The 4 Best Scopes for AK 47 Rifles — AK47 Optic Reviews

best scope for ak 47, best scope for ak47

Photo by Keary O. / CC BY

Gun store wisdom and internet forums have gone a long way toward perpetuating the myth of the inaccurate AK 47. “Can’t hit the broad side of a barn with one,” “Only good for spraying bullets at a quarry wall,” “Commie pieces of junk,” etc, etc. The constant criticism of the alleged inaccurate behavior of the AK 47 is born from lingering Cold War propaganda and people who pick up a rifle that is generally too small for most Western people. Some folks also try to extract target rifle accuracy out of a weapon that is only built for combat levels of accuracy and has only rudimentary iron sights.

However, the myth of the inaccurate AK 47 is just that. The last AK I owned was a cheap Romanian underfolder with a wobbly stock, and I would routinely break clay birds at 100 meters offhand with it, which only reinforces my claim that you have to know what you are doing with an AK. Many AK’s are capable of taking a scope, and you’ll be amazed at how good they are with optics on them. So forget the rumors, and take a look at the 4 best scopes for AK 47 we could find:

Simmons 8 Point Truplex


I love this scope. I have one on my Krag. I have another on my ancient circa 1947 Mossberg .22. It’s the scope I always buy when I want to try a rifle out and decide if I’m going to keep it or not, and honestly if I were scoping a new AK, this would be one of my considerations for the best scope for AK 47. An unusually affordable yet well built scope, I have never felt like I was going wrong buying a Simmons, and it is hard to find such a full featured scope for such a low price.

Simmons Blazer Scope 3-9X40 Black 510513 Optics Shooting Hunting Gaming Unboxing

Aimpoint Pro

If you’ve got an AK scope mount with a built in Weaver rail, then you can enjoy all the modern optics on the market. AR-15’s have already proven the benefit of a compact red dot on a carbine, and there is absolutely no reason not to enjoy one on your AK. The Aimpoint Pro is built from the ground up to be the perfect red dot for a carbine that sees use outside the range. Its lightweight and compact construction do not change the balance of the rifle, and advanced technology allows you to turn it on and leave it on for up to three years with a single battery, ensuring that your red dot will be ready when you need it to be. Affordable, yet combat reliable, I can’t think of many better choices for an advanced optic for your AK.

Aimpoint PRO - Best Self-Defense Optic?

UTG CQB Bug Buster


This is a nice little scope with a funny name. I like compact scopes on carbine sized rifles, which make this one of the best AK scopes you can find. With three to nine power magnification, it is ideal for a intermediate cartridge like the 7.62x39mm and will deliver reliable accuracy beyond the effective range of most AK’s. Like any quality scope, it is water, fog and shock proof, has fully coated optics for optimal light transmission, and as an added bonus includes a free sunshade. Take a close look at this UTG if you want a nice compact scope on your AK.

AR-15 SCOPE REVIEW - UTG 3-9X32 1" BugBuster Scope RGB

Bushnell Banner Illuminated Reticle Scope


This is another pretty nice optic. Illuminated reticle scopes make for some of the best scopes for AK47, as they allow you to better place your crosshairs over a target in low light and poor weather conditions. Bushnell makes some fantastic scopes at very reasonable prices. This is the sort of scope you might expect to find on a nice hunting rifle, so it is certainly at home on a good AK 47. If you are looking to really see the accuracy potential of your AK, take a good look at the Bushnell Banner.

Bushnell Banner 3-9x40 BDC Riflescope

More Info on AK 47 Scopes

As originally designed by the legendary Mikhail Kalashnikov, the AK 47 had no provision for mounting optics and was a strictly military gun. In the decades since, Russia and many other nations have built civilian legal copies, sporting versions, and even sniper rifles based off the stupidly simple AK 47 action. The AK 47 action has been adopted for machine guns, .308 hunting rifles, and the ever popular 7.62x54r that the Mosin Nagant is chambered in. Given the global popularity of the AK as a sporting and sniper rifle, various means to mount a scope were quickly worked out.  (See our extensive article on the best AK scope mounts.)

The most common method is by means of a standard Soviet rail mount on the left hand side of the action. This mount accepts both military standard mounting bases as well as commercial bases which provide a Weaver or picatinny style base to mount on. Other AK 47 mounts include dust cover mounts, rear sight mounts, and clamp on gas tube mounts. It is generally held that the best way to mount an AK 47 is with a standard side rail. From there, you can use almost any scope you feel like. Most folks running a standard AK 47 choose a nice compact scope to go with the clean lines of the rifle.

The best scopes for AK 47 rifles, though will be the one that meets your specific needs. I have a friend who built a long barrel AK 47 and put an enormous scope normally meant for long range shooting on it. It is so large that it extends past the rear sight. However, it is a rather accurate rifle and always surprises people at the range. If you are using your AK 47 to hunt, you probably want a decent scope with an illuminated reticle and about a three to nine magnification range. The 7.62x39mm cartridge is for all intents and purposes nearly identical to the classic 30-30 cartridge that has been a favorite of American hunters for over a century.

Some people use their AK 47’s for home defense or ranch rifle use. Certainly it is an ideal platform for such uses, given as it is a very reliable and affordable rifle platform. In that role, the best AK scope will probably be a nice compact unit, light weight, and of medium magnification. This provides an optimal scope for the cartridge and typically closer in use you would have in a tactical or ranch rifle role. No matter what though, the AK 47 is rather accurate, and a good rifle is more than suitable for target shooting, hunting, or self defense. The myth of the inaccurate AK 47 was born of national pride, propaganda, and half truth myths passed around gun shops and internet forums. Decades of proven military sniper use, as well as use as a popular hunting platform in numerous calibers proves the myth a lie. Get the best scope for AK 47 rifles, and your already nice rifle would be even made nicer—and deadlier.

  • Owner of Reloaderaddict.com, Boyd Smith is a major handgun enthusiast, and although he owns Glocks, he prefers the revolving wheel type. His go-to guns are a Smith & Wesson 642 Performance Center for carry and a Ruger GP100 in the nightstand biometric safe (he has kids). He loads both revolvers with old-school 148-grain Federal Gold Medal .38 wadcutters. It’s OK if you think he’s a wimp. Email him.

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