Last Updated on March 15, 2021
When there is no deer season a hunter needs to keep himself busy by hunting coyotes, varmints, or smaller games. Coyotes attack animals like birds, mammals, and might damage harvests, pets, livestock, or even threaten humans. So, coyote hunting is necessary to minimize loss and ensure safety. Besides, it’s a thrilling sport and more people are engaging day by day. Like other hunting tasks, the best coyote scopes are necessary for a good hunt.
Choosing the best scopes for coyote hunting is not easy. But don’t worry, we’ve come to give you a detailed guideline on perfect scopes for coyote hunting. We hope our comprehensive coyote/varmint hunting scopes guide will help you find the best ones worth your money. So, enjoy it!
Top Choices
5 Best Coyote Scopes Reviews for Hunting Coyotes with Scope
01. Nikon P-223 3-9×40 Mate BDC 600 Coyote Hunting Scope
Nikon’s P-Series riflescopes are precisely developed for AR-15 rifles. The trajectory-compensating reticles of this Nikon P-223 offer shooters unique open circle aiming points and hash marks from 100 to 600 yards. Its multicoated optical system provides up to 98% light transmission and maximum brightness from dawn to dusk.
The body is made of aluminum that makes it durable enough. It’s fully waterproof, fog-proof, shock resistant, nitrogen-filled, and O-ring sealed, which means you can take it in rough weather with great confidence.
This best scope for coyote hunting with AR offers a wide field of view which will help you to make shots of moving targets. Your eyebrow will be safe for its consistent eye relief even with the heaviest recoiling cartridges, lightweight rifles, and severe shooting angles. The device has 100 yards’ parallax setting which eliminates parallax for precise shooting. It has hand turn tactical style of 1/4-MOA, zero-reset turrets for positive click reticle adjustments to get you zeroed in a quicker way and maintain your setting even with repeated recoil.
Different versions of this P-series are P-223 which is engineered around the .223 Rem/5.56 mm NATO round with 55-grain polymer tip bullet, the P-300 BLK for the 300 AAC Blackout cartridge, and the P-308 for the 308 Winchester/7.62mm NATO round.
This product has some limitations or health hazards but it’s a nice one considering the quality. As it’s a mid-long-range shooting scope you can give it a shot for coyote hunting or varmints.
Pros:
- Hand-turn tactical style of 1/4-MOA
- Field of View 11.3 – 33.8 ft @100 yds
- Consistent eye relief
- 100 yards’ parallax setting
- Weather-resistant
- Best rated coyote scope
- 3-9x magnification
- Lightweight
- 1/4-MOA hand turn tactical style turrets
Cons:
- Will be exposed to chemicals
- Little problem with turret knobs
02. Simmons 8-Point 3-9x50mm Rifle Scope with Truplex Reticle
The Simmons 8-point offers surprisingly more high-quality features for the price than any other in its class. It is easy to mount and delivers outstanding precision in a basic riflescope with QTA (Quick Target Acquisition) eyepiece for easy target acquisition. This is matte black finished, waterproof, fog-proof, and recoil proof. The lenses are fully coated to provide brighter and higher contrast images.
There is an exclusive windage and elevation adjustment system true-zero fingertip to lock tight to zero through even in the most strenuous conditions. It provides 1/4-MOA sure-grip audible-click windage and elevation adjustments. That means you can adjust effortlessly and dial in your shot.
The scope offers you enough eye relief and clear sight. Whenever you want a budget-friendly but wonderful scope then Simmons 8-point is a great choice.
Pros:
- QTA facility for easy target acquisition
- 50 mm objective lens
- Varying field of view
- Easy to mount on a rifle
- Truplex reticle
- Lightweight
- Waterproof, fog proof, and recoil proof
- 3-9x magnification
- Exclusive windage and elevation adjustment
- Best budget coyote scope
Cons:
- Little bit of problem with focus adjustment
- Windage and elevation not perfectly adjusted
03. ATN X-Sight II HD 3-14x Smart Day/Night Rifle Scope for Coyote Hunting
This is one of the best long-range rifle scopes, comes with some smart HD technology. Some of its advanced features are a smart rangefinder, HD video recording, Wi-Fi streaming, GPS, smartphone control, e-compass, barometer, etc. It offers you crystal clear vision both day and night with millions of colors. It is durable and nicely weather resistant.
ATN X Sight II HD allows you to determine your target distances automatically with two clicks, hence you don’t need to carry extra range finding equipment. It offers you a large field of view at 1000 yards. One of the astounding features of this product is its ballistic calculator. You just enter the environmental data and it will determine exact ballistics for expert long-range and angled shots. (insert another article link)
RAV (Recoil Activated Video) allows you to record all your hunting trips in 1080p HD mode, nothing of your outing’s moment will be missed. There is a built-in gyroscope that helps to keep images steady and blur-free. The Smart e-compass will navigate by showing you your heading. You can tune smoothly zoom adjustment for perfect magnification.
The battery pack allows using all features of the device for 22 hours continuously without changing batteries. To illuminate the scene at night infrared illuminator is activated which allows 3x better than your stock IR. This product will not dishearten you because of its outstanding features. It gives you a VIP lifetime warranty.
Pros:
- HD resolution images
- 1080p HD video recording
- Recoil activated video option
- Wi-Fi streaming, smartphone compatible
- Smart rangefinder
- Best featured coyote scope
- E-compass, GPS
- Ballistic calculator
- Weather-resistant
- 3-14x magnification
- Day and night vision
- Nice Battery Pack 20000mAh
- VIP lifetime warranty
Cons:
- Sometimes blurry images at night
- Pricey
04. Bushnell AR Optics, FFP Illuminated BTR-1 BDC Riflescope
The Bushnell AR scope consists of the first focal plane illuminated bar reticle and ballistically calibrated reticle with 11 settings. It wonderfully performs in low light conditions and accurate holdovers out to 500 yards. This device has exclusive quick power change options for throw down PCL (Power Change Lever). Like other Bushnell products, it’s popular for optical precision, rugged reliability, and uncompromising performance.
This best varmint scope for AR is crafted from high durability aluminum alloy, anodized finish. Due to its small, compact design, it’s very lightweight. The optics are fully multi-coated so you will get the best optimum brightness through this. It will remain dry if you dip it into the water for up to 30 minutes because of its waterproof construction. There are O-ring sealed to prevent the entry of dust or moisture and nitrogen purged to remove any vestige of internal moisture. This is rustproof, virtually scratchproof and a beautiful complement to even the most expensive firearm.
This AR optics is compatible with a wide variety of hunting rifles like the henry 44 magnum. It offers a capped turret for pinpoint precise adjustments. It allows you uncompromising performance during coyote hunting. In short, it can be your best scope for coyote hunting with AR 15.
Pros:
- Mid-range accuracy
- 11 settings of the reticle
- PCL lever for quick power change
- 1-4x magnification
- First focal plane
- O-ring sealed
- Easy to zero turrets
- Lightweight coyote scope
Cons:
- Lower magnification
- Not fully waterproof
- Poor eye relief
05. Vortex Crossfire II 6-18x44mm AO Riflescope, DEAD-HOLD BDC
Crossfire II scope has almost every option you want in a moderate price range. There is a Dead-Hold BDC reticle which is good for hunting and shooting at variable ranges. The optics offer you long eye relief and an ultra-forgiving eye box that help to the fast-focus eyepiece, easy reticle focusing, and quick sight viewing. The reticle is SFP (second focal plane) style which does not visually change in size when you change the magnification.
This provides you fully multi-coated, anti-reflective lenses that allow bright and clear sight with image focus and parallax removal. It is waterproof, fog-proof so you can use it in different environmental conditions. The tube constructed from aircraft-grade aluminum which ensures strength and shockproof. This vortex varmint scope is filled with nitrogen purged and outer O-ring sealing to ensure the product is weather resistant. The scope has resettable MOA turrets so you can easily reset to zero.
It allows you both for shooting and tactical hunting situations without any hesitation. This Vortex coyote scope has large magnification so it performs well for deer or coyote hunting or similar game hunting like turkey.
Pros:
- SFP reticle style
- Long eye relief
- Adjustable parallax
- Resettable MOA turrets
- Fully multi-coated and anti-reflective lenses
- 6-18x magnification
- Weather-resistant
- Perfect for Coyote or deer hunting scope
- Extra camo hat
Cons:
- Slightly heavy
Buying Guide of Best Scopes For Coyote Hunting
Now you are familiar with the perfect coyote scopes, but the journey is not finished yet. You’ve to consider several key factors for purchasing a coyote hunting scope. These considerations discussed below will help you to choose the best ones:
Reticle and Focal Plane for Coyote Hunting Scopes
There are various styles of the reticle, now that it’s hard to choose one. Every reticle has its own special purposes like these quality hunting monoculars or awesome target shooting scope has its own specialty. Different types of reticles include single dot, mil-dot, duplex, crosshair, BDC, etc. The Dots or crosshairs display the position of your aiming point to make a perfect shot.
BDC reticle is the best choice for extreme long-range shooting according to some experts. It offers unique aiming points that improve your precision and bullet drop compensation. Nocturnal creatures or varmints that are active at night or mid-day, you can’t hunt them with low-grade scope. You need good night vision rifle scope or high-quality low light scope to hunt them. Some hunters may choose BDC reticle others may choose plain reticle depending on personal preference. But if you choose the BDC reticle you’ll need some practice to adjust to it.
Another important decision you’ve to take while choosing between the scopes with a reticle positioned in the first or second focal plane. When the reticle maintains the same perspective with the target size throughout the magnification range is referred to as the first focal plane (FFP) and it is preferred by the long-range shooters. On the other hand, the second focal plane (SFP) means when you increase the power zoom, the target appears larger but the reticle will stay the same size.
You can choose a bright and clear reticle as it can help you improve sighting in low-light conditions, mainly when hunting during dawn and dusk.
Lenses for Coyote Hunting Scopes
The performance of scopes largely depends on the quality of the lenses. The lenses must have a multi-coating, anti-reflective finish, and high-quality glass. We recommend you to buy products from a quality manufacturer.
You need to select a larger objective lens for a clear and brighter image of your target. A larger diameter gathers more light as a result, you will get a brighter image. Choosing the objective lens diameter between 40mm to 50mm is a wise decision.
Magnification
Magnification power is important when your shooting with top-notch long-range scopes. When you go hunting larger animals less magnification is well but when you want to hunt smaller animals, larger magnification is a must. It’s simple to use, zoom in to see magnified targets to make a perfect shot. When necessary just zoom out as you desire.
Magnification largely depends on distance, environment, and shooting conditions i.e. 22lr benchrest scope shooting. Common magnifications are from 4x-10x for scopes for shorter range engagements and 15x-25x for the longest-range shots. Keep in mind, the higher up you go in magnification the worse the field of view you will get. You can accommodate a nice hunting light for predators similar to that of the quality coyote hunting lights for greater visibility whilst hunting.
Protective Features
There are few protective features for a good scope like scopes for Marlin 336 that ensure the product to be weather resistant or not. Before Buying a scope, you must check the product description for the following features. Main protective features include waterproof, fog proof, O-rings seals, nitrogen filling, shockproof, etc. These features ensure the product to be used in rough and tough conditions.
Price
Budget is always a prime factor for purchasing anything, definitely, it’s your own choice. You know better what can you afford. There is no surety that you’ll get the best product for spending more. You’ve to spend smartly and wisely. To get nice products, discuss with the experts, or read our review thoroughly. We suggest you optimize your budget but at the same time be flexible if necessary.
Warranty
Most of the branding scopes come with some sort of money-back guarantee or lifetime warranty. Always check the warranty, after-sales service, and customer feedback before purchasing any scope. These features are equally important as product costs. Some products may offer a limited warranty with great performance. Choose which you like.
Other Features to Check for the Best Coyote Hunting Scopes
A good scope consists of various attractive features. We recommend that scope that will provide facilities like larger eye relief, parallax adjustment, easy use of turrets for windage and elevation adjustments, illumination adjustment, and good battery life.
Night Vision and Day Vision
We have mentioned only the scopes that work great in the daytime. If you are planning to go for night vision scopes, you will have to increase the budget or you can try coyote hunting lights while hunting coyotes at night. You can also think of getting the perfect coon hunting lights in this regard. Almost all night vision device types cost more than those of day vision like this Vortex Razor HD scope. And due to the evolution of night vision technology, devices are getting more available in the market day by day.
If you are planning for hunting, you should consider hunting and bird watching monocular, for a simple trip you can try hiking or backpacking monocular, for squirrel hunting you can try a good squirrel hunting scope for 22 LR. And if you are just willing to practice target shooting, you have great options too or you can choose the most famous one like this Vortex Red Dot Sight. Also, if you are addicted to red dot sights like me, consider these game-changing red dot magnifiers.
MRAD vs MOA
When windage and elevation changes are major factors during shooting, you need to choose the right scopes. MRAD and MOA are two measurement systems for scopes. The ‘Milliradian’ is abbreviated as MRAD usually shortened to mils (a mil is not for military) whereas MOA stands for “Minute of Angle”.
Technically MOA is 1/60th of an angular degree, which means your rifle is expected to strike a 1-inch circle at a hundred yards. Whereas, MRAD strikes 3.6-inches at 100 yards that are approximately 3.44 times of MOA in each milliradian. Each radian (57.3-degree) divided by 1000 is called a milliradian.
Although there is no special advantage to choose one of them over another. Most of the professionals use MRAD reticles aka for its multiple options, others use the MOA system. It should be kept in mind, best doesn’t compare to popularity, it’s a personal choice.
Conclusion
Whenever you go for buying the best long-range coyote scope you will get various suggestions. In this case, experience varies due to user performance, product quality, environmental conditions, etc. The best practice is- try to learn some coyote hunting tips, how to use a scope perfectly then go hunting your game. For a different taste, try bowhunting with a quality bow sight like the awesome single pin sight for bowhunting.
While purchasing the best scope for coyote hunting with AR, you’ve to consider many factors. In this article, we’ve tried to cover the main points. We’ve listed the best products of different price ranges for different customers. I hope this guide helps you to make the perfect purchase. Enjoy your coyote hunting!
Kalman is a hunting expert who has a vast experience with wild game hunting. Though night time hunting is his favorite, he masters the art of daytime hunting and shooting. Being a nature lover and outdoor enthusiast, he wants to pass the knowledge acquired over time to the next generation.
