5 of the best hunting scopes

These 5 great riflescopes are ideal for hunting, with something to suit every budget and taste!  

GPO Spectra 3-15x56i 

Overview: Compact, versatile and finished to a very high standard, the GPO Spectra shows excellent poor-light performance in its price bracket with a rich colour balance and a flat focal field of view spanning 11.1-2.3m at 100m, with true edge-to-edge clarity. 5x zoom range scope running from 3-15x magnification; windage and elevation dials give 10mm at 100m clicks, corresponding precisely to 0.1mrad ballistic calculations. 

Price: £800 

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Schmidt & Bender 3-21×50 Exos (STII-B Turrets) 

Overview: Separating distance markers from mechanical zero, one of the finest turret designs the tester has encountered, and superbly tactile feeling clicks. Optical capability is very well-balanced; the Exos is intended to be a long-range hunting scope, prioritising mechanics ahead of ultimate light transmission at 90%. Despite this, the scope shows exceptional low-light capabilities for those dawn and dusk sit outs. 1cm @ 100m (0.1 mRad) clicks and 3-21x magnification.  

Price: £2,945 

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Zeiss V8 

Overview: Built to take knocks but without being bulky, the V8 offers 92% light transmission for a superior clarity of image even at the highest magnification, and exceptional low-light capability.  Each click represents 1cm at 100m and with the V8’s ASV or ballistic compensating turret system you are able to match exactly the trajectory of your chosen cartridge and bullet weight/velocity. Even at the price, the tester dubbed this “the perfect stalking rifle”. 

Price: £2,775 

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Schmidt & Bender 8×56 Klassik 

Overview: The 8×56 specification combines moderate magnification (for longer hunting shots on the hill) with a maximised 7mm exit pupil within one hunting scope. Features an easily engaged illuminated centre dot, and capped turrets concealing tactile zeroing dials with position indicators, offering 1cm at 100m clicks to zero the rifle. Another review that ended with high praise: “For a lightweight stalking rifle, I cannot think of a better optic for experiencing visual delight at dusk or dawn.” 

Price: £1,150 

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Hawke Sidewinder 30 FFP 4-16×50 

Overview: The original Sidewinder was Hawke’s bestselling scope in the UK, and the upgraded version borrows some features from the brand’s exceptional Frontier line, not least of which is the matching mil dot reticule and corresponding clicks on the turrets. There’s no zero stop, but the new witness window gives you an instant overview of where you are in terms of dialled elevation. Beautiful, German engineering at its best, and an absolute steal at that price. 

Price: £599 

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