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Outdoor Life published a tested-and-reviewed guide to rifle scopes for deer hunting on Oct. 28, 2026. It names the Burris Fullfield 3-12×42 its best-value pick and highlights premium and low-power variable options, while the full selection spans different hunting settings and budgets.
Outdoor Life published a review of rifle scopes for deer hunting on Oct. 28, naming the Burris Fullfield 3-12×42 SFP Plex its best-value choice and including premium and low-power variable options. The guide draws on testing by the publication’s optics and gear editors and is intended to help hunters match a scope to their terrain, shooting distances and budget.
The recommendations cover several configurations rather than treating one scope as right for every hunter, much like these budget hunting scopes. Alongside the Burris, the guide names the Nightforce NX6 3-18×50 F1 its best high-end scope, the Trijicon Accupoint 1-8×24 its best low-power variable optic, and the Sig Sauer TANGO-MSR Compact 1-6×24 its best affordable LPVO. Other models listed for consideration include scopes from Vortex, Zeiss, Bushnell, Maven, Athlon and Leupold, alongside the options in this guide to rifle scopes for hunting.
Outdoor Life describes the Burris Fullfield as a straightforward hunting scope with a 3-12× magnification range, 42mm objective and second-plane Plex reticle. It has capped, re-zeroable turrets and parallax fixed at 100 yards. The article puts its price at about $260 and says its familiar configuration and controls make it a practical option for general deer hunting. Its stated drawbacks include a greenish lens coating that the reviewer found distracting in low light and small turret markings that make zero confirmation difficult.
The Nightforce is presented for hunters who want more adjustment and magnification for open-country or longer-range use. The tested 3-18×50 F1 version has an illuminated first-plane reticle, side parallax adjustment from 11 yards to infinity and a configurable turret system. Outdoor Life praises its image quality, low-light performance and durability, while noting its weight and the time needed to set the locking eyepiece. These are the publication’s evaluations, not a guarantee of performance in every rifle or hunting condition.
Matching Scope Design to Deer Country
The review’s central point is that a deer-hunting scope should fit the likely shot and terrain, not simply offer the highest magnification. A hunter taking shorter shots in thick woods may value a relatively simple, low-profile optic, while open-country hunting can call for greater magnification, more adjustment range and tools to manage parallax. The guide’s range of picks gives readers a way to compare those trade-offs.
Price is another practical distinction. The Burris is described as costing about $260, while Outdoor Life lists the Trijicon LPVO at about $1,300. Those figures place the recommendations across substantially different budgets. Buyers still need to account for mounting compatibility, the rifle’s intended use and their ability to operate and verify the optic before hunting.
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How Outdoor Life Chose Its Picks
The article says the selections are based mainly on in-depth testing conducted by Optics Editor Andrew McKean and Gear Editor Scott Einsmann. Its author, Andrew McKean, describes growing up hunting in north-central Wisconsin, where a 100-yard shot was considered long, and says a basic 3-9× scope suited that setting. The review contrasts that kind of close-range woodland hunting with open-country use, where a different scope design may be useful.
Outdoor Life says it focused mostly on affordable models but included some high-end options. The site also discloses that it may earn revenue from products available through the page and participates in affiliate programs. The supplied report provides detailed specifications and evaluations for the Burris and Nightforce, and identifies the other category winners and additional models; it does not provide enough detail here to compare every listed scope feature by feature.
“The best riflescope for deer hunting really depends on where, and how, you intend to hunt.”
— Outdoor Life
Limits of the Published Comparisons
The article’s recommendations are editorial judgments based on the publication’s testing; the supplied material does not give a shared test protocol, quantified light-transmission results or a direct, controlled comparison of all listed models. It also does not establish that one scope will suit every rifle, hunter or local hunting rule. Some specifications, including light transmission for both the Burris and Nightforce, are listed as not provided.
Price and product availability can change, and Outdoor Life discloses affiliate participation. The information provided does not show whether the prices cited were checked after publication or whether all models were tested under identical conditions. Readers should treat category labels such as “best value” as the publication’s assessment, not an independent certification.
What Buyers Should Check
The published report does not announce a follow-up test or a future update date. For now, readers can use its categories and specifications as a starting point, then check current pricing and the manufacturer’s latest product details before buying. They should confirm the scope’s tube and mounting compatibility with their rifle, consider the distances and terrain where they hunt, and verify their zero and controls before going afield.
Outdoor Life’s guide also leaves room for further comparisons: its named alternatives span different magnification ranges and price points, but the material supplied does not provide full testing results for each. Any later review or price revision would clarify how those models compare under the same criteria.
Key Questions
Which scope did Outdoor Life name its best value?
The guide selected the Burris Fullfield 3-12×42 SFP Plex, listing its price at about $260. The publication cites its familiar hunting configuration and straightforward controls, while also noting concerns about its greenish coating and small turret markings.
What was the high-end pick?
Outdoor Life named the Nightforce NX6 3-18×50 F1 its best high-end choice. The review highlights its image quality, low-light performance, adjustment range and configurable turret system, while describing it as relatively heavy and noting the locking eyepiece takes time to set.
Which models were named best for LPVO use?
The Trijicon Accupoint 1-8×24 was the best LPVO pick, and the Sig Sauer TANGO-MSR Compact 1-6×24 was named best affordable LPVO. The supplied report gives limited detail about the Sig Sauer’s test results, so the category selection alone is not a full comparison.
Does the review establish one scope as best for every deer hunter?
No. Outdoor Life says the suitable scope depends on where and how a person hunts. The article distinguishes simple, lower-magnification setups from optics aimed at open country and longer shots.
Source: outdoorlife.com
