Eye relief of a scope refers to the distance from the rear surface of the eyepiece lens to the position where the exit pupil is formed, the position of the user’s eye. The normally expected eye relief in a standard scope is 3.5 inches.
Scopes that have an eye relief of more than 4.5 inches are known as long eye relief or scout scopes. Long eye relief scopes are often mounted on the barrels of rifles, handguns, and shotguns, which have heavier recoil. This eye relief helps to protect your eyes against recoil.
Mounting a scope so far down the barrel also has benefits, including more comfort while using the scope hence longer, more enjoyable experiences at the range. Long eye relief scopes also have the advantage of faster target acquisition, faster loading, and improved situational awareness.
In this review, we discuss the best long eye relief scopes while also comparing them with their counterparts, regular eye relief scopes.
Long Eye Relief vs. Regular Eye Relief Scopes
| Long eye relief | Regular eye relief |
| Short to midrange magnification Useful in enclosed or uphill shooting Best for heavy caliber, high-powered rifles Wider field of view Has an improved tactical advantage | Has a higher magnification range Ideal for long-range shooting Ideal for light to medium-weight calibers There is more scope selection with this spec |
Best Long Eye Relief Scopes Review
1) Vortex Optics Crossfire II Adjustable Objective, SFP, 30mm Tube Riflescopes
The Crossfire II family’s Vortex 1-4×24 riflescope features a V-Brite reticle that employs the V-Plex format and battery-powered electronics to illuminate the center dot for shooters and hunters in shallow light.
The scope’s long eye relief and exceptionally forgiving eyebox enable speedy target acquisition and sighting. It is composed of a single-piece tube manufactured of aircraft-grade aluminum for strength and shockproof performance.
It also has an O-ring seal and has been nitrogen-purged for performance that is guaranteed to be waterproof and fog-proof. The scope lenses have anti-reflective, multi-coating that helps provide bright and clear views for the user.
Key features
- It is made of an Aircraft grade aluminum construction for durability
- It has a fast-focus eyepiece that allows quick and easy reticle focusing
- It has capped reset turrets that are finger adjustable with MOA clicks that can be reset to zero after sighting in
- It has a long eye relief
Pros
- Shockproof
- Weatherproof
Cons
- Short magnification adjustment range
2) Leupold VX-3 Handgun 2.5-8x33mm Rifle Scope
Like many other Leupold scopes, the VX-3 Handgun rifle scope is made of high-quality materials that assure you of a long time of performance with the scope. It is built with a rear focal plane to suit your pistol and ensure improved precision at any range.
Leupold VX-3 Handgun 2.5-8x33mm Rifle Scope utilizes the Twilight Max Light Management System that increases hunting time by using available light to provide optimal clarity and brightness in any environment.
The Leupold VX-3 2.5-8x32mm RFP Handgun Scope offers generous eye relief that provides enhanced comfort during target practice. It also comes with scratch-resistant lenses that are durable, and reliable in all conditions.
Key features
- It is made of durable materials
- It has an extended eye relief
- It is punisher tested for impact resistance
- It has scratch-resistant lenses
Pros
- It has an ultra-lightweight design
Cons
- It is a bit heavy
3) Bushnell Engage Riflescope, Matte Black, 1″ Tube
The Engage Riflescope is another gem from Bushnell, a leading provider of outdoor equipment. It has a Bushnell Deploy MOA reticle, which is very useful for hunters, target shooters, people who enjoy shooting a variety of calibers, and anybody else looking for adaptability in a riflescope.
The riflescope’s 0.18 MOA thick crosshairs are simple to see without obstructing the target image. For proper windage holds, hash markings below zero are 2-MOA wide, and others are spaced at 1-MOA intervals to ensure appropriate elevation holdover.
This Bushnell riflescope features an anti-reflection coating technique adapted to each lens in the optical path. This allows maximum light transmission into the eyepiece for improved brightness and actual color across the light spectrum.
This scope also comes with Bushnell’s proprietary EXO Barrier, which molecule bonds to the outer lens surfaces of the Bushnell Engage Riflescope to help block out moisture, oil, fog, dust, and debris.
Key features
- It is made of high-quality materials for a long-lived performance
- It has fully multi-coated optics for maximum light transmission
- It is O-ring sealed and nitrogen purged for water and fog-proof performance
- It has the deployed MOA reticle designed for hunters and target shooters
- The scope is water, oil, fog, dust, and debris resistant
Pros
- It is easy to use
- It is backed by the Bushnell ironclad warranty
Cons
- Low magnification power
4) Trijicon TR22 AccuPoint 2.5-10x56mm Riflescope
The Trijicon AccuPoint 2.5-10×56 Rifle Scope is the largest and most powerful Trijicon Rifle Scope on the market that offers optimum any-light shooting, high transitional speed, and pinpoint accuracy.
The scope features advanced fiber-optic/tritium aiming-point illumination, allowing faster target acquisition and extends available shooting hours.
The dual-illumination fiber-optic system in the scope automatically adapts the brightness of the aiming point to the ambient lighting. It provides hunters with the best aiming-point illumination and lightning-target contrast for imperturbable rapid accuracy aiming in any lighting.
Also included is a resettable pointer dial which allows a rifle scope that’s been sighted in to be easily reset to zero without using tools.
Key features
- It features an aircraft-grade aluminum housing
- It is made with superior multi-coated lenses that provide excellent clarity and light-gathering capabilities with zero distortion
- It features fiber optic technology that automatically adjusts the brightness level and contrast of the reticle aiming point to available light conditions
- It has a tritium phosphor lamp that illuminates the reticle in low to no light
Pros
- All-weather rugged construction ensures weatherproofing
- Long eye relief
Cons
- Heavy weight due to the large objective
5) UTG 2-7X44 11″-9.5″ Long Eye Relief 30mm Scout Scope
The eye relief on this UTG scope is consistently long (241.3-279.4mm), making it ideal for front mounting and target shooting. This helps keep the hunters’ brows protected from harsh recoil.
The robust 30mm tube is made of aluminum and filled entirely with nitrogen, which prevents moisture molecules from building up inside the lenses and impairing the clarity of the scope.
The UTG 2-7X44 11″-9.5″ scope features a dual-color mode lighted system that gives hunters a variety of brightness settings and color options. It also comes with the 1-click technology, which takes the hunter back to their prior brightness and color settings.
The emerald optics coating technology promotes effective light transmission, safeguards the lenses from external elements like sun glare, and preserves and protects the scope’s internal light supply.
Key features
- It is constructed of strong aluminum material
- It features a dual-color mode for different lighting conditions
- It features Zero resetting and locking windage and elevation turrets
- It has a 6 Mil-dot Etched glass reticle
- It uses the CR2032 battery
- It has a variable magnification of 2-7x
- It has an objective lens diameter of 44mm
- The tube diameter is 30mm
- Click value: 0.25MO
- Eye relief: 241.3-279.4mm
- Exit pupil: 6.3-22mm
- F.O.V: 32-10ft/100yds
- Parallax adjustment: 10yds –infinity
Pros
- It offers long inches of eye relief
- It is water, fog, and shock-resistant
- It comes with an integrated sunshade and flip-open lens caps for lens protection
Cons
- It is costly
Best Long Eye Relief Scopes FAQs
- Which scopes have the best eye relief?
The scopes with long eye relief are preferred to provide added safety, especially when using weapons with heavy recoil. The above-discussed scopes offer long eye relief.
- What is the eye relief on a Burris scope?
Burris is one of the best optics brands in the market. The scopes have an eye relief of between 9.2-12 inches which is especially generous given the wide magnification range of the optics.
- Can you increase eye relief on a scope?
Scopes do not have built-in eye relief adjustments. They lack buttons, knobs, or dials that can be used to adjust eye relief. You can only adjust the eye relief of a scope by moving the rifle scope either closer to the shooter’s eye or further away from the shooter’s eye.
- What is the eye relief on a pistol scope?
The average eye relief for a fixed-power scope is about 3.5 inches.
Final Thoughts
Protecting yourself is one of the most important things you must do when shooting or hunting. One of the ways you can do that is by ensuring that your rifle scope has enough eye relief to protect your brows and eyes from recoil.
Heavy recoil rifles require long eye relief scopes such as the ones discussed in this review.
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