Best Rangefinder Scopes

Welcome to my review of the best rangefinder scopes for 2020!

Rangefinder scopes are one of the best accessories you can add to your rifle. While they are absolutely on the higher end of the price range, a rangefinder scope is going to make you a more efficient and ethical shooter in the field.

Here are the best range finder scopes

Swarovski dS 5-25×52 P
Burris Eliminator IV Laser Scope 4-16x50mm
Burris Eliminator III LaserScope 3-12x44mm

Best Rangefinder Scopes For 2020

Range finder scopes are a great way to quickly range an animal and get a shot off in a relatively quick manner. But, buying a low quality range finder scope can cause many problems for you. Going dark, bulk, bad batteries, etc all come packaged up in a low quality rangefinder scope. So to avoid this, these are the absolute best rangefinder scopes for 2020.

Swarovski dS 5-25×52 P

The best rangefinder scope that you can get is the Swarovski DS 5-25x52P. It’s one of the most technologically advanced rangefinder scopes that has incredible calculated shot adjustments and range-finding abilities.

Pros:

Up to 1500 yards of range-finding capabilities
Automatic shot adjustment
Sleek design
Extremely quick ranges
Great optics
Eye relief of 95%
Bluetooth connection through app

Cons:

Expensive
Heavy (38.4 oz)

The Swarovski dS 5-25x52P is the best rangefinder scope that you can get for 2020. Money no object. It uses an app with a bluetooth connection to accurately range and calculate distances. It’s super simple, just type in the elevation and where you sighted your scope and rifle in, and as you change elevation, the rangefinder scope will automatically adjust for you.

There’s no guesswork involved, this scope literally takes the pain of trying to adjust on a turret and ranging the target or whatever it might be, and does the grunt work. This gives you the ability to be shooting upwards of 800 yards accurately, without having to worry about whether or not the scope is dialed or not, because it will be.

With other cheap rangefinder scopes on the market, there are definitely issues of scopes going dark, leaving you with a worthless scope. That is not the case with this one because of it’s up-to-date technology. Swarovski is one of the most trusted brands in the scope industry, no doubt.

Negatives of the Swarovski dS

There is an incredible amount of technology packed into a single scope, so it is a little bit larger and heavier than other rangefinder scopes on the market. But there’s a reason for that, it’s the most powerful and accurate rangefinder scope on the market. There is simply no possible way to high quality features in a scope in this one’s stature, and not have additional weight and size added to the equation.

There is a major downfall of the price though too. It costs upwards of 4,500 dollars, but that’s the price to pay of a great scope. It’s also not just any scope either, it has an extremely quick rangefinder that reaches up to 1500 yards, shot adjustment technology and incredible optics for shooting.

Overall the Swarovski dS 5-25x52P is one of the best rangefinder scopes on the market, if not the one hundred percent best, but you’ll have to pay for it! Keep in mind that this scope is taking all of the grunt work out of the typical work that normally has to be put in, and doing it for you. The result? Deadly accurate shots, time and time again. Check the latest price of it on amazon here.

Related: How To Use a Rangefinder Scope

Burris Eliminator IV 4-16x50mm

The Burris Eliminator rangefinder scope is the second best rangefinder scope of 2020. It was released earlier this year and no doubt, it’s one of the better scopes on the market. It doesn’t come with the same price tag as the Swarovski above, but still has some great technological advancements to allow you to make great shots in the field, time and time again.

Optics

This scope has optics of 4-16×50 mm allowing for long range shots. The glass is crystal clear and it allows a lot of light in, for low light shooting conditions.

For most rifle hunters, this scope is sufficient in terms of range.

Rangefinder

The rangefinder on this scope is one of the strongest. It has the capability of reaching out to 2,000 yards which is very impressive. Even better than a lot of rangefinders.

Software

New for 2020 this scope has increased ballistic software compared to previous rangefinder scopes. This scope features a new system that allows you to make quicker and more accurate adjustments. It has a calculator on board that offers you more data, sooner. Making this rangefinder scope one of the most advanced in the world.

The Eliminator IV also has Bluetooth activation which allows for quick ranges of an animal.

With the click of a button, this rangefinder scope will make an adjustment for the wind to provide the most accurate shot. It also has a digital inclinometer which will give you the freedom of making accurate and precise shots in the mountains, up to 45 degrees.

Overall: Burris Eliminator IV 4-16x50mm

This is surely one of the best range finder scopes for 2020. It has supreme technology just released for 2020, great optics, long range finding abilities, and overall awesome technology inside. There is really not much more to ask for in a rangefinder scope!

Eliminator III LaserScope 3-12x44mm

The Eliminator III LaserScope 3-12x44mm is the next best rangefinder scope that you can get in 2020. It’s very similar to the Burris above, but a few years older and slightly less power. Overall though, the Eliminator 3 Laser Scope 3-12x44mm is one of the best rangefinder scopes on the market and it will surely excel in the field.

Optics

The magnification of this rangefinder scope is 3-12x44mm. That is obviously going to be less magnification than the previous scope, but some hunters aren’t going to need such a powerful scope.

There is a large upside to getting a less powerful rangefinder scope. For one, it weighs a whole lot less. You aren’t going to be carrying a million pounds of extra weight into the woods, when it’s not completely necessary.

Obviously the scope is also more compact. It’s smaller, and it doesn’t get in the way as much compared to its larger companion, the Eliminator Laser Scope IV 4-16x50mm.

Another large benefit of getting a less powerful optic on your scope is that the view of your animal will come into range quicker. There’s a broader field of view, and so it takes less time to find your animal. The downfall is obviously that the animal is a smaller target when you’re looking through your optics.

Range

The Burris Eliminator III has the capability of reaching out to 1,200 yards with non reflective targets, and 750 yards with reflective targets. Which is essentially giving you 750 yards of ranging animals out in the wild, as you most likely will not be ranging metal plates or anything reflective. 750 yards should be sufficient for a wide variety of hunters.

Software

This rangefinder scope will work on basically every rifle, and can also even work on slug guns. It has software that is better than previous rangefinder scopes. The remote cable feature uses PTT style wiring, which is also used on military grade tactical gear. You are going to be getting a high end setup with advanced technology in this rangefinder scope.

Programming

Burris will ship a programming book along with the purchase of your Eliminator 3 enhanced software scope. Otherwise, you can go to their website to learn how your scope works. You will learn how to program your scope based on the elevation, atmosphere, and the size of the bullet that you are using.

Overall

The Burris Eliminator Laser Scope III 3-14x44mm is one of the best rangefinder scopes available in 2020. It has a max ranging distance of 1200 yards, is lightweight, compact, and brings animals into view very quickly. It also has premiere level software to help you make the most accurate shot every time.

Things to remember in getting a rangefinder scope

When you are purchasing a rangefinder scope, don’t skimp and buy an inexpensive one. You are going to find yourself with a lot of problems, very quickly. Remember, this scope has to accurately judge the distance of an animal while also having the high quality glass to provide an accurate shot.

A poor quality rangefinder scope has several issues. For one, the technology might not be suitable for long hours in the field. Many times rangefinder scopes will actually go dark on you, and not the “going dark” on Call Of Duty. We’re talking about the bad kind that leaves you wondering why your scope isn’t turning on anymore, leaving you without a rangefinder, or a scope. This may be due to poor manufacturing, or even bad batteries, but either way it leaves you with a worthless scope out in the field.

Another reason you want to make sure the rangefinder scope that you are purchasing is of high quality, is bulkiness concerns. Typically scopes that feature rangefinders inside of them have a lot of bulk because there are a lot of gizmos and gadgets inside of the scope. You are essentially trying to fit two very important pieces of equipment into a single piece of gear. And when you throw batteries into the mix, well, the scope has dramatically increased in size.

Get yourself a low quality rangefinder scope and you might have just added a lot of unnecessary technology, weight and bulk to your setup. Whereas if you get a great rangefinder scope, you’ll get far better technology and usually they are quite a bit less bulkier. Win-win situation.

Why you should get a rangefinder scope

Rangefinder scopes are very convenient out in the field. With such a scope, you have the ability to do exactly what the name sounds, range the distance of an animal, and shoot it at the same time. They’re extremely quick and efficient when it comes to making a clean kill out in the field. And that’s the overall goal, to make a clean shot for a quick kill.

Many such range-finding scopes also have additional technology that allows you to record video, adjust for wind, and also night vision optics. These are all great benefits that you could probably use out in the field, but sometimes you have to be careful of the rangefinder scope that offers all of the latest and greatest features in a single package. It really might not be as great as it sounds, unless the price point is high enough so that it’s reasonable to have all the extra technology.

Weighing the pros and cons of a rangefinder scope is up to you. Do you want to have the feature of having a rangefinder inside of your scope but risk a potential breakdown in the field? Or are you ok with carrying extra batteries out into the field, just for insurance that your scope doesn’t shut down on you?

I personally believe that the rangefinder scope is one of the coolest gadgets on the planet, when they are working. You might quickly find out that your scope is either the most awesome combination of rangefinder and scope, or that it is a big jumbled mess on the top of your gun.

If you are going to go ahead and purchase a rangefinder scope, you want to buy the best. Don’t bother buying a junky rangefinder scope as it will suck. Trust me.