5 Best Shotgun Scopes of 2021
The shotgun is one of the most versatile firearms in existence today, and it is used for a variety of things from home defense to hunting and sports shooting.
But, even with its versatility, the indisputable fact is that you still need to have the best shotgun scope mounted on your firearm to ensure that you get the best service from it.
Because we know there are several good shotgun scopes in the market, in this piece we make the buying decision more informed by reviewing 5 top-rated ones and explaining the important things to look for when shopping.
5 Best Shotgun Scopes – Review
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1. Truglo TG8504BD (Best Budget) |
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2. Bushnell 751432 (Versatile Variable Power Scope) |
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3. Konus 7249 (Nice Little Scope) |
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4. Monstrum Tactical S330P (Superior Optical Clarity Guaranteed) |
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5. Simmons 517793 (Perfect for Hunting) |
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PRODUCT |
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1. Truglo TG8504BD (Best Budget) |
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2. Bushnell 751432 (Versatile Variable Scope) |
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3. Konus 7249 (Nice Little Scope) |
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4. Monstrum Tactical S330P (Superior Optical Clarity Guaranteed) |
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5. Simmons 517793 (Perfect for Hunting) |
1. Truglo TG8504BD – Best Budget Shotgun Scope
Photo: Truglo
- Magnification: 4x
- Eye Relief: 4 inches
- Objective Diameter: 32 millimeters
With a more affordable rifle scope like this Truglo model, you will be getting an effective and useful accessory without having to spend a fortune.
It is the cheapest scope among our shotgun scopes review, and it comes with some fully multicoated lenses that are designed to provide maximum brightness and image clarity.
Also, the scope uses a diamond reticle that has been designed specifically for shotguns, and it is one of the key reasons why this is one of the best shotgun scopes for turkey hunting both on our list and on the market.
This shotgun scope also includes a rubber eye guard to protect your eye, and it also has fingertip adjustments for windage and elevation, solid aluminum tube and a non-reflective and scratch resistant matte finish.
When compared to others on our list, this scope seems a bit heavy but given that it is still under a pound, it will not add any significant weight to your shotgun. That said, the cheap mounts are also not a deal breaker for such an affordable scope.
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2. Bushnell 751432 – Versatile Variable Power Shotgun Scope
Photo: Bushnell
- Magnification: 1.75-4x
- Eye Relief: 3.5 inches
- Objective Diameter: 32 millimeters
This top-notch Bushnell scope has a lot to offer which includes a variable 1.75 to 4x magnification that makes it more versatile. It also has some fully multicoated optics that are designed to provide up to 91% light transmission for a great sight picture.
Target acquisition and aiming are both made easier by the fast focus eyepiece while adjustments will also be more straightforward thanks to the finger adjustable and zero resettable turrets.
Given its wider field of view (up to 100 feet) and variable magnification power, this is also one of the best shotgun scopes for shooting slugs as it will be ideal for a variety of scenarios and conditions.
And it is also made to last for many years as it features a solid aluminum one-piece main tube that is O-ring sealed and nitrogen purged to keep water out, prevent fogging and withstand shock.
Besides the absence of a sunshade and mounting rings, there is almost no other shortcoming on this scope, and the good news is that you can always get compatible aftermarket ones
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3. Konus 7249 – Nice Little Scope
Photo: Konus
- Magnification: 1.5-5x
- Eye Relief: 2.9 inches
- Objective Diameter: 32 millimeters
With this nice little scope mounted on your shotgun, hunting turkey and deer will be a more fruitful as you will have a high likelihood of killing something.
The top-rated shotgun scope is also designed to be more rugged to withstand the harsh environment and its reticle has been designed to withstand heavy recoil.
Despite this being a relatively more affordable scope, it will still deliver a crisp sight picture as it uses multicoated lenses for maximum light transmission.
Adjusting the windage and elevation is also more straightforward as the scope has finger adjustable turrets. And it is also easy to sight in and will hold zero well.
Its 1.5-5x magnification range is also wider than what others on our list have to offer, and it will make it more versatile and ideal for more hunting scenarios.
The only thing that some shooters might not like is that it has a smaller 2.9-inch eye relief, but the good news is that it remains constant at all magnification settings.
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4. Monstrum Tactical S330P – Superior Optical Clarity Guaranteed
Photo: Monstrum
- Magnification: 3x
- Eye Relief: 3-3.5 inches
- Objective Diameter: 30 millimeters
Monstrum makes their model S330P scope to deliver impressive image clarity at a more affordable price tag. And it achieves the great image quality using a glass prism optical system.
This 3x magnification scope is also illuminated with a dual red and green illumination with multiple brightness levels for increased versatility. But, the scope can also be used without illumination.
With its solid aircraft grade aluminum construction, this scope is also designed to be solid and highly durable for long service life.
At just 5 inches long, this is also an ultra-compact scope that you can use on almost any shotgun. And to make it even better, its wider field of view makes it possible to shoot with both eyes open and target acquisition is also super fast.
When new, the adjustment knobs can be a bit awkward but this should not stop you from buying it as the knobs only require some getting used to.
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5. Simmons 517793 – Perfect Shotgun Scope for Hunting
Photo: Simmons
- Magnification: 4x
- Eye Relief: 4 inches
- Objective Diameter: 32 millimeters
Simmons’ Prodiamond is designed to be a perfect scope for a hunting shotgun but it can still work for handguns and rifles .
The scope uses some high-quality multicoated optics that also help to make it one of the best shotgun scopes for deer hunting as they will deliver a bright and clear sight picture even in low light.
With its quick target acquisition eyepiece, you can easily focus the eyepiece on the target to ensure that the deer or any other game you are hunting does not get time to get away.
The rugged and solid aluminum construction ensures that this scope can withstand the abuse that comes with hunting. And its 4-inch eye relief is also quite generous, and many users will also love the fact that it is easy to sight in.
Because this scope does not come with mount rings, you will need to buy them separately, but this is not a big concern as they are cheap and widely available.
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How to Buy the Best Shotgun Scopes
The following are the most important factors to consider when choosing a shotgun scope.
1. Purpose
The first step when deciding on the best shotgun scope to buy is determining exactly what you will use your firearm for as this has a huge effect on your scope choice.
Do you want to use the scope exclusively for home defense or do you also want to use it for occasional sports shooting or even for hunting wild turkey and other birds?
For a hunting shotgun, the optics need to be as clear as possible and the magnification should also be good enough. But, for a home defense firearm you might not need all that precision, and so even a cheap scope can still work well enough.
2. Magnification
Although you will not be shooting your shotgun from sniper distances, you still need to be able to zoom in and out of a target for accurate shooting, and so magnification power is still important.
But because shotguns will typically be used from close range, most will have a smaller zoom range like the 1-5x Konus 7249 which is often more than enough.
The conditions where you use your shotgun or the animals that you hunt should help you determine the magnification power you need.
For example, if you hunt larger game like deer, you need higher magnification power while lower magnification is ideal for rabbits, turkey, and other smaller animals.
3. Eye Relief
“Scope eye” is a serious concern when shooting shotguns and most other kinds of firearms. And it is where a gun’s recoil causes it to smack back into a shooter’s face and causing injuries that can sometimes cause blindness.
The only way to prevent scope eye is by going for a scope with a long enough eye relief as it will ensure that you can put more distance between your eye and scope.
If you will be using magnum rounds and full power shotgun, you should not settle for a scope that does not provide at least 3.5 to 4 inches of eye relief. Hence, a 4-inch eye relief scope like Truglo TG8504BD makes a fantastic buy.
4. Clarity
One of the key purposes of a rifle scope is to provide a clear image of the target before you pull the trigger. Hence before you settle on any scope model you need to make sure that it has clear optics.
The type of glass used to make the lenses and the number and type of coatings are some of the main determinants of accuracy.
Fully multicoated optics like what you get on the Bushnell 751432 and most other models on our list are the best as they offer super clear images with no distortion because they are designed to ensure maximum light transmission.
And if they are paired with a larger objective lens diameter, you can confident of getting bright and clear images.
5. Durability
A shotgun scope needs to be rugged enough and built with high-quality materials to ensure that it can withstand heavy recoil and regular use for many years.
Scopes made with a solid aluminum material are some of the most durable ones, and the good news is that the material is also lightweight.
Also, weather sealing and nitrogen or argon filling will make a scope more durable by keeping water out, preventing fogging and making the scope more resistant to shock.
6. Design
The overall design of the shotgun scope also matters, and here you will need to look at things like its weight, size, color, and finish.
For the size, the scope should just be right for your shotgun which means that it should not be too long or too short because the wrong size might not even be mountable on your gun.
When it comes to the weight it should not be too heavy as the extra weight can make it harder to use your gun.
While still at the design, the color that you choose will depend on your hunting conditions because camouflage seems to work best for wooded areas as it allows the gun to blend with its surroundings.
Also, avoid scopes with a glossy finish as they can create a glare that can be noticeable by the pray, and so dull finishes will be way much better.
7. Ease of use
While it might be tempting to buy scopes with some fancy features, this often means that the scope will be more complicated and hence harder to use.
The golden rule is always to keep things simple as this will give you an easy time when out hunting or target shooting.
To make sure that the scope is generally easy to use, watch out for things like the ease of mounting and sighting it in and also the smoothness and simplicity of adjustments.
Conclusion
With the points above in mind, shopping for the best shotgun scope should be a quicker and less overwhelming process. And our shotgun scopes review provide some fantastic recommendations.
For the many budget shoppers out there, the Truglo TG8504BD is an amazing choice as you will need to spend way much to get anything better.
But, if you are looking for something with exceptional optics that will deliver a superior image clarity, got with the Monstrum Tactical S330P .