Over fifty years later, the .300 Winchester Magnum is popular with military and police sharpshooters, and hunters who need a round with more reach and knockdown power than other common thirty caliber rounds. Now widely used for long distance hunting and tactical applications that require power and range, the .300 Win Mag is one of the most popular thirty caliber magnums out there.
And what good are range and power if you don’t have the 4 best scopes for .300 Win Mag:
The Leupold VX-I Rifle Scope
When you think of quality rifle scopes, you probably think Leupold first. An American institution that has been paired up with high quality precision rifle for decades, Leupold scopes give you confidence and performance at an affordable price. The VX-I is one of the best .300 Win Mag scopes out there due to its rugged construction, and famous precision. Featuring three to nine power magnification, fully coated optics, precision windage and elevation adjustment and a generous 50mm objective lens, this scope will easily fulfill nearly any task you may have in mind for .300 Win Mag shooting.
Nikon Buckmaster
Nikon has been making fine quality optics for generations, and their Buckmaster scope is a continuation of that tradition. While a fine quality scope already, due to its water-, fog- and shock-proof construction, specially coated and designed optics that maximize light transmission, and variable 3 to 9 times magnification, the Buckmaster has something else that makes it one of the best .300 Win Mag Scopes on the market. Featuring a special bullet drop compensating reticle, the Buckmaster allows you to quickly determine target distance and select an aim point that compensates for bullet drop on magnum caliber rounds.
Nightforce SHV 5-20x56mm
Nightforce is one of the leaders in modern, high powered rifle scopes. The .300 Win Mag demands a scope with serious power, and Nightforce delivers. Featuring 5-20 power magnification, an enormous 56mm objective lens, and built to the exacting standards you’ve come to expect from NightForce, this is a scope that will allow you to wring the maximum potential from your .300 Win Mag. Built with long range hunters and target shooters in mind, this scope is as much at home on your thousand yard range, as it is in the wilds of Alaska hunting big game. If you demand the very best for your rifle, this is it.
The Redfield Revolution Riflescope
Redfield has long been a famous name in rifle scopes in its own right. The company is now owned by the same people who produce Leupold scopes. Featuring a lifetime warranty, three to nine power magnification, fast focusing eyepiece, multicoated optics for optimal clarity, and fog-, water- and shock-proof construction you’d expect from Redfield, this is one of the best scopes for a .300 Win Mag. Aside from the great features Redfield is famous for, the Revolution is an affordable, budget friendly scope that delivers quality and performance you’d expect from something much more expensive. This is the best scope for .300 Win Mag shooters who are budget-minded.
What Makes the Best .300 Win Mag Scope?
This is the sort of loaded question (no pun intended) that can spark intense debate and discussion. If there was a simple answer, there would be one perfect scope to use. You’d pick it up, and a chorus of angels would burst from the heavens singing the praises of the scope, and you would walk away knowing that you had picked the best scope for .300 Win Mag rifles. Unfortunately, I’ve never had a chorus of anything other than salespeople burst forth when I picked up a scope, and quite frankly, I’ve yet to meet a salesperson who reminded me of an angel, so I had to look at more than one scope for the .300 Win Mag.
Magnum rounds are not the shoulder punisher the name suggests. While certainly high powered, and capable of delivering a bruising to your shoulder (recoil pads are cheap and exist for a reason), the round itself is not so devastating as to require much careful consideration when shopping for a scope. Modern engineering methods have ensured that any quality scope can handle the recoil of most magnum cartridges, and the .300 Win Mag has such a large market share, you are sure to easily find a scope engineered to handle the recoil of this particular round.
Therefore, the best .300 Win Mag scopes all have a few things in common. If they aren’t water proof, shock proof and fog proof, keep walking. This is such fundamentally basic technology that anything other than the absolutely cheapest scopes will have them. By using precision engineered locking rings to hold the optics into place, and choosing quality glass for lenses, the recoil from a rifle cannot damage the delicate internals of a rifle scope, and the whole assembly is typically protected with a rubber O ring sealing a tube purged with a neutral gas to keep water out, and to prevent internal fogging of the optics. And the best scopes will be stout and rugged. Modern alloys can deliver stronger than steel strength at a fraction of the weight. Don’t settle for a chintzy scope tube, look for one that is designed for hard use.
There is a place in the world for fifty dollar rifle scopes, but something like a .300 Win Mag is not it. Give it the respect it deserves. We’ve shown you a few fantastic choices for the best .300 Win Mag scope, now all you have to do is pick one. Good luck!
