Most game animals are nocturnal, which forces hunters to go hunting in either the early twilight or early dawn hours. If you belong to this group of hunters, consider choosing the best low light hunting scope is essential.
Here are the best low light hunting scopes (Apr 2024 Update):
- Best For Hog Hunting: ATN X-Sight 4K Pro Smart Day/Night Rifle Scope
- Best For Long-Range Hunting: Monstrum G3
- Best For Turkey Hunting: Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn 616185
- Best For Experienced Hunters: Leupold VX-3i
- Best For Deer Hunting: Trijicon TR22
| 5 Best Low Light Hunting Scopes | ||
|---|---|---|
Best For Hog Hunting | ATN X-Sight 4K Pro Smart Day/Night Rifle Scope | |
Best For Long-Range Hunting | Monstrum G3 | |
Best For Turkey Hunting | Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn 616185 | |
Best For Experienced Hunters | Leupold VX-3i | |
Best For Deer Hunting | Trijicon TR22 | |
Best For Hog Hunting: ATN X-Sight 4K Pro Smart Day/Night Rifle Scope
- Perfect for hog hunting in low light conditions up to 250 yards - IR light & enhanced HD night vision mode
- Easy to take videos or photos - Recoil Activated Video
- Able to stream videos to a smartphone at HD resolution while recording to an SD card - Dual Stream Video Recording
- The IR light emits a small RED glow, which will be seen by hogs
- The plastic guard doesn't work well
- Wish the cover for the SD card was better
The ATN X-Sight 4K Pro Smart Day/Night is a durable, long-lasting, and workhorse of a low-light hunting scope, ranking high across nearly every metric in our tests.
The waterproof construction lends well to rainy weather toleration, and with the stock IR light, it is perfect for hog hunting and other game at night with a max range of 200-250 yds.
It also has an enhanced HD night vision mode.
Regardless, everything that we have tried function-wise has worked. Taking videos and taking photos is relatively easy, all thanks to the Recoil Activated Video. Furthermore, while streaming videos to your smartphone at high-definition resolution, it can record to an SD card simultaneously.
A big plus is the adjustable supplied bracket for point of aim.
| ATN X-Sight 4K Pro Smart Day/Night Rifle Scope Specifications | |
|---|---|
Magnification | 5-20x Smooth Zoom |
Objective Diameter | 2-1/2 inches |
Field Of View | 1000yds = 240ft. |
Highlight Features | IR light & enhanced HD night vision mode Recoil Activated Video Dual Stream Video Recording |
The ATN X-Sight 4K Pro Smart Day/Night Rifle Scope is designed to meet everything that even a perfectionist hunter might need for hog hunting.
Best For Long-Range Hunting: Monstrum G3
- Offer ultra-long-range hunting, up to 1500+ yards
- Holdover correction and faster range estimation - first focal plane MOA reticle
- Eliminate parallax efficiently & offer the sharper focus of the target pictures - adjustable objective lens
- The reticle is a bit fatter than some people’s preference
- The front cap cover is flimsy
Some hunters might want a low-light hunting scope with longer ranges. That’s why we add this option to our review roster.
While it can shoot out to 1500+ yards field of view with 6-24x magnification, the added first focal plane MOA reticle offers holdover correction and faster range estimation.
It also eliminates parallax efficiently as well as offers a sharper focus of the target pictures due to the adjustable objective lens.
Particularly, to enhance the performance in low light conditions, it provides you with different brightness intensity options using the inline dial controlled reticle illumination. For the price, we find it to be well worth it.
| Monstrum G3 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Magnification | 6-24x |
Eye Relief | 4 - 4.5 in |
Objective Diameter | 50 mm |
Field Of View | Long, 1500+ Yards |
Highlight Features | Field of view: 1500+ yards first focal plane MOA reticle adjustable objective lens inline dial controlled reticle illumination |
If long-range is your biggest concern when looking for the best low-light hunting scope, we suggest trying the Monstrum G3.
Best For Turkey Hunting: Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn 616185
- Fast focus - a 16”-long eyepiece
- Not strain down your gun – lightweight yet durable construction
- Bright and clarity - DDB multi coated lenses
- The limited windage adjustment 3-turn stop-to-stop
- The elevation may be slightly askew
The Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn 616185 is a favorite amongst turkey hunters for user-friendly design, extreme focus, and eye relief.
It features adjustable elevation and a 16”-long eyepiece for fast focus. The scope is also built to last due to its 100% fogproof and waterproof construction along with a windproof ¼ MOA fingertip. Can’t deny that it looks beautiful as well!
One bonus is its reasonable weight which eliminates the strain of carrying a heavy gun mounted with a scope.
And it can help you improve your chances of hitting your subject. One of the key elements making it possible is the DDB multi coated lenses for brightness and clarity.
| Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn 616185 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Magnification | 6-18X |
Eye Relief | 3.5 inches |
Objective Diameter | 50mm |
Highlight Features | a 16”-long eyepiece lightweight yet durable construction DDB multicoated lenses |
Featuring good eye relief, user-friendly design, extreme focus, and great brightness – perfect for turkey hunting in low light, what’s not to love this Bushnell?
Best For Experienced Hunters: Leupold VX-3i
- Fogproof, and waterproof - 6061-T6 aircraft quality aluminum, DiamondCoat & temp range of -40ºF to 160ºF
- Shockproof - survive a minimum of 5,000 impacts on The Punisher
- Offer 20 minutes extra of shooting light - glare management and premium edge-to-edge lens clarity
- A bit overpriced
If you’re a predator hunter, we’ve got this option for you – the Leupold VX-3i.
It is crafted of heavy-duty 6061-T6 aircraft-quality aluminum that was tested for lifetime longevity, even under the toughest recoil. For extra durability, it’s constructed with an abrasion-resistant lon-assist DiamondCoat lens coating.
This feature also offers ultra-high light transmission. Combined with the glaring management and premium edge-to-edge lens clarity, it gives you 20 minutes extra of shooting light.
A huge plus is the whole manufacturing progress (including design, machine, and assemble) is conducted in the USA, which ensures quality.
| Leupold VX-3i Specifications | |
|---|---|
Magnification | 3.5-10x |
Eye Relief | 3.6 – 4.5 inches |
Objective Diameter | 50mm |
Field Of View | 11-29.8 ft./100 yd. |
Highlight Features | 6061-T6 aircraft quality aluminum, DiamondCoat & temp range of -40ºF to 160ºF survive a minimum of 5,000 impacts on The Punisher glare management and premium edge-to-edge lens clarity |
If you’re an experienced hunter and looking for the best low light hunting scope, look no further than this option.
Best For Deer Hunting: Trijicon TR22
- An ultra-bright and clear image in low light conditions - Zero-Forward emission and zero-distortion multi-coated lenses
- No-battery illumination - a tritium phosphor lamp and fiber optic technology
- High-quality and rugged - weatherproof aircraft-grade aluminum design
- Lack of flip-up caps
- Expensive
- Huge and heavy
The best low-light scope for hunting deer might be the Trijicon TR22.
While offering ultra-bright and clear image even in low light conditions (all thanks to the Zero-Forward emission and zero-distortion multi-coated lenses), it offers a wide magnification range.
The best part of using this hunting scope is you will never be afraid of it shutting down suddenly because of its battery-free operation.
As using a tritium phosphor lamp and fiber optic technology, it can illuminate the reticle in low to no light while auto-adjusting the clarity and contrast levels of its aiming point to an available light situation.
Additionally, the reticle size keeps constant when you are increasing the scope’s magnification.
The weatherproof aircraft-grade aluminum design might be the last bonus for its unparalleled durability.
| Trijicon TR22 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Magnification | 2.5-10x |
Objective Diameter | 56mm |
Highlight Features | Zero-Forward emission and zero-distortion multi-coated lenses a tritium phosphor lamp and fiber optic technology weatherproof aircraft-grade aluminum design |
By combining excellent high-definition imaging and a large magnification range, the Trijicon TR22 is an all-purpose scope for most deer hunters in low light conditions.
How To Choose The Best Low Light Hunting Scope?
Magnification
For low light conditions, it’s no need to go for a hunting scope with too much magnification because the more you zoom into a target, the more difficult to make shots because you’ll lose more details.
The ideal magnification ranges to go is 3-9x or 4-12x.
Illuminated Reticle
Although this is optical, we still highly recommend you to choose a hunting scope with an illuminated reticle rather than a regular non-illuminated one.
The reason is in the darkness, it’s hard for you to make out the outline of your goal.
The use of a specialized reticle for low-light conditions will help you center your crosshairs at it more easily.
Objective Lens
A low light hunting scope should feature an ultra-large objective lens. Why? Because it will gather as much of the available light as possible from the environment then transmit it into the scope, resulting in clearer pictures given.
The objective lens should be at least 40mm in diameter size.
In the meantime, keep in mind that the larger the lens, the heavier.
Others
Weatherproof: Not only the hunting scope but any tool that’s going to be used outdoors should be built with ultra-durable construction. That helps the scope last a lot longer as well as your money well spent.
Choose a hunting scope with a tube that is nitrogen-purged and sealed with O-rings for ultimate fog-proof and waterproof.
Lens coating: You should go for anti-reflection film for two big advantages – optimize the light-gathering of the objective lens (up to over 90% efficiency) and prevent light from reflecting outward.
Which Brands Make The Best Low Light Hunting Scope?
ANT
Founded in 1995, ANT Corp is nowadays the leading Tech Optics company in this industry. They’re also the pioneer in manufacturing and developing Smart Thermal Imaging optics for ultimate Night Operations as well as 4K Resolution Digital Smart Optics for Day and Night operation.
Monstrum Tactical
The company has been in the industry for nearly 12 years now, specializing in manufacturing rifle parts and accessories. Their products are well-loved for high-quality construction but commonly at ½ of the market’s prices. Top of Form
Bushnell
This might be the longest-standing company in our list, with over 65 years’ expertise in designing and producing the highest-quality, reliable yet affordable sports optics products. Besides, they give you strong retailer partnerships and outstanding customer services.
FAQs
What is a low light scope?
This type of hunting scope is different from the regular design because it doesn’t feature heat sensors or phosphor screens which allow them to see in the dark.
To enhance your visibility in low light conditions, it makes the most out of the available light in the environment.
Can low light hunting scope work well in daylight?
Yes, it can. All you need to do is adjust its low light settings to choose the desired light transmission. Besides, a 4-12x or 4-10x optic comes in handier than a 3-9x scope for use during daylight.
How far can you see with a low light hunting scope?
Up to 1500+ yards, depending on the brand and price ranges.
What magnification do I need to shoot 1000 yards?
10x
Is a 40mm or 50mm scope better?
If you want something to transmit more light, then choose the 50mm scope. But for those who are on a tight budget, and prefer something to be lightweight, compact, less parallax, and offer a great depth of field, a 40mm scope is better.
Conclusion
With a prolific array of low light hunting scopes to choose from, selecting a model to purchase is never easy.
We hope through this complete buying guide, you’ll be able to sort through the options to find the best low light hunting scope for your needs, game animals, and budget. Thanks for reading!
Bryan Listor
