enough to use at 40x, allowing me to glass effectively while his equipment failed him.
Extended use at high magnification causes eye fatigue. The reduced exit pupil forces your eye to work harder to maintain focus. After an hour at 60x, most people experience headaches and reduced visual acuity.
I’ve found that staying below 45x for extended glassing sessions keeps me comfortable through long days in the field.
The quality of glass and coatings determines how much magnification is actually usable. Budget scopes might claim 60-80x, but the image quality often degrades above 40x due to chromatic aberration and edge softness.
ED (Extra-low Dispersion) and HD (High Definition) glass reduce chromatic aberration – those color fringes you see around high-contrast subjects. Fluorite glass, found in premium scopes, virtually eliminates this problem.
I’ve compared $400 scopes to $3000 scopes side by side. The budget scope at 60x showed a soft, fringed image that was difficult to interpret. The premium glass remained crisp and clear at the same magnification, making the extra power actually useful.
Objective lens diameter directly affects how much magnification you can usefully employ. Larger objectives gather more light and maintain better exit pupils at high magnification.
A 60mm objective at 60x yields a 1mm exit pupil. An 85mm objective at 60x gives you 1.4mm. That doesn’t sound like much, but your eyes will notice the difference in low light.
However, larger objectives mean more weight and bulk. I’ve hiked with 85mm scopes that felt like anchors, while 60-65mm models offer a better compromise for most hunting applications.
While not directly a magnification issue, your eyepiece choice affects how you use your magnification range. Angled eyepieces work better for high magnification because you can look down into them with a more relaxed neck position.
Straight eyepieces are more intuitive for beginners but become uncomfortable at high power as you have to crane your neck upward. For spotting targets at 60x from a seated position, angled is definitely easier on your body.
One harsh truth in optics: you cannot get good high magnification on a tight budget. The $300 spotting scope claiming 60-80x magnification will deliver a muddy, dim image above 40x.
Here’s what I’ve learned after spending thousands on optics I probably didn’t need: better glass at lower magnification beats cheap glass at high magnification every time.
For under $500, expect usable magnification to top out around 40-45x regardless of what the box says. Between $500 and $1500, you’ll find good 60x performance with ED glass. Above $2000, you get premium fluorite glass that actually makes 70x worth using.
If your budget is limited, I’d recommend choosing a 15-45x or 20-50x scope from a reputable brand over a budget 20-60x option. You’ll get more use from quality optics within their realistic range than from over-extended magnification that falls apart when you need it.
For most big game hunting, 20-45x magnification provides the best balance of detail and usability. This range allows you to judge trophy quality at typical hunting distances of 300-800 yards while maintaining a wide enough field of view to find animals. Open-country hunts like antelope or sheep may benefit from higher magnification up to 60x.
The numbers 20-60x indicate the zoom range of the spotting scope. At 20x magnification, objects appear 20 times closer than with the naked eye. At 60x, they appear 60 times closer. The scope can be adjusted to any magnification between these two numbers, giving you flexibility to scan at low power and examine detail at high power.
Not necessarily. Higher magnification reduces image brightness, narrows your field of view, and is more susceptible to atmospheric distortion from heat waves and mirage. For most hunting situations, 40-50x is the practical limit due to atmospheric conditions. High magnification also requires better tripod stability and causes more eye fatigue during extended use.
At 20x, you can identify a deer-sized animal at about 800-1000 yards in good conditions. At 60x, that same animal appears close enough to count antler points at 500-600 yards assuming clear atmospheric conditions. However, mirage, heat waves, and dust often limit usable magnification to 40-45x on warm days, regardless of what the scope can theoretically achieve.
Bird watchers typically find 15-40x magnification sufficient for most applications. This range provides excellent field of view for locating and following birds, while still delivering enough detail for identification. Lower magnifications also maintain better color fidelity and brightness, which are more important to birders than extreme reach.
For observing targets or game at 1000 yards, you generally need 40-60x magnification depending on conditions. At this distance, atmospheric distortion becomes the limiting factor – on warm days, mirage may restrict usable magnification to 40x or less regardless of your scope’s capabilities. Premium glass with larger objectives (80mm+) performs better at these distances.
Exit pupil is the diameter of the light beam exiting the eyepiece, calculated by dividing the objective lens diameter by the magnification. A 60mm scope at 20x has a 3mm exit pupil. Larger exit pupils (2.5mm+) deliver brighter images, especially in low light. Your eye’s pupil opens to 5-7mm in darkness, which is why high magnification looks dark at dawn and dusk.
Yes. Excessive magnification can make your spotting scope virtually unusable. Problems include dim images in low light, severe mirage distortion on warm days, extremely narrow field of view that makes finding targets difficult, and pronounced image shake from even minor vibrations. For most hunting conditions, anything above 60x is rarely usable in the real world.
