What power scope do I need for 400 yards? Discover more as we go through the Best Scopes for 400 Yards.
Hunting enthusiasts know having the right equipment makes the outdoor experience better. If you have been planning on buying a mid-range riflescope, it’s imperative to look into the best options in the market.
A quality scope is an important tool for all kinds of shooters or hunters whether amateurs or professionals. It helps to improve your accuracy and makes you a better shooter ultimately.
What Makes a Great Scope for 400 Yards
To shoot accurately at 400 yards, a high-quality rifle scope is paramount. Several attributes will set apart the best scope for 400 yards from ordinary scopes. At the heart of every scope is the magnification power.
For you to land successful shots, you need to focus enough on the targets and so excellent magnifying is essential. The minimum power needed for this yardage is 400 yards and maximum magnification is dependent on the size of the target. Smaller targets need more power than large targets.
The other important thing to expect in a scope for 400 yards is excellent optics. The lenses should be made of superior glass with proprietary coatings on all air-to-glass to enhance the light transmission. You need high clarity and resolution when focusing on distant objects.
Reticle design is also part of the optical construction of the scope. There are several reticle options to choose from. Duplex reticle provides a perfect balance between visibility and precision making it a prime choice for hunters. It also facilitates quick target acquisition which is essential in the hunting fields.
Mil-dot reticles are a game changer for precision shooting and if you intend to engage in long-range shooting or target practice choose a scope with this reticle type. Be sure to match your reticle units with the turrets on the scope for consistent results.
Quality build is essential in rifle scope for 400 yards. The tube housing the optics should be made of high-quality materials to offer resilience and long-term use. To ensure reliable performance the tube should be purged with dry gases and fully sealed to prevent internal fogging.
Lastly, the scope should be functional and easy to use. Turrets for elevation and holdover should make truthful adjustments for accurate shots. A parallax adjustment knob should also be included to remove the parallax with focusing on distant targets.
Best Scopes for 400 Yards-Our Top Picks
#1) Vortex Diamondback 4-16x44mm Rifle Scope
Check Price on Amazon Check Price on Opticsplanet
The Vortex Diamondback 4-16x44mm Rifle Scope is the best scope for 400 yards, it comes packed with incredible features including a First Focal Plane reticle, Fast Focus Eyepiece, Magnification Rib, Hard Anodized Finish, and fully multicoated optics. With its XD Lens Elements, you get unparalleled resolution and color fidelity for incredibly crisp and sharp images which comes in handy crucial for long-range accuracy. Fully Multi-Coated optics with proprietary coatings, maximize light transmission while reducing glare for a clear and vibrant sight picture even in challenging lighting conditions. The First Focal Plane Reticle is a game-changer when it comes to long-range shooting, as it maintains consistent subtensions at all magnifications, allowing for precise holdover and ranging. The Glass-Etched Reticle adds durability and reliability, encased between layers of glass. A 30mm tube size provides a generous internal adjustment range and unyielding strength, ensuring your adjustments are accurate and reliable. Crafted from aircraft-grade aluminum, this scope is solid, rugged, and shockproof, built to withstand recoil and impact.Its waterproof and fogproof construction, complete with O-ring seals and nitrogen gas purging, guarantees optimal performance in any environment. The Hard Anodized Finish not only contributes to its durability but also minimizes glare, camouflaging your position. The Precision-Force Spring System ensures repeatability and ease of adjustment, while the Precision-Glide Erector System guarantees smooth zoom lens mechanism operation. The Fast Focus Eyepiece simplifies reticle focusing and facilitates quick adjustments during intense action. With all these features combined, the Vortex Diamondback 4-16x44mm Rifle Scope is the pinnacle of long-range precision, making it the perfect companion for those looking to excel in shooting at 400 yards. Pros
Specifications
Cons
|
#2) Vortex Viper HS 4-16x44mm Rifle Scope
|
#3) Burris Veracity 4-20x50mm FFP Riflescope
|
#4) Vortex Optics Crossfire II AO, SFP 30mm Tube Riflescopes
Check Price on Amazon Check Price on Opticsplanet
Available in different sizes The Crossfire II riflescope has a long eye relief and an ultra-forgiving eye box enabling you to get a sight picture quickly and acquisition of your target. Its fast-focus eyepiece enables quick and easy reticle focusing. The scope also has capped reset turrets that are finger adjustable and have MOA clicks that can be reset to zero after sighting in. Nonetheless, the scope is strong and shockproof as it has a single-piece tube constructed from aircraft-grade aluminum. It has waterproof and shockproof performance due to the o-ring seals and nitrogen purging. The lenses of the scope are anti-reflective and fully multicoated for bright and clear views. Pros
|
#5) NightForce NXS5.5-22x56mm Riflescope
Check Price on Amazon Check Price on Opticsplanet
This riflescope has a nitrogen construction that ensures waterproof performance. With it, you are also assured of a shockproof performance. It also has an illuminated MOAR Reticle. Get Exceptional optical integrity, speed, and accuracy in all situations, this scope is Pros
Specifications
Cons
|
#6) Leupold VX-5HD 3-15x56mm Riflescope
Check Price on Amazon Check Price on Opticsplanet
The VX-5HD 3-15×56 is flexible and has a 56mm objective ball that maximizes as much exit pupil light as your eye can handle. The scope can dominate the mountains, and open plains to range day. Relentless versatility is defined by this scope. With this scope, shooters and hunters can adapt to any environment as it has wide magnification ranges. It is also rugged and reliable. Nonetheless, the scope has a free CDS elevation dial that simplifies longer shots by removing the need for ballistics calculations or holdovers by using a customized dial. Pros
Specifications
Cons
|
You May Also Like to Read: Best Scopes for Precihole NX200
Factors to Consider when Choosing the Best Scopes for 400 Yards
Lens Size and Coatings
You need a large objective lens and tube to bring in maximum light to get a crisp clear image of the target. A crisp image makes it possible to target out to 500 yards when shooting. The lens coatings are also key in improving image clarity. Nevertheless, they help with keeping water and dirt to make the scopes fog-proof.
Generous Eye Relief
Consistent and generous eye relief is necessary and convenient. It ensures that your brow is protected from impact and recoil. Eye relief also prevents eye strain particularly when you have spent too much time in the field.
Warranty
A good warranty is very useful as it helps you get the best service out of your product and also ensures that your money is spent well. Carefully read the description of your item before buying to check the details of the warranty.
Durability
A rifle scope that lasts for a long time is a good investment. With the latest technology, there are various ways to make rifle scopes durable. Some materials even undergo heat treatments to improve their steel instead of using plain steel.
Some materials use aircraft-grade aluminum type of materials that are of high strength and durable. In other words, choose a scope that has reputable durability. Also be sure to check the scope’s resistance to fog, water, snow, dust, and shock.
Focusing
It is essential to have an improved and superior quality of focusing as the visuals and aiming depend on how well the scope can focus. The lens and eyepiece should thus be put into consideration before making a purchase decision.
The objective should be adjustable and the eyepiece a fast focus. The lens should be of high quality and help in better focusing. The objective lens should range from 40 to 45 mm to help in good focusing.
The size of the lens should be right; it should not be too large or too small. A smaller size may worsen optimum vision while a larger size may lead to difficulty when holding the scope.
What Magnification Do You Need for 400 Yards?
When shooting 400 yards, it is important to have the right magnification. The right magnification lets you zoom in on the target without blurry vision problems.A magnification level of around 10x to 16x is often considered appropriate for shooting accurately at 400 yards
When shooting from a distance, the success of a shot is dependent on how you acquire the target. No wonder the right magnification is paramount. The best riflescopes for 400 yards, should have a minimum power of 4X.
In some situations, you may require greater magnification especially when the target is small and when ambient lighting is not perfect.
There is also the question of whether to use fixed or variable magnification. We root for variable magnification as it offers greater flexibility. The extra versatility to zoom out and see more of the terrain is a valuable incentive when hunting.
Nevertheless, when you find a riflescope that has a fixed magnification power that befits your needs, there is no problem buying the scope.
Best Scopes for 400 Yards Advantages
- Made for Long Distance Use
A lot of rifles cannot handle anything that exceeds a couple of hundred yards. Using these rifle scopes enables you to aim and shoot with greater accuracy.
- Enhanced Magnification
These scopes are usually equipped with special features that make them more usable. Their magnification is enhanced to ensure that your aim will still be accurate even from hundreds of yards away.
- Premium quality optics
The optics of these scopes have been specially designed for greater clarity, maximum transmission of light, and brightness.
- Durable
They are made with high-quality materials such as aircraft-quality aluminum which enhances strength and durability means that they last for a long time
- Waterproof, fogproof, and shockproof performance
The scopes can be used even in extreme weather conditions as they have o-ring seals and nitrogen purging that prevents moisture from reaching the inside. They are also able to withstand recoil and impacts.
Best Scopes for 400 Yards FAQs
Q: What is the Purpose of Windage and Elevation Adjustments on a Riflescope?
A: The windage adjustment on a riflescope lets you shift the scope’s aiming point along the horizontal plane. This means that the scope can be adjusted a little to either the left or right. The elevation adjustment of the scope allows you to move the aiming point of the scope vertically along the plane. They are both used to sight your scope
Q: What is the difference between SFP and FFP?
A: The second Focal Plane shows where the reticle is placed inside the scope’s optical system. Reticles in the First Focal Plane are mounted ahead of the major optical train, meeting up with the image being viewed before everything is magnified.
The image and reticle get smaller together while maintaining the same scale to one another no matter the magnification. Reticles in the SFP are mounted oppositely and meet up with the image being viewed after it’s already been magnified. The image will grow and shrink with magnification but the reticle will not.
Conclusion
Having the right scope for 400 yards will make your hunting experience more fun and enjoyable and generally make your life easier. The scopes elucidated above will sufficiently satisfy your requirements whether you will use them for hunting, target practice, or in a competition.
See Also: Best Vortex Scopes for 223 for Bolt Action Rifle, Varmint, Coyote Hunting