Deer hunting is a tradition that can be found in every culture.

It has served as a way to provide food, materials for clothing, keep deer populations from overwhelming local ecosystems, and even as a hobby or for sport.

Those who enjoy deer hunting or know someone who does knows just how tasty venison can be.

However, it may be difficult to tell whether or not the deer meat is still good.

How To Tell If Deer Meat Is Spoiled (4 Ways)

In order to tell whether or not deer meat is spoiled, you are going to need to use all of your senses.

You can tell deer meat is spoiled by the touch, smell, and look of it.

There’s no need to taste it, as that can be hazardous for your health.

There are also other factors that you can use to tell whether or not your deer meat is still healthy to consume.

1. The Touch Of The Venison

Your venison won’t feel fresh if you touch it.

The deer meat will feel slimy and wet to the touch.

While your venison should be damp, it should never be soggy or slippery.

You may not be able to tell if your deer meat is spoiled by the touch if your venison has been frozen.

Luckily, there are multiple options for analyzing the freshness of your venison.

2. The Look Of The Venison

The first way you can tell if deer meat has gone bad is by the look of it.

Your deer meat should be a nice, deep red.

If your venison is brown, then you have a problem.

Spoiled meat will also have a metallic shine to it, but that can be a difficult deciphering tool because deer meat always has a certain shine to it.

This natural shine comes from the deer’s thick tendons and muscle structure.

It is better to go by the color if you are solely going off of looks.

If you’ve already ground up your meat, then you should take a look at the inside of each ground chunk.

If the inside is brown, then the meat is no longer good.

3. The Smell Of The Venison

You will mostly smell the revolting aroma of spoiled deer meat before you can even get to the other steps of studying the venison.

A sewage-like smell will attack your nose and seep deep into your nostrils.

If your deer meat has been frozen, you may not be able to smell it at first.

The smell will get increasingly intense as the meat thaws.

Prepare for your whole house to reek of sewage by opening the windows and airing out the house beforehand.

4. The Timing Of The Venison

There are two time frames that you will want to consider when trying to figure out if your venison has gone bad.

The first time frame you will need to take into consideration is when it was killed, dressed, and stored.

In order to keep your meat good for as long as possible, you will need to shorten the time between when the deer was killed and when it was frozen.

The time limit between those two events will be shorter if the weather is hot and humid.

You can leave deer meat out for the longest time when it is cold and dry.

The second time frame you’ll want to consider is how long you have been storing your meat.

You’ll also want to consider where it is being stored.

In the refrigerator, your meat will last three days.

Ground venison can last in the freezer for three months.

Venison roasts and steaks can be stored in the freezer for six to nine months.

Eating Spoiled Meat

Avoid eating spoiled meat at all costs.

The effects of eating spoiled meat can be devastating to your digestive tract.

If you have eaten questionable meat and that meat turns out to be spoiled, you may experience symptoms such as stomach pain, nausea, and diarrhea.

However, the worst-case scenario is death.

Rotten meat is where bacteria such as Escherichia coli and salmonella prosper.

Cooking your meat may get rid of any future bacteria forming, but it does not get rid of the toxins that they leave behind.

Those are left deep inside of the meat.

Ground meats will need to be cooked to a minimum of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Venison steaks and roasts will need to be cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit or higher to have any chance of killing these germs.

There’s another germ you will need to worry about.

Clostridium botulinum can be found in all sorts of meats.

This bacterium causes vision problems, paralysis, and even death.

There are five different types of Botulism.

There is infant botulism, wound botulism, iatrogenic botulism, and adult intestinal toxemia.

Each type of botulism is based on where it forms.

It can form in your wounds, your food, your cosmetics, your intestines when you’re an infant or adult, and even your food.

Foods that are canned or made at home without the proper equipment are at a higher risk of having foodborne botulism.

All forms of botulism are fatal.

If you or a loved one are potentially suffering from botulism, then go to the emergency room immediately.

Diseased Venison

There is something vastly more dangerous than simply spoiled meat.

There is a disease that is going through the United States’ deer population called Chronic Wasting Disease.

Similar to Mad Cow Disease, Chronic Wasting Disease eats away at the brain.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hasn’t linked the disease to anything that indicates humans can get it, but the organization still highly discourages eating meat from deer with this disease.

Before you go for your hunt, you should look into whether or not Chronic Wasting Disease is prevalent in your hunting area.

Those hunting for food should select another location for hunting or be prepared to have your meat tested once you bring the venison home.

There are other precautions you can take to avoid eating diseased meat as well.

How To Avoid Diseased Meat

One of the first things you can do to avoid diseased meat is to not shoot sick or weak-looking animals.

Instead, you should call your local fish and game department to inform them of the animal.

Should you accidentally shoot a sick-looking animal, turn it into your local game department so they may record and analyze it.

By doing this first tip alone, you will be helping keep your loved ones, the local community, and the local deer population safe.

Whenever you are dressing your deer in the field, make sure to wear latex or rubber gloves.

This will help you avoid direct contact with any potential contaminants.

It is better for you to bone out your deer, rather than sawing straight through the spine, brain, or any bone.

During the deboning process, try to avoid touching the brain or spinal tissues for longer than necessary.

You should wash your hands immediately and thoroughly after the field dressing is finished.

You will also need to make sure that your tools are completely clean and have soaked in 40% bleach for a minimum of five minutes each.

You should avoid eating the brain, spinal cord, spleen, eyes, tonsils, or lymph nodes of the deer.

While most of these things will be removed during a normal field dressing, you may still need to make sure to avoid lymph nodes.

By cutting away all of the fatty bits of the deer, you will have cut away any lymph nodes.

Hunters who want to be extra cautious may choose to ensure that, when their meat is processed, their animal is being processed individually, without any other meat mixing in.

Best Venison Meals

Venison can make for a hardy, protein-packed meal that has that signature gamey taste.

While that gamey taste isn’t for everyone, there are many ways to prepare venison as a meal.

It doesn’t all need to be your basic venison roast.

The best kind of jerky is venison jerky, by far.

This meaty, gamey jerky is the perfect snack while working or even hunting more deer.

All you will need to make it is venison, chili powder, onion powder, liquid smoke, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, garlic powder, and teriyaki sauce.

If you like your venison jerky spicy, add some hot sauce and hot paprika.

You will want to cook your jerky at 150 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit.

You will cook one side of your jerky for three hours before flipping it over and cooking the other side for another three hours.

When in doubt, turn your meat into sausages!

With some venison, garlic powder, black pepper, mustard seed, tender quick, onion powder, and liquid smoke.

All meat lovers agree that the better sausages have cheese in them.

If you’ve never made sausage before, you may end up having a lot of fun with the steps it takes to make sausage.

The coarser you grind the meat up beforehand, the better it will stay together in a sausage.

You’ll want to leave your logs in the refrigerator overnight to help make the sausage firmer.

The better you mix your meat with your other ingredients, the better your sausage will hold up and turn out.

Venison makes excellent meat for any soup or stew.

Its gamey taste pairs well with vegetables, cheese, and herbs.

Any soup that has beef in it can be easily replaced with venison for a more gamey taste.

You can also add venison to vegetable-based soups, like potato soup.

The starch of the potatoes soaks up the gamey venison.

Health Benefits Of Venison

When you’re trying to decide on what to eat for a healthy meal, venison may not cross your mind.

It may be shocking just how many health benefits that venison has.

When most people go hunting, they aren’t thinking about the healthy meat they’re bringing home to their families, but luckily, your hobby is good for the whole family.

Deer meat is packed to the brim with protein.

In 100 grams of venison, there are 24 grams of protein!

A fourth of deer meat is pure protein.

The protein from venison is a complete protein, meaning it contains all of the essential amino acids that our bodies need in order to survive.

Complete proteins are what keep our immune systems, hormones, and crucial enzyme production in order.

Those who love beef but need to cut back on saturated fats should consider replacing beef with venison.

Deer meat is vastly lower in saturated fats than most other red meats.

Venison isn’t just a great source of protein, but it is also an excellent source of iron.

With 25% of the world’s population having an iron deficiency, we could all use a little venison.

There are two different types of iron: haem and non-haem.

Non-haem iron mostly comes from plants, but it doesn’t absorb into the body as well as haem iron.

Haem iron comes from most meats, excluding the liver, spleen, and bone marrow.

Zinc is one of the trickiest minerals to get into your system, with most people just opting to take zinc supplements.

By eating 100 grams of venison, you will get almost a third of the total zinc you need in a day!

Zinc is responsible for keeping your skin healthy.

It is also a crucial mineral for reproductive health, especially in men.

Quality Of Meat Weighs On Quality Of Shot

The quality of your meat weighs heavily on the quality of your shot.

The best hunters will kill their meat as humanely as possible, which means doing it with the fewest number of shots.

Plus, scaring your prey will only cause their body temperature to rise as they run for their lives.

You’re looking for the “one shot, one kill”.

You’re out in the field, and you’re aiming at the broadside of a buck.

Wait for the deer to have his leg extended and aim for a third of the way up his body, right behind the leg.

That is where the heart and lungs are.

This shot gives you room for error because of all the vital organs in the area.

With this shot, it is better to shoot a little high than a little low.

If the deer you’re hunting is looking toward you, you should aim for the lower quarter of their chest.

A deer’s lungs and legs are the best tools they have for escaping.

You want to take out the lungs because that will result in a quicker death for the deer.

Never forget the importance of respecting the animal you’re going to make a meal out of.

Texans have their own special spot to shoot a deer for a quick death.

Your deer will need to be facing away from you with its butt showing.

Use that tail of theirs to make the perfect marker for the “Texas Heart Shot“.

By shooting straight through the tail, you will be hitting the aortic artery and puncture the heart and lungs, which will lead to internal bleeding.

Plus, their white, little tails make it easier to see exactly where you need to shoot.

Isn’t it a great day not to be a deer?

NEXT: 50 Words That Begin And End With T (And How To Use Them)

One thousand yards is considered to be a long-range distance for shooters, whether you’re hunting or target shooting. Therefore, for the best hunting experience, you need a long-range rifle scope that will provide you with the best image quality and top accuracy. A magnification range plays a big part in that, so it’s important to know the best magnification for a 1000-yard scope so you can shoot long range. Keep reading to find out what it is.

Scope Magnification for 1,000 Yards: The Basics

When people think of extremely high magnification scopes, they think of Spotting Scope vs Telescope. The human eye can only see so far, which is why a high magnification range is a must for any long-range shooting. If you regularly partake in long-range hunting to catch animals that are easily startled, you need to choose a rifle scope with enough magnification for targets up to 1,000 yards.

The best scope magnification for 1,000 yards makes your target seem like it’s no more than 100 yards away, which can be done with about 10x magnification. This provides you with a major advantage that will see your shooting success rate at long range skyrocket. However, you won’t always need a magnification of 10x, which you should keep in mind when choosing the Best Spotting Scope for 1000 Yards for you.

Scope Magnification for 1,000 Yards: How to Choose

It may be tempting to choose a scope that has a higher magnification range, especially if you go long-range shooting often. However, you have to have a thorough understanding of your hunting habits in order to validate that this is the right choice for you.

When in doubt, go with a rifle scope that provides you with more flexibility as to not limit you on your hunting trips, like a 4-16×50 rifle scope. A scope with variable magnification is the best choice to provide you with that versatility, refine your skills, and help you make the most out of your hunting trips.

Chances are you will occasionally need to catch a target that’s closer than the 1,000-yard range. In fact, this may happen more often than catching targets at 1,000 yards. This is why you don’t want to choose a rifle scope with a starting magnification that’s too high. Staying within a starting magnification of 4x to 6x is a safe bet. For the best results, choose a rifle scope with a magnification of 6x-24x or 5x-30x to give you enough options out on the field. If 1,000 yards is too extreme, check out Best Scope Magnification for 500 Yards. There is a scope that fits everyone’s needs!

Other Things to Consider for Scopes for 1,000 Yards

Magnification is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing the right scope. It’s more important for longer-range shooting than for shorter distances that may not need as much magnification. Obviously you wouldn’t use a 4×32 scope range for long distance shots!

Although magnification is up there in terms of factors that affect long-range shooting, there are several other factors that you should consider when purchasing a scope for 1,000 yards. These factors include:

• Reticles and reticle adjustment
• Quality of the glass (including clarity, brightness, and color)
• Field of view (FOV)
• Durability of the body

Scope Magnification for 1,000 Yards – Vortex Viper HST 6-24×50 Rifle Scope

If you’re looking for a high-quality rifle scope for the 1,000-yard range, look no further than the Vortex Viper HST 6-24×50 Rifle Scope.

With a magnification of 6x-24x, the Vortex Optics Viper is great for accurate holds at a long range. The 4x zoom provides versatility and provides a lot of scope adjustability. The side-focus parallax adjustment provides solid image focus and parallax removal. Use the fast focus eyepiece to quickly adjust the reticle to your eye and find your target.

This optic also features premium, multi-coated, extra-low dispersion lenses for excellent resolution and prime color fidelity. You’ll also find exposed turrets, styled like targets, for repeatable and precise finger-adjustable clicks. In all, this is a top choice from Vortex for a scope for 1,000 yards that will deliver results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Long-range shooting extends the possibilities of your hunting trip and allows you to hit targets that would be impossible to strike at shorter distances. Therefore, it’s worth investing in scope magnification for 1,000 yards to give you the best chance of hitting all of your targets. Hopefully, this article has given you an idea of whether a scope for 1,000 yards is right for you.

We will be looking at rifle cartridges that have a velocity of over 3,500 feet per second. There are not many of these out there. That’s because rifle cartridges aren’t the most effective mechanisms for creating high projectile speed.

If you really want to see fast projectile speed, there are a few examples. A depleted-uranium penetrator rod fired from a 120mm smoothbore main gun on the M-1 Abrams tank can go as fast as 6,000 fps. Then there’s the Navy’s Rail Gun, which uses electric current to accelerate projectiles up to 8,000 fps.

Keep in mind that velocity also produces a lot of recoils and also puts a strain on the projectile itself. There needs to be a balance between the force behind the shot to the durability of the brass cartridge as well as your shoulders. Then, there’s also the barrel durability to consider. If your ordinary rifle cartridge goes up to 8,000 fps, then it would either break apart the moment it leaves the barrel, breaks the barrel, or dislocates your shoulders from the recoil.

With that in mind, it’s already a significant achievement for rifle cartridges to breach that goes faster than 3,500 or even 4,000 feet per second while still being safe for the shooter. We’ve pretty much achieved peak velocity in 1935 when the .220 Swift reached 4,110 fps with a 48-grain bullet.

Nowadays, you can get a Swift that can top 4,300 fps without blowing itself up. Other than that, only a few cartridges can go up to 4,500 fps. To this day, no rifle cartridges managed to breach 5,000 fps. I suspect that it wouldn’t happen unless we’ve developed new bullet or gunpowder technology, or that we use something else other than gunpowder and bullets.

Consider subscribing to our channel if you haven’t already for more content like this. Without further ado, let’s get into it.

1. The .220 Swift

Winchester came up with the .220 Swift by trimming down the neck of the 6mm Lee Navy. Not many people know of this cartridge since it only served briefly in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps with its straight-pull M 1895 rifle. Neither the gun nor its cartridge found success and they were ditched in favor of the .30/40 Krag-Jorgensen, which u nfortunately did not remain in service for long either.

The case is definitely large for a .22 centerfire and it is also semi-rimmed. To produce the Swift, Winchester had to design bullets that can withstand extreme speed, which is harder than you may think. I’ve seen the lead cores of some Swifts melting into liquid moments before hitting the target. Sometimes, the bullets would vaporize soon after leaving the barrel. That’s the kind of stress bullets are subjected to at such extreme speeds.

In addition, the speed also causes significant wear on the barrel itself. To fix this problem, Winchester turned to stainless, but then found out that it’s not possible to blue stainless steel. So they opted to iron-plate the tubes first, then blue them.

Unfortunately, the Swift was not well-received. You can thank certain gun writers for that since they labeled it as unnatural, creepy, and even dangerous. They went on to talk nonsense about it. Despite the tarnished reputation by the media, the Swift managed to survive for the simple fact that it is very accurate, fun to shoot, and does not have any more problems than other cartridges.

A 50-grain bullet can reach 3,900 fps. A 40-grain might be able to reach 4,300. If you want to down a big game in a shot without feeling much in the way of recoil, I believe 60-70-grain bullets will suffice.

2. The .257 Weatherby Magnum

This cartridge is also an ancient round, similar to the Swift. Despite its age, it has been holding up pretty well. It was designed by Roy Weatherby in 1944 and was put up for sale just a year later. Among the entire line from Roy, this one is his favorite. When people called upon to cite the virtues of hypervelocity, Roy pointed to this cartridge.

The .257 Weatherby Magnum is based on the H&H Super 30 and it is normal for all Weatherby Magnums to have very little body taper, a sharp and radiused shoulder, and plenty of powder capacity. This cartridge definitely packs a punch. Back then, Weatherby rifles used to have 24-inch barrels and with 87-grain Hornady bullets, you can expect the velocity around 3,750 fps.

If you’re thinking that this is too much for varmints, then you would be right. This would pulverize small critters. So, the .257 is best used on big game at long range where this cartridge excels. I have the best experience using 115- and 120-grain Nosler Partitions, which have a velocity in the neighborhood of 3,400 fps. Despite the velocity, the recoil is surprisingly light, especially when you think how much powder is in there. That said, the noise would be severe and the barrel life would be quite short.

3. The .30/378 Weatherby

So far, I’ve been discussing cartridges that fire only light bullets. This one deals in slugs that are 180-200 grains or more. The start of its career is quite strange as well. It all started in 1959 when the Army asked Roy Weatherby to put together a single rifle/cartridge combination so they could test the effect of hyper-velocity metal fragments on armor to mimic exploded artillery rounds.

Weatherby came up with a smoothbore rifle and he necked down his .378 round to .30 caliber. With these, he managed to achieve 5,000 fps. Of course, words of this terrifying firepower got out and the .30/378 immediately became popular. In 1996, Weatherby made it a production cartridge and it is one of his most popular rounds to date. He loads a wide variety of ammo for it. The 165-grain Barnes copper bullet can reach the velocity of 3,450 fps and the 220-grain Hornady ELD-X could reach up to 3,050 fps.

Of course, this amount of firepower is only suitable for the big game at extreme distances. Prudent hunters would choose to go with the heaviest slug possible since it would retain the most velocity over the distance. Weatherby puts a 26-inch barrel to its rifles in this caliber, so you can’t go any shorter than that. Also, you must use a brake.

Also, only use this cartridge when your target is at least 400 yards away. The further the better. Any closer than that and the damage would be horrendous. Ear protection is a must, even when hunting. The barrel life is also short, with some shooters reporting that theirs lasted as little as 600 rounds.

4. The .224 Clark

If you look at pure performance, this cartridge shouldn’t be on this list since its velocity is only 3,550 fps. However, I feel it wouldn’t do it justice considering that the Clark was designed in the early 60s. It managed to achieve that velocity with 80-grain bullets, so this is a cartridge that is at least five decades ahead of modern long-range loads such as the .224 Valkyrie. The Valkyrie achieved the same speed with 90-grainers.

The .224 Clark was the masterpiece made by a gunsmith named Kenneth Clark from Moderna, California. He figured out that initial velocity isn’t everything, but rather the retained speed downrange. He knew this half a century before everyone else. So now, you have .223 shooters who are required to use 77-grain bullets for mid-range targets at around 600 yards.

Clark then selected the .257 Roberts case, blew it out, and gave it a 30-degree shoulder. He then designed his own 80- and 82-grain bullets. The best rate of twist was 1-9, which is incredibly fast. Understandably, this puts a lot of stress on the slugs. To fix this problem, Clark built them strong and came up with a double jacket for heavier slugs, because he knew that people would use this for the big game.

The .224 Clark worked well, but it never became that popular and it eats through barrels quickly as well. Nonetheless, it is definitely a cartridge that is way ahead of its time and is worth mentioning in this list.

5. The .22 Eargesplitten Loudenboomer

If you want to go hard, then this is the best option for you. The .22 EL was created in the 1960s by a gunsmith named P.O. Ackley. His goal was to create a cartridge that can achieve 5,000 fps. It was the apocalyptic .378 Weatherby Magnum necked down to .224, with pretty much no other changes made.

Then, Ackley shipped the .22 EL rifle off to Bob Hutton who operated Hutton’s Rifle Range in Topanga, California. He did all the rifle testing for Guns & Ammo magazine in the 60s. Bob’s range was located in a box canyon, so he could make as much noise as he wanted. He would definitely be called in for questioning nowadays if someone hears the ruckus he was causing. With 50-grain bullets, Bob managed to hit 4,600 fps, but could not quite breach that 5,000 fps barrier. It is possible that we could make it using ultra-slow powders today.

Unless you live under a rock, you have definitely heard about the Mossberg 500 Tactical by now.

This renowned pump-action shotgun from O.F. Mossberg & Sons certainly needs no introduction. Especially not when organizations like the Marine Corps continue to use it for missions around the world.

That said, is this the right tactical shotgun for you?

Why Choose The Mossberg 500 Tactical?

When it comes to pump-action shotguns for home defense and tactical operations, your options are limitless. Just about everyone in the business of making shotguns has a tactical version of their firearm that performs well. So why should you choose the Mossberg 500 Tactical instead of one of the other brand names?

The answer to that question is simple.

For almost sixty years, the M500 has been continuously improving and evolving. Improvements to this firearm not only come from consumer feedback, but also feedback received from the people who trust their lives to this weapon system daily. This weapon is battle-proven, and with over 10 million units sold, people certainly rely on it both at home and abroad.

Bonus points added for being made in America, and being the only shotgun that meets mil-spec requirements.

You can find some more reasons on why you should trust Mossberg shotguns here.

Meet The Mossberg 500 Tactical

There are thirteen different models of theMossberg 500 Tactical. Seven of the thirteen models come stock, ready to load 5+1 into the magazine, with the other six all being 7+1 in capacity. Depending on which model you choose, the weapon may or may not come stock with an adjustable stock and pistol grip, but there are tons of after-market options there as well. Only five of the stock model M500 Tactical come with a sight other than the bead front-sight.

It’s worth noting, that regardless of which model of the 500 Tactical you get, after-market options are available for just about everything. This shotgun has been compared to the Mr. Potato-head of tactical shotguns by some people, and those people were all correct in that assessment. If there is any cosmetic feature of this weapon system that you do not like, there is probably an upgrade or alternative piece of furniture available.

Regardless, the Mossberg 500 Tactical has everything you could possibly need. Of the thirteen different models that exist, there really is a mission-ready shotgun for every scenario. If the shotgun isn’t exactly what you want, you can probably get it there for under $200. Here’s a video of BigDaddyHoffman 1911 doing just that.

Features of the Mossberg 500 Tactical

Aside from being a tactical Mr. Potato-head, the Mossberg 500 Tactical has a variety of other features. Like all pump action Mossberg shotguns, it comes stock with dual extractors, positive steel-to-steel lockup, twin action bars, and an anti-jam elevator. The safety selector is ambidextrous, and mounted on the top of the shotgun. Some people don’t like this, but after a bit of work with the weapon system you get pretty used to it.

Stock, most tactical variants of the Mossberg 500 also come with a tri-railed forend. This allows the user to attach a variety of different accessories to the weapon system. Several versions also come with adjusting stocks and pistol grips, which give the shooter better control of the weapon.

Here are the basic specifications of the 500 Tactical – 8 Shot straight from Mossberg.

Gauge 12 Capacity 7+1 Chamber 3″ Barrel Type Heat Shield Barrel Length 20″ Sight/Base Ghost Ring Choke Cylinder Bore LOP Type Fixed LOP 13.875″ Barrel Finish Matte Blued Stock Finish Synthetic (Black) Weight 7 Length 41″

Mossberg 500 Tactical on the Range

Out on the range is where this weapon system truly shines. Personally, I have been shooting the Mossberg 500 Tactical since around 2008 when I was first qualified in the conduct of less-lethal weapons and munitions. Since then, I have fired the Mossberg 500 and 590, as well as the Benelli xm1014 auto-loader all in military applications and in a variety of environments. Never have I personally experienced any serious issues with the weapon system that were not the fault of poor maintenance, or an inexperienced shooter.

One of the first things you’ll notice with your Mossberg 500 is the ease of use. It really is one of the simplest platforms in existence, and nobody should ever have issues firing it. The action on this weapon runs smooth as silk in most circumstances. Keeping a tight group with the weapon usually depends more on your ammunition and the individual shooter’s experience than on the weapon itself.

We’ve run a variety of different loads from buckshot to beanbag rounds through this platform, and no one ammo-type in particular has had any serious re-occurring issues. In eleven years of firing the Mossberg 500 platform on the regular, I can count the number of malfunctions I have personally experienced on one hand. Simple maintenance makes a world difference, and if you are experiencing a lot of issues with your weapon you should consider sending it into Mossberg to have it looked at.

Here’s a video of IraqVeteran8888 testing out a new optic on his Mossberg 500 Tactical.

Final Verdict on the Mossberg 500 Tactical

This is an absolute no-brainer in my opinion. The Mossberg 500 is one of the premiere tactical shotguns on the market, and it has been for 60 years. At an average cost of around $550, you really can’t get more shotgun for your money anywhere else. Tack onto this the adaptability and dependability of a truly military grade shotgun, and you have yourself a solid purchase for both home defense, and tactical shooting purposes.

These shotguns also make amazing project guns for people who truly like to customize their weapons. In fact, there’s an entire series on Full30 by the Hobbygunsmith where he takes an old Mossberg 500 from a bag of spare parts to a fully functioning weapon system in just four videos. It’s well worth your time.

As always though, that’s just our opinion on the Mossberg 500. If you’re a Mossberg shooter, or just a fan of shotguns in general, let’s hear you sound off down in the comments below with your thoughts and experiences with the weapon system. We’d love to hear from you all!

When you entice one to step in the 4-inch circle of earth you prepared, there are not too many other feelings of accomplishment that compare to trapping bobcats.

Plus, with bobcat pelt prices staying consistently high, the full wallet at the end of the process is pretty satisfying too.

I did not include the number one most well-known trapping tip, just because everybody should know it: set on sign.

Here are nine additional tips I’ve picked up over the years, mostly from trapping with and observing some truly talented Wyoming bobcat trappers.

They’re Just Big Cats, So Observe Small Ones

An old timer told me this: “Cats are cats, whether they’re de-clawed house cats or mountain lions. These critters are carnivores. They all hunt and are attracted to the same sense triggers.” He advised me to observe “domesticated” house/barn cats whenever possible. You will likely notice many parallels in bobcat populations that will make it much easier to lure one into your coil spring, foothold traps, or cage trap.

Visual Attraction

Just like a house cat will stalk and pounce at a red laser light or a piece of string that you are wiggling, bobcats can’t hardly resist investigating moving objects they can’t immediately identify. Near each bobcat set, you should place some type of visual attraction.

One of my favorite techniques is to hammer a masonry nail into a rock wall near the set. Wrap a length of baling wire on the nail and protrude it about a foot straight out from the wall. At the end of the wire, bend a loop. Take a second small length of wire and loop the end through the first loop, so that the wire hangs loosely straight down. On the end of the second wire, attach something shiny and reflective. I’ve found silver Christmas garland or aluminum foil works well. Just make sure to check your local trapping regulations to make sure what you are doing is legal first.

The bobcats will see the reflection first, then notice the movement in the wind. As they curiously approach the movement from the bush, they will then pick up the scent of the bait – and hopefully move into the set.

Double Up the Springs

Use #10 traps for bobcat, but install a second set of springs. This will ensure the bobcat will not be able to pull out. Plus, cats paws are extremely sensitive, so, the more pressure on the paw, the less the bobcat will try to pull out.

Use Peat Moss

Because fur trapping is a winter pursuit, the temperature will more than likely be below freezing the majority of the time. Since the traps are buried in the ground, moisture from temperature changes can freeze the traps open.

The best way to avert this situation is to cover the trap with a layer of peat moss prior to sifting natural dirt over the trap. The organic materials within the peat moss emit methane, which when released, is warm. This will keep the trap from freezing up.

Cut Off a Paw

This is good trick for both bobcats as well as coyote. Cut off and preserve one of the front paws. Attach the paw to the end of a broom handle (cut in half) or a short stick. After you make your trap set and you have sifted the dirt over the trap to look completely natural, CAREFULLY and gently make a paw print directly over the trap pan.

Bobcats, especially big toms, are smart, and they instinctively know that if another bobcat has stepped in a certain spot, it must be safe to also step there.

Rocks/Ledges

When scouting a bobcat trapping location, always start with rock ledges. That’s where they live, especially in the Western states of America.

Rock ledges give bobcats a higher perspective to see prey below as well as affords them an extra level of protection from larger predators. First look for rock ledges and outcroppings, then look for sign – prints or scat. Those are all good indicators that you’re amongst good set locations.

Don’t Piss

This tip applies to bobcat hunting too and is a good rule of thumb for any furbearer you may target. Do not answer the call of nature where you hope to ambush one of these big cats. They have a great sense of small and you can ruin an entire area – no matter how catty it is – by urinating within your bobcat trap zone. Pee at the truck before you venture into your trapline, and hold it until you get out.

Don’t Disturb the Landscape

Disturbed landscape is another warning sign to bobcats. If you accidentally turn over a large rock, return it to it’s original position. Cover your tracks as you back away from your sets.

Cats Wander, Dogs Go Straight

In areas where bobcats and coyote share the landscape, a good rule of thumb when identifying animal tracks from a distance is that bobcats and lynx like to move in a serpentine pattern while coyotes tend to move in straight lines. Once you know this, it can make snaring your target species a whole lot easier if legal.

I just wrote 10 tips and realized I didn’t even get to choking trails into sets or bobcat bait. That will be for a future article.

Happy trapping!

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Here are the best choices for hunting ear protection that hunters can use to safeguard their hearing.

I think we can all agree that we’d love to keep our sense of hearing for our entire life. After all, I’m sure you know someone who has a tough time hearing and can barely carry on a conversation. There are many different things that can damage your ears, but if you do a lot of hunting with firearms, there’s one simple thing you can do to avoid hearing loss and make sure you don’t have to wear hearing aids later in life: wear hunting ear protection.

Any noise louder than 85 decibels can cause permanent hearing loss. I cannot state this strongly enough: if it is loud enough, a single gunshot can cause immediate hearing damage. For reference, a gunshot is about 130-180 decibels (give or take).

While noise induced hearing loss and tinnitus are both permanent, the good news is that it’s also preventable.

The Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) of ear protection describes how effective it is. Basically, a higher NRR means that hearing protection does a better job reducing your exposure to really loud noises.

However, you should keep in mind that some firearms produce a pressure wave strong enough cause hearing loss by damaging the bones behind the ear, even if the ear canal is protected by an ear plug. This is particularly true for people shooting indoors or those exposed to repeated shots from shotguns or rifles (such as waterfowl hunters or hunting guides). While ear plugs are certainly better than nothing, ear muffs are actually the most effective shooting and hunting ear protection you can wear.

So, to avoid permanent damage to your hearing, it is important that you wear appropriate ear protection when shooting or when exposed to other noisy environments. Luckily, this task is much easier than many people assume and there are a lot more good quality options for hearing protection while hunting than there used to be.

In this post, I’m going go over some of the best hunting ear protection products that you should be wearing afield to safeguard your hearing.

Note: some of the links below are affiliate links. This means I will earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you make a purchase. This helps support the blog and allows me to continue to create free content that’s useful to hunters like yourself. Thanks for your support.

AXIL XCOR

What’s the best hunting ear protection? Hands down, it’s AXIL XCOR electronic ear buds. They amplify quiet noises, block loud noises, and have 5.0 bluetooth connectivity. They are also extremely comfortable to wear for long periods of time and won’t affect your cheek weld when shooting a long gun.

These electronic ear buds are a more expensive than basic electronic ear muffs and some other electronic ear buds, but are also similar in price to (or maybe even a little LESS expensive than) some of the electronic ear plugs I also recommend in this article.

AXIL XCOR ear buds provide excellent performance by digitally compressing loud noises over 85 dB back to safe levels and amplifying quieter sounds. AXIL advertises that the XCOR provide up to 6x hearing enhancement along with a NRR of up to 29.

So, not only will they protect your hearing from loud noises, but they actually improve it as well. This is the best of both worlds when it comes to hunting ear protection.

At the range, electronic ear buds protect the hearing of the shooter, but still allow him or her to hold a normal conversation with another person. While hunting, this allows the user to hear all the little sounds he or she needs to hear, like the snap of a twig made by an approaching deer.

The XCOR ear buds comes with several different foam tips of varying sizes. It is very important that you take the time to read the instructions and choose the tips that fit your ear properly. However, they work GREAT and are very comfortable to wear for hours at a time if you use the correct tips for your individual ear size.

Just slip them on at the beginning of a hunting trip and wear them until you’re done hunting. You’ll get hearing enhancement that will help you hear an approaching animal and won’t have to fumble around and put on ear protection before taking a shot.

I’ve worn the XCOR ear buds for up to 10 hours of hunting in a single day (with a short break around lunch) for over a week at a time without issues. I’ve never used any other hearing protection that comfortable.

The fact that they also offer bluetooth connectivity is also awesome because that gives you the option of listening to music or podcasts on your phone with them. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend doing that while you’re out hunting, but it’s a nice feature when doing something like mowing the lawn.

Finally, it’s important to realize that the XCORs are wireless digital ear buds, which makes them a somewhat unique form of hunting ear protection (most other models are analog). The fact that they’re digital hear protection means the XCOR ear buds provide excellent sound quality with minimal distortion. In fact, I think they have the best sound quality of all the ear protection on this list. Plus, they do that without having wires or sticks coming out of your ears.

All things considered, I consider AXIL XCOR wireless ear buds to be the absolute best hunting ear protection.

Click the button below to receive discounted pricing on these ear buds ($50+ off MSRP) along with free shipping to most locations.

BUY AXIL XCOR EAR BUDS HERE

AXIL GS Extreme

Next up on this list of the best hunting ear protection are AXIL GS Extreme electronic ear buds. These were my previous favorite ear protection model until AXIL released the XCOR wireless ear buds in 2024.

Like the XCOR ear buds, the GS Extreme ear buds amplify quiet noises, block loud noises, and also have 5.0 bluetooth connectivity. So, they have many of the same strengths as the XCOR ear buds that also make them excellent forms of hunting ear protection.

However, they’re not wireless and they’re analog ear protection, so the sound quality isn’t quite as good. While they’re still comfortable to wear, I don’t think they’re quite as comfortable as the XCOR wireless ear buds though.

On the other hand, GS Extreme electronic ear buds are a little less expensive and are still excellent hunting ear protection.

AXIL advertises 6x hearing enhancement with the GS Extreme and a NRR of up to 29.

All things considered, I consider AXIL GS Extreme ear buds to be well worth the money as hunting ear protection, especially considering the fact that they only cost a little more than traditional electronic ear protection.

Click the button below to receive discounted pricing on these ear buds (35-50% off MSRP).

BUY AXIL GS EXTREME EAR BUDS HERE

AXIL TRACKR BLU

While I think the AXIL GS Extreme is the best hunting ear protection, not everybody likes wearing ear buds. If you prefer wearing over the ear muffs instead, then you should definitely check out the the AXIL TRACKR BLU.

Like the AXIL GS Extreme, these muffs block loud noises and amplify quiet noises. However, AXIL TRACKR BLU electronic ear muffs also protect the bones of hearing behind your eardrum from damage caused by the pressure wave produced by gunshots.

Like other forms of electronic hearing protection, TRACKR BLU electronic ear muffs provide excellent performance by blocking loud noises and amplifying all other sounds. AXIL advertises that the TRACKR BLU will provide up to 40 decibels of hearing amplification, which can be easily adjusted with a simple volume wheel on the side of the muffs.

Most importantly, they provide excellent hearing protection with a NRR of 27. I’ve compared them side by side and the AXIL TRACKR BLU provides noticeably more protection than the Howard Leight Impact Sport. The TRACKR BLU also has an ultra fast reaction time of just .02 seconds and will protect your ears from sounds 85 decibels or louder.

Additionally, they may also be combined with ear plugs for extra protection in extremely loud environments. This makes them an incredibly effective form of shooting or hunting ear protection.

So, not only will they protect your hearing from loud noises, but they actually improve it as well. This is the best of both worlds when it comes to hunting ear protection.

The sound quality of the TRACKR BLU ear muffs is also significantly better than the Howard Leight Impact Sport and it also uses AAA batteries.

Some people do not like to use ear muffs when shooting a rifle or shotgun because they think they’ll get in the way. Personally, I have not had this problem with the AXIL TRACKR BLU muffs.

They are designed specifically for hunters and shooters and therefore have a low profile design that does not interfere with my cheek weld when I’m shooting rifles and shotguns. They’re also very easy and simple to properly use and have adjustable headband that will fit a wide range of users.

So, many hunters use them for their shooting and hunting trips (including both big game and waterfowl hunting).

Finally, the TRACKR BLU muffs also offer bluetooth connectivity, so you can listen to music or podcasts on your phone with them.

All things considered, I consider AXIL TRACKR BLU ear muffs to be well worth the money as hunting ear protection, especially for those who just prefer to use ear muffs.

Click the button below to get the best pricing on these ear muffs (up to 50% off MSRP).

BUY AXIL TRACKR BLU EAR MUFFS HERE

Pro Ear Gold II

Hunters desiring high end over the ear muffs should definitely look at the Pro Ear Gold II. Like the AXIL models, these muffs block loud noises and amplify quiet noises (about 8x sound enhancement for this model).

With a NRR of 26, they provide a similar level of protection to the AXIL models. However, the Pro Ear muffs do have a little better sound quality. I think they’re also a little more comfortable than the AXIL TRACKR BLU.

They’re also made in the USA and have separate volume controls for each ear so the user can fine tune their adjustments for best performance.

Pro Ear Gold II earmuffs also have a low profile to avoid interfering with cheek weld, but without compromising hearing protection.

That said, Pro Ear Gold II muffs are quite a bit more expensive than the other over the ear muffs on this list and do NOT have any bluetooth functionality.

All things considered though, the Pro Ear Gold II ear muffs are an excellent for those who don’t mind spending a little extra money for the best possible electronic ear muffs for hunting or for use at the range.

BUY PRO EAR GOLD II EAR MUFFS HERE

Howard Leight Impact Sport

While I think the AXIL GS Extreme and TRACKR BLU are the best hunting ear protection options, I think Howard Leight Impact Sport electronic ear muffs are a great value option. Like the AXIL models and the Pro Ear Gold II, these muffs block loud noises and amplify quiet noises.

The Howard Leight Impact Sport is slightly more expensive than ear plugs or regular ear muffs, but they are still pretty reasonably priced.

With a NRR of 22, they don’t provide as much protection as the AXIL models, but the Howard Leight Impact Sport still provides ample hearing protection under most circumstances. I definitely recommend combining them with ear plugs for extra protection in extremely loud environments though (like shooting indoors or near especially loud rifles).

I bought my first set of Howard Leight Impact Sport ear muffs over 10 years ago. They were cutting edge then and still work fine now, but there are definitely better options for shooting and hunting ear protection these days.

Their price is their best selling point these days and they remain good choices for hearing protection for those on a more strict budget, especially considering the fact that they only cost a little more than a traditional pair of ear muffs.

BUY IMPACT SPORT EAR MUFFS HERE

Walker’s Razor

Very similar to the Howard Leight Impact Sport, Walker’s Razor electronic ear muffs are another great choice for hunting hearing protection. They also amplify quiet noises, but shut off to block loud sounds above 85 decibels.

With a NRR of 23, they also provide ample electronic ear protection under most circumstances. You can also combine them with ear plugs for extra protection in extremely loud environments.

Just like the name says, the Walker ‘Razor’ shooting earmuffs have a very low profile to avoid interfering with cheek weld, but without compromising hearing protection. The Razor series also comes in a bunch of color options (including camo).

BUY WALKER’S RAZOR EAR MUFFS HERE

Howard Leight Quiet Band

Designed to be worn around your neck when not in use, the Quiet Band is well suited for hunters: wear the band around your neck while you’re trying to find game, the just simply pop the plugs in your ears right before taking the shot. This gives you the best of both worlds by having full use of your hearing most of the time while still protecting your ears at the moment of truth.

Since it only protects the ear canal and not the bones of hearing behind the ear, the Quiet Band suffers from the same drawbacks as other ear plugs though. For this reason, I don’t advise using it for situations where you’ll be exposed to high levels of continuous gunfire for long periods of time (like waterfowl hunting or shooting at an indoor range). The design of the Quiet Band also prevents it from being used in conjunction with over the ear muffs like traditional foam plugs.

All that being said though, the Howard Leight Quiet Band is inexpensive, lightweight, easy to use, and will provide good hearing protection for most hunting situations. These characteristics make it a great choice for hunters on a budget. Yes, this is the same ear protection Hickock45 wears in his YouTube videos.

For what it’s worth, Peltor also makes a very similar product called the Peltor Banded Hearing Protector that works very well too.

BUY A HOWARD LEIGHT QUIET BAND HERE

Impulse Ear Plugs

Impulse ear plugs are a significant step up in capability when compared to traditional foam ear plugs, but still go for a reasonable price. I have a set of Safariland Pro Impulse Plugs that work well for me.

Unlike the Howard Leight Quiet Band, impulse plugs are designed to be worn all the time. The big advantage to these plugs is that they allow the user to hear ambient noise relatively well while still providing protection against gunfire and explosions when they’re used in the noise activated mode.

That is why similar ear plugs are issued to Soldiers in combat zones.

Since impulse ear plugs allow you to hear the much of the noise present in the environment around you, this also makes them good choices for hunting ear plugs.

While they are a good product, impulse ear plugs do not provide a very high level of protection overall (they claim to have a Noise Reduction Rating of 33, but that seems high). With that in mind, they aren’t the best form of hunting ear protection if you’ll be spending a lot of time at an indoor shooting range or shooting short barreled rifles. Use some higher end ear plugs or ear buds (or over the ear muffs) for that sort of shooting.

However, they are a pretty good choice for protecting your hearing while hunting if you’re on a budget (they’re the least expensive of the group).

BUY IMPULSE EAR PLUGS HERE

In addition to the ones made by Rooth, Earmonyx, Safariland, and Surefire also make similar impulse ear plugs.

Howard Leight Impact Pro

For those that want to spend a little more money for a significant increase in performance in a set of hunting ear protection, you should really consider a set of top of the line over-the-head electronic ear muffs. In addition to the Impact Sport model previously discussed, the same company also produces the Impact Pro.

The Impact Sport model is great, but the Impact Pro headset has a higher noise reduction rating noise reduction rating of 30, which makes them a better choice for hearing protection in really loud environments. At the same time, they are a little larger and bulkier than the Impact Sport electronic muffs.

BUY IMPACT PRO EAR MUFFS HERE

The two Howard Leight ear muffs models are by far the best value choices for hunting ear protection. The Impact Sport muffs also made cut for my holiday gift recommendations. To see what other stuff is on the list, check out the following article:

101 Best Gifts For Hunters

Electronic Ear Plugs

For those that want the performance of electronic ear muffs in a smaller package, there are several different types of electronic ear plugs on the market today that are good choices for use as hunting ear protection. Etymotic Gunsport Pro electronic ear plugs are one really good choice. The same goes for Walker’s Game Ears and Walker’s Silencer Digital Earbuds.

Like electronic ear muffs, they block loud noises and amplify all other sounds. However, since they are similar in size to old school hearing aids (or even smaller in the case of the Gunsport Pro), they are much smaller and more portable than electronic ear muffs.

Since they are ear plugs, they do not protect the outside of your ears. As a result, they are designed more for hunters than for shooters (though they may be used for both). On the other hand, they have the advantage of not getting in the way of a rifle or shotgun and they can be worn with any headgear. I have a pair of Walker’s HD Pro Elite plugs and I’ve used them successfully on multiple hunting trips.

Walker’s Game Ears, Walker’s Silencer Digital Earbuds, and Etymotic Gunsport Pro earbuds are all great choices for hunting ear plugs. You’ll probably find that one of those models fits you a little better and is more comfortable to wear than the others though.

Once I got them adjusted properly, the Walker’s Game Ears were fairly comfortable to wear for hours at a time (even when wearing shooting glasses or headgear) and did a good job of amplifying and blocking the proper noises. That said, the AXIL earbuds at the beginning of this article were much more comfortable (and less expensive).

While they are good choices for hearing protection while hunting, electronic ear plugs have two significant drawbacks: their cost (they are by far the most expensive option for protecting your hearing while hunting) and the fact that they do not protect the bones of hearing.

The price is a bit steep for a casual hunter or shooter but they are well worth the money for a serious hunter who will frequently use them and take advantage of their awesome features.

BUY WALKER PRO ELECTRONIC EAR PLUGS HERE

BUY ETYMOTIC GUNSPORT PRO ELECTRONIC EAR PLUGS HERE

BUY WALKER’S SILENCER DIGITAL EARBUDS HERE

I hope that you’ve found this article on the best hunting ear protection choices both helpful and informative. As long as you take the right precautions, it is possible preserve your sense of hearing despite exposure to noisy environments. Trust me, you will be glad that you wore proper hunting ear protection many years from now.

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NEXT: 9 VITAL ITEMS EVERY GUN CLEANING KIT NEEDS

As a kid, I often wore two or three pairs of cotton socks topped with a super thick wool sock. It was a very inefficient system and did more harm than good. After many years, miles, and cold sits, I learned just how important good hunting socks are.

Hunting socks may not be a glamorous gear item, but they sure as heck deserve your attention. Between comfort, moisture mitigation, and keeping you warm/cool, socks are key ingredients to happy feet in the woods.

A flimsy and oft-neglected piece of fabric, good socks go unnoticed and are sometimes taken for granted. Bad socks, however, can ruin an outing with bunching, constant slipping, or — worse yet — hunt-ending blisters.

With all of that said, there are a ton of hunting sock options floating around out there. To help sort them all out we at GearJunkie decided to pull our top picks for 2024 together. With any luck, this list will help ease your search and put smiles on your feet come hunting season. Swing down to our Comparison Chart to learn more about picking the right hunting sock, and be sure to check out ourBuyer’s Guide.

The Best Hunting Socks of 2024

• Best Overall Hunting Sock: The Darn Tough Midweight Hunting Sock
• Best Budget Hunting Sock: Cabela’s Instinct 2.0 Wool Crew
• Best Hunting Sock for Women: The Darn Tough Boot Midweight Hunting Sock
• Best Late-Season Hunting Sock: First Lite Zero Cold Weather OTC
• Beast Early-Season Hunting Sock: Farm to Feet Ely
• Most Versatile Hunting Sock: Vortex Game Trail Tick Repellent Hunt Sock
• Most Technical Hunting Sock: KUIU Ultra Merino Over the Calf Sock

Best of the Rest

Hunting Socks Comparison Chart

Darn Tough Midweight Hunting Sock$27Cabela’s Instinct 2.0 Wool Crew

Why You Should Trust Us

Hunting is one of my ultimate passions and I’ve been backpack hunting with a smile on my face for the past 10 years. And the health of my feet is a massive part of that. Trust is a must with socks for me.

Whether I’m making a long double-digit hike into a backcountry camp, or I’m hauling out a mind-bendingly heavy load, my feet are the gateway to the finish line. In other words, I have absolutely zero tolerance for incapable socks.

When testing out a pair of hunting socks, there are a few things on my radar. Fit, comfort, insulation, and breathability. I’m also just paying attention to how my feet feel overall while hiking, whether hot spots are present or if my feet sweating. Success in these areas is critical for pursuing my passions, as a bad pair of socks can cause a bad day in the field.

Of course, with my own experiences, I also took into account the experiences of trusted hunters around me. It provides a different perspective and gets me out of my own head for a bit. And the top-selling hunting socks on the market were also noted at a variety of price points.

All of our feet may be a little bit different, but the hunting socks listed above will cater to a wide range of hunters — whether they’re sitting in a treestand, or packing miles into the backcountry.

How to Choose a Hunting Sock

Up above we’ve laid out quite a few options for hunting socks. And aside from our top picks, there are a ton of options out there for you to choose from. So, how do you go about choosing the right hunting sock for you? We’ve got you covered. Once you’ve dialed in your sock game, consider taking a look at our guide to the top hunting boots.

Time of Year

The first thing that needs to be established is what time of year you’re planning on hunting the most. Choose a sock that fits the demands of most of your hunts. Obviously, the early season is going to be warmer than the late season. Don’t be the guy hunting with a late-season sock when it’s 80 degrees out. That’s a recipe for a bad time.

So, why not just use a midweight sock for everything to hit all of the marks? You can absolutely do that, just know that it’s a give and take. You’ll give up warmth in the late season or you’ll give up breathability in the early season. Of course, there are tricks to get by like airing your feet out often when it’s hot or starting a fire to warm the toes when it’s cold.

Style of Hunting

Another factor in choosing the right hunting sock for you is your style of hunting. Some hunters are more active and they prefer to stay mobile. And when you’re more mobile, you’re naturally going to sweat more. At the same time, the more methodical hunter that plays the waiting game more often than not has different needs. They aren’t going to sweat as much and will require more insulation depending on the time of year.

For the active hunter a lightweight hunting sock is going to be best. This is going to not only wick moisture away, but because it’s thinner it will be more breathable and dry faster. Even when it’s cold out, if I’m moving on a regular basis, I don’t need a super thick sock to stay warm. In fact, having too thick of a sock could cause more harm than good because you’ll sweat more. Wet equals cold. You want to keep your feet dry and warm.

For more stationary hunters, sock choice is going to be temperature dependant. In the early season, a lightweight sock will be just fine. However, when it gets cold, this is where the gap increases between the active and stationary hunters. In these cases, lean on the mid-heavyweight side. When you’re not moving as much, you’ll require more insulation simply due to the fact that you’re radiating less heat.

Test Before Your Hunt

This is not a cookie-cutter process. The hunting sock that your buddy loves might not do right by you. I’ve had that happen in the past. Maybe you just don’t like where a certain seam or reinforcement zone is on a sock, thus decreasing the comfort level.

With that said, test your socks before heading out on a hunting trip — even if that’s just wearing them around the house for a day. You won’t know if they’re going to work unless you try. And you don’t want to find out they don’t while out on a hunt.

A solid rifle, good ammo, and a well-made scope are the keys to getting accurate and precise rounds on target, right?

Well, we forget one thing; the glue that holds the rifle to the scope — the scope mount. Without a good mount, you won’t have a good zero.

Without a good zero, you won’t hit your target when needed.

So let’s talk scope mounts, and hopefully, the only question you’ll have at the end is FDE or Black.

THE QUICK LIST

Why You Should Trust Us

I am a Marine veteran with plenty of time spent behind big guns. I also am an NRA-certified instructor and concealed carry trainer out of Florida. I spent hours at my home range testing, analyzing, and reviewing guns and gear — to include optics and scope mounts.

There are hundreds of different options that range from crap to holy crap, and by holy crap, I mean some cost as much as some guns I own.

It’d be easy to toss only expensive mounts on this list, but I wanted to make a list the majority of shooters could get. This doesn’t mean cheap, but I’m mostly aiming for affordable.

Best Scope Mounts

1. Vortex Viper Riflescope Rings

Vortex makes some excellent optics across all budgets, and their rings are no different.

These quality rings are affordable and come in low, medium, and high designs. They are designed for both Picatinny and Weaver bases as well.

Their Viper Rings are machined from 6061-T6 aluminum and use Torx-style socket cap screws to mount your riflescope easily. They are available in both 1-inch and 30mm configurations as well.

These are very secure scope rings, and I like the opening design. Having the Torx screws at the top makes it easier to access them.

This also prevents you from overtightening on one side versus the other as you install your scope.

2. Spuhr QDP

If you are going to spend big money on a good rifle and good glass, then you need to be willing to spend the money necessary to get a good scope mount.

A long-range rifle is often high-powered; to maximize the range, you’ll need a powerful optic, which often means a heavy optic. High recoil and a heavy optic require you to have a robust scope mount.

You don’t get any more robust than the Spuhr mounts. Specifically, the Spuhr QDP series, which I think is one of the best mounts on the planet.

The QDP line features a quick detach lever system. I love a good QD system, and the Spuhr setup locks the thing down and keeps it locked in place without issue. You don’t have any kind of movement when you shoot at extreme ranges.

These mounts come in both straight and cantilever styles with a rock-solid locking system. Load it up, lock it down, and have confidence that you won’t miss what you need to hit when your optic is mounted in a Spuhr mount.

3. Aero Ultralight Mount

Aero Precision makes a lot of great stuff for the AR platform, and you can count on them to deliver something with a tremendous amount of value for the cost.

The Ultralight Mount is one of those products that provide great value. Living up to its name and weighing roughly 3.25 ounces, the Aero mount is strong enough for just about any use case and rifle combo but still light enough not to ruin your build.

What’s your take on the Aero Lightweights? Rate them below!

4. Leupold Dual Dovetail

Leupold is a famed optics and optics accessories manufacturer. The Leupold Dual Dovetail Rings are perfect for getting a low and secure mount on your dovetail-equipped rifle.

This is a simple, rugged setup that is easy to install and well-suited for hunting rifles. I appreciate the simplicity of a dovetail mount system. It’s not for everyone, and it’s a bit out of style these days, but it still works.

Leupold is undoubtedly doing their best to support dovetail set-ups and is one of the few significant players still producing dovetail bases and rings.

5. Burris AR-P.E.P.R.

Brevity doesn’t seem to be in Burris’ wheelhouse when it comes to naming optics mounts.

The AR-P.E.P.R. is a cantilever mount for modern rifles available in both standard and QD configurations.

The P.E.P.R is a solid mount if a little bit on the heavier side at 8.7 ounces. It is available in 1-inch, 30mm, and 34mm configurations.

It sports two sections of Picatinny rails on the top of each ring, making it easy to attach a miniature red dot as a backup sight. The cantilever also gives you two inches of forward scope position, making it perfect for MSRs.

The Burris AR-P.E.P.R. is an excellent design and an affordable one. It’s also backed by one of the best warranties in the business.

6. Warne QD rings

For quality QD rings, look no further than Warne. Like the Vortex rings, the screws are at the top, making it easier to take apart and install an optic.

The QD aspect is a simple large throw lever. It’s easy to reach and grip, even with an optic sitting right over it. The Warne rings come in 1-inch and 30mm models for both Picatinny rails and dovetail bases.

The rings also come in low, medium, and high heights. The lever is also indexable, which means you can position it where you need and want it for easy removal.

Warne has long been known for their precision machining and solid build quality. For the money, they are hard to beat.

7. Scalarworks LEAP Mounts

When it comes to red dot mounts, it’s tough to beat Scalarworks. They produce some top-tier stuff, and as a shotgun nerd, I love the Sync mount system, and for rifles, it’s going to be tough to be the LEAP mounts.

These are made for specific footprints and are made in various heights. You can use optics like the Trijicon MRO, the RMR, the Aimpoint T and H series, the CompM5, the Pro, and many more with these mounts. If it’s a pro-grade optic, there is likely a LEAP mount made for it.

Height-wise, you get lower 1/3rd, absolute, and the heads-up 1.93-inch mounts available. These mounts are ultra-light and slide in under 2 ounces or so.

Scalarworks trimmed the sides to eliminate any kind of levels or bolts hanging off the mounts. Those things find a way to grab your clothing and gear and, on some platforms, provide a nice means to smash your knuckles.

The Click Drive quick detach mechanism allows for easy and smooth attachment and detachment a nice positive attachment. It’s recoil-proof, self-adjusting, and just ultimately fantastic if you want a modern red dot mount.

It’s well suited for your modern semi-auto carbine, and it’s a professional grade mount with a professional grade purpose.

8. Dueck Defense RBU

Replacing your rear sight with an optic mounting plate can be tricky. It works fine for competition and plinking but can be suspect for home defense, concealed carry, and similar applications. The one rear sight replacement that defies this expectation is the Dueck Defense RBU.

This is as tough as they get and provides you with a very solid mounting system that’s dependable, easy to install, and comes with a set of backup irons. It’s a plate that mounts to the rear sight channel and front and rear iron sight for co-witnessing with your red dot.

The RBU comes in several different configurations to accommodate various optic footprints. This includes Trijicon, Docter, and many more. If it’s a mainstream dot, there is probably a Dueck for it.

The design is rugged, and CNC machined from US Mill-certified bar stock. It’s nitride coated and made to last.

This isn’t a hobbyist take on mounting a red dot to your pistol. The RBUs are even compatible with the majority of RDS-compatible holsters as well.

Types of Mounts

Like everything in the firearms world, you have options. Lots and lots of options. This isn’t just options for different companies, but different options for mount designs.

The two primary choices are one-piece mounts and scope rings. Choosing between the two will depend on a few different factors.

In some cases, it will just be a personal preference. In others, it will be based on how your rifle is set up or what you want your gun to achieve.

Let’s talk about each design…

One Piece

One-piece mounts are all the rage these days. They are simple, easy to mount and dismount, and perfect for the modern tactical rifle.

Most will require a rail base like those on flat-top AR 15s.

One-piece mounts are very rigid and robust and often built at heights that work well with modern rifles.

One-piece mounts do tend to be heavier than rings, and if you are trying to trim ounces, these aren’t the choice for you. These mounts are best suited for semi-auto rifles, in my opinion.

Scope Rings

Scope rings are just that — two rings that attach to the gun, and then the scope is mounted in them. The design is simple and has worked for generations.

Scope rings are lighter in weight and generally a bit cheaper than most one-piece mounts when comparable quality is taken into account.

They are usually more natural to use with bolt-action rifles, as one-piece mounts can get in the way of the bolt while it is being actuated.

Compared to one-piece mounts, rings are a bit more complicated to attach and aren’t as rigid, but with a little practice, they aren’t hard to figure out.

Base Types

Not only are there different mounts, but there are different bases to which they attach. You have to match the base to the mounting system, so it’s crucial you understand the difference between the two.

Here are a few of the most universal mounting systems.

Weaver and Picatinny

Rails, we all know them, and we all love them; they changed how we could attach accessories to guns. When it comes to optics, there are two you need to know about, Weaver and Picatinny.

There are slight dimensional differences between Picatinny and Weaver rails and bases. In most cases, rings or mounts made for Picatinny mounts will work with Weaver bases and vice versa.

However, this isn’t always the case, and it’s hard to say that specific mounts will work with particular bases if they do not match. Picatinny rails are the military standard, and Weaver is a commercial standard that predates it.

Mounts have bolts or cross-slots that fill the empty sections of these rails to keep the optic from sliding rearward with recoil and make it impossible for the scope to slip in transit or travel of any kind.

Picatinny rails are broader and deeper than Weaver rails, and this is where you may run into issues. If the mount features cross slots and bolts designed to strict Picatinny standards, it won’t fit into a Weaver base. However, Weaver mounts will fit Picatinny rails as far as I know.

Another issue is that weaver mounts may have irregularly placed slots, making mounting a one-piece difficult due to the uneven spacing. Picatinny rails always have evenly placed rails.

I suggest matching Weaver with Weaver and Picatinny with Picatinny when in doubt.

Dovetail

Dovetail mounts can come in different sizes and styles, but they generally refer to an inverted trapezoid (dovetail) shaped track that runs parallel to the bore. They are simple and work well.

Another type of dovetail rail you may see is the one that utilizes a lightweight, two-piece system with a rotating locking base. You’ll see these mostly on bolt action rifles.

Some Dovetail bases will only have a forward slot, and the rear ring and base can be adjusted almost like a rear sight. This design adds extra left and right adjustment to an optic.

Dovetails are a remarkably lightweight and very sturdy system. They get the scope nice and tight to the bore of your rifle.

Integral

Integral designs are when the base and ring or mount are one solid piece. This super simple option is preferred if you want to keep things simple.

Of course, your rifle will have to be built to accept an integral mount. Many bolt actions are, but zero AR-15s are. So know that going into it.

It’s a very low-maintenance solution to the scope mounting problem.

Offset Mounts

These mounts push the scope forward. These are designed mostly for AR pattern rifles. as the gun was originally intended for carry handle iron sights.

If you mount with a traditional system, you’ll likely end up with the optic too far rearward, making it challenging to use.

An offset mount allows you to install the optic with the rings pushed forward, positioning the scope further from your eye to provide proper eye relief. This makes it much more comfortable to use powerful variable optics on an AR platform.

What About QD?

QD, or Quick Detach, systems are gaining popularity. A QD system is quick to mount and dismount and usually uses a locking throw lever design.

These systems are easy to install, and there is no worry about tightening them too little or too much.

With a QD mount, it is easy to remove an optic from a gun and retain a relative zero. It needs to be installed on the same rail position it was zeroed on to maintain the zero.

This allows you to efficiently run multiple optics on one gun. It’s easy to swap between a red dot and a variable optic with a QD mounting system or even swap between daylight and nighttime optics.

Mount Height

Typically, you want to mount your scope as low as possible without touching the barrel — this aids in keeping your adjustments accurate and getting the most out of them.

With that in mind, the size of your scope’s objective lens and barrel profile (thickness) will determine the ring height needed.

The general rule of thumb to follow with mount sight and objective lenses is:

A 40mm or smaller objective lens uses low mounts.

A 42-45mm objective lens uses a medium mount.

50mm and up will use a high scope mount.

These measurements are taken with a standard contour barrel — nothing fancy here.

Final Thoughts

The world of scope mounts is enormous, and the impact of your choices is way more significant than most people expect.

Outside of some necessities, a lot of your choices should be personal preference. This means I want to turn it over to you folks.

Do you prefer a specific style of mounting? What works for you? Let us know in the comments below! Haven’t picked out a scope yet? Check out our hands-on review of the 10 Best Rifle Scopes: All Types and Budgets!

Today I’m going to show you the best rimfire scope.

In fact:

I’ve hand- tested over 10 scopes alone for this review.

The best part?

I’ve sorted the scopes by use. So whether you’re on a budget or need the best scope for .22LR rifle, you’ll find it here.

Let’s dive in!

Why should you trust me?

I’ve tested over 200+ scopes at this point — including the best AR-15 optics.

That’s why my optic reviews has been featured on various publications like:

• Burris
• Vortex
• The National Interest
• American Shooting Journal

…and more.

I personally buy every scope from my own money. In fact, I never accept outside financial support from scope manufacturers (and never will).

Why? I believe honest reviews are better than paid reviews.

Read Before You Buy

I don’t like getting ripped off. I hope you don’t either.

That’s why I created this quick section on choosing the best 22 rimfire scope for your actual needs (rather than what marketing sells).

Here’s what you need to know.

How To Choose A Rimfire Scope

In the 1990s, the Navy Seals used a .22 specs ops pistol (called Ruger MK II).

Why? 4 reasons:

• Accuracy
• Quietness
• Cheapness
• Recoil (virtually none)

This is why the .22lr caliber is the most popular cartridge today. Out the box, the 22LR can easily hit 50 yard targets without a sight.

However, with the best 22LR scope, you can easily surpass 100+ yard targets..

So how much magnification do you need? To find out, we first have to determine the 3 common…

Rimfire Shooting Distances

Here are the 3 most common ranges:

• Close Range: <50 yards
• Medium Range: Between 50 to 100 yards
• Long Range: 100+ yards

Don’t know which range to choose? That’s OK. Just keep reading and I’ll break it down.

But if you do know your range (or ranges), then select it so you can find…

The Best Magnification for Rimfire Scopes

Before you can find the right magnification, you must first understand WHAT magnification is.

Put simply:

Magnification is how much the optic ‘enlarges’ the image. That’s it.

How do you find the right amount? By choosing a shooting distance based on your use.

Close Range (<50 yards)

This is where 22LR rifles excel.

If you mostly plink at close range, then you’re going to need:

• Magnification: 1 – 4X power

Alternatively, you can use a red dot for your rimfire rifle for fast target acquisition.

Speaking of red dots, I recommend reading my best pistol red dot sights guide if you’re into close range pistol shooting.

Also:

If you’re looking for added magnification or if you have astigmatism, check out my recent review of the best holographic sights.

Medium Range (50 – 100 yards)

This is the range majority of 22LR users shoot. Most people use it for small game hunting or plinking. If that’s the case, you’ll probably need:

• Magnification: Between 4 – 7X power

A fixed 4X or low power variable magnification optic (LPVO) is recommended.

Long Range (100+ yards)

Not many people go past 100 yards.

But sometimes you must due to hunting or competitive shooting, then choose:

• Magnification: 7X and up

If you need more than that, then head on over to my best long range rifle scopes guide. With all that said, here’s…

The Bottom Line On Magnification

Choosing a good scope for 22LR is as simple as choosing a shooting distance and then getting the right magnification.

If you don’t do this, you’ll likely buy the wrong amount (or type) of magnification for your uses. I’ve seen this more times than I can count. Don’t be that guy.

Instead, I highly recommend reading this section.

A quick pro tip:

If you combine magnifications (medium + long range), you’ll need a low powered variable powered scope. This allows you to use more than one magnification.

I hope this magnification guide helped you out. You’re now ready to find the best scope for .22 rifles below.

Let’s get started!

The 5 Best Rimfire Scopes/.22LR

If you’re pressed on time, here’s a quick list of the best rimfire scope:

1. Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9×40: Best 22LR Scope
2. Athlon Ares 4.5-30×56: Best Scope for 22LR Benchrest
3. Bushnell Trophy TRS-25: Best Rimfire Scope Under $100
4. Leupold VX-Freedom 1.5-4×20: Best Scope for 22LR Squirrel Hunting
5. Vortex Razor HD LH 1.5-8×32: Best for Competition

1. Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9×40: Best 22LR Scope

The Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9×40 is the best .22 rifle scope.

In fact:

I’ve hand-tested it on multiple .22LR AR-15s for a wide variety of hunting applications and casual target shooting. Trust me when I tell you I loved it, especially for my Colt M4.

By the end of this review, you’ll know if the Leupold VX-Freedom is for you.

Let’s dive in!

Glass Clarity & Reticle

The glass is crystal clear, with no edge distortions or color aberrations.

The VX-Freedom comes with a standard duplex reticle in the second focal plane.

SFP means the reticle size will remain the same even as the target size increases and decreases through its magnification range. It was effortless to incorporate hold over at varying distances.

If the duplex reticle not your cup of tea, the VX series has mil dots and ballistic reticles as an option.

Leupold also offers a custom dial service (CDS) model to provide a custom adjustable turret tailored to your ballistic specifications.

Eye Relief & Eye Box

The Leupold VX-Freedom has 4.17”/3.66” of forgiving eye relief, which keeps me from getting hit in the eye.

The scope offered a wide field of view between 100-200 yards, which is the distance I typically shoot targets.

Durability and Weight

Despite the price range, I was impressed with the durability and overall quality of the Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9×40.

The 1″ main tube is 12.39” long and weighs about 12.2 oz. It’s constructed from aircraft quality aluminum, making it waterproof, fog proof, and shockproof.

Also:

This rugged optic was impact tested on 3x the recoil of a .308 which is why it’s also known as one of the best AR-10 scopes on the market.

Elevation & Windage Knobs

The elevation and windage turrets were a little mushy.

It felt like they might twist off or break if I got too rough with them, but I will say the elevation and windage tracked true.

The adjustments are in ¼ MOA for both, a fine level of adjustment detail for under $300.

On the other hand, zeroing was a breeze. In less than ten rounds, I was pounding away at 200-yard steel plates with no issues.

I put 300 rounds on the VX-Freedom with my Ruger AR-556 rifle, and it had no problems holding zero.

Parallax & Magnification

The Leupold VX-Freedom sports a 3-9x variable magnification and 40mm objective, making it an excellent choice for medium to long-range shooting.

Speaking of long range, I have an updated list of the best 6.5 Creedmoor scopes you can use to perfect your long-range shooting.

The best part?

The zoom ring is super easy to turn. It features a large raised part that worked perfectly with thick gloves and cold, wet fingers.

Mounting & Rings

Unfortunately, this budget-oriented scope doesn’t come with accessories.

I have the VX-Freedom mounted on my Glenfield Marlin 22 model 60 using the Leupold Rifleman Scope Rings (Model #56533 – Rifleman Rings 1″ – .22 RF 3/8-inch Rings).

They come with a hex key and set screws. Furthermore, these rings allow enough clearance to use the front sights without having to remove the scope.

Also:

I purchased the Leupold Alumina Lens Shade 4″ 40mm for anti-reflection and scratch resistance.

Lastly, I replaced the flimsy bikini caps with the Leupold Alumina Flip Back Lens Cover.

Is the Leupold VX-Freedom worth it?

If you’re looking for a well-built scope from a renowned optics manufacturer, the Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9×40 is absolutely worth it.

Why? It’s got…

• Quality glass
• Low price tag
• Second Focal Plane
• Multiple Reticle Options
• Great eye-relief distance
• 3-9x Variable Magnification
• Weatherproof and shockproof build

To top it all off, the VX-Freedom comes with Leupold’s Lifetime warranty. If it breaks, they will repair or replace the scope without charge: even if you aren’t the original owner or lost the receipt.

For under $300, the Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9×40 is the best .22 scope that is not only budget-friendly but provides top-of-the-line performance.

2. Athlon Ares 4.5-30×56: Best Scope for 22LR Benchrest

The Athlon Ares 4.5-30×56 is the first scope I have purchased made by Athlon and I am a little annoyed I hadn’t found the brand earlier in life.

They produce high quality scopes that far outperform the price tag.

Here’s why the Athlon Ares 4.5-30×56 is the best benchrest shooting scope I have found to date…

Glass Clarity & Reticle

The clarity of the Athlon Ares 4.5-30×56 has blown me away. I have had scopes that are in the $2000-3000 range that can’t compete with this scope.

Whether it’s indoors or outdoors this scope has outperformed anything in it’s category.

I use this scope outdoors most often and the brightness has been fantastic so far.

I am not the most accurate shooter; however, with this kind of clarity, I have been shooting some of the tightest groupings of my life.

The FFP reticle on the Athlon Ares 4.5-30×56 is beautiful and well illuminated. The configuration fits my needs perfectly.

Eye Relief & Eye Box

The eye relief on this scope has been unbelievably versatile.

I will admit as you move higher in the magnification, it can be difficult to find the sweet spot. Overall, my experience with the eye relief has been simple and reliable.

This scope is the best scope for ruger american rimfire. I have mine calibered in .22 so I don’t have too much of an issue with recoil.

The eye relief is more than comfortable for a .22 recoil and it would definitely still be comfortable with a firearm that has much more recoil.

Durability

The durability on the Athlon Ares 4.5-30×56 has been outstanding so far. It has a few scratches but in my opinion a scope and firearm look better dinged up.

I buy my firearms and scopes to be used and slightly abused and this scope has certainly rolled with the punches.

Elevation & Windage Knobs

The turrets on the Athlon Ares 4.5-30×56 are some of the most premium feeling turrets I have ever used.

An unbelievably satisfying click sound every motion. Chincy turrets irritate me to no end.

The turrets have a 0.25 MOA click value and the adjustment has been perfect for zeroing.

My experience zeroing the Athlon Ares 4.5-30×56 was one of the easiest processes I have gone through.

This thing had to have been perfectly zerod in 5-10 shots.

Although I don’t dislike the process, I am glad it was quick and simple and I could spend the rest of my day enjoying the scope.

Parallax & Magnification

The Athlon Ares 4.5-30×56 has a magnification of up to 30X which is unbelievable to me.

I definitely am not the most capable shooter, but the extra magnification has given me some of my best groupings and confidence to date.

Parallax on the scope has been nonexistent. Even at 30X I haven’t noticed any.

The combination of clarity, magnification, and lack of parallax makes this scope an absolute no brainer in my opinion.

Mounting & Rings

When I purchased the Athlon Ares 4.5-30×56, I also purchased some 34mm Vortex Optics Precision Matched Riflescope Rings.

They work fantastic and add a very good look to a great looking scope. Easy to mount on my rifle and haven’t had to mess with them since.

In addition to this, I also purchased a 56mm Athlon Sunshade which was a must in my book.

Is the Athlon Ares 4.5-30×56 worth it?

The Athlon Ares 4.5-30×56 is in no way a cheap scope; however, for the price you get the quality of a scope that is 2 to 3 times more expensive.

This scopes has been one of my favorite purchases this year. Here’s why:

• Clarity
• Build quality
• High magnification

In short: The Athlon Ares 4.5-30×56 is one of the most expensive scopes I have ever purchased and I do not regret a cent of that purchase.

You truly do get what you pay for with this scope and I have highly recommended it to all of my range buddies.

3. Bushnell Trophy TRS-25: Best Rimfire Scope Under $100

Penny for penny, the Bushnell Trophy TRS-25 is the best budget red dot on the market.

In fact, you’ll get the best rimfire scope for under $100!

I use this scope for target shooting, home defense, and hunting and it performs great in every environment.

Want to hear more? Keep reading…

Glass Clarity & Reticle

The TRS-25 has crystal clear glass.

The lenses are multi-coated, which reduces glare and helps to draw in light for better clarity in dim environments.

The best part is that it has an Amber-Bright coating that helps you distinguish between different shades of brown. You’ll easily be able to tell the difference between a brown tree and a brown animal when you’re out hunting.

This scope has a 3 MOA red dot reticle with 11 brightness settings.

It has an easy adjustment dial, so you can set the brightness to whatever setting works best for your own personal preference or the time of day.

The red dot is bright and crisp both in the bright sunlight and during dawn or dusk.

It also has an extended battery life, so you don’t have to worry about losing your dot in the middle of a hunt.

If you prefer not to worry about batteries, I recommend checking out my best prism scopes as an alternate option.

Eye Relief & Eye Box

With all red dot scopes, you get unlimited eye relief.

This means you’ll be able to have both eyes open, which gives you access to all your peripheral vision and promotes high situational awareness.

On top of that, you get super fast target acquisition because you don’t have to worry about eye or head position like you would with a LVPO.

Durability

The Bushnell Trophy TRS-25 was built to last.

It features shockproof construction to withstand any rough treatment. I’ve definitely banged mine on a few trees, with no evident damage.

It also is O-ring sealed, which makes it completely waterproof, even if it’s dunked under water.

Plus, it is nitrogen purged. This means you’ll never have to worry about it fogging up in humid environments.

It is compact and light, weighing only 4 oz, which makes it one of the best scopes for Ruger 10/22.

It also comes with a 1 year warranty, so you have plenty of time to test it out for any issues.

Elevation & Windage Knobs

The elevation and windage knobs are nice and tight.

You can easily use a dime to make your adjustments and they give a nice, positive click.

I zeroed mine in at 50 yards in a matter of minutes. I’ve shot thousands of rounds with this scope and have yet to need to readjust it.

Parallax & Magnification

You’ll get 1x magnification with the Bushnell Trophy TRS-25.

This is perfect for target shooting, hunting, and home defense. It gives you optimum vision at short range and works well for most intermediate distances as well.

If you want to use it for long range, it is possible if you add on a magnifier. You will lose out on your unlimited eye relief though.

The parallax is fixed at 50 yards and I haven’t noticed any issues with it.

Mounting & Rings

This scope mounts easily to most picatinny rails.

It is compatible with rifles, shotguns, pistols, and muzzleloaders, so it is an extremely versatile scope.

Depending on the type of weapon you’re mounting it to, you may need a riser, which is not included. You can choose the height that works best for your firearm. There’s a 0.83

or 1” option.

You’ll also get a nice rubber scope cover with the TRS-25.

Is the Bushnell Trophy TRS-25 worth it?

This scope is the best red dot you’ll find at a budget friendly price.

It has:

• Multi-coated lenses
• Amber-Bright coating
• 3 MOA red dot reticle
• 11 brightness settings
• Best bang for your buck pricing
• Rugged durability w/1 year warranty

If you’re looking for the best rimfire scope under $100, try the Bushnell Trophy TRS-25. You won’t be disappointed.

4. Leupold VX-Freedom 1.5-4×20: Best Scope for 22LR Squirrel Hunting

Looking for the best .22 rimfire scope for squirrel hunting? Look no further than the Leupold VX-Freedom 1.5-4×20.

With all the glass quality and clarity you’ve come to expect from Leupold, you’ll be able to accurately pop tiny varmints in all lighting conditions.

Let me show you…

Glass Clarity & Reticle

The Leupold VX-Freedom has a very clear picture.

I was impressed that Leupold was able to maintain such clarity in a lower-price range scope.

Unlike many scopes in the $200-$300 price-range, the VX-Freedom has fully multi-coated lenses and exceptionally clear glass.

Edge-to-edge, I found the sight picture to be crisp. Using Leupold’s Twilight Management System to drastically reduce stray light glare, there’s no haziness or fuzziness in my view.

I had perfect color contrast, even in low light situations.

Leupold boasts that their superior light transmission will give hunters an extra 20 minutes of shooting light. After putting this scope through its paces in the early morning and fading daylight hours, I found this to be true.

Armed with my Leupold VX-Freedom and my trusty .22 rimfire, I was able to be out when the squirrels were most active.

The second focal plane fine duplex reticle didn’t obscure even the tiniest target. I easily made headshots on squirrels within 100 yards.

For those interested in a hashed reticle, the Pig Reticle for hog hunting is listed as an option from some sellers.

Even for the range, this scope would be an awesome option for .22 benchrest shooting. No matter what you use your .22 rimfire for, the Leupold VX-Freedom will perform well.

That’s why I recommended the Freedom as my go-to hunting scope in best rifle scopes guide.

Eye Relief & Eye Box

I found this scope to have a pretty long eye-relief from 3.75 to 4 inches.

The eyebox was generous though, I didn’t have any trouble maneuvering behind the scope and maintaining a clean view through the scope.

Durability

Leupold is king when it comes to making a durable scope, and this little guy was no exception.

The lenses are coated with DiamondCoat 2 which not only improve light transmission, but provide scratch resistance.

The scope is argon/krypton purged making it fogproof in the toughest weather conditions.

It’s also sealed to withstand being submerged in over 30 feet of water.

I do not treat my scopes kindly. I haven’t bothered to cover this scope on my hunting trips. It has been tossed around, dropped, knocked and abused. Still works great, still holds zero.

Elevation & Windage Knob

I think the turrets are where Leupold compromised quality for cost on this particular optic. The turrets on the Freedom VS-Freedom are not at the same quality level that I am used to on higher-end Leupold scopes.

The finger click turrets felt mushy to me. I had a hard time telling when they finally “clicked” when making adjustments.

With that said, I didn’t have to work hard to zero the scope. I was able to sight in my gun in less than 5 shots.

The turret adjustments were definitely better than other budget scopes, but not up to par with what Leupold usually produces.

And that’s to be expected. Leupold has to cut corners somewhere to keep the price of this optic low. I would rather have slightly mushy turrets than crappy glass.

Parallax & Magnification

The magnification range for the VX-Freedom is 1.5-4x. This is perfect for small game hunting. In fact, I have taken it out to squirrel hunt several times and I loved it.

I found it easy to get headshots with this scope. Precision target shooters would be very pleased with this optic.

If I was shooting larger targets and a heavier caliber, I could easily push the range out to 400 yards. This low magnification range scope can outcompete many of the others in its class.

There is no parallax adjustment on this optic, but with such a low magnification range, parallax shouldn’t be an issue.

Mounting & Rings

No mounts or rings are included with the VX-Freedom which has a 1 inch main tube.

I choose to mount my optic with Leupold Rifleman rings that include a base.

These rings are affordable and easy to install.

Leupold did not include any lens caps either. I personally don’t have a need for covers.

I think that the scope is built well enough, it doesn’t matter. But if you would like covers, you can buy a set separately.

Is the Leupold VX-Freedom 1.5-4×20 worth it?

I think the Leupold VX-Freedom 1.5-4×20 is definitely worth the investment for anyone doing close-range, precision .22 rimfire shooting.

To recap its features, it has:

• Fine Duplex Reticle
• DiamondCoat2 Lens Coatings
• Twilight Maxlight Management System reduces glare
• Highly durable design withstands the Punisher, an extreme recoil/shock simulator

Honestly, the glass clarity of the VX-Freedom meets the standard Leupold has set with its higher-end scopes. At about $300 you will be hard pressed to find a clearer picture.

5. Vortex Razor HD LH 1.5-8×32: Best for Competition

As much as I like bells and whistles and all the fancy features on my scopes, sometimes simple is the way to go.

If I’m hunting hogs on my property or deer in the nearby woods then I don’t need the extra weight some of those scopes pack on.

At those times, you can’t beat a Vortex Rimfire Scope.

They’ve got the incredible quality I’ve come to expect from Vortex and they’re lightweight and sturdy. Which is why it’s one of the best .308 scope on the market.

But if you’re looking for a simple, elegant, and effective scope, then keep reading and I’ll tell you why this one can’t be beaten.

Glass Clarity & Reticle

The glass is ultra-clear and incredibly crisp.

This scope has HD extra-low dispersion lenses that are fully multi-coated and anti-reflective.

Colors are true through it and the resolution is great.

Whether I’m zoomed all the way to 8x or sitting at 1.5x, the clarity is the same and I can see everything I’m looking at.

The anti-reflective coating is great for when I’m hunting in low light as it lets all the light in without ruining my view.

One of its best features is the G4 BDC reticle which gives you both a target dot and hash marks in your crosshairs.

It’s simplicity and uncluttered design makes it a dream for any hunter.

Take advantage of the lens cover and cloth that are included to keep your lens performing at its best.

Eye Relief & Eye Box

It’s got a 3.8” eye relief and a generous eye box.

There’s plenty of room to maneuver regardless of your magnification setting.

While it’s not as much eye relief as some higher-end scopes have, I’ve never had an issue with it being cramped.

Durability

Like all Vortex scopes, this one is incredibly durable.

It’s made of a single piece of aircraft-grade aluminum that is hard anodized and covered in an Armortek coating.

That makes it super scratch resistant and helps it to be shockproof.

No matter what trees my scope has been banged against or brush it’s gotten caught on, it hasn’t gotten a single scratch on it yet.

On top of that its Argon gas purged to prevent internal fogging, which is a huge plus on fall mornings when the temperature is fluctuating.

Finally, it’s also waterproof thanks to the O-ring seals that prevent moisture, dust, and debris from getting into it.

You’d be hard-pressed to find another manufacturer with the level of durability that Vortex offers in its scopes.

Whatever environment or temperature you take this scope hunting in, it’s gonna perform amazingly.

Elevation & Windage Knobs

The low-capped large-diameter turrets make it really easy to read your elevation and windage adjustments.

The turrets are easily turned with finger pressure, although I do wish the click was a bit more audible. It’s there, but it’s quiet.

The caps are a nice feature though as they help protect the turrets from getting accidentally bumped out of place.

If you’re anything like me, that’s a great feature to have when you’re moving through the brush.

The scope was very easy to zero at 100 yards and it’s had no problems keeping zero.

Parallax & Magnification

The magnification is 1.5-8x with a 32mm objective lens.

Although the magnification range starts at 1.5x, for me it really felt like a true 1x.

If it’s not true, it’s so incredibly close I couldn’t tell the difference.

The zoom is fast and insanely smooth from 1.5-8x and everything in between – just like my best ACOG clone.

I had no issues with parallax until I got up to 8x magnification, but it was easy to fix and wasn’t a lasting issue.

Mounting & Rings

You’re gonna have to buy your own mount for this one as it doesn’t come included.

I use and recommend the Monstrum Cantilever Ring Mount.

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It’s easy to use, durable, and user-friendly.

Is the Vortex Razor HD LH 1.5-8×32 worth it?

I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a Vortex fan. Their optics are high quality and they stand by their products.

This is a great little scope if you’re looking for something simple and sleek.

Let’s review:

• Capped turrets
• G4 BDC reticle
• Argon gas purged
• Incredible durability
• 1.5-8x magnification range
• Crystal clear multi-coated lens
• Shock, fog, and waterproof & scratch resistant

If none of that convinces you, maybe the incredible Vortex Lifetime Warranty will.

No matter what happens to your scope, Vortex has got you covered. Go check out the Vortex Razor HD LH and decide for yourself.

How to Sight in .22 Rifle with Scope

By now, you’ve found the right optic for your rimfire rifle. You’re now ready to shoot.

No so fast.

It doesn’t matter how good of a shot you are. If your scope isn’t sighted properly, then you’re gonna miss.

I’m going to show you how to sight in your .22 rifle step-by-step.

Let’s dive right in.

Everything You Need to Get Started

You technically can zero in your gun with just a target.

However, from experience, I’ve found these following tools greatly simplify the sight-in process.

Here are the tools:

1. Ear and eye protection: You’re going to have to fire live rounds. These protect your eyes and ears from potential damage.

1. Gun Rest: This keeps your rifle as steady as possible throughout the process. This way you don’t accidentally move the gun between shots and potentially throw off the hit comparisons. You can either use a professional gun rest or a cardboard box like this.

1. Target: A paper target that’s anchored to something immovable (like steel).

1. Range: Indoor ranges are recommended but an outdoor one with windbreakers and damp or grassy ground to prevent dust clouds works fine.

Got these 4 things? Good. It’s now time to learn…

How to Sight In Your 22 Rifle Scope

Some guides may direct you to remove your scope from the mount for certain adjustments, but that shouldn’t be necessary.

If you already have your scope set on a good mount, then there’s no need to take it off for zeroing.

The biggest thing to focus on is being patient. Take your time with each step of the process and make sure you get it right.

Step 1: Set Everything Up

Get your target set up downrange and fully secured. Make sure there is a solid backdrop to catch your shots.

Aim your rifle towards the target and use your gun vice (or whatever material you’ve chosen to keep your gun secure) to anchor it in place. The surface you rest your rifle on should optimally be level.

This is also the time to put on your safety equipment. This includes the shooting glasses and some form of ear protection.

How far away you shoot from is up to you. I recommend doing it at 100 yards, as anything less just isn’t precise enough. Doing it at more than 100 is simply inviting more interference from wind or other factors.

Step 2: Aim for the Bullseye

Focus your crosshairs directly on the bullseye and fire. This is where the patience comes in, as you need to take your time and make sure you don’t affect the shot at all. The gun and scope need to do all the work.

Take note of where your shot landed on target. If the mark isn’t noticeable, then use a marker to make it so. If you completely missed, then try to figure out where the shot went and adjust your aim accordingly.

Step 3: Make Adjustments

Once you’ve fired, do your absolute best not to jostle the rifle at all. If you do, you will have to repeat the previous step.

Using your windage and elevation turrets, make adjustments until the crosshairs are perfectly centered on your previous shot.

After this, you can adjust the rifle itself until the crosshairs once again point at the bullseye. Make sure you don’t accidentally touch the turrets while reaiming.

Step 4: Shoot Again

You’ll once again need to align your crosshairs directly on the bullseye and fire. In a perfect world, this is where the bullet will go directly into the bullseye. In reality, it should be very close, but may not be perfect.

You’ll need to repeat the previous two steps until your shots are comfortably close to the bullseye. Once your shot gets close to the center, keep your crosshairs on the bullseye and fire again to make sure that there was no user error in the process.

Step 5: Cool and Repeat

It’s very likely that your scope and rifle are already sighted, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Give your gun some time to fully cool down before once again shooting at the bullseye. This is just a last little test to make sure everything is truly sighted.

If the bullet lands in a surprising spot, then you may need to repeat the earlier steps to make sure that you’ve completed each one properly.

Conclusion

This is a necessary step to get the best accuracy from your rifle and scope.

The rifle and scope do a lot more work than many people think, and getting them properly sighted makes sure that they can do their job well.

Patience and safety are the biggest factors to keep in mind. Taking your time with each step will make everything go smoothly and will actually speed up the process significantly.

Having your safety equipment and a good backdrop are absolutely essential and part of the responsibility each gun owner has to keep themselves and others safe.

Now that you’ve made it through the guide and gotten your scope and gun sighted, you’ll have a much easier time doing it again in the future.

Just always err on the side of caution and follow each step with patience and precision.

Best Distance to Sight in Your .22 Rifle

Easily, the most popular caliber is .22 lr. Not only is the round itself affordable and accurate, but you can easily get a great quality rifle (I’m looking at you, Ruger 10/22), for under $150.

If you want to get fancy, it’s easy to spend thousands of dollars on an upgraded, tricked out .22 competition rifles.

Or you could easily have a formidable varmint gun in a price range in between. There’s enough variety in .22 lr availability to please every taste and budget.

Lightweight and with low recoil, .22 lr is an easy caliber for novice shooters to learn the fundamentals and for experts to fine-hone their skills.

You’re probably here because you put a scope on your shiny new .22 lr and you’re ready to start popping squirrels.

Before you get going though, we need to zero in your scope so that you can effectively place your shots at any distance.

I’m going to walk you through the best distance to zero your scope.

It probably isn’t what you expected it to be.

The Trouble with Variable Distance Shooting

There’s a bit of a debate online as to which is the best distance to sight in your scoped .22lr. Some say to sight it in for the distance you will be shooting, which is the obvious answer for plinkers and set-distance target shooting.

If you’ll be shooting at 50 yards every single time you head to the range, then 50 yards is where you need to set zero.

But if you plan on hunting small game with your .22lr rifle, you will want to be able to accurately hit the kill zone of your living targets from a wide range of distances. Small game animals have smaller kill zones.

We’re talking tiny kill zones. If you over or under shoot by a couple inches on large game, you’ll likely still be able to kill the animal. If you are high or low by more than 1.5 inches on a squirrel, you can completely miss.

For example, if you zero your hunting rifle at 50 yards, your bullet will drop 2 inches at 75 yards and 6 inches at 100 yards. Because of initial bullet rise, at 25 yards, you’ll be 2 inches too high.

That means that your bullet will hit 2 inches higher than you aimed your crosshairs at 25 yards, but then you’ll be 2 inches below the bullseye at 75 yards. At 100 yards, if you aim right at the bullseye you’ll be 6 inches too low.

That’ll leave you completely missing the squirrel at any distance other than 50 yards. Zeroing your rifle at 50 yards is a terrible idea for varmint hunters.

Ballistics

Before I explain why 50 yards is awful, let’s back up to the basic physics of firing a shot and finding zero on your scope.

When you fire a gun and the bullet leaves the muzzle, your bullet moves forward it rises, reaches an apex and then drops as the bullet begins to slow down and falls back to earth. If you were to plot the path of the bullet, it would make an arch, or to be technical, a parabola. Let’s think about it like throwing a softball.

Ideally, you’d want a flatter curve so you have a smaller margin of error at any point along the bullet’s path. To get a flatter curve, the bullet needs to move faster. It needs more muzzle velocity.

Thinking of the softball example, you need a faster pitch to get a flatter curve. A slower pitch will give you a loftier curve. Same with muzzle velocity and ballistics: a slower bullet will have a more dramatic curve; a faster bullet will be flatter.

Like your softball, your bullet will slow down and drop drastically as you increase distance traveled. This is called bullet drop. After 100 yards, your bullet will slow down so much that it will drop significantly, not proportionally.

Remember that 50 yard zero example a minute ago? You’d think that if the bullet drops only 2 inches at 75 yards, it would drop 4 inches by 100 yards, right? Nope. The bullet slows down tremendously over the longer distance and the drop is actually equal to 6 inches. A variation of 6 inches is huge when hunting small critters.

So, how do we correct this?

When you zero your rifle this means that you are setting your line of sight to coincide with the bullet’s impact somewhere along its trajectory curve.

Sighting in your rifle at, say 50 yards, means that you have made the necessary adjustments to your line of sight so that the bullet’s path will intersect, or cross that line, at 50 yards. All other factors removed, your bullet will hit bullseye at 50 yards. When using iron sights, your point of view is even with the muzzle of your rifle. Easy.

But you aren’t hunting with iron sights. You have a scope.

A scope raises your line of sight 1.5 inches above the muzzle. This changes your curve and increases your margin of error throughout a range of 100 yards.

So, how do we sight in our scope to give us the smallest margin of error along a 100 yard range?

I’m so glad you asked! Let’s apply what we just learned about bullet trajectory…

First, use a high velocity round to flatten that trajectory curve as much as possible. You might have to try a few types to find a fast round that works well with your gun.

For a rundown of ballistics from different manufacturers, check out this handy table:

Second, sight your rifle in at 75 yards.

The Magic Number

Why 75 yards you ask? Because it gives you the smallest margin of error along your bullet’s trajectory within a 100 yard range.

We’re planning on shooting small, living things, right? And you want to shoot your small, living thing and make it a small, dead thing. To do that you don’t need to impact right on an exact point, you just need to land your shot within a small area on the body of your small, living thing. This area is called the “kill zone”.

We won’t always find these small, living things at consistent distances. Sometimes, we get lucky and they are right in front of us, sometimes, they are a ways out. No matter the distance, we want the best chance of impacting the small, living thing in the kill zone with minimal adjustment on our scope.

This is where 75 yards becomes our magic number for sighting in your varmint scope. I could walk you through the math, but it’s really tedious, so I’m not going to. Suffice it to say that using the bullet’s trajectory and our line of sight, a zero at 75 yards will give us the smallest deviation of the bullet’s trajectory along our line of sight within 100 yards.

If you want to go digging into it, you can learn more here.

Basically, at a distance of 75 yards you will have a deviation of +-1.5 inches above or below your target throughout a practical hunting range of 0-75 yards. That’s a deviation of less than a full squirrel. This will put you in the kill zone at any distance without having to stress about holdover or holdunder.

At point blank, your shot will be 1.5 inches high. At 25 yards, you’ll be just over a 0.5 inch high. At 50 yards, you’ll be just over 1 inch high, and right on at 75 yards. See, no matter the distance, you’ll be landing shots within the kill zone and blasting critters.

If you are shooting at 100 yards, you’ll have a bullet drop of 3 inches. At this distance you’ll want to aim a little high to compensate for the bullet drop.

Practice & Take Notes

While all of this is pretty straight forward, it isn’t foolproof. A lot of things can impact your bullet’s travel to its target. The shape of your bullet, the ambient temperature, wind speed and direction, even air pressure can affect your shot.

It’s still a great idea to take notes when out shooting so that you can do some fine-tuning.

As you try different types of ammunition, you’ll find rounds that work really well with your rifle and some that don’t. Keep a notebook in your gun bag and make notes of this.

You may find a sweet spot for holdover at specific ranges. Make notes of this too.

Above all, go shooting. Get familiar with your rifle and your scope. The more muscle memory you build, the more instinctive your shooting will become.

Write down anything that worked, and anything that didn’t. The more detailed you are in your notes, the more you can fine-tune your setup and hone your skills.

Happy hunting!

Now It’s Your Turn

I hope you enjoyed my best rimfire scopeguide.

Now I want to turn it over to you:

Which rifle scope will you pick?

Let me know by leaving a quick comment down below.