Trying to decide between the .30-06 Springfield and 7mm Remington Magnum cartridges? Here’s what you need to know about them.

I think most hunters would agree that the 7mm Remington Magnum and .30-06 Springfield are both fantastic cartridges for hunting a wide variety of big game. Both offer certain advantages to hunters, but there are some significant differences between the 7mm Rem Mag vs 30-06 cartridges you should be aware of.

Unfortunately, important details about the cartridges sometimes get overlooked or simply lost in the shuffle. With that in mind, it’s easy to see how many people get confused about the strengths and weaknesses of the .30-06 Springfield and 7mm Remington Magnum, particularly when discussing which cartridge is best for hunting particular animals under specific conditions.

In this article, I’m going to do a detailed comparison of the 7mm Rem Mag vs 30-06 Springfield in order to show the differences between those cartridges so you can make an informed decision on which one will work best for you.

Before we get started, I have two administrative notes:

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.

Additionally, I recorded an entire podcast episode on this exact subject. If you’d rather listen than read, click the appropriate link below to listen to this episode on your preferred podcasting service.

Be sure to hit that “Subscribe” button in your podcast player!

30-06 vs 7mm Rem Mag Podcast

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History Of The .30-06 Springfield and 7mm Remington Magnum

Still smarting from a sobering lesson regarding the effectiveness of the 7mm Mauser in the hands of Spanish troops in Cuba in 1898, the U.S. Army decided it needed a new cartridge to replace the .30-40 Krag and .45-70 Government cartridges used by American Soldiers in the Spanish American War.

Specifically, they wanted a new service rifle that could compete with the revolutionary new Mauser rifle. Among other things, they were looking for a new bolt-action rifle designed from the start with a stronger action capable of safely firing more powerful smokeless ammunition, that could be quickly loaded with 5-round stripper clips, and with a “claw” extractor for more reliable feeding and extraction.

In the end, the new 1903 Springfield was modeled heavily on (some might say copied) the 1893 Spanish Mauser rifle. They originally chambered the new rifle in the .30-03 Springfield cartridge, which fired a 220gr round nosed bullet at approximately 2,300fps. While the .30-03 did provide a modest improvement in performance over the .30-40 Krag, the Army still wasn’t completely happy with the performance of the cartridge.

For this reason, they made a few tweaks to the design of the .30-03 Springfield. Switching over to a revolutionary new 150gr “spitzer” (pointed) bullet fired at a muzzle velocity of 2,700 fps gave them the results they were looking for.

Named after the year it was formally introduced, the .30-06 Springfield was a significant improvement over previous military cartridges used during that era.

In addition to extensive use with the U.S. military, the .30-06 Springfield cartridge also rapidly caught on with the big game hunting and shooting communities in the United States during the early 20th Century.

The old .30-06 remains one of the most popular centerfire rifle cartridges in the United States (as well as many other parts of the world) to this day. Not surprisingly, the .30-06 has also served as the parent for many other cartridges (like the .25-06 Remington and .35 Whelen).

The .30-06 Springfield has also long been the standard against which new centerfire rifle cartridges are measured against in the United States.

Now let’s fast forward a couple decades from the introduction of the .30-06.

The years following World War II were a true renaissance of civilian firearm and cartridge development in the United States. That time period saw a flood of new centerfire rifle cartridges like the .223 Remington, .280 Remington, and .308 Winchester.

That same general time period also saw the start of “Magnum Era” when Winchester introduced a line of new belted magnum cartridges that utilized a modified .375 H&H case. The .458 Winchester Magnum came along first in 1956 and was quickly followed by the .338 Winchester Magnum and the .264 Winchester Magnum during the next couple of years.

All of those cartridges utilized a .375 H&H Magnum case necked down (or up, in the case of the .458 Win Mag) and shortened from 2.85″ to 2.5″ long. The designers used those shortened cases so all three cartridges would fit in a standard length rifle action (same as the .30-06 Springfield) instead of the longer magnum length action required by the original .375 H&H cartridge.

Remington took a page out of Winchester’s playbook and rolled out their own belted magnum cartridge in 1962: the 7mm Remington Magnum.

Often referred to as the 7mm Rem Mag, 7mm RM, or 7mm Mag, the new Remington cartridge also used a shortened .375 H&H Magnum case. Instead of using .264″, .338″, .458″, and later .308″ bullets like Winchester did with their magnums, Remington loaded their new cartridge with .284″ bullets.

The use of the larger case based on the .375 H&H along with the use of 7mm/.284″ bullets by the 7mm Remington Magnum resulted in a significant ballistic improvement over the .30-06.

Indeed, the 7mm Mag is capable of shooting the same weight bullet faster than the .30-06.

Additionally, the smaller diameter .284″ bullets the 7mm Mag uses have a higher ballistic coefficient and more sectional density than .30 caliber bullets of the same weight used by the .30-06 Springfield (when comparing bullets of similar construction).

For those reasons, typical 7mm Rem Mag loads have a flatter trajectory, more energy remaining downrange, and (all other things equal) will penetrate better than .30-06 Springfield loads using the same weight bullets.

The new 7mm Remington Magnum cartridge also fit in a standard length rifle action. And to top it all off, the 7mm Remington Magnum was rolled out at the same time as the now legendary Remington Model 700 rifle.

So, American hunters and shooters were immediately offered the chance to use a new high performance cartridge that was available in a well built, reasonably priced, and very accurate new rifle.

With all that in mind, it’s not surprising at all that the flat shooting and hard hitting 7mm Rem Mag quickly caught on with hunters and shooters in North America.

30-06 vs 7mm Rem Mag: Cartridge Sizes

You can see differences between the .30-06 Springfield and the 7mm Remington Magnum in the photos below.

First, the 7mm Rem Mag is physically a little larger than the .30-06.

While the .30-06 has a slightly greater maximum authorized overall length (3.34″ vs 3.29″), they are close enough in size that both cartridges are used in standard/long-action rifles. However, the 7mm Remington Magnum has a larger .532″ rim diameter while the .30-06 has a .473″ rim diameter.

At the same time, the 7mm Rem Mag has a steeper 25 degree shoulder (the .30-06 has a 17.5 degree shoulder) that also sits a tiny bit further forward than the shoulder of the .30-06.

The end result is that the 7mm Rem Mag has a much larger case capacity than the .30-06.

Bullet size is another one of the other obvious differences between the 7mm Rem Mag vs 30-06. Each cartridge uses different diameter bullets: .284″ for the Remington cartridge and .308″ for the Springfield.

Everything else being equal, the smaller diameter 7mm bullets have a higher ballistic coefficient and a higher sectional density than the larger diameter bullets of the same weight from the .30-06 Springfield. However, the .30-06 generally uses heavier bullets than the 7mm Remington Magnum.

The vast majority of 7mm Rem Mag factory loads shoot bullets in the 139-175 grain range. Of these, 140 grain, 150 grain, 160 grain, and 175 grain loads are by far the most common.

On the other hand, though it’s possible to find .30-06 ammo shooting bullets weighing as little as 110 grains and as heavy as 220 grains, most .30-06 Springfield factory loads use 150 grain, 165 grain, 180 grain, or 200 grain bullets.

The 7mm Remington Magnum is also loaded to a higher pressure than the .30-06 (61,000psi vs 60,000psi).

Note: while the powder capacity figures listed below do give a good indication of the differences between the two cartridges, exact case capacities vary slightly according to the brand of brass used.

30-06 vs 7mm Rem Mag Ballistics

Not surprisingly, the differences in the external dimensions of the 7mm Remington Magnum and the .30-06 Springfield translate into some pretty significant differences in their ballistic performance. This is illustrated in the table below comparing Hornady Precision Hunter, Federal Premium Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, and Winchester Deer Season XP factory ammunition.

I chose those particular factory loads because they provide a good demonstration of the performance of each cartridge when using wide spectrum of different bullets. The Winchester loads use light for caliber bullets, the Federal loads use very heavy for caliber bullets, and the Hornady loads use heavy for caliber, exceptionally aerodynamic bullets for each cartridge.

Specifically, the 7mm Remington Magnum loads use a 140gr Extreme Point (.484 BC), a 162gr ELD-X (.631 BC), and a 175gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw (.407 BC). The .30-06 loads use a 150gr Extreme Point (.392 BC), a 178gr ELD-X (.552 BC), and a 200gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw (.395 BC).

Note that the bullets used by 7mm Remington Magnum in each load are more aerodynamic than those used by the .30-06 Springfield for the exact same load. More on this in a minute.

All six loads used a 200 yard zero.

As you can see, the 7mm Remington Magnum has a flatter trajectory and more kinetic energy than comparable .30-06 Springfield loads at all ranges. Additionally, since it uses more aerodynamic bullets with a higher ballistic coefficient, that gap in performance grows in favor of the 7mm Mag as range increases.

Specifically, the 7mm Rem Mag has about 2-4% more muzzle energy than the .30-06 with these three particular loads. That turns into a 9-25% advantage in favor of 7mm Rem Mag at 500 yards.

At 500 yards, the various .30-06 loads have about 7-10″ (~20%) more bullet drop than comparable 7mm Rem Mag loads.

We’ll talk more about those numbers and what they mean in a minute.

The chart below compares how much a 10 mile per hour crosswind impacts those same 7mm Rem Mag and .30-06 loads out to 500 yards.

As you can see, the 7mm Remington Magnum also has a big advantage in this area as well. That makes sense since the cartridge is shooting more aerodynamic bullets at a higher velocity.

The exact details vary by load of course. Once again though, the gap in performance increases with range in favor of the 7mm Remington Magnum.

Update 25 July 2022:

What about the 175gr TBBC vs 178gr ELD-X?

I’ve received a number of questions and comments regarding the fact that the 178gr ELD-X load from the 30-06 has a flatter trajectory and more retained energy than the 175gr 7mm Trophy Bonded Bear Claw.

Those two bullets are closest in weight, so comparing those two loads is the best comparison of those cartridges, right?

Absolutely not.

Take a look at the photo below (178gr .30 cal ELD-X on the left and 175gr 7mm TBBC on the right) and the reasons why should be obvious.

For a detailed discussion on this exact subject (to include why it’s NOT appropriate to compare different bullets of the same or similar weight), check out this post on Patreon.

Moving on, let’s talk about recoil.

The table below compares the recoil produced by the handloads that approximate the performance of the Hornady Precision Hunter factory load above for each cartridge when fired from identical 8 pound rifles.

Felt recoil will vary from shooter to shooter and rifle to rifle, but free recoil energy is still a useful way to compare cartridges.

As you can see, the 7mm Remington Magnum has slightly more recoil than the .30-06. In this case, the 7mm Rem Mag produces 7.5% more free recoil energy than the .30-06.

That should not be surprising at all. After all, the 7mm Rem Mag is a heavy hitting belted magnum that burns a lot more powder and produces higher velocities.

Basically, the 7mm Rem Mag should be expected to hit a little harder on both ends, which is exactly the case.

This can be mitigated to a certain extent with the use of a suppressor, muzzle brake, or a good recoil pad. So the extra recoil of the 7mm Rem Mag isn’t necessarily a deal breaker for many people, especially since it only recoils a little more than the .30-06. All things considered, the 7mm Remington Magnum is one of the more lighter recoiling magnums (particularly when compared to the .300 Win Mag or .338 Win Mag).

Recoil is certainly worth considering though. If we’re being honest, neither cartridge is really suitable for hunters or shooters who are very sensitive to recoil.

Don’t underestimate the impact that recoil has on the ability of a person to shoot accurately either. Some people do handle recoil better than others, but all other things being equal, they will absolutely shoot more accurately with a milder recoiling cartridge.

Additionally, there are a couple of other factors that are also worth discussing though.

First, the .30-06 uses larger diameter bullets than the 7mm Rem Mag.

Specifically, the larger diameter .308″ bullets used by the .30-06 have about 18% more frontal surface area (also known as cross sectional area) than the .284″ bullets used by the 7mm Rem Mag (.0745 vs .0633 square inches). All other things being equal, a bigger bullet will make a bigger hole, cause more tissue damage, and result in more blood loss.

This is a definite, though slight, factor in favor of the .30-06.

On the other hand, as we covered earlier, those longer, heavy for caliber .284″ bullets have a higher ballistic coefficient than the most common bullets used in the .30-06 though.

The .284″/7mm bore diameter is in something of a sweet spot where it’s easier to manufacture very high BC bullets that’s aren’t especially heavy. Those aerodynamic projectiles don’t slow down as fast and are more resistant to wind drift.

The most popular 7mm bullets also have a relatively high sectional density (SD).

Sectional density (SD) is a measure of the ratio of the diameter of a projectile to its mass. All other things equal, a heavier projectile of a given caliber will be longer and therefore have a higher sectional density and consequently penetrate deeper than projectiles with a lower mass and sectional density.

Everything else being equal, the smaller diameter 7mm bullets have a higher ballistic coefficient and a higher sectional density than the larger diameter bullets of the same weight from the .30-06 Springfield. However, the .30-06 generally uses heavier bullets than the 7mm Remington Magnum.

All that being said, the 7mm Rem Mag still has a slight edge with most bullets in common use, even when compared to heavier .30 caliber bullets.

As an example, 140 grain, 150 grain, and 175 grain .284″ bullets have sectional densities of .248, .266, and .310 respectively. This compares favorably to 150 grain, 180 grain, and 200 grain .308″ bullets which have sectional densities of .226, .271, and .301 respectively.

This also applies to ballistic coefficient.

The bullets used in this comparison illustrate those differences well with the 7mm Remington Magnum using 140gr (.484 BC), 162gr (.631 BC), and 175gr (.407 BC) bullets compared to the 150gr (.392 BC), 178gr (.552 BC), and 200gr (.395 BC) bullets used by the .30-06.

What about 7mm Rem Mag vs .30-06 Springfield accuracy?

Gun writers have spilled a lot of ink comparing the accuracy of the 7mm Rem Mag vs 30-06 over the years. While picking the most accurate cartridge of the two is a relatively contentious subject, most people agree that both the 7mm Mag and .30-06 are capable of excellent accuracy.

Not surprisingly, both cartridges have seen extensive use in long range shooting competitions and both have served with distinction with military and police snipers as well as with for precision shooters.

So where do we stand with each cartridge?

7mm Rem Mag vs 30-06

The 7mm Rem Mag fires smaller caliber and lighter, but generally more aerodynamic bullets at a higher velocity than the .30-06 Springfield. The 7mm Rem Mag has a flatter trajectory, more kinetic energy at typical hunting ranges, and is also better for longer range shots, but the .30-06 has less recoil.

With a flatter trajectory, less wind drift, and more retained energy at extended range, the 7mm Rem Mag does have a definite, though not gigantic, advantage over the .30-06 Springfield in external ballistics at typical hunting ranges. This makes the cartridge a little more forgiving of range or wind estimation errors than the .30-06 Springfield.

While that’s certainly something to keep in mind, laser rangefinders and modern scopes with easily adjustable ballistic turrets (like the Leupold VX-5) make adjusting for bullet drop much simpler now than it was a few decades ago.

The most popular bullet weights for the 7mm Rem Mag also tend to be more aerodynamic than the most popular bullet weights used by the .30-06. So, the advantages the 7mm Remington Magnum cartridge has with energy, trajectory, and wind drift grow slightly at extended range.

Those 7mm bullets also tend to have a higher sectional density as well, which assists with penetration to help the cartridge “punch above its weight” in a manner similar to the 7x57mm or 9.3x62mm Mauser cartridges.

As good as the .30-06 is (and I do think it’s an excellent cartridge), the 7mm Remington Magnum just simply hits with a little more authority, especially at longer range.

On the other hand, the .30-06 has an advantage when it comes to frontal surface area (which gives a tiny bit more room for error with shot placement), uses heavier bullets, and has a little less recoil.

It might seem like I’m splitting hairs here when talking about the strengths and weaknesses of the two cartridges. That’s absolutely true to a certain degree.

While they certainly have different advantages, both cartridges are very accurate, relatively flat shooting, and hit hard enough for use on a variety of game out to several hundred yards. The 7mm Rem Mag may be a better choice for use on bigger game and/or on game at longer range, but the .30-06 is still a darn good cartridge.

However, regardless of whether you’re using a 7mm Remington Magnum or a .30-06 Springfield, no deer, elk, black bear, moose or pronghorn will go far if you put a well constructed bullet into the vitals during a real world hunting scenario.

30-06 vs 7mm Rem Mag Barrel Life

Since the two cartridges have a different bore diameter and vastly different case capacities, there can be some significant difference in barrel life with the three cartridges.

Simply put, burning more powder in a similar sized space will result in shorter barrel life.

At the same time, burning more powder is a smaller sized space will result in even shorter barrel life.

Well, the 7mm Remington Magnum has a smaller bore size and uses a much bigger powder charge.

This means that, in general, the 7mm Rem Mag will simply wear out barrels faster than the .30-06 Springfield. Exactly how fast that occurs depends on a number of factors like the quality of the barrel, the exact ammunition used, etc.

For serious target shooters, this can be a concern. However, the good news for hunters is that typical barrel life for all of these cartridges is more than enough to last for many, many years of hunting with no issues at all.

So, there isn’t a tremendous practical difference in 7mm Rem Mag vs 30-06 barrel life as far as most hunters are concerned.

7mm Rem Mag vs 30-06 Ammo

The .30-06 Springfield and the 7mm Remington Magnum are both extremely popular centerfire rifle cartridges. That said, the .30-06 is definitely the most widely used of the two in general, though the 7mm Remington Magnum is by no means rare.

So, they’re both in common use and ammo is usually easy to find for both. Availability also likely varies regionally though. For instance, more people tend to use the 7mm Remington Magnum in many western states where they’re more likely to need the advantages the cartridge provides at longer range.

In general, .30-06 ammo is typically noticeably cheaper than 7mm Rem Mag ammo.

The big ammunition manufacturers like Barnes, Berger, Browning, Federal Premium, Hornady, HSM, Nosler, Remington, Sierra, Sig Sauer, Swift, and Winchester produce an incredible variety of ammo for the .30-06 Springfield and 7mm Remington Magnum.

In each case, there is normally a good selection of bullet types and weights for each cartridge suitable for big game hunting ranging from stuff like Remington Core Lokt and Winchester Super X ammo to Federal Premium Gold Medal and Hornady Precision Hunter factory loads.

During normal times, it’s usually very easy to find ammo for both cartridges and almost any gun or sporting goods store will have a wide variety of .30-06 and 7mm Rem Mag ammo in stock.

Ammo availability is also usually excellent online and the bigger retailers typically have a good selection of quality factory ammo for both cartridges as well.

BUY SOME GREAT 7mm REM MAG AMMO HERE

BUY SOME EXCELLENT 30-06 SPRINGFIELD AMMO HERE

If you’d like to learn more about some of the various hunting ammunition choices for the 7mm Remington Magnum and 30-06 cartridges, read these articles:

Best 7mm Rem Mag Ammo For Hunting Elk, Deer, And Other Big Game

Best 30-06 Ammo For Hunting Elk, Deer, Bear, Hogs, & Other Game

Handloaders will appreciate the fact that reloading components for both cartridges are also readily available and there’s an especially wide variety of bullet choices for each cartridge. So, you should not have any trouble working up a good custom load for either one if you like to handload.

The 7mm Remington Magnum uses the same .284″ bullet size as the 7mm-08 Remington, .280 Remington, .280 Ackley Improved, 7mm WSM, 7mm STW, 7mm Weatherby Magnum, and 7mm Remington Ultra Magnum.

The .30-06 Springfield uses the same .308″ bullet size as the .308 Winchester, .30-30 Winchester, .300 Win Mag, 300 WSM, .300 Ultra Mag, and .300 PRC.

Bullets like the Barnes LRX, TSX, TTSX, and TAC-X, the Berger VLD and Hybrid Hunter, the Hornady A-Max, ELD-X, GMX, InterBond, InterLock, SST, and V-Max, the Nosler AccuBond, Ballistic Tip, E-Tip, and Partition, the Sierra GameChanger and GameKing, the Swift Scirocco and A-Frame, (just to name a few) are options for if you want to reload the 7mm Remington Magnum and the .30-06 Springfield.

7mm Rem Mag vs 30-06 Rifles

In addition to the great selection of ammunition available in 7mm Remington Magnum and .30-06, there are also many quality rifles manufactured in these cartridges.

Both cartridges are extremely common in bolt-action rifles. In fact, just about every really popular bolt-action hunting rifle in current production is available in both cartridges.

For instance, both the 7mm Remington Magnum and .30-06 Springfield are available in several different versions of the Remington Model 700 and Winchester Model 70. The same goes for the Browning X-Bolt, Browning AB3, Christensen Arms Ridgeline, Kimber Hunter, Mossberg Patriot, Ruger Hawkeye, Savage Axis, Savage 110, Tikka T3 and Tikka T3x, Weatherby Vanguard, and Winchester XPR.

That said, the .30-06 is the more popular of the two. So, there’s generally a better selection of rifles in that chambering. It’s also easier to find .30-06 rifles that are less expensive.

On the other hand, while it’s also available in a wide range of rifle models, the 7mm Rem Mag is more common with higher end rifles designed for better performance at longer ranges. That’s not a hard and fast rule though.

It’s also important to realize that gun manufacturers tend to put longer barrels on rifles chambered in 7mm Remington Magnum (and other magnum cartridges in general). This is because those cartridges need a longer barrel to effectively and efficiently burn that larger powder charge.

All things considered, rifles chambered in 7mm Rem Mag tend to be slightly longer, heavier, and more unwieldy than rifles chambered in .30-06.

The Ruger Hawkeye Hunter illustrates these differences well.

When chambered in .30-06 Springfield, the rifle has a 22″ barrel, an overall length of 42.75″, and weighs 7.4 pounds. The same rifle chambered in 7mm Remington Magnum has a 24″ barrel, is 44.75″ long, and weighs 8.1 pounds.

The rifle chambered in 7mm Remington Magnum is 2″ longer and weighs nearly a pound more than the exact same model chambered in .30-06.

Barrel lengths do vary depending on the manufacturer and exact model. However, 22″ barrels are very common with the .30-06 while 24″ and even 26″ barrels are pretty standard with the 7mm Remington Magnum.

Having a shorter and lighter rifle is more important on some hunts than on others. So, just keep that in mind.

BUY A GREAT 7mm REM MAG RIFLE HERE

BUY A NICE 30-06 SPRINGFIELD RIFLE HERE

7mm Rem Mag vs 30-06: Which Is Right For You?

Do you primarily hunt medium sized game like whitetail deer, feral hogs, or black bear at ranges within 200 yards? Both are extremely effective deer hunting cartridges and will absolutely get the job done on medium sized game if you do your part. The .30-06 in particular is a great deer hunting cartridge and remains one of the most popular North American hunting cartridges. There’s nothing wrong with using the 7mm Rem Mag on deer inside of 200 yards, but it’s really more gun than you need for that sort of work though (and it’s also a little rougher on both the shoulder and wallet).

If you’re going to be hunting in thick brush or in the tight confines of a deer stand, remember what I just mentioned about the size difference with 30-06 vs 7mm Rem Mag rifles. That extra couple of inches in overall length of a rifle can be a real headache to deal with when trying to quickly and quietly maneuver for a shot.

Are you looking for the cartridge better suited for long range hunting for game like mule deer or pronghorn in open country where you might need to take a shot at several hundred yards? Once again, they’ll both work really well in this role. The .30-06 Springfield is a very good choice for this sort of hunting, but this is where the 7mm Rem Mag really starts to shine because it carries more energy out past 200 yards. The advantages the cartridge has in terms of bullet drop and wind drift start to become much more important at longer range as well. Not surprisingly, the 7mm Rem Mag is very popular with antelope hunters in places like Wyoming where windy conditions are common.

Do you want a hunting cartridge that’s well suited for caribou, moose, elk, eland, kudu, or red stag hunting? The .30-06 Springfield is a fantastic choice for use on bigger game and there’s not a darn thing wrong with using it on one of those hunts. Personally, I lean towards the .30-06 because it uses larger diameter and heavier bullets, but there’s also a good argument to be made for the 7mm Rem Mag as well, especially on hunts were a longer range shot might be necessary. With this in mind, some people prefer the 7mm Rem Mag because it carries more kinetic energy downrange (especially at longer range) and because it uses high SD bullets that tend to penetrate a little better.

Regardless of which cartridge you choose, use a controlled expansion projectile and a heavier bullet weight for your elk or moose hunt.

Are you specifically hunting brown or grizzly bear? What if you hunt in Canada or Alaska and need a heavy hitting cartridge just in case you find yourself on the wrong end of a grizzly/brown bear attack? Neither would be my first choice for use on those hunts. That said, they will definitely work in a pinch. Of the two, I’d go with the .30-06 since it uses larger diameter and heavier bullets. Make sure you use premium, heavy for caliber 200gr or 220gr bullets if you go that route (the 200gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw I mentioned earlier is a darn good choice).

For what it’s worth, Roy Lindsley used a .30-06 Springfield to take the current Boone & Crockett record Alaska brown bear back in 1952. But then again, that hunt took place before cartridges like the 7mm Remington Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, and .338 Winchester Magnum even existed.

Are you sensitive to recoil and in need of a serious low recoil cartridge? Neither is known as being a light recoiling cartridge. That said, the .30-06 does tend to have a little bit less free recoil energy than the 7mm Rem Mag.

Do you want the round that is best suited for target shooting out past 400 yards or so in a precision rifle? Both will work and have excellent reputations for precision shooting, but I lean towards the 7mm Remington Magnum here because of the advantages the cartridge has for longer range shooting.

The 7mm Remington Magnum and .30-06 Springfield are both excellent rifle cartridges. While the 7mm Remington Magnum does offer certain advantages over the .30-06 in some aspects, the old “aught six” is still getting it done well over a century after coming on the scene! All things considered, the difference between them (7mm Rem Mag vs 30-06) isn’t as great as it is sometimes made out to be and the animal will never know the difference if your shot is placed in the right spot.

So, carefully analyze your potential needs before making a decision. If you really need the advantages the 7mm Remington Magnum offers, then by all means purchase one. However, the .30-06 will work really well for most hunters. In the end, a lot of this decision comes down to personal preference. So, choose the one that you feel most comfortable with and it will probably serve you well afield. Good luck!

NEXT: 308 vs 30-06 SPRINGFIELD vs 300 WIN MAG: WHICH SHOULD YOU HUNT WITH?

Enjoy this article comparing the .30-06 Springfield and 7mm Remington Magnum cartridges? Please share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.

The Lyman 50th Edition (p214-216 and p246-250) and Hornady 10th Edition (p406-411 and p510-522) reloading manuals were used as references for the history of the cartridges. I obtained the data used to compare the trajectory of the cartridges from Hornady (here and here), Federal Premium (here and here), and Winchester (here and here). Data used to calculate recoil was obtained from the Hornady reloading manual. Case capacities were obtained from Chuck Hawks (here). Maximum pressure obtained from SAAMI (p23 & 29). I used ShootersCalculator.com to compare trajectory and recoil for the cartridges.

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There are a ton of different stabilizers types, styles, sizes, and mods out there, so it can be difficult navigating the world of stabilizers. We’ll go over everything you need to know and give you all the juicy details.

Make sure to check out our in-depth guide on how to build a keyboard.

What is a Stabilizer?

Stabilizers are a essential keyboard component placed under the larger keys such as space bar, backspace, and shift, to keep the keys from shaking, rattling, and tilting while typing. The stabilizers keep the keys balanced so you can have a stable typing and gaming experience.

The Different Stabilizers Types

There are a few different stabilizer types out there, Cherry style, Costar, and Optical. They are each significantly different, so we’ll explain what makes them unique.

Cherry Style Stabilizers

Cherry style stabilizers are the most common stabilizers out there. They are the preferred stabilizer type as they are easy to mod and have a lot of different options when it comes to mounting styles, colors, and material types.

Cherry stabilizers have the shape of a Cherry MX switch stem, hence the name Cherry style stabilizers. They make adding and removing keycaps a breeze.

In this guide, we’ll be focusing primarily on the Cherry stabilizer type when explaining all of the different options available. It’s possible to get Cherry style stabilizers in screw-in, snap-in, or plate-mounted variations.

We highly recommend getting a keyboard with Cherry stabilizers as they are the most versatile stabilizers out there.

Costar Stabilizers

Costar stabilizers are a less common stabilizer type, as they are primarily only found on older keyboards, although some newer keyboards may have them.

Costar stabilizers are quite difficult to use and have to be hooked into the keycap to fit. Getting the stabilizer bar to insert properly into the keycap can be a frustrating and lengthy process.

If you like to remove your keycaps and clean your keyboard regularly, these stabilizers can be quite the headache.

They are also difficult to mod and makes replacing the keycaps on your keyboard quite difficult.

Costar stabilizers are great if you want to install them and forget about em. No modding required, pretty good performance, and are affordable to replace. However, not the best if you enjoy tinkering with your keyboard and swapping out your keycaps regularly.

We talk about installing a spacebar with Costar stabilizers here.

Optical Stabilizers

Optical stabilizers are typically only found on keyboards with optical switches, and have a funky design (such as the Razer Huntsman Mini). They have small clips that insert into the keycap that you snap into the stabilizer bar under the plate of the keyboard.

There isn’t a good way to modify these stabilizers to improve them, although you could apply a small amount of lubricant to reduce the sound and rattle noises.

From our experience, these stabilizers are quite rattily, but if you use optical switches, you’re pretty much stuck with them. Not much else to say about these stabilizers.

Stabilizer Size Guide

There are three stabilizer sizes you can purchase: 7u, 6.25u, and 2u.

The stabilizers follow the same measuring system as keycaps, where 1u = the width of one keycap.

The 6.25u size is what you’ll need for a standard spacebar, unless you have a non-standard keyboard layout, in which case you’ll need the 7u size. For the most part you can ignore the 7u size, unless you have a custom keyboard.

All of the other larger keys on your keyboard (that aren’t the spacebar) will require a 2u stabilizer.

If you have a full-sized keyboard, you’ll need:

• 6.25u stabilizer x1
• 2u stabilizer x7

If you have a tenkeyless keyboard, you’ll need:

• 6.25u stabilizer x1
• 2u stabilizer x4

For the smaller layouts, the stabilizers required can vary based on the layout of the keyboard, so there is no exact amount.

A Closer Look at Cherry Style Stabilizers

Now that we’ve gone over the three main stabilizer types, let’s take a closer look at the Cherry style stabilizers as they are the most common and the go-to stabilizer if you’re building a keyboard.

Cherry stabilizers are made up of three main components, the stabilizer bar, insert, and housing. These three components work together to keep the larger keys stable and reduce rattle.

Each key will have one stabilizer bar, two inserts, and two housings. The stabilizer bar keeps both sides of the key from tilting when typing. The stabilizer bars come in several different sizes based on which key it is for, but we’ll get into that later.

Different Mounting Styles for Cherry Stabilizers

There are three different mounting styles for Cherry style stabilizers, they can attach differently and are compatible on certain keyboards. Plate-mounted stabilizers attach to the metal plate, while the other two attaches to the PCB (printed circuit board).

Shown below is a side view of a keyboard with a metal plate and PCB. Read more about PCB vs plate-mount.

Plate-Mounted Stabilizers

Plate-mounted stabilizers are the most common mounting style and are typically found on almost all pre-built mechanical keyboards. These stabilizers attach to the metal plate inside the keyboard instead of directly to the printed circuit board (PCB).

Plate-mounted stabilizers are considered the least effective mounting style as they tend to rattle more and vibrate with the aluminum plate when typing. It’s possible to improve these stabilizers by modding them which we’ll get into later.

The stabilizers attach by clipping/snapping into the metal plate. This style of connection is not the most secure and adds to the overall amount of shaking and rattling.

You can remove these stabilizers by first removing the switch, then pressing on a small plastic tab on the stabilizer, while simultaneously lifting up on the stabilizer.

Screw-In Stabilizers

Screw-in stabilizers mount directly into the PCB and are attached with screws. This mounting style is considered the best because the stabilizers are much more secure and will vibrate less.

In addition, the screw-in stabilizers remain in place when taking off the key caps, unlike the snap-in style which tend to dislodge.

The PCB also tends to vibrate less than the metal plate, which makes it a better mounting location for the stabilizer.

Screw-in stabilizers are typically only found on custom-made keyboards and not on pre-built keyboards, which makes them less common, but highly sought after.

We highly recommend the screw-in stabilizer type if you plan on building a keyboard.

Snap-In Stabilizers

Snap-in stabilizers are another PCB mounted stabilizer type. They are better than plate-mounted, but not quite as effective as screw-in stabilizers.

Since snap-in stabilizers mount to the PCB, they tend to vibrate less than plate-mounted, which makes them a better option. The only downside is they are much less common than plate-mounted, and they are typically only found on custom keyboards.

Screw-in stabilizers are usually a better option than snap-in as they vibrate less and are more secure. The only situation where we would recommend this stabilizer type is if you can’t find a keyboard with screw-in stabilizers.

As mentioned before, snap-in stabilizers can pop out the PCB when trying to remove the keycaps, where screw-in stabilizers do not have this problem.

Different Brands that Make Cherry Style Stabilizers

There are a few main companies that manufacture Cherry stabilizers and they typically come in a variety of different colors and materials.

Durock Stabilizers

Durock stabilizers are interesting because the stabilizer housing insert come in a nice translucent purple with a gold-plated stabilizer bar, if you’re feeling a little fancy. Perfect for building a keyboard with each component adding to the overall aesthetic.

These stabilizers are actually quite affordable considering how unique they look, which makes them an excellent option. We find them to be smoother than the standard GMK stabilizers.

Durock stabilizers only come in the screw-in style, so you can really only use them on a custom keyboard. All of the three sizes are available for purchase (2u, 6.25u, and 7u).

Durock stabilizers come pre-clipped, which mean the little feet on the bottom of the stabilizer housing are removed to make them more stable and improve the typing experience. Many people will do this manually to GMK stabilizers if they mod them.

We also recommend ordering these off of Prevail Key Co.

GMK

GMK is mainly known for their high-end keycaps, but they also produce genuine Cherry style stabilizers. This means they actually hold the tooling to make the “proper” Cherry stabilizers. If you have a keyboard with Cherry stabilizers, most likely they were produced by GMK.

GMK makes very plain and normal looking stabilizers, with a black stabilizer housing and insert, along with a grey metal stabilizer bar. You can get GMK stabilizers in all three mounting styles: plate-mounted, screw-in, and snap-in.

We typically order GMK stabilizers off of NovelKeys as they have them stock-in more often than other stores.

ZealPC

The most expensive stabilizers on the list ($30). Coming with a gold-plated stabilizer bar and clear housing, the ZealPC stabilizers have a design that can work with almost any colored keyboard (unlike the purple Durock stabilizers).

The stabilizers are pre-clipped which makes them rest on the PCB in a more stable fashion and improve the typing experience.

The ZealPC stabilizers are offered only in the screw-mount style, with a custom nut design to prevent stripping the threads.

It’s hard to recommend these stabilizers due to the super high price, when the Durock stabilizers are available with many of the same features at a fraction of the cost.

You can find these stabilizers on the ZealPC website.

Everglide

Everglide stabilizers come with a gold-plated stabilizer bar and clear housing, very similar to the ZealPC stabilizers. They are also pre-clipped, come in the screw-in style, and are a decent price.

These stabilizers come in all three sizes, or you can buy them as a package to save money depending on what size keyboard you have.

You can find them on the kprepublic website.

How to Improve Cherry Stabilizers

If you are willing to put a little extra work in, your Cherry stabilizers can benefit from some custom modifications, the most common being band aid, clip, and lube.

The band aid modification includes applying band-aids where the stabilizer insert hits the PCB to dampen the sound and create a much nicer acoustic.

Clipping the stabilizer feet makes the key feel more stable and less rickety. Many stabilizers come with the feet already clipped.

Lubricating the stabilizers reduces the friction when typing and makes them feel smoother and more consistent.

After these modifications, the stabilizers will feel much better and the difference will be night and day. I recommend everyone with the time and patience to try this mod out.

We have a couple guides on our site to walk you through these mods. Depending on if you have soldering equipment or not, there are few different methods:

• How to Band-Aid Mod, Clip, and Lube Stabilizers
• How to Lube Stabilizers without Desoldering

Click test before and after modification

Conclusion

There is a lot of tribal knowledge in the mechanical keyboard community about stabilizers that everyone assumes you know already, so we hope this post laid out the information for you in a clear and easy-to-read format.

There is a lot of small complexities to sort through when picking out a stabilizer for you next mechanical keyboard. There are many stabilizer sizes, types, manufacturers, and mounting styles, not to mention all of the modifications.

For your first mechanical keyboard build, we highly recommend picking out a keyboard that supports screw-in Cherry stabilizers and going with the Durock or Everglide variations depending on which colorway/price works best for you. These two stabilizers offer the best bang-for-your-buck and offer a smooth, stable typing experience.

If you have a pre-built mechanical keyboard, you’ll usually be stuck with plate-mounted stabilizers (even if it’s hot-swappable). Screw-in and snap-in stabilizers are typically reserved for custom mechanical keyboards.

We also recommend taking the time to mod your stabilizers to improve them even more. A little bit of lubricant and band-aids goes a long way.

Happy Typing!

UPDATED 03 NOVEMBER 2024

by Robert Ceran

This article may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on a link we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Are you looking for the best lures to use for catching a laker or two, but aren’t sure which ones are best for your fishing tactic?

My team and I tested the most popular lake trout lures on the market, and evaluated them based on their ability to catch lake trout with vertical jigging, trolling, ice fishing, or casting from shore.

Based on our testing, here is our pick of the best lake trout lures in 2024:

• Best overall: Kodiak Tackle Tube Jig
• Best bucktail jig: Last Cast Tackle Bucktail Jig
• Best jigging spoon: Acme Kastmaster Spoon
• Best trolling spoon: Hagen Muskie Spoon
• Best trolling crankbait: Rapala Shad Rap
• Best diving plug: Luhr Jensen Rattling Kwikfish
• Best for ice fishing: Mission Tackle Lake Trout Tube

What is the best lure for lake trout?

LureImagePriceRecommended size Acme Kastmaser Spoon1 to 1.5 oz Thundermist Jigging Spoon1.75 oz Last Cast Tackle Bucktail Jig1 to 2 oz Kodiak Tackle 6” Tube Jig1.5 oz Mission Tackle Lake Trout Tube0.75 oz Keitech Easy Shiner Soft Paddle Swimbait5 to 8″ Sanhu Shad Swimbait Paddle Tail9″ Big Hammer Jig Head With 4/0 Hook1 oz Last Cast Tackle White Shad Jig Head2 oz Hagen Muskie Spoon1.25 oz Rapala Shad RapSize 07 to 09 Luhr Jensen Rattling KwikfishSize K15 to K16 Truscend Soft Swimbait0.75 oz Acme Kastmaster with BuckTail Teaser0.75 oz

The table above shows a summary of the best lake trout lures that we tested, which fall into three main categories:

• Jigging lures
• Trolling lures
• Lures for casting from shore

Jigging lures play a pivotal role in fishing for lake trout, and are among the very best lake trout lures, since you can use them all year long, both during open water and ice fishing season.

Many anglers assume that the only time you can catch lake trout with jigging lures is while ice fishing in the winter, but this is far from true.

Vertical jigging is also one of the best ways to catch lake trout from a boat during the open water season, and together with trolling, it is among the very best techniques for hunting lake trout.

During the summer, most lake trout are caught with lures fished from boats (especially during the peak of summer, when they retreat into colder water that’s over 60 feet deep).

But during spring and fall, you also have a chance of catching lake trout by casting lures from shore, and we’ll cover those as well.

Now let’s take a closer look at each of these types of lures, and cover the best lake trout lures for all techniques, so you can decide which ones are a good fit for you.

Best lake trout lures for jigging

When it comes to lake trout jigging, our testing revealed that the best types of lures to use for lake trout are jigging spoons, tube jigs, hair jigs, and jig heads rigged for lake trout with oversized plastic swimbaits.

One thing to keep in mind with each of these lure types is that our testing showed that it’s best to use larger lure sizes than you would for other kinds of fish, since lake trout tend to feed on very large bait fish, and the best lures for fishing for lake trout need to be able to match the size of their forage in order to grab their attention.

Here are the best lake trout lures for jigging:

Acme Kastmaster Spoon (1 to 1 1/2 oz)

When it comes to jigging spoons, the Kastmaster is hard to beat, and has been catching lake trout reliably for many years.

And while the Acme Kastmaster is also often used for targeting smaller trout species, our tests showed that it’s important to upsize to a bigger spoon size when jigging for lake trout, as you need to be able to get your spoon down into deep water where the lake trout are holding. That’s why we recommend the 1 oz to 1 1/2 oz size for fishing for lake trout.

Thundermist Jigging Spoon (1 ¾ oz)

The Thundermist jigging spoon has a very simple design, but when we tested it, it got the job done. Again, it’s best to choose the larger sizes for lake trout jigging, as that will allow you to get it down into the strike zone fast enough, and with 1 ¾ oz this is one of the largest lures in this review.

Last Cast Tackle Bucktail Jig (1 to 2 oz)

This is a classic jig lure that has been around for many decades, but when we put it to the test we found that it still works as a highly reliable lake trout jig, especially when tipped with a piece of cut bait, such as a slice of sucker.

A great thing about the Bucktail Jig is that it comes in large sizes all the way up to 6 oz, which is ideal for lake trout. The most effective color is white.

Kodiak Tackle 6” Tube Jig (1 1/2 oz)

Our testing revealed that tube jigs are among the very best lake trout lures, and can outperform all other lures on many days. Again, you should aim to use the larger sizes, with the smallest sizes starting around 1/2 oz and going up from there. My favorite size is the 1 1/2 oz jig head rigged with a 6” tube jig.

Mission Tackle Lake Trout Tube (3/4 oz)

While slightly smaller than the previous lure, this white tube jig for lake trout comes with the added advantage that it glows in the dark if you shine light onto it before use.

When we tested it, we found that this can be one of the very best lures for fishing for lake trout in low light conditions, such as during ice fishing, or on early mornings, late evenings, or on overcast days. Another great thing about this lure is that it comes pre-rigged with a stinger hook.

Keitech Easy Shiner Soft Paddle Swimbait (5”)

Now let’s switch gears and take a look at lake trout swimbaits, which our testing showed can be a secret weapon for catching lake trout, especially when it comes to targeting trophy size fish.

With 5 inches, the Keitech Easy Shiner is still on the small side, but a good option to start with if you don’t know what size bait fish the lake trout are keyed in on.

Sanhu Shad Swimbait Paddle Tail (9”)

With a length of 9 inches, this soft plastic lure starts to approach muskie size dimensions, but our testing showed that this is exactly what you need when lake trout are hunting big forage, such as fully grown herring, ciscoes, or shad.

Jig heads to use with soft plastic swimbaits

In order to fish oversized swimbait lures that are 5 to 10 inches long, it’s necessary to use extra large jig heads that are in the 1 to 2 oz weight range (or even bigger).

Big Hammer Jig Head With 4/0 Hook (1 oz)

Last Cast Tackle White Shad Jig Head (2 oz)

When using large swimbaits over 5 inches, you may also want to rig a stinger hook to avoid short strikes.

Best lake trout lures for trolling

There can be no doubt that spoons are by far the most effective lures for lake trout trolling, though you can also put plenty of fish in the boat with crankbaits and flatfish lures.

Here is a selection of the best lake trout lures for trolling:

Hagen Muskie Spoon (1 1/4 oz)

These spoons were originally designed for pike and muskie fishing, but when we put them to the test, we found that they also work like gangbusters for trolling lake trout.

Our favorite color is the red and white design (resembling the original Daredevle), as well as the red diamonds on a yellow background, which seem to catch more lake trout than the other colors.

The best lake trout spoons have a strong side to side wobbling action, which creates a lot of vibrations and flashes in the water.

During spring time you can troll them with a 3 way trolling rig for lake trout, while in summer it’s better to use leadcore or a downrigger to get your spoon deep enough.

Rapala Shad Rap (Size 07 to 09)

This classic crankbait comes with a large diving shovel that gives it a strong wobbling action when trolled.

Also, since it’s set to dive deep, we discovered that you can troll the Shad Rap without downrigger during spring time, when lake trout are often active in more shallow water.

During the summer you can either use leadcore or downriggers to get it down deep enough.

Luhr Jensen Rattling Kwikfish (Size K15 to K16)

This diving plug was specifically designed for salmon and lake trout, and during our testing we found that it has a slow side to side wobbling action that lake trout seem to find irresistible.

And once again, don’t be shy to use the largest Kwikfish lures, as most novice anglers tend to underestimate the bait size for these voracious predators. You can choose from a wide variety of colors, and with or without a rattle.

The Kwikfish (or the very similar Flatfish lure) is ideal for trolling with a downrigger, and it can also be combined with a flasher or dodger rigged as an attractor about 1 or 2 feet in front of the plug.

Best lures for lake trout from shore

While targeting lake trout from shore is not as effective as fishing from a boat, you can catch lake trout in shallow water from shore during early spring, when the water is still cold.

When casting lures from shore, you can fish them just like you would for pike or bass, and great options to use are large spoons, crankbaits, and swimbaits.

Here are the best lake trout lures to use from shore:

Truscend Soft Swimbait (3/4 oz)

This lure can be either fished vertically, by jigging it from a boat, or it can be cast out from shore and retrieved like a regular paddle tail swimbait lure. It comes with a 3/4 oz jig head, and our tests showed that this is great for achieving maximum casting distance, and for fishing it close to the bottom, both of which are ideal for fishing for lake trout from shore.

Acme Kastmaster with BuckTail Teaser (3/4 oz)

The Acme Kastmaster spoon works equally well for vertical jigging and for casting from shore, and when you’re fishing it from shore you can experiment with slightly smaller sizes than when you’re fishing for deep lake trout. During our testing, we found that gold can be a better choice of color on overcast days, while silver tends to work better on bright days.

Best lake trout lures for ice fishing

Based on our testing, the best types of ice fishing lures for lake trout are:

• Tube jigs
• Jigging spoons
• Bucktail jigs

Since ice fishing by definition consists of vertical fishing, you can use the same jigging lures that you would use for vertical jigging during the summer. Also, it’s always good to use a flasher sonar or an ice fishing fish finder, since that will allow you to key in on the right depth at which lake trout are holding.

In addition, try to use your sonar to get a feel for how the lake trout respond to your lure presentation. Sometimes you can trigger a strike from lake trout by pulling your jigging lure away from a lake trout that is checking it out, which may then pursue it all the way to the surface and bite just before it reaches the ice hole.

Best lake trout lures for spring

Spring is a great time to catch lake trout, since they can be found in more shallow waters than throughout most of the rest of the year.

The reason for this is simple: lake trout need very cold water in order to thrive, and during spring time, the water is still cold in the shallow parts of the lake, whereas later in summer the shallows become too hot for lake trout.

Lake trout feed very actively in spring, so this is a great time to target lake trout with lures that produce a lot of flash and vibrations in the water, including spoons, jigging spoons and Rapala crankbaits.

You can either cast these from shore or from a boat, or troll them around gravel beds and sand flats.

Best lake trout lures for summer

Due to the fact that lake trout have a strict requirement for cold water around 53 degrees, they retreat to deeper water layers in the summer.

You can find lake trout either close to the bottom, or suspended in the water column at their ideal temperature range.

Lake trout feed on schools of pelagic baitfish species found in deep water zones during the summer (including ciscoes, bloaters, and smelt).

Based on our testing, we found that the best lake trout lures in the summer are either jigging lures that are fished at depths of 60 to 80 feet or more, or trolling lures presented at a similar depth range with the help of a downrigger.

Using a fish finder to locate lake trout and presenting your lure at the right depth is absolutely essential at this time of the year. Otherwise you’ll be fishing for lake trout blindly.

Best lake trout lures for fall

During fall lake trout once again push into more shallow areas of a lake, where the trout can be found from late September until December.

During early fall they feed very actively, in order to build strength for their spawn, and this is a great time to catch lake trout in shallow zones between 20 and 30 feet deep.

The best lake trout lures to use at this time of the year are large spoons, swimbaits and crankbaits that you can either cast from a boat, or troll without a downrigger in order to present them in relatively shallow water that’s less than 30 feet deep.

Final remarks

This concludes our article on the best lake trout lures, and hopefully some of these lures will help you catch more lake trout.

Lake trout are among the biggest freshwater fish you can target in North America, and fishing for lake trout is one of the most exciting experiences you can have as an angler.

I was many years into my journey as an angler before I finally decided it was time to start fishing for lake trout.

But after landing my first laker in Lake Superior (a beautifully marked 12 pound fish that I remember as if it was yesterday), I’ve been hooked on lake trout fishing ever since.

Many anglers never try fishing for lake trout because they assume they’re hard to catch, but that isn’t actually true.

The hardest part is locating lake trout, which admittedly can be a little challenging (especially in big lakes).

But nowadays finding lake trout has become much easier, due to the amazing advances in sonar technology.

Once you’ve found the lake trout, you just need to present them with the best lake trout lures, and you’ll find that fishing for lake trout becomes pretty straightforward.

Tight lines and see you on the water!

Methods and gear used for testing

We tested all of the lures covered in this article with one of the following 3 setups: a jigging rod and reel setup, a trolling rod and reel setup, or an ice fishing setup. For the jigging setup we used a 7′ Ugly Stik Elite spinning rod paired with a Pflueger President 3000 spinning reel and spooled with 20 lb test Power Pro braid. For the trolling setup we used a 9′ Okuma Classic GLT trolling rod paired with an Okuma Convector line counter reel, and spooled with 40 lb test Power Pro braid. Finally, for the jigging setup we used a 38″ Medium Heavy 13 Fishing Widow Maker paired with a Pflueger President 3000 spooled with 18 lb test Berkeley Trilene Fluorocarbon.

You’re here for the best 223 ammo, but a disclaimer needs to be made because many will argue that .223 Remington and 5.56 Nato are the same.

They are NOT the same despite having the exact external cartridge dimensions.

You should NOT load 5.56mm NATO ammo into a .223 Remington chamber because it will cause higher chamber pressures when fired. The higher pressure can hurt the shooter and damage the rifle.

However, shooting .223 Rem ammunition in a 5.56mm NATO chamber is safe. Still, you will sacrifice some performance because of the difference in distance between the case mouth and the barrel rifling.

With that out of the way, let’s load up on some of the best .223 ammo for every shooter.

If you can’t wait, the best 223 ammo is Federal American Eagle 223 Rem 55-Grain FMJ-BT because it’s reasonably priced and made by a well-known ammo manufacturer.

1. Wolf 223 Rem 55 Grain FMJ – Best Plinking Round
2. Federal American Eagle 223 Rem 55 Grain FMJ-BT – Best AR15 Ammo
3. Winchester Deer Season XP 223 64 Grain Extreme Point – Best Deer Hunting Round
4. Hornady 223 Rem 55gr V-MAX Ammunition – Best 223 Varmint Round
5. Remington 223 Rem 77 Grain HPBT – Best Self-Defense Round
6. Winchester 223 Rem 69 Grain HPBT – Best Hollow Point
7. TulAmmo 223 Rem 55 Grain FMJ – Cheap .223 Ammo

Best 223 Target Ammo

The best target ammo depends on your preferences. If you intend to have a fun day of plinking, then you’ll want cheap .223 ammo.

However, suppose you’re competitively target shooting. In that case, you’ll likely need to handload your rounds to dial them in perfectly for your gun’s barrel twist rate, or you can use match-grade ammo that is more consistent than inexpensive rounds, but you give up the control to craft the perfect round.

Wolf 223 Rem 55-Grain FMJ

Specs

• Casing: Steel
• Bullet Type: Full Metal Jacket
• Bullet Weight: 55-grain
• Muzzle Velocity: N/A
• Muzzle Energy: N/A

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Non-Corrosive

Cons

• Some shooters prefer a brass case over a steel case

Why We Chose It

These Wolf Ammo rounds are a happy compromise between price and reliability, which is why I consider them one of the best for plinking. While most shooters prefer a brass case, these rounds are steel cased, which has its pros and cons.

Steel-cased ammo is cheaper but tougher on your rifle. Steel cases are also more difficult to reload, so if you plan to reload, this probably isn’t the ammo for you.

Though 55gr rounds typically have a higher velocity, they’re not always the ideal bullet weight, especially when shooting long distances.

Wolf ammo is for the budget-minded shooter who doesn’t have the time to reload.

Honorable Mentions

If you want an inexpensive brass casing for target shooting, the PMC 223 55 Grain FMJ-BT is the way to go, but be aware you will pay a little extra for the brass casing.

The Federal Premium 223 Rem 42 Grain Frang. rounds are intended for close-range target shooting and law enforcement training situations. The frangible bullets are much less likely to ricochet when they hit a steel target because they are designed to disintegrate on impact.

Suppose you’re running low on hand-loaded rounds and must practice for a long-range competitive shooting match. In that case, the Remington Premier 223 Rem 55 Grain AccuTip-V rounds are a viable option based on their ballistics.

Best AR 15 Ammo

Federal American Eagle 223 Rem 55-Grain FMJ-BT

Specs

• Casing: Brass
• Bullet Type: Full Metal Jacket Boat Tail
• Bullet Weight: 55-grain
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,240 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,282 ft-lbs

Pros

• Trusted brand
• Reasonably priced

Cons

• Not the best self-defense round

Why We Chose It

You can burn through a lot of 223 Remington ammo when shooting an AR, so you don’t want high-end expensive ammo, but you need a reliable round that will allow your firearm to operate smoothly.

That’s where this 55gr bullet in a brass case perfectly fits. It’s not the most expensive, so it’s not terrible on your wallet, but also dependable for target shooting.

However, this would not be my first choice for home defense because the Federal .223 Rem 55 Grain FMJ-BT is a full metal jacket bullet instead of a hollow point bullet.

This 55-grain bullet has a decent velocity, but the lightweight bullet will be affected more by the wind as your distance to the target increases.

Honorable Mention

The Wolf WPA Military Classic 223 Rem 55 Grain FMJ was designed for mass production for military use, so it’s inexpensive and relatively reliable. The significant downside is that these are steel cartridges instead of brass.

Best 223 Hunting Ammo

The 223 is not the most popular hunting round because it lacks the power to harvest big game ethically. However, in some states, you can use a .223 Rem for deer hunting, and it is a solid varmint round.

Winchester Deer Season XP 223 64-Grain Extreme Point Ammunition

Specs

• Casing: Brass
• Bullet Type: XP (Extreme Point)
• Bullet Weight: 64gr
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,020 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,296 ft-lbs

Pros

• Designed for deer hunting
• It packs a punch for a medium-weight 223 bullet
• Trusted brand

Cons

• Expensive
• 223 is not the best deer hunting caliber

Why We Chose It

It’s unlikely you’ll shoot an entire box of ammo for deer season, so the price per round is less of a concern. The most important things you need from your .223 ammo for deer hunting are reliability, consistency, and stopping power which Winchester Deer Season XP 223 64gr can offer hunters.

The 223 Remington is not known for its stopping power, which is why most deer hunters use larger calibers, and it’s banned in some states. However, increasing the bullet weight will aid in upping the stopping power to a point.

The heavier 64gr bullet is slower than the other lighter bullets, but it’s needed to increase the stopping power.

Even though it’s designed for deer hunting, it’s effective in other hunting situations.

Honorable Mention

The Federal 223 Rem 62 Grain Fusion has a little lighter bullet that you’d expect to travel faster than the Winchester Deer Season XP; however, that’s not the case. The main advantage this bonded soft point bullet has is the price. It’s much cheaper than the Winchester Deer Season XP, so you can practice with it more without breaking the bank.

Best Varmint 223 Round

Hornady 223 Rem 55gr V-MAX Ammunition

Specs

• Casing: Brass
• Bullet Type: V-Max
• Bullet Weight: 55-grain
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,240 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,282 ft-lbs

Pros

• Fast
• Trusted brand

Cons

• Can get expensive

Why We Chose It

Varmint hunting typically involves shooting much more often than deer hunting, so having a dependable round, reasonably priced, is critical. Varmints are generally smaller animals, so the knockdown power doesn’t have to be as much as when hunting big game.

Because they’re lightweight, fast-traveling bullets, 223 bullets are a solid choice for hunting coyotes, prairie dogs, and other varmints, and the Hornady 55gr V-MAX is no exception.

The 3,240 fps of this Varmint Express round is the high average for most 55gr bullets, which is expected from Hornady. They’re one of the leading ammo manufacturers and trusted by many shooters and hunters because of the dependability of their ammunition.

For more options, check out our Hornady 223 ammo page.

Honorable Mention

The Sierra Prairie Enemy 223 55 Grain BlitzKing has lower muzzle velocity and muzzle energy, and it’s more expensive than the Hornady 55-grain bullet, but some rifles are more accurate with this round.

Best Home Defense Round

AR-15s excel in urban combat areas; however, that doesn’t mean they’re the best home defense weapon.

That title belongs to the shotgun because projectiles from a shotgun are less likely to over-penetrate.

However, if all you have is a 223 rifle, then, by all means, use it to defend yourself using some of the ammo choices below.

Remington 223 Rem 77-Grain HPBT

Specs

• Casing: Brass
• Bullet Type: Hollow Point Boat Tail
• Bullet Weight: 77-grain
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,790 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,331 ft-lbs

Pros

• Trusted brand
• High muzzle energy
• A heavier bullet means more knockdown power

Cons

• Lower muzzle velocity
• Not cheap

Why We Chose It

Though it’s not the fastest, it’s one of the heaviest 223 hollow point bullets available, so it will pack more of a punch to the threat, hence the higher muzzle energy.

Since Remington is in the name of the 223, we should expect them to make the best 223 ammo on the market, and they are a trusted brand in the ammo space, though some Remington firearms have seen a decline in quality.

Be prepared to spend more for this and other home defense rounds. This is partly due to the specialized bullets used in defense rounds.

Despite being slower than lighter bullets, the muzzle velocity is still plenty fast. An intruder won’t notice the difference in speed if you’re forced to use it to defend your family and yourself.

Honorable Mentions

The Federal LE Tactical TRU 223 Rem 55 Grain Nosler Ballistic Tip Ammunition offers a lighter bullet, which means less recoil, not that a 223 has much recoil anyways, and it also travels faster. However, this means you’re giving up some stopping power, but you’re saving a little money.

The most expensive self-defense round we will mention today is the Winchester Silvertip 223 Rem 64 Grain Defense Tip. Ballistically speaking, it sits in the middle, primarily because the bullet weight is between the other two rounds previously mentioned.

Best Hollow Point 223

Winchester 223 Rem 69-Grain HPBT

Specs

• Casing: Brass
• Bullet Type: Hollow Point Boat Tail
• Bullet Weight: 69-grain
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,060 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,434 ft-lbs

Pros

• Trusted brand
• Reasonably priced
• Solid ballistics

Cons

• Not the fastest
• Not the cheapest

Why We Chose It

The Winchester .223 Rem 69gr hollow point boat tail bullets might not be the cheapest or the fastest, but they pack more of a punch than the lighter hollow points, and they’re not overpriced despite being manufactured by a trusted brand.

The ballistics won’t blow anyone away, but considering the bullet weight, these rounds hold their own.

These 69gr hollow points offer shooters a higher velocity and muzzle energy than other heavier bullets, so maybe you can have your cake and eat it too.

I wouldn’t hesitate to use Winchester 223 Rem 69-Grain HPBT in a home defense situation plus; they’re not so expensive you can’t afford to practice with them at times.

For more options, check out our Winchester 223 ammo page!

Honorable Mention

TulAmmo 223 Rem 55 Grain HP are much cheaper than the Winchester 69gr HPBT, and they’re faster thanks to the lighter bullet, which also means less recoil. However, the cartridges are steel instead of brass.

Cheapest 223 Ammo

TulAmmo 223 Rem 55-Grain FMJ

Specs

• Casing: Steel
• Bullet Type: Full Metal Jacket
• Bullet Weight: 55-grain
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,241 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,283 ft-lbs

Pros

• Cheap
• High muzzle velocity

Cons

• Steel casing
• Cheap ammo is less dependable

Why We Chose It

If you want cheap 223 ammo, this is it. It’s a third of the price of most 223 Rem hunting and self-defense ammo, so if you take it to the range, you’ll be able to stay longer because you’re not spending your paycheck on ammo for target practice.

The reason it’s so cheap is that it’s steel-cased ammunition. This means it’ll be more challenging to reload and a little tougher on your firearm.

Despite being cheap, TulAmmo 223 Rem 55-Grain FMJ offers shooters comparable ballistics to more expensive 55gr ammo, which means you can train with it and get similar results as the costly ammunition.

Honorable Mention

Though Wolf 223 Rem 55 Grain FMJ is slightly more expensive than the Tula ammo mentioned above, sometimes you can find it in Wolf Gold, which means it is a brass case instead of a steel case.

How to Choose the Best 223 Ammo Based on Your Needs

When purchasing ammunition, you’re typically compromising because there’s no perfect ammunition. There are always several considerations that you need to make.

Budget

The primary consideration for the average firearms enthusiast is the budget.

How much are you able to spend on ammo?

My personal preference is to shoot for somewhere in the middle; however, there were times when I was pinching every penny, so I was only concerned with the cheapest ammo I could find.

Remember that cheaper ammo tends to be less reliable than more expensive ammunition.

Reliability

The reliability of the ammo is critical, especially if it’s self-defense ammo. You need to know that the round will fire when you pull the trigger.

I’ve purchased ammunition that regularly didn’t fire, despite seeing an indention on the primer. This was very frustrating when shooting at the range, but it could have resulted in severe harm had I needed it during a defensive situation.

I tend to stick with well-known brands, but sometimes the reliability of the ammo also depends on your firearm.

Some guns function better with specific ammunition brands. This means you’ll need to test several brands to determine which one your weapon likes best.

Ballistics

The ballistics you need out of the ammo will depend on what application for which you’re using it. If you’re plinking at the range, the ballistics don’t matter as much as when you’re shooting in a competition.

For a competition, typically, a fast medium-weight bullet works best, but once again, it will depend on what your gun likes. Sometimes the lighter, faster bullets work best, and sometimes the heavier bullets work best.

I prefer to stick with medium-weight bullets that still pack a punch for hunting and self-defense. The muzzle velocity is less important but still relevant in hunting situations.

How to Save Money On Ammo

As ammo demand and prices continue only to increase, as shooting enthusiasts, we’re always looking for ways to save a little money so that we can visit the gun range more often.

Here are a few recommendations I have for saving money on 223 ammo.

Buying in Bulk

When you buy bulk 223 ammo, the manufacturer and retailer give you a slight discount per round. While it might only be a few cents per round, those cents add up quickly when you’re shooting a few hundred rounds or more on every visit to the gun range.

The worst part about buying bulk ammo is the initial cost. You have to spend several hundred dollars to get significant savings.

However, ammunition lasts for a long time when properly stored, so you can stock up while prices are as low as they’ll ever be and not be in a rush to shoot it.

Reloading

Reloading or handloading is another way to save money on factory ammo. You can use spent brass and reload it by cleaning the brass, punching out the used primer, inserting a new one, pouring in gunpowder, and inserting a new bullet.

Obviously, this is an oversimplified explanation, but that’s the basic idea.

This saves money in the long run and gives you more control over the process so you can craft the perfect bullet for your gun, whether that’s an AR-15 rifle or a trusty bolt-action hunting rifle.

Reloading has the same problem as buying bulk because it’s a significant investment upfront that pays itself off over the long run.

If you’re really crazy, like most of us firearms enthusiasts, you’ll do both, buy in bulk and reload to save even more money!

Common 223 Bullet Types

There’s not a wide variety of 223 bullets, but there are a few you should be aware of and understand which one works best in what situations.

FMJ

The most common 223 bullets are FMJs or Full Metal Jackets. They’re usually the least expensive. They’re not the best for home defense because they tend to over-penetrate the target and walls.

FMJs are suitable for target practice; however, I don’t recommend shooting steel targets with FMJs within 100 yards. I have had the metal jacket come back and cut my cheek when shooting metal targets at 75 yards with a buddy.

HPBT

Hollow Point Boat Tail Bullets or HPBT are common hunting and self-defense rounds. The hollow point expands on impact, which reduces its ability to penetrate but, upon entrance, causes more damage.

For more HPBT ammo options, visit our Fiocchi 223 ammo page.

The Boat Tail refers to the aerodynamic shape of the bottom of the bullet. The base is tapered to improve accuracy at long distances.

SP

The Soft Point bullets, designated by SP, expand less on impact than hollow point bullets, so they get better penetration yet expand more than an FMJ. So you can have a happy medium between the two bullet types.

To achieve this, these bullets are made from a softer lead than the typical bullet. They are most popular amongst big game hunters, where hollow point bullets are banned. However, they don’t have the stopping power that hollow points typically do because of the reduction in expansion.

Ballistic Tip

The Ballistic Tip is Nosler’s name for their hunting ammunition with a plastic tip on a hollow point bullet. The polymer tip helps with aerodynamics and allows the hollow point uniformly expand.

Be sure to check your local hunting regulations, as Ballistic Tipped bullets are banned in some areas.

Green Tip

Green Tip ammo is most often found in 5.56 NATO rounds because it’s designed for the military as a penetrator round. Instead of a lead core bullet, it has a steel rod inside that can better penetrate the target when closer than 100 yards.

However, some ranges don’t allow green tip ammo, so if you choose to go this route, don’t be surprised if your local gun range doesn’t allow you to bring it in.

Parting Shots

The best 223 ammo for you will depend on your gun and the circumstances in which you intend to use it.

For hunting, that will likely be Winchester Deer Season XP 223 64gr.

While if you plan to use it for home defense, I recommend Remington 223 Rem 77-Grain HPBT because the hollow point bullet is less likely to over-penetrate.

Lastly, for target shooting, I recommend Wolf 223 Rem 55-Grain FMJ because it’s inexpensive.

Goliath Tigerfish Profile

The Hydrocynus Goliath, more commonly known as the goliath tigerfish, or giant tigerfish, is a vicious predatory fish found lurking in the waters of large rivers and lakes in central Africa.

They are found predominantly in the Congo River basin and Lake Tanganyika. This giant predator is one of the largest of the order of characids, which also include tetras, and piranhas.

They are thought to be one of, if not the most dangerous freshwater fish in the world.

Goliath Tigerfish Facts Overview

Habitat: Large rivers and lakes in central Africa Location: The Congo River basin, Lake Tanganyika Lifespan: Up to 10-15 years in captivity Size: 5 ft (1.5m) Weight: 50 kg (110 lb) Color: Pale grey/olive with black stripes, red or orange fins, grey dorsal fin Diet: Fish Predators: Crocodiles, humans Top Speed: 40 kph (25 mph) No. of Species: 1 Conservation Status: Least concern

Goliath tigerfish belong to the genus Hydrocynus, which is native to sub-Saharan Africa. There are five recognised species of the Hydrocynus, including the Hydrocynus Vittatus and Hydrocynus Brevis. 1 The Latin word hydrocynus means ‘water dog’, and the term ‘goliath’ speaks to the size of this monster – referring to the biblical giant of the same name.

Adult goliath tigerfish can reach up to 5 feet in length and can weigh up to 110lbs. They have a mouth full of vicious, razor sharp teeth. The teeth interlock when the jaw is closed and protrude outward slightly from the jaw, giving a fearsome appearance. Goliath tigerfish are feared for a reason: they are the only freshwater fish in Africa with documented attacks on humans.

They are usually an olive brown moving to a pale grey in color; with red or orange fins and a black dorsal fin. The name tigerfish refers to the black stripes that are often found running the length of the creature’s sides, as well as to its ferocious nature.

Hydrocynus Goliath depend heavily on highly oxygenated and fast-flowing waters. They therefore inhabit deep river channels and open lakes. They are not found in headwaters or marshy areas.

They are extremely strong swimmers due to their preference for fast moving waters, and are therefore able to snatch their prey even in the most turbulent of water. They are piscivores, and known to prey on fish up to 40% of their body length in size.

They have few known predators, due to their size and ferocity. Their only real threat is the crocodile. However, they are a widely-prized game fish and are therefore hunted by humans.

Interesting Goliath Tigerfish Facts

1. They get their name from their appearance, demeanor and size

The name tigerfish is a reference to the black stripes that are often found running down the flanks of these huge fish, as well as their fierce, sharp teeth and rapacious nature; while the word ‘goliath’ refers to their giant size.

However, the nickname tigerfish is used to refer to a number of vicious, predatory African river fish.

2. Goliath tigerfish have up to 32 razor-sharp teeth

The upper jaw contains 12-20 teeth, while the lower jaw 8-14. The teeth interlock into matching indents onto the opposite jawline, and protrude slightly from the mouth.

The teeth are slightly conical in shape and can be up to 2.5cm (1 inch) in length. To put this into perspective, they are a similar size to a great white shark.

Goliath tigerfish have been known to snap their prey in half with a single bite. 2

3. They have replaceable teeth

Although relatively little study has been carried out on these elusive creatures, a study by Gagiano et al (1996) observed that captive tigerfish would replace all their teeth simultaneously within a period of 5 days, with no replacement having been observed previously!

4. They have a double hinged jaw

This means they are able to open their jaws a lot wider than other fish, and as a result its teeth point further forward when it strikes prey, allowing it to take chunks from their flesh.

5. They can grow to the size of a small adult

Although they grow slowly, the juvenile goliath tigerfish will only grow on average four to six inches per year. It can therefore take up to 10 years for the fish to reach its full size.

6. They hunt alone

Tigerfish are solitary and have generally been observed alone, rather than hunting in schools or groups like their smaller cousin the piranha.

However, the females will migrate together to breed.

7. Females can lay up to 750,000 eggs

Female goliath tigerfish choose riverbanks or lakeshores to lay their eggs. Eggs are laid in underwater vegetation to protect them from predators as the young are not cared for by the parent fish.

The females lay a large number of eggs in order to increase the chances that some will survive to adulthood. Females can lay literally thousands of eggs – sometimes up to as many as 750,000. The fact that the nests of eggs are hidden in vegetation suggests a vulnerability in the juvenile goliath tigerfish.

8. Goliath tigerfish are predators from birth

These fish are piscivores, meaning that they feed only on fish. The infant goliath tigerfish go through a larval stage during which they feed on animal plankton.

They gradually migrate to larger fish as they grow in size and strength. They have been known to attack large animals.

9. Goliath tigerfish can turn to cannibalism

Goliath tigerfish are willing to ‘take chunks out’ of other large fish, large animals, and even each other in order to survive, although generally they only turn to cannibalism if food sources are scarce.

10. Goliath tigerfish need highly-oxygenated waters

The Hydrocynus species have a dependence on well-oxygenated and/or warm, fast-flowing freshwater, confining them to large rivers and open lakes.

This is in contrast to many other species, which can tolerate a wider range of ecological conditions.

11. They are known by natives as ‘M’Benga’

The goliath tigerfish is an elusive creature, and there is a lack of scientific knowledge about this beast.

However, it has long been a feature of myth and legend in its native Africa; earning itself the nickname ‘M’Benga’, which means ‘dangerous fish’ in Swahili dialect.

M’Benga is believed to be an evil spirit, and it has been said that it is very bad luck to spot one at the start of your journey. However, they are prized if ever caught.

12. They are the “greatest freshwater gamefish in the world”

At least, according to Bill Hansford-Steele in his ‘African Fly-Fishing Handbook’, as well as extreme angler Andy Coetzee.

Due to its size – and fearsome reputation – the goliath tigerfish has lured many a fisherman to attempt to catch the elusive beast.

A successful catch could feed many hungry mouths, especially in the rural parts of Africa where they live. The flesh of a tigerfish is said to be somewhat similar to Tilapia. 3

13. They have been reported to attack crocodiles, and humans

It is the only freshwater fish in Africa that is claimed to take lumps out of crocodiles that consider pursuing them, and even humans.

Although they are elusive, and attacks on humans are therefore rare, there are reports of natives on the Congo being bitten by these mysterious fish, and even a limited number of deaths reported.

A person on the show River Monsters reported that a goliath tigerfish was responsible for jumping out of the water and biting a man on his neck, killing him instantly.

Goliath Tigerfish Fact-File Summary

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Characiformes Family: Alestidae Genus: Hydrocynus Species Name: Hydrocynus Goliath

1. Fenton Peter David Cotterill (2009), “How many tigerfish species? Genetic insights into the evolution of Africa’s Tigerfish and the taxonomic status of Tanzanian Hydrocynus“, Research Gate.
2. Barry Berkovitz, Peter Shellis (2017), “The tigerfishes (Hydrocynus spp.) are voracious hunters, of which the giant tigerfish (Hydrocynus goliath: Fig. 4.30A) is the largest“, The Teeth of Non-Mammalian Vertebrates.
3. Bill Hansford-Steele (2013), “African Fly-fishing Handbook A Guide to Freshwater and Saltwater Fly-fishing in Africa“, Google Books.

Did you follow your favorite archery manufacturer’s social media channels during their coverage of the 2024 ATA Show in January? Did you spy something that enticed you to upgrade, or are you a new archer in need of your first set of equipment? Many manufacturers debut new products during the Show, so there was a lot to see. Wherever you’re at in your archery journey, there’s something out there for you. We compiled a roundup of a few of the many items that debuted at the 2024 ATA Show, via the New Product Launch Showcase, below.

Bear Archery Products

Bear Archery Products launched a 90th anniversary edition of its Grizzly bow. At heart, it’s the same Grizzly bow that Bear has previously produced, a traditional bow designed by Fred Bear himself, but with a new “Green Glass” color scheme and a 90th anniversary logo. Caleb Sorrells, marketing manager for Bear Archery, noted that the new bow has been well received and he predicts that it will do well for Bear. “It will be a great collector’s item on top of being a great bow,” Sorrells said. It’s available in right- or left-hand styles and in six draw weight options from 35 pounds to 60 pounds. It features a crowned, cut-on center arrow shelf with a leather side plate and a bear hair arrow rest. As always, the bow is handcrafted here in the U.S.

PSE Archery

PSE Archery debuted multiple bows at the 2024 ATA Show, including the Fortis. “The 2024 Fortis optimizes and enhances PSE’s most stable and efficient hunting platform, elevating your shooting experience to the highest levels,” PSE said in a Facebook post about the bow. It can shoot up to 345 feet per second and has PSE’s full draw stability system, EZ.220 Snap Spacers for easier tuning, a new Kill-Shok Damper to reduce bow vibration, a new Traxion Tech Grip and a Picatinny rail to mount your sight. You can choose from the EC2, E2 and S2 cams.

A PSE Facebook post lists the 2024 Nock On Unite as “meticulously engineered to John Dudley’s specifications.” It also comes with the EC2, E2 or S2 cam and is equipped with PSE’s full draw stability system, EZ.220 Snap Spacers and a Picatinny rail. The PSE Facebook post also says the bow delivers “maximum forgiveness with greater speeds.”

T.R.U. Ball/Axcel

Axcel’s new Ranger Pin is an upgraded sight pin on the AXCEL Landslyde sights. With the new Ranger Pin, the distance from the top pin to the bottom pin is .225 inch. The sight can be used for distances between 20 and 40 yards.

T.R.U. Ball’s new Trident handle release is the “first-ever high-end thumb activated target and hunting release that automatically resets itself without any lag. It immediately fires under bow poundage,” according to the T.R.U. Ball website. The website also lists the release as having an ultra-crisp trigger and an ultra-flex personalized fit system with an adjustable three-finger piece that offers 30 degrees of radial rotation, 15 degrees forward and 15 degrees backward.

The Antler Ridge Hunting Stabilizer Kit comes with a 12-inch front bar, a 10-inch back bar, a front and back Kryptos Arc vibration dampener, an Antler Ridge Trilock adjustable offset mount, a zero-degree Centerlock quick disconnect, two 2-ounce Black Nitride weights on the front bar and two 2-ounce Black Nitride weights on the back bar.

The new Axcel Achieve XP 1.5 and Achieve XP 2.0 sights remove up to 1 ounce from the target end of the sight and are designed to improve balance and reduce vibration, according to a video by T.R.U. Ball. You can also adjust all three of the sight axes and you can align the scope to your eye. It also has a new variable range plate that accommodates compound and recurve archers and is designed for fixed-distance and multi-distance tournaments, so you can use the same sight for all your tournaments.

Next Steps

Eager to place an order for some new gear after seeing this preview? Check out each of the companies’ websites to learn more about the products. Upgrading your gear can be a great way to reinvigorate your passion for the sport. We all love products that make things a little easier, give us more options, or are simply neat to look at and archery gear is no exception.

Visit or call your local archery shop to see if they have the products you’re interested in in stock.

The best recurve bows can usually cost a fortune. In general, more expensive recurve bows tend to offer an advantage over less expensive counterparts. Especially when competing at a professional level. So, it makes sense if you are an advanced archer or an athlete looking for the most expensive recurve bow in the world.

There are quite a few really pricey bows out there. We are not talking about specialty bows but rather the most expensive recurve bow available to anyone.

The most expensive publicly available recurve bow is the Sanlida Archery Olympic Recurve Bow. This is a common bow used by Olympic athletes and offers one of the most accurate shots in the sport.

We review the Sanlida Archery Miracle Olympic Recurve Bow going over what makes it so special (and expensive).

Sanlida Archery Olympic ILF Recurve Bow Review

If you want to compete at the highest level of target shooting, let’s say the Olympics, Sanlida Archery Olympic ILF Recurve Bow is a deservingly good choice. But, you may ask, “why this recurve bow?” First, this recurve bow is designed by Sanlida Archery, a reputable brand known for making archery equipment that offers incredible performance at a great value. Only a few archery brands do it better than Sanlida Archery.

Second, it comes with a full kit. The recurve bow includes everything you need for your target shooting. The interesting thing is it’s a ready-to-shoot bow, meaning that you don’t have to set it all up from scratch. You could adjust it to suit your preference if need be. The bow comes in four separate versions – 66″, 68″, and 70″, with varying tension levels. The item’s weight is 1300g (about 48 lbs), which is quite heavy. The weight is okay since the bow is tailored towards advanced archers and competitive athletes.

Another good reason is the construction. Each accessory is designed with high-quality material, and the bow itself is CNC machined 6061-T6 aluminum to enhance its strength. The limbs are made of premium-quality carbon and foam materials, while the riser is metal to add to the overall strength of the bow.

Table could not be displayed.

Pros

• Ultimate Performance – the ready-to-shoot bow is designed to offer the best performance, thanks to the included accessories and construction. Archers can attain advanced level shooting with high precision using this equipment and boost their chances of success in competitions.

• Great Design – with aluminum and carbon the main materials for the parts, you should expect the Sanlida Archery Olympic ILF Recurve Bow to last long enough. It’s strong and has an adjustable wooden grip, with a strong ILF recurve riser and limbs capable of seeing you through any target shooting competition.

• Powerful – shooting precision is essential in archery. This recurve bow helps you to achieve that. Typically, a heavy bow can hinder shooting efficiency, but not the Sanlida. Despite its 2.8 lbs weight, the bow feels light and powerful simultaneously when holding it. This gives you the confidence to shoot.

• Excellent Customer Support – if there’s one thing you should commend Sanlida for, it’s their customer service. The manufacturer ensures that customers are utterly satisfied with their products. The customer service is ultra-responsive and ever-ready to attend to your complaints.

• Good Value for Money – although the price is over $900, the bow still comes at an unbeatable value compared to its rivals. When you consider that it comes with all the accessories needed in the kit, you will be excited to cough out such an amount for the recurve bow. It comes at one of the lowest costs around.

Cons

• Expensive – this isn’t a con per se, considering that we are reviewing an expensive recurve bow. However, some archers with a limited budget may want to reconsider purchasing the bow.

Structure of the Bow – Riser, Limbs, and String

The ILF riser and limbs are solidly made, while the string is too robust to break. The beautiful anodizing ILF riser is aluminum, making it difficult to break easily even when used intensively. The riser comprises an adjustable wooden grip with bolt systems, sight, and stabilizers that are all durable. Overall, the bow doesn’t feel flimsy.

The lower and upper limbs are made of high-quality advanced carbon and foam materials that flex well. Thanks to these materials, the recurve limbs deliver a greater amount of kinetic energy more efficiently when the bowstring is released. This boosts the speed of the shot. The bowstring in the lowest version is 66”, which is normal for an archery athlete.

The bow’s string is also sturdy and holds power excellently. In addition, it stretches pretty well, which helps to exert more force on the shot for better output. You can’t fault this recurve bow.

Is an Expensive Recurve Bow Worth the Price?

The price of the Sanlida Archery Olympic Recurve Bow is fair, considering that the bow is for advanced target shooting. Beginners may question the price’s outrageousness, but it’s not typically for simple target shooting or practice. There are other bows available for such activities, and they come at a more affordable price than the Sanlida Archery Olympic ILF Recurve Bow.

The recurve bow’s advanced features make it ideal for Olympians. It can enhance the shooter’s precision, thanks to the sight and stabilizers. The wooden grip is also fully adjustable to match the riser, which improves shooting precision and balance. It gives the ultimate performance at an incredible value.

Apart from athletes, archers who need a bow with advanced features for the fun of shooting can also purchase this bow. The bow’s weight can be a hindrance if you aren’t a fit person. But, with all things being equal, you should enjoy recording those great shots with the bow. This bow is worth the price, and we recommend it.

The Sanlida Archery Olympic ILF Recurve Bow includes the following accessories;

• Bow
• Instruction manual
• Sight
• Advanced string
• Weight
• Sight pin damper
• Arrow rest
• Carbon stabilizer long rod
• Riser
• Limbs damper
• Stabilizer and riser damper
• Clicker
• Cushion plunger
• Limbs.

Final Thoughts

With Salinda Archery Olympic ILF Recurve Bow, shooting targets has never been easier. It possesses the capabilities to make you a champion in any target shooting competition. Although it doesn’t come cheap, it’s one of the most accurate even when compared to others within its range.

This Sanlida recurve bow is the most expensive recurve bow in the world but that’s what Olympic accuracy takes. With all the accessories included, you don’t need to make extra purchases. You can kickstart your journey to being a champion with this powerful bow.

Parallax correction is a feature available in nearly all modern rifle scopes. The effect of parallax is presented when your reticle appears out of focus with respect to your target, and to the focal plane of the scope. Although generally not an issue at ranges of less than 150 yards, this optical effect can greatly alter your point of impact at longer ranges.

The overall goal of parallax correction is to get your rifle scope reticle on the same focal plane as your target image. If these images are not in the same focal plane, either one can appear soft or out of focus when you look at the other through your scope. This causes eye strain and can lead to inaccurate shots or even target confusion for inexperienced shooters.

The Parallax Effect – what you’ll see:

• The image of your target is clear but your reticle appears out of focus.

• The image is clear when looking head-on, but the reticle shifts left or right when you move your head or look through the scope at an angle.

How It Works

Light enters a rifle scope through the objective lens, is projected onto a prism, and is then flipped, reflected several times, and presented via the ocular lens. Your reticle typically lies between your eye and that projected image, regardless of the “focal plane” (FFP or SFP) of your scope.

When shooting at longer (>150 yards) distances, the focal length of your vision is adjusted by your brain to compensate for the distance to the target. This means that your reticle will appear slightly blurry or move when you adjust your viewing angle. It goes without saying, but if your reticle moves laterally and off-target when you move your head behind the scope, your point of impact will follow!

Focusing Your Reticle

Before attempting to adjust for parallax, ensure that your reticle is in focus. An easy way to do this is to look through your scope at a plain, ideally bright background that’s at least five yards away. Your scope likely has a reticle focus ring on the ocular lens – the one that you put your eye to. Adjust that ring as you would a binocular or camera focus until your reticle is sharp and clear to your eye.

This adjustment will ensure that your parallax correction is valid. This adjustment may vary from shooter to shooter, but as long as the current shooter has the reticle in focus, the parallax adjustment should remain constant.

Correcting Parallax

Most modern rifle scopes have a parallax correction system that involves a dial on the side of the main tube, often referred to as a “side focus.” These systems allow a shooter to adjust the image of the target backward or forward to match the focal plane of the reticle. Many of these dial systems are marked with yardage in increments of 50 or 100 yards to aid in correction.

A simple way to find the correct position of the dial is to set up a clear target that stands out well from the background, get your rifle in a secure rest position, and with the magnification at its highest level, look through the scope and begin to shift your head (and therefore your viewing angle) back and forth.

If your reticle appears to move or shift with your head movement, you have a parallax issue. The yardage indicators on your parallax adjustment will be a helpful starting point for corrections. Depending on your range and magnification level, the correction may be extremely fine or up to a full revolution of the dial.

Adjust until your reticle is sharp against your target and appears to lock on to your aiming point. You should be able to view both the reticle and the target without shifting focus. If you have made an adjustment and still have some play, continue making very fine corrections until you can move your angle as far as possible while maintaining a full image through the scope. The same process applies to an objective lens ring-style system, but it is not as precise as the dial type with yardage indicators.

Once you are satisfied with your adjustment at maximum magnification, LEAVE IT. You generally will not have to adjust it again unless the circumstances or shot range are extreme. These adjustments and changes are very slight, so keep that in mind when working to correct this issue.

When buying a rifle scope, be sure to consider the distances you plan to shoot and the ergonomics of its adjustment systems. The best way to familiarize yourself with a rifle scope is to physically hold one in your hands. The style of adjustment is not critical, but the adjustment itself will eliminate a lot of headaches when working to zero your rifle or make those critical shots.

Not sure what scope to get for your air rifle?

Look no further.

I’ve tested ALL the best air rifle scope (plus air riflescope mounts and accessories.)

By the end of this guide, you’ll find the perfect optic for your air rifle.

Let’s get started!

What to Look for in Air Rifle Scopes

Are you in the market for an air rifle scope?

Of course you are!

But there’s more to these simple scopes than meets the eye. Which means I’ll be breaking down each scope and its features.

So which air rifle scope is your perfect match?

Keep reading to find out.

Basics of Air Rifle Scopes

These scopes are pretty much the same as a regular rifle scope. They magnify the image you’re aiming at and you’ll be on the same visual plane as your target.

Air rifles themselves are known for their amazing accuracy, so they’re a great addition to your regular range lineup.

But what makes air rifle scopes unique?

These scopes can withstand the double recoil and vibration of an air rifle. So that, plus your improved accuracy, makes the scope completely worth it.

Before we get into the good stuff, let me remind you to please never put a firearm scope on an air rifle. They’re not meant to be together, no matter how cool you may think that would be.

Now, here’s the two different types of air rifle scopes:

Fixed Air Rifle Scopes

The fixed air rifle scope is set to one magnification level. Which means it can’t be adjusted.

But what’s the advantage of a scope that can’t zoom in?

Once you’re sighted in, there’s almost no adjusting required.

So you can get to your target shooting much faster, which is something we can all celebrate.

And what kind of shooting is great for fixed scopes?

If you’re into hunting small rodents or other varmints at a closer range, this is the scope for you.

It’s also nice for the occasional short-range plinking session!

Variable Air Rifle Scopes

The variable air rifle scope can adjust magnification levels between 3-15x. So it offers a great amount of zoom power for shooting longer distances.

But is there a disadvantage to this scope?

Unlike the fixed scope, the variable scope will need adjustments more often while in use after sighting.

And what’s a great activity for this scope?

If you’re looking to hunt larger game at long-range distances, this is your match for an air rifle scope.

What’s the Deal with Objective Size?

Does objective size matter?

It always does!

When you’re looking for the best objective size lens for you, here’s two things to consider.

First, the larger the lens means better magnification.

Second, a larger lens allows more light to enter the scope. Thus, giving you a much brighter and clearer sight before your eyes.

So if you’re planning to use an air rifle scope in low light conditions, such as sunrise or sunset, pick out a larger objective lens.

To find the size of the objective lens, look at the last number in the scope description.

For example, the average variable scope is 3-9×32.

The first numbers before the ‘x’ indicate the magnification power. The number after that ‘x’ gives you the size of the objective lens.

So this scope can magnify between 3-9x and has a 32mm objective lens opening.

All About Mounting Hardware

Now that you’ve chosen your perfect air rifle scope, let’s mount that thing!

Every scope needs to connect to a firearm. So a one-piece or two-piece scope mount is used to fit around the scope. It’s then tightened onto a rail that sits on top of the air rifle.

Mounting is important. And you’ll need certain mounts for certain air rifles depending on the build or recoil power.

For a high-powered spring air rifle with a lot of recoil, I’d highly recommend a one-piece mount.

Why?

One-piece mounts are much stronger than two-piece mounts. They can also withstand more intense recoils from high-power air rifles.

For low-powered spring air rifles with a lot less recoil, a two-piece mount is perfect.

Other Types of Mounting Hardware

To get more specific about the mount you’ll need, check out these various types of mounts:

• High mounts are best for larger scopes because it allows the scope to sit higher on the gun. Only use these mounts for 50mm objective lenses and higher.
• Medium mounts are slightly smaller than high mounts. These mounts are perfect for 44mm objective lenses or less.
• Speciality mounts are required for some air rifles that need a unique mount to fit properly.

Also be aware of the size of your scope tube, which comes in 1 inch and 30mm sizes.

So make sure that the mount you need will also fit around the scope tube.

How to Find a Quality Air Rifle Scope

We all work hard for our money, so finding a high-quality scope is a game-changer.

But how do you find a high-quality scope that’s also worth your money?

Spend some time considering what you’d be willing to spend for a scope. Also think about how often you’ll use this scope and what kinds of shooting you’ll be doing.

After you’ve decided on what you think is a high-quality scope, consider buying one that’s a little bit of a step up in quality.

Why?

Because with air rifles and their scopes, you definitely get what you pay for.

For example, an air rifle scope can generally cost between $30 to $400 and beyond.

Now, I’m not telling you to go break the bank. There are affordable options, of course.

But if you’re looking to use an air rifle scope quite often, then I’d highly recommend buying one that will last you at least a couple of years.

Just like any other piece of equipment, you want it to work well and hold up to the test of time. So you may have to be willing to pay a little more than what you had planned.

But I promise you that it will be well worth it. Especially when you’re having a blast shooting off that air rifle and scope combo.

And there you have my best tips for finding your perfect air rifle scope.

Now go out there and find your perfect match!

Air Rifle Scope vs. Regular Rifle Scope

Despite appearing very similar on the outside, an air rifle scope and a regular rifle scope are built differently.

They are more than capable of being mounted on either type of gun, but doing so recklessly can quickly lead to a broken scope.

Learning the types of guns that can use either scope is important to make sure you’re not flushing money down the toilet by breaking the scopes. However, it’s still possible and sometimes useful to use a scope on the opposite gun.

I’ve done the research and put together a quick guide to show the pros and cons of each type of scope as well as when it’s safe to mount it on a different gun.

Let’s get started!

Differences

One of the biggest differences between the two scope types is how they handle recoil.

An air rifle recoils differently than a normal rifle, and will actually recoil forwards after the initial backwards recoil. This force is not taken into mind with normal rifle scopes, so the forward recoil will tear most rifle scopes apart.

This video takes a deeper look into why air rifles tend to destroy regular rifle scopes:

Parallax is another big difference between the two.

The set parallax for air rifle scopes tends to be around 10m, while many rifle scopes have theirs set around 100m. While air rifles can shoot further than 10m, the scopes are designed for the shorter distance shooting that they excel in.

At the end of the day, the scopes are designed for different types of guns. Unless a scope was specifically designed for both, there will be certain issues with magnification and accuracy due to the change in ammunition.

Similarities

Despite the significant differences in shooting bullets vs. air gun pellets, the scopes have several similarities.

Believe it or not, air rifle scopes are just as tough and durable as high end rifle scopes. In some cases they can even be heavier and thicker.

Air rifle scopes still function well on a regular rifle scope. The opposite is rarely true, but there are a few exceptions. Some companies will actually design their rifle scopes so that they can withstand the stress from the different recoil of an air rifle.

There is an exception if you mount an air rifle scope on a very powerful rifle. The powerful recoil will overwhelm the air rifle scope and break it. They aren’t designed to handle extreme force on one recoil, but rather the moderate force on two.

What This Means

While it’s tempting to save some money and swap the same scopes between different types of rifle, I don’t recommend it. There are plenty of great rifle scopes, and buying a proper one for each rifle can save you much future grief.

Some rifles are listed and designed to work with either one, but getting a scope specific to your type of rifle is always better.

The recoils vary considerably, so getting a scope that specializes in handling this is better than a scope that’s decent at it.

The different ammunition is also something to consider, as a bullet will travel much differently than an air gun pellet.

For the most part, regular rifle scopes will give you more accuracy over longer distances, while the air rifle scopes are better at closer ranges.

At the end of the day, it’s much cheaper to buy two scopes than it is to constantly break your current ones trying to make them work on different guns!

The 4 Best Air Rifle Scope

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

1. Hawke Airmax Airgun Scope 2-7×32: Best Overall Scope for Air Rifle
2. ATN X-Sight: Best for Night Shooting
3. UTG 3-9X32: Best Scope under $100
4. BSA Outlook 3-9X40: Best for the Budget

1. Hawke Airmax Airgun Scope 2-7×32: Best Overall Scope for Air Rifle

The Hawke Airmax 2-7×32 is the best scope I’ve come across for an air rifle.

This optic is a target shooters dream. With a specialty reticle and a huge operative range, there isn’t much you can’t do and do well with the Hawke Airmax.

Choosing a scope for an air rifle is a little bit different than choosing a firearm scope. For more info on what makes an air rifle scope different, check out this guide to air rifle scopes.

To see the best overall airgun optic on the market, keep reading…

Glass Clarity & Reticle

The glass clarity on the Hawke Airmax is fantastic.

The high quality glass is fully multi-coated in 16 layers, so I know it will stay as clean as it was when I took it out of the box.

What really impressed me was the glass-etched reticle. The Hawke Airmax scope uses an AMX reticle,, which was specifically designed for air rifles. The mil-dot reticle floats comfortably in the center of the sight picture. It’s easy to see and kept me on target anywhere from 10 to 100 yards.

The Airmax is optimized for target shooting. It is a serviceable option for varmint hunting, but if that’s your primary objective, check out my first choice for varmint hunting.

Eye Relief & Eye Box

The eye relief is 3.5 inches, which is generous in my book.

The wide eye box made it easy for me to find my target fast.

Durability

The Hawke Airmax Scope is lightweight, durable and best of all, nitrogen purged.

Why does that matter?

Nitrogen purging ensures the scope is 100% waterproof shatterproof and fog proof.

The only issue I had with the design is the lens cap. I found it a little flimsy and hard to maneuver with one hand, so I replaced it with a Butler Creek lens cap.

Elevation & Windage Knobs

The turrets are perfect for in field adjustment.

The Hawke Airmax has extra large turrets that feel good in the hand, and turn easily with a satisfying click. Each click is .25 MOA which makes it easy to get a fine zero. It held zero like a champ.

Parallax & Magnification

The 2-7x magnification is a lot to work with.

I feel confident about taking this to a competition anywhere up to 100 yards. The image is clean, and the parallax turret is east to adjust.

I like this scope for long range target shots, but the variable magnification works perfectly anywhere above ten yards out with no tunneling.

If you are looking for a lower range fixed magnification scope you might want to look into a rimfire scope instead.

Mounting & Rings

To mount the Hawke Airmax, you will need a 1-inch dovetail or pic rail mount kit. I used these Hawke dovetail rings.

You will need a hex screw, which you probably already have. In case you don’t, Winchester makes a nice gun screw set.

Is the Hawke Airmax Airgun 2-7X32 worth it?

The Hawke Airmax is one of the best scopes out there for competition air rifles.

It’s priced surprisingly low for such a great optic. What makes it my top choice is…

• Lightweight build
• Audibly clicking turrets
• Non-telescoping magnification
• Specialty AMX reticle made for air rifles

And of course, Hawke backs up their quality promises with a no-fault lifetime warranty, so you can shoot with confidence. If you take your sport seriously, I highly recommend giving the Hawke Airmax Airgun Scope 2-7×32 a try.

2. ATN X-Sight: Best for Night Shooting

The ATN X-Sight 4K Pro is the best sight for night shooting.

In fact, I purchased this optic strictly as a night scope for hog hunting. After seeing how it tremendously improved my accuracy, I kept it on my AR-15 and tested its performance during casual target shooting and deer hunting.

By the end of this review, you’ll know if the ATN X-Sight is for you.

Let’s dive in!

Image Clarity & Reticle

The image quality is bright and clear.

The ATN X-sight is equipped with several reticle patterns and color options, which makes shooting easy. It doubles as both a digital daytime optic and a night vision scope: definitely worth its price tag.

Speaking of night vision…

The X-Sight 4K PRO sports an Enhanced HD NV Mode. I’m certainly seeing a higher quality than other “Night Vision” scopes, including the units that cost thousands of dollars more than the ATN X-Sight.

Although the scope does come with an IR attachment light, I chose to upgrade it with the ATN IR850 SUPERNOVA IR Attachment.

Take my word: it was worth every penny. I was hitting small game at night out to 300 yards without issues.

The ATN X-sight also features a built-in rangefinder and ballistic calculator that’s amazingly accurate.

You just enter your gun and ammo specifications via the ATN Obisidian App on your smartphone, and it takes into account everything that affects your trajectory, including— Relative Humidity, Wind Speed, Wind Direction, Temperature, Barometric Pressure, and Elevation.

Recording and Streaming

Recording videos with the X-Sight 4K Pro came out to be very clear at 10X zoom. Unfortunately, the quality started degrading as I was approaching full zoom. This isn’t uncommon with digital scopes, though.

I did extensive research before buying this scope and found that most shooters who have issues with the product freezing or being pixelated don’t understand the technology.

Make sure you read the instructions on the manual thoroughly and make sure to upgrade the firmware to the latest version.

Also, you can easily google any problem and find a solution- just like you would do with an iPhone.

Moving on, let’s talk about the Recoil Activated Recording (RAV) feature. This was super helpful to me. I didn’t have to worry about pressing the record button every time.

Why?

Because as soon as the X-sight detects recoil, the RAV feature automatically saves that 10-second snip before the shot and 10 seconds afterward.

The videos are stored on the removable micro SD Card for viewing at a later time. The dual streaming option also allows you to simultaneously record and Livestream your hunts. How cool is that?

Eye Relief & Eye Box

The eye relief is excellent, ranging from 3-3.5 inches.

On the flip side, the ATN X-sight’s eye box is a bit narrow.

The 3-14x scope has 460 ft field of view at 1000 yards, while the 5-20x version has 240 ft.

Durability and Battery

This ATN X-Sight is very durable, and the buttons are tactile. The ruggedness reminded me of the battle-tested ACOGs.

The X-sight doesn’t get damaged if left out in the sun, nor does it have to be protected from light exposure, unlike other regular night vision scopes.

The entire unit weighs about 2.2 lbs, which tips the heavier side of the scale, but compared to an AR-10 with a standard scope, the weight difference is about the same.

It took about six hours to fully charge. However, once fully charged, it is said to provide a continuous use of up to 18 hours.

It ran it for about 12 hours on the range, and the battery indicator wasn’t even at the halfway mark, so I’d say ATN advertises the battery life accurately.

Zeroing

Zeroing was remarkably easy thanks to the ‘One Shot Zero’ feature. All you need to do is take one shot, align it with the crosshairs, and push a button. This is extremely helpful if you’re a beginner.

It took me less than 20 rounds using the .308 Winchester to get it perfectly zeroed.

My personal favorite feature is the Profile Manager. Essentially, you can save multiple zeroing-in data for different firearms and ammo. You can easily switch weapons without having to reset everything. This saved me a lot of time in the range.

Magnification

This ATN X-Sight 4k Pro can be purchased with two magnification options: 3-14x50mm and 5-20x65mm.

Which one should you get?

Get the 3-14x50mm if your target range is between 25-250 yards. BUT if you plan on zooming in, you will lose a lot more clarity with the 3×14 than the 5×20.

So if you’re shooting out past 250 yards frequently, I recommend getting the 5-20x65mm model.

Mounting & Accessories

Fortunately, ATN has eased the hassle of a complicated setup.

The ATN X-Sight comes with a versatile mounting system that includes standard rings, an L shape ring, and a Picatinny rail. Simply pick the right ones for your needs.

It took me less than 10 minutes to mount the scope on the Hardened Arms 16-inch 7.62x39mm AR-15 upper.

Word of advice: make sure your mounting screws stay tight. I check mine every time I go to the range. They haven’t come loose yet, but it’s good to keep on top of it.

The sight also comes with a heap of accessories, including:

• Eyecup
• Sunshade
• Lens cover
• UBS-C cable
• Cleaning cloth

Is the ATN X-Sight 4k Pro worth it?

The days of breaking the bank to have an excellent night vision scope are over. The ATN X-sight is a game-changer.

Why? It’s got:

• One-shot zero
• 4K UltraHD Sensor
• Excellent Night Vision
• Long-lasting battery life
• Recoil Activated Recording
• 3-14x or 5-20x magnification
• Fog proof, dustproof, and fully waterproof
• Built-in Smart Rangefinder & Ballistic Calculator
• 1080p HD Video Recording & Photos to your smartphone

Plus, the scope comes with ATN’s 2-year warranty for returns and repairs, the accessories are covered for one year, and the battery for six years.

For under $1000, the ATN X-Sight 4K Pro displays exceptional quality and value for day and night shooting.

3. UTG 3-9X32: Best Scope under $100

I love the UTG 3-9X32, and you will too.

It has a wonderful reticle, easy adjustment, and includes everything.

If you’re looking for a budget scope, this is the one.

Read on to find out why.

Glass Clarity & Reticle

The image is bright even at high magnification, though I have noticed a little darkening after sunset at 9x power.

The lenses are multi-coated in emerald green to increase light transmission as much as possible, and it works well.

There is a little tickle of distortion right at the edge of the field of view, but not a big deal to me.

You can change the color to red or green, but even if your battery dies you still have the regular black reticle. I bring extra CR1620 batteries in the field with me.

The UTG 3-9X32 reticle is also very usable for a mil-dot. There are nine dots in any direction, giving plenty of different points of aim without the need to touch a turret.

Eye Relief & Eye Box

The eye relief is listed as 3-4 inches, so you need to stay inside that range to get a clear image.

This is probably the one con of the scope, but for my 30-06, it isn’t an issue at all. That’s right where I had the Leupold mounted before moving it to another rifle.

It can be a problem if you have a target 22 and you like to snuggle with your optic. Overall though, I would say that the eye relief is just about right for most shooters.

(If you like it longer or shorter you might want to check out these Ruger 10/22 optics.)

Durability

The UTG 3-9X32 BugBuster is nitrogen purged and built around a framework of strength over all else.

I have yet to have any issue with it holding zero. It literally needs to come loose from the rail to throw it off, and I love that in a scope.

It’s never fogged or given me any kind of problem, even on wet mornings hunting rabbits in 40 degree weather over snow from the previous day.

The caps and sunshade are a bonus, and they help to keep everything well protected and dust free until you are ready to take your rifle out to the field.

UTG has something they call a “True Strength” platform that their scopes are built around, something about the way the pieces inside fit together to keep things in alignment. Whatever it is, it works. My hunting rifle stays on target season after season, and it hasn’t let me down yet.

Elevation & Windage Knobs

The bad news is the knobs require an allen key to adjust.

The good news is that all of the required hardware for the scope is included, even the wrench for the windage and elevation knobs.

Actually I lied, you don’t need to wrench to adjust them in the field, just for zeroing in at the range. The wrench loosens a securing bolt and allows the turret cap to spin freely, so once you are dialed in you can set your tick marks to zero.

This is becoming a pretty common feature on scopes, but in case you are wondering, it allows you to adjust for windage or elevation in the field and then return the knobs to zero without counting clicks.

Speaking of clicks, the adjustments on the turrets are ¼ MOA. Perfect for long-range shooting, whether in competition or hunting mountain goats across a wide canyon.

And yes, there’s a very satisfying click when you turn them.

Parallax & Magnification

Magnification of the UTG 3-9X32 BugBuster is straightforward. Just twist the power ring near the turrets and go, like any other scope.

There is an added bonus that a diopter adjustment comes with a lock. Once you have the reticle clarity set for your eyes, there’s no need to touch it ever again.

Parallax on the BugBuster is adjustable on the end of the scope. That is, where the objective lens is located. A quick twist sets you up anywhere from infinity to as close as three yards.

I’ve dialed in the parallax to the required setting, looked through while moving my head about with the rifle in a rest, not a single problem. The reticle follows the target.

Mounting & Rings

Everything is in the box, even the mounts. I don’t think I need to tell you what a relief that was. Shopping for rings is my least favorite part about being a shooter.

The rings also come with quick-detach mechanisms and fit on Weaver or Picatinny rail systems. If you are going to be dressing up your little black rifle with a long-range scope, you won’t have to shop around for detachable rings.

And what’s more? They’re pretty darn sturdy. Torture tests are conducted by UTG for durability under normal wear-and-tear conditions, and the rings are built just as rugged as any I’ve seen. I think I said earlier, and I’ll repeat it here, I’ve never yet had to re-zero this scope.

Is the UTG 3-9X32 worth it?

This scope is for long-range shooters who want a quality piece of glass at an affordable price range.

The key features of this scope are:

• 9 mil-dots
• ¼-MOA clicks
• Illuminated reticle
• Easy turret adjustment
• Quality glass on a budget
• All hardware and tools included
• Parallax adjustment down to 3 yards

It’s hard to beat this scope for less than 100 clams. I’ve tried almost every budget scope on the market, and found most of them severely lacking. But the UTG 3-9X32 BugBuster gets the job done and does it amazingly for the price.

It also comes with a lifetime warranty.

If you want to put a powerful scope on your rifle, the UTG 3-9X32 is what you need.

4. BSA Outlook 3-9X40: Best for the Budget

The BSA Outlook 3-9×40 is the best scope on a budget.

In fact,

There might not be a lot of flashy features on this scope, but the ones it has I’m ready to compare to optics worth 3x the price.

Keep reading to find out…

Glass Clarity & Reticle

I never would have guessed this scope’s price tag looking through the glass.

The image through the scope is crisp and clear.

For a sub-$100 scope, the glass is incredible. The fully multi-coated lenses are a premium feature that deliver a crisp, clean image.

I will say that at the highest magnification settings, there is a minimal amount of fisheye around the outside of the image. However, it’s hardly noticeable unless you’re looking for it.

The BSA Outlook is outfitted with a simple MIL dot reticle.

I only say simple, because the MIL dot reticle is visible clean without a complex system to distract your eye. In reality, the MIL dot reticle can do so much for the shooter in a small space.

I’m a big advocate for the MIL dot reticle, because, at a glance, you can judge wind, bullet drop compensation, range, and target size regardless of your rifle caliber.

It’s ideal for long-range shooters, varmint hunters, and tactical marksmen.

The BSA Outlook’s reticle is also on a second focal plane, meaning the reticle grows or shrinks with magnification. It’s easy to see at all magnifications for fast and fearless target acquisition.

Eye Relief & Eye Box

This scope has a solid 3.7-4 inches of eye relief. Plenty of space to avoid injury to the eye in case of a strong kickback from the firearm.

The eye box is also forgiving, not causing my eyes to fatigue like other cheap optics.

Durability

Break barrels are brutal on a scope, and I’ve had my fair share of optics eaten up by high recoil. So when my BSA Outlook was still kicking after over 800 rounds, I was more than impressed.

The one-piece constructed optic body from durable, lightweight aluminum is built to withstand serious recoil from even the most powerful air rifle.

It’s the whole durable trifecta of waterproof, shockproof, and fog proof construction.

The low-glare, matte black finish is not only stylish but also helpful when you need to camouflage your position when hunting close-range.

Elevation & Windage Knobs

The low profile elevation and windage turrets have crisp, positive clicks.

Adjustment turns very smoothly on everything from the turrets to the adjustable objective. They’re especially nice for scope in this price range

They do have on flaw though: the hash marks don’t line up exactly on the turrets and each line is offset by a fraction of a hair.

However, they’re still accurate to the ¼” MOA adjustment, and I’d take that over loose adjustments.

Zeroing was easy once I got on paper. And with only a few adjustments on the turrets, the scope has held zero for over 800 pellets.

Parallax & Magnification

So, how much magnification do you get? A very versatile 3x-9x.

At 3x, the image is crystal clear.

As the optic reaches max magnification, there is a minimal amount of fisheye and blur on the outer edges of the image. However, the imaging is still lightyears ahead of other scopes in its price bracket.

This broad magnification range increases accuracy for short to medium ranges with absolutely no parallax at all.

Here’s how I know:

I took my laser range finder and started testing at 10, 20, then 30 yards to verify focus and parallax settings. The marks were good, and I’m more than impressed by the results.

It’s a solid 10 to infinite parallax adjustable scope.

Mounting & Rings

The BSA Outlook comes with its own two-piece dovetail rings. They’re solid with four bolts in each ring.

A set of rubber lens caps are also included to increase the longevity of your lens’ lifetime.

Is the BSA Outlook 3-9×40 worth it?

If you’re looking for an affordable scope that offers versatility and durability for even the highest recoiling air rifle, then the BSA Outlook is my recommendation.

Here’s why:

• MIL Dot reticle
• Included dovetail rings
• Fully multi-coated lenses
• Limited one-year warranty
• Tactile hand turn/zero reset turrets

And the bonus is it won’t break the bank.

If you’re looking to ring steel without losing a chunk of change, the BSA Outlook 3-9×40 is the air rifle scope for you.

Now It’s Your Turn

I hope you enjoyed my best air rifle scopeguide.

Now I want to turn it over to you:

Which scope will you pick for your air rifle?

Let me know by leaving a quick comment down below.