7 Best Mil-Dot Scopes

Mil-Dot reticle scope is a standard tool for long-range shooting. Many assume that Mil from Mil-Dot reticles stands for military reticles. That is not the case. Mil stands for Milliradian and is a unit to determine the angular measurement.

It is mainly used in the adjustment of firearm sights depending on the angle of sight compared to the barrel. A Mil-Dot reticle has few dots in its horizon and vertical line. And the space in between two dots measures 1mil, which is equal to 3.6 inches (10 cm) at 100 yards.

Hunters or shooters use these scopes for range finding. Such scopes make long-range shooting easier. Estimating the size of a target at a known distance or vice versa is possible with this tool. It allows bullet holdover as well.

So, for any firearm users, Mil-Dot reticle scope is essential for targeting at a distance. It is the need for both beginners and most skilled. Here, we are making a list of the best Mil Dot scope.

Choose optics by magnification, clarity, eye relief, weather sealing, mounting compatibility, and realistic field use. For safe firearm handling around optics, the NSSF safety resources are a useful baseline.

Quick Picks Table

Quick Answer – Top 10 Best Mil Dot Scope

Image Name Price

1. UTG 3-12X44 30MM 36-COLOR MIL-DOT

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3. UTG 4-16X44 30MM SCOPE

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4. BARSKA VARMINT 6-24X50 MIL-DOT

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5. PRIMARY ARMS SLX 2-12X40MM SFP RIFLE SCOPE

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6. VORTEX OPTICS VIPER PST 6-24X50 RIFLESCOPE

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9. UTG 3-9X32 1 BUGBUSTER RGB MIL-DOT

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10. BUSHNELL R3 3-9X40 RIFLESCOPE

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Reviews of the Best Mil Dot Scope

In a standard mil-dot reticle scope, you will get some common features. They might be the same in each one of them, but those common factors make the best Mil Dot scope. The scopes we are reviewing are from some of the best brands.

So, you can rely on them. They are all durable and apt for long-range shooting. We all know how important the dimensions of the magnification and objective lens are. They are responsible for light transmission and optimum clarity. All the mil-dot rifle scope has target turrets.

With the knobs, adjusting the windage and elevation becomes easy. Some of them have parallax adjustment and fast focus eyepiece, as well. When you are hunting, you will face extreme weather conditions. Humidity is evident in this case.

Then, with every gunfire, you are going to withstand recoil. The scopes we are reviewing are all shockproof, waterproof, and rainproof. The protection helps in maintaining durability. We are going to discuss more in our review. So, let’s start.

1. UTG 3-12X44 30mm 36-color Mil-dot

UTG 3-12X44 compact scope is built on the True Strength Platform. It has a unique circuit and housing design. For uninterrupted illumination under heavy recoil, it’s apt. The durable 30 mm tube is sealed and filled with nitrogen.

So, shockproof, fog-proof, and rain-proof. It tackles the harshest of conditions with ease. With the solid of shocks, it is not going to move. So, reliable. Multi emerald coated lenses work in maximizing light transmission.

It has a magnification of 3-12x. On the lenses, it has integrated angled front sunshade. It’s complete with flip-open lens caps. The scope uses premium Zero Locking and Zero Resetting turrets.

It guarantees precise, responsive, and most consistent 1/4 MOA per click windage and elevation adjustment. It is an IE tactical range estimating scope with 36 colors mil-dot. One can change the colors the way he wants.

The colors prove to be handy in different light and weather conditions. For each situation, there is one color that provides optimum clarity. Lighter or darker light conditions don’t matter here. The process happens with just one button click. It also offers a lifetime warranty.

Pros

• Tube built on a True Strength Platform
• A 36-color EZ Tap Mil-Dot reticle
• Best-in-class multi emerald coating
• Continuous illumination under heavy recoil
• Zero Locking and Zero Resetting target turrets

Cons

• Tricky zooming

2. UTG 4-16X44 30mm Scope

It’s a 30mm sturdy aluminum tube with 4-16X power magnification and a 44mm objective lens. The best in class emerald lens coatings ensure maximum light transmission. The mil-dot reticle provides the most optimal aiming and shooting performance.

UTG max strength twist-lock weaver rings make it reliable. It is a UTG Mil Dot scope, therefore, built on the True Strength Platform. The quick power selector ring makes target acquisition and zooming in easy and accurate. It has a field of view of 100 yards.

Equipped with premium lockable and resettable turrets, it ensures fast and intuitive zero adjustments. Retention also takes only a few seconds. The windage and elevation have a wide range due to the size of the tube.

It is completely sealed and nitrogen filled, thus shockproof, and fog-proof, and rainproof as well. The scope also features the innovative EZ-TAP Illumination Enhancing System. This system works with red/green in dual-color and 36 colors in multi-color mode.

Both the mode keeps the precision intact in any light and weather conditions. 1-Click Technology allows quick access to brightness and color. It has a built-in sunshade complete with flip-open lens caps.

Pros

• Emerald coated lens
• EZ-TAP Illumination Enhancing System
• Quick access to color and brightness
• Lockable and resettable turrets
• Sealed and nitrogen filled

Cons

• Heavy

3. Barska Varmint 6-24×50 Mil-Dot

The Tasco Varmint 2.5-10x42mm has been discontinued, so we’ve updated this pick to the Barska AC10050 Varmint 6-24×50, a higher-power mil-dot scope built for the same intermediate-to-long-range varmint hunting role.

It carries a genuine Mil-Dot reticle with an adjustable objective for correcting parallax error at different ranges, and the 1/8 MOA click adjustments give precise, repeatable windage and elevation control.

The 1-inch tube is fully multi-coated for a clear, bright sight picture, and the scope is built to handle airgun recoil as well as centerfire rifles, with waterproof, fogproof, and shockproof construction. It ships with scope caps and a lens cloth.

Pros

• Genuine Mil-Dot reticle with adjustable objective
• 6-24x power range for intermediate to long-range shooting
• 1/8 MOA click adjustments for precise windage and elevation
• Waterproof, fogproof, and shockproof construction

Cons

• Stock can run limited since this model restocks periodically

Note: The original Tasco Varmint 2.5-10x 42mm has been discontinued, and Tasco no longer offers a current Mil-Dot model in this line. We’ve replaced this pick with the Barska AC10050 Varmint 6-24×50, a comparable mil-dot varmint scope from a different manufacturer. Availability on this listing can run tight between restocks, so check current stock before buying.

4. Primary Arms SLX 2-12x40mm SFP Rifle Scope

The original Primary Arms 4-16×44 SFP has been discontinued, so we’ve updated this pick to the current Primary Arms SLX 2-12x40mm SFP, which keeps the same Second Focal Plane design so the reticle size stays consistent across the zoom range.

It uses the illuminated ACSS Nova Fiber Wire reticle with MIL subtensions for range estimation, integrated target ranging, and moving-target leads, adjustable in precise 0.1 MIL clicks with 100 MOA of elevation and 80 MOA of windage travel.

The 40mm objective lens is fully multi-coated for a clear, bright sight picture, and the compact 30mm tube is waterproof and shockproof. It’s backed by the Primary Arms Lifetime Warranty, transferable with no proof of purchase required.

Pros

• Illuminated ACSS Nova Fiber Wire reticle with MIL subtensions
• 0.1 MIL precision click adjustments
• Compact, lightweight 30mm tube design
• Primary Arms Lifetime Warranty, no proof of purchase required

Cons

• Lower top-end magnification (12x) than the discontinued 16x model

Note: The original Primary Arms 4-16×44 SFP Rifle Scope has been discontinued. We’ve replaced this pick with Primary Arms’ current SLX 2-12x40mm SFP, the same brand’s in-stock SFP scope with a MIL-based illuminated reticle.

5. Vortex Optics Viper PST 6-24×50 Riflescope

The original Vortex Viper 6.5-20×50 has been discontinued, so we’ve updated this pick to the current Vortex Viper PST Gen I 6-24×50, which keeps the same 30mm one-piece tube machined from aircraft-grade aluminum and the same waterproof, argon-purged construction.

This model moves to a First Focal Plane design with the EBR-1 reticle, a hashmarked MOA reticle that still lets you range targets and hold over for bullet drop and wind, just in MOA subtensions instead of mils.

Extra-low dispersion glass and Vortex’s anti-reflective coatings keep the image bright and sharp, the Customizable Rotational Stop makes returning to zero fast after dialing, and a fiber optic turret indicator gives a clear tactile reference point.

Pros

• Same rugged 30mm aircraft-grade aluminum tube as the original
• EBR-1 hashmarked reticle for ranging, holdover, and windage
• Extra-low dispersion glass for sharp, bright images
• Customizable Rotational Stop for fast return-to-zero

Cons

• Reticle is MOA-based rather than the original’s Mil-Dot subtensions

Note: The original Vortex Optics Viper 6.5-20×50 Mil-Dot has been discontinued. We’ve replaced this pick with Vortex’s current Viper PST Gen I 6-24×50, the same brand’s in-stock long-range scope, now with an MOA-based EBR-1 reticle instead of Mil-Dot.

6. UTG 3-9X32 1″ BugBuster RGB Mil-dot

This one is comparatively shorter, considering other Mil Dot scopes from the same brand. So, it is ideal for Airsoft assault rifles as they have short barrels. Portability is the key feature here. It is a 1-inch tube and has a variable 3-9X power magnification and 32mm objective lens.

It has all the essential features of USG scopes, which make them distinctive from others. Built on a True Strength Platform, it features Red/Green dual illumination. The lenses have emerald coatings on them for maximum light transmission and optimum clarity.

It works in any light conditions, lighter or darker. It absorbs shocks well with the heaviest of recoil. Water intrusion is null and void as it is completely sealed and nitrogen filled.

The target turrets with 1/4 MOA per click adjustment allow for consistent and precise windage and elevation adjustments. Not only that, lockable and resettable turrets make zeroing easy.

It has the apt field of view and eye relief for Optimum Critical CQB Mission. The scope has a 2-inch sunshade and high-quality lens caps, which flip-opens. the quick-detachable rings allow for sturdy mounting.

Pros

• 1-inch tube built on True Strength Platform
• Emerald Coated lenses with red/green dual illumination
• Range Estimating Mil-dot Reticle
• Zero lockable and resettable turrets with 1/4 MOA Per Click adjustment
• Has 2″ Sunshade, flip-open lens caps and quick-detachable rings

Cons

• Not as efficient for weapons with longer barrels

7. Bushnell R3 3-9×40 Riflescope

The original Bushnell Trophy 3-9×40 Mil-Dot has been discontinued, so we’ve updated this pick to the current Bushnell R3 3-9×40, which keeps the same magnification and objective lens size in Bushnell’s current lineup.

It replaces the Mil-Dot crosshair with Bushnell’s DOA-QBR reticle, a drop-compensating design built for precise holdovers without needing to dial turrets for every range change.

Bushnell’s HD Optical System delivers brighter, higher-contrast images, and the EXO Barrier lens coating repels water, oil, dust, and debris. The single-piece aircraft-grade aluminum tube is IPX7 waterproof and shockproof.

Pros

• Same 3-9×40 magnification and objective as the original
• DOA-QBR reticle built for precise holdovers
• HD Optical System for brighter, higher-contrast images
• EXO Barrier lens coating and IPX7 waterproof construction

Cons

• Drop-compensating reticle rather than the original’s Mil-Dot crosshair

Note: The original Bushnell Trophy 3-9×40 Mil-Dot has been discontinued. We’ve replaced this pick with Bushnell’s current R3 3-9×40, the same brand’s in-stock scope at the same magnification and objective size, now with a DOA-QBR holdover reticle.

Frequently asked questions

Q: What is a mil-dot reticle?
A: A mil-dot reticle is a crosshair pattern used in rifle scopes to help the shooter estimate the range to the target.

Q: What is the benefit of using a mil-dot scope?
A: Using mil-dot scope allows for more accurate range estimation, making it easier to adjust for bullet drop and windage, resulting in more precise shots.

Q: How do I use a mil-dot reticle?
A: To use a mil-dot reticle, the shooter must first determine the size of the target in mils using the reticle. Then, the shooter can use the mils to estimate the range and adjust their aim accordingly.

Q: What is the magnification range of the best mil-dot scope?
A: The magnification range of the best mil-dot scope can vary depending on the model, but it typically ranges from 3-15x to 6-24x.

Q: What is the objective lens diameter of the best mil-dot scope?
A: The objective lens diameter of the best mil-dot scope can vary depending on the model, but it typically ranges from 40mm to 56mm.

Q: Can I use a mil-dot reticle for hunting?
A: Yes, a mil-dot reticle can be used for hunting to estimate the range to the target and make accurate shots.

Q: What is the best mil-dot scope for long-range shooting?
A: The best mil-dot scope for long-range shooting will have a high magnification range and a large objective lens diameter for maximum light transmission.

Q: What is the best brand for mil-dot scopes?
A: Some of the best brands for mil-dot scopes include Vortex, Leupold, and Bushnell.

Q: Can I use a mil-dot scope for airsoft or paintball?
A: Yes, a mil-dot scope can be used for airsoft or paintball, but it may not be necessary as the ranges are typically shorter.

Related reading: rifle scope magnification guide and spotting scope vs binoculars guide.

Final Thoughts

Scopes are a tricky tool. And Mil-Dot rifle scopes are the easiest of them all. But, not with an average scope. Using the best Mil Dot scope becomes mandatory. Especially for easy sighting in. We have done our research well to let you know what is best for you. We have discussed scopes for both the long and short barrel.

Mounting the scope on the rifle depends on the size of the barrel and scope. Then, comes different magnification power and objective lens. Some have variable power magnification and some fixed. The larger the objective lens, the better the light transmission. Choose the right magnification according to your needs.

Keep in mind that such tools need proper maintenance. They are durable and ready for combating harsh conditions. But with appropriate care. Not just that, a bit of knowledge about how the scope works are essential, as well. It makes your shooting and hunting experience much better. So, spent on the best one and have a happy hunting experience.

Read also : The 10 Best Thermal Binoculars