How do you fire at your opponent in a paintball game? Take a careful aim and shoot, right? How many times did you miss the long-range shots? Even a pro marksman can miss his target. Many factors affect the success of the shot.
And when you consider the difference between a real sniper rifle and the one designed for paintball, you will notice how the latter is not as accurate or powerful as the real one. Of course, there’s a reason for it. Paintball is a fun game, not a war.
Okay, but how do you increase your chances of hitting the target? How can you improve your aim and eliminate more opponents on the paintball field?
Well, a rifle scope should solve the problem. It’s an attachment you fit on the top of a sniper rifle to get a better aim at your target and shoot them with paintballs. Many professional players like to have this accessory as it makes them better marksmen. After all, who doesn’t want to win the game for their team?
Rifle scopes don’t usually come with the rifles. You will need to buy them separately. Of course, you have to consider different factors such as compatibility, weight, range, etc., before purchasing the scopes.
This is where we step in to help you choose and make an informed decision. We have compiled a list of the top 5 best paintball rifle scopes in the market and talked about them in detail. We’ve also listed the types, the advantages of using them during a paintball game, and the factors to consider when buying a paintball scope.
If you are a regular shooter and take part in shooting/ hunting events, you will find it even more useful to own a proper rifle scope. So, shall we start reading about them?
Table of Contents
- 1 Table of Contents
- 2 Quick Comparison Table!
- 3 The Best Paintball Rifle Scopes For The Money
- 4 #1 Twod Rifle Scope Tactical 6-24X50mm AOEG/3-9x40mm Optics Hunting Rifle Scope - EDITOR'S CHOICE
- 5 #2 CVLIFE Hunting Rifle Scope 6-24x50 AOE Gun Scope with Free Mount - Best Affordable Scope
- 6 #3 Primary Arms Classic Series 4-16x44mm SFP Rifle Scope - Best for its Appearance
- 7 #4 FSI Sniper 6-24x50mm Scope W Front AO Adjustment - Best for Long Range
- 8 #5 Bushnell Rimfire Optics 6-18X40 Riflescope - Best for its Compatibility
- 9 Buying Guide for the Best Paintball Rifle Scopes
- 10 Wrap Up: Our Choice
Table of Contents
Quick Comparison Table!
Twod Rifle Scope Tactical 6-24X50mm AOEG/3-9x40mm Optics Hunting Rifle Scope
4.8
4.6
The Best Paintball Rifle Scopes For The Money
#1 Twod Rifle Scope Tactical 6-24X50mm AOEG/3-9x40mm Optics Hunting Rifle Scope - EDITOR'S CHOICE
- Quality
- Price
- Our Rating
The first rifle scope on our list is by Twod. It comes with a 50mm objective lens diameter and 4~24x magnification. The scope is very accurate and can hold zero in the roughest conditions as well. You don’t need to worry about often adjusting the lens to get a better aim. Isn’t that great? What else does the scope offer? Let’s see.
Features & Benefits
Design
One thing we absolutely love about this scope is its durability and sturdiness. It can sustain rough use and last for a long time. The lenses have been hard anodized to make them scratch-resistant.
Though it is longer and even slightly bulkier, paintball players swear by this model. They are more than happy with using the scope as it gives them various opportunities to get the best shot of the target.
Key Features
- The scope comes with two flip-up lens covers, one-inch scope rings, sunshades, wrenches, and a rubber eyepiece. The scope is affordable and worth the price we pay for it.
- The adjustments are easy to make. They won’t mess with your concentration.
- Some users said it doesn’t look too good or trendy, but we say it’s a great choice for the price.
- The eye relief appears to be a bit of trouble for some users.
- Eye relief is the ratio/ factor that keeps enough buffer space between the eyes and the scope. This is done to ensure that the scope wouldn’t hit your eye when you fire a shot.
Pros
- The company offers prompt customer service
- The zoom works without any jerks
- The reticle offers green and red dots to choose from
- Comes with various accessories
Cons
- It’s a bulkier model; not for everyone
- The eye relief isn’t that good
#2 CVLIFE Hunting Rifle Scope 6-24x50 AOE Gun Scope with Free Mount - Best Affordable Scope
- Quality
- Price
- Our Rating
Clive is famous for the various rifle scopes it manufactures. We are talking about the one with 24x magnification and 50mm objective lens diameter. The scope offers a field of view of 28 feet at 100 yards. It is a sturdy and reliable model, just like the previous one. It comes for an affordable price and is liked by many paintball players. Let’s check the features in detail, shall we?
Features & Benefits
Design
The scope is made of black-coated aluminum and is waterproof, shockproof, and fog-resistant. That said, it’s not 100% effective against these elements. It comes with a red and green illuminated reticle. You can choose between either color.
The eye relief is quite good for this model. It is 3.52 inches, which is the standard measurement. The lenses are coated, though they are not the high-end quality. But we can hardly expect the highest quality for affordable prices.
Key Features
- The scope is weather-resistant and can be used in almost all seasons.
- It can sustain rough usage and still hold zero without any difficulty.
- The length is one issue that doesn’t work in its favor. It is 16 inches and can be too long for many rifles.
- And since the weight of the scope increases in proportion to its length (in this case), this one is a bulky scope for a paintball rifle.
- The magnification, zoom, and adjustments are great in this model. You won’t have any issues with those.
- However, remember that there is no instruction manual. You have to learn from the internet.
Pros
- It comes with polarized lens covers
- Windage and elevation don’t cause problems
- Holds zero with effortless ease
- Has a sturdy build
Cons
- The focus rings need tightening
- There is no instruction manual
#3 Primary Arms Classic Series 4-16x44mm SFP Rifle Scope - Best for its Appearance
- Quality
- Price
- Our Rating
The third rifle scope on our list is by Primary Arms. This one is famous for its appearance and performance. The scope is filled with nitrogen gas so that it works great even during the monsoons. The model is used by both paintball players and shooters. With 4~16 magnification, it may not be the best scope out there, but it sure does offer more than decent results on the field.
Features & Benefits
Design
The scope looks classy and elegant. It comes with knobs on the side to adjust the lens and parallax for accuracy. The reticle is illuminated for better visibility. However, the mil-dot reticle seems to be a little tough to work with (at least initially).
That said, the scope has 12 brightness settings for the reticle. The unit runs on a single battery, so you should make sure not to end up with a low battery in the middle of the game.
Key Features
- The tube size of the scope is 30mm. It has an objective lens diameter of 44mm, which is pretty much the standard number and highly suitable for paintball fields.
- The eye relief is 4 inches. Cool, right?
- Since the scope is made of strong and durable aluminum, you don’t have to worry about its lifespan.
- Some users said that the scope wasn’t holding zero, while others assured that it was doing the same exceedingly well. We guess it depends on the individual piece and the field conditions.
Pros
- Made of durable aluminum
- Has an eye relief of 4 inches
- It is a good-looking rifle scope
- Good value for the price
Cons
- The mil-dot reticle is not easy to use
- Some users complained about the scope not holding zero
#4 FSI Sniper 6-24x50mm Scope W Front AO Adjustment - Best for Long Range
- Quality
- Price
- Our Rating
This sniper scope is more famous among hunters for the accuracy and long-range it offers. Some professional paintball players prefer this scope, especially for the lenses, adjustments, and range. The objective lens diameter is 50mm, and the magnification is 6~24x. Both these aspects work in favor of the scope. Let’s see a little more about it, shall we?
Features & Benefits
Design
The body of the scope is made using high-grade aluminum alloy. This makes the scope lightweight and durable at the same time. The lenses are multi-coated and are fog-resistant, weather-resistant, and shockproof.
The elevation and windage turrets have lockable rings that make it easy for you to secure the settings. You are not required to keep adjusting them often. The scope comes with a load of accessories, including a three-inch extended sunshade to protect the lens.
Key Features
- The scope has a mil-dot reticle with options to choose between red, green, and blue dots. It also has three illumination settings.
- The company has tested the scope for recoil, majorly caused by rifles with high calibers. The scope can hold zero without any glitches or issues.
- The scope’s adjustments are at the front so that it’s easy to fine-tune the view and get an accurate aim on the target.
- However, the mount is small and isn’t long enough to sit on bigger rifles. This can be tricky for some users. Though, it shouldn’t make much difference to paintball players.
- The scope is versatile in its use and delivers high results every time. But the battery is not powerful enough and needs to be replaced quite often.
Pros
- Multi-coated lens for improved clarity
- A lightweight model with a sturdy and durable construction
- It works great on long range fields
- The parallax distortion has been controlled
Cons
- The battery has low life and needs frequent replacement
- The mount can be a bit too small for some rifles
#5 Bushnell Rimfire Optics 6-18X40 Riflescope - Best for its Compatibility
- Quality
- Price
- Our Rating
The last scope on our list is by Bushnell. It offers good clarity, is easy to use, and works with most sniper rifles in the market. It offers a decent magnification from 6~18x. The objective lens diameter is the standard size of 40mm. This is an affordable model with many hits and a few misses. Shall we read more about it?
Features & Benefits
Design
Bushnell is a famous brand in the market. Paintball players, hunters, shooters, etc., like to use scopes by this company. This rifle scope is no different. It has gained good points for being a decent and reliable model.
The scope is durable and has been built to last. Its body is in matte black, adding to its good looks. It has a multi-X reticle and allows side parallax adjustment. The adjustment is so good that there is no chance for parallax error.
Key Features
- The scope comes with 3 turret caps. Though they work quite well, some users complained about the occasional trouble with elevation turret.
- The tube size is 1 inch.
- The rimfire application is noteworthy.
- The clarity of the lens is the highlight of this model.
- Some users wished it had a mil-dot reticle, but the multi-x reticle causes no problems.
- The scope is easy to use- set zero and hold zero most of the time.
- The caps seem to be a little cheap, but hey, considering the price of the scope, we say, it offers quite a lot of advantages.
- The best part is that the scope can be mounted on most of the rifles in the market. That’s something not very common.
Pros
- The lens is clear and offers great clarity
- It is a durable model
- Worth the price
- It has a good side focus
Cons
- Some users complained about the scope not holding zero
- Issues with elevation turret at times
Buying Guide for the Best Paintball Rifle Scopes
Wasn’t that a super cool list of paintball rifle scopes? Each of them has its own merits and demerits, and that is why we need to be fully informed before making a decision. Before we understand the factors that influence our buying decision, let’s check out the different types of rifle scopes and what sets them apart from each other.
Types of Paintball Rifle Scopes
The following are the different types of rifle scopes we see in the market.
Night Vision Scopes
A night vision scope makes use of natural light during the night to detect the shape/ form of the target. It uses moonlight and the brightness of the stars to show the presence of a being. While it is quite useful in shorter distances, it doesn’t work effectively for long distances. The scopes also don’t work when there is a lack of natural light, i.e., on new moon nights or cloudy nights when it’s too dark outside.
Thermal Scopes
Thermal rifle scopes detect the presence of another being based on the thermal energy they emit. If it is daytime or nighttime, doesn’t matter. The scope uses thermal radiation as a source and highlights the people/ animals who enter the vicinity. These are the most expensive scopes in the market.
Prismatic Scopes
A traditional rifle scope uses a series of lenses to focus on an image. But the prismatic scopes are different and make use of a glass prism instead. This is done to improve the design of the scope while retaining the benefits such as magnifying the target, better focusing, reticle illumination, and more.
Infrared Illuminators
These are another type of night vision scopes and are more expensive compared to other models. Of course, they are less expensive compared to the thermal scopes. However, the infrared models cannot be used during the day time. They can get damaged due to exposure to daylight, and can also harm your vision if you are not careful. The scopes use infrared rays to detect the target and point out their presence even from long distances.
Scopes for Picatinny Rails and Weavers
Scopes have to be fitted to the top of a sniper rifle, right? But there needs to be some sort of attachment where we can fix the scope. Rifles either have weavers or Picatinny rails for this purpose. These rails can also be used to fit other rifle attachments.
A Picatinny rail has slots that are 0.206 inches wide. The center to center grove gas a width of 0.394 inches. The scopes made for a Picatinny rail will not fit the weaver rails, but the reverse is possible. Make sure to buy a rifle scope based on the paintball sniper rifle you own. You don’t want to end up with something that doesn’t fit.
Advantages of Using Paintball Rifle Scopes
Some of you might be hesitant to invest in rifle scopes. It’s natural to think that marksmanship is more important. It is true, to an extent. But when there are tools to make you a better paintball player, why say no to them?
- The rifle scope lets you have a better aim at your target. It magnifies the person and makes them appear closer. This will increase your chances of hitting them with the paintball.
- You can see if the person you are aiming at is also aiming at you. This gives you the added advantage of shooting them before they shoot you.
- You can be more alert and focused when you aim at a target. The scope lets you concentrate on the shot.
- Scopes make it easy to target opponents on large paintball fields. Just make sure you are well-hidden. Or you will end up shot when aiming at another target.
- If your paintball game extends into the night, you can use the night vision scopes to spot the targets. You don’t need to use flashlights and highlight your presence.
Factors to Check – out When Buying the Best Paintball Rifle Scopes
At last we come to the list of factors you need to consider before buying a paintball rifle scope. Shall we see what they are?
Length and Weight of the Scope
It shouldn’t be surprising that these are the first two factors we need to keep in mind. After all, paintball gear is heavy enough. Why do we want to add more to it? A heavy scope would result in a heavier gun. And when you attach the hopper and the tank to it, well, it’ll feel more like lifting a canon rather than a rifle. The length of the rifle is equally important. Choosing anything longer than the rifle will ruin your aim and give the opposite results.
Magnification
Magnification is nothing but the ability of the scope to show the target closer and with more clarity. It is counted in the multiples of 4’s or 6’s. A scope with 4x magnification will reduce the distance of 100 yards to just 25 yards. A good rifle scope would be the one with varying magnification, with the highest being around 24x. We have seen three such scopes on our list, isn’t it?
Battery Life
A laser scope with red/ green dots is powered by batteries. Even the reticles are illuminated by batteries to glow and highlight the target during cloudy and low light conditions. If you plan to buy a laser model, you will need to choose the one that offers a longer battery life. It just wouldn’t do if the scope stopped working halfway through the paintball game because the battery died.
Reticles
A reticle is the marking (the cross sign) you see when you look through the scope. The reticles help in having a better aim at the target. Depending on the model, the reticles can be thick or thin. They can also have colored dots to see the target with more clarity. Mil-dot reticles come in two-three colors. The player can choose the color they prefer to use during the game.
Field of View
The field of view is the distance from left to right of a scope. It tells us how much area the scope can cover for a single position. Zooming allows you to narrow the field of view and magnify the region you want to focus on. The field of view is considered in feet at 100 yards. The magnification is less, the FoV number would be higher, and vice versa.
Adjustment
A rifle scope should naturally allow you to make a few adjustments to the default settings. Magnification is one. Fine-tuning the reticles is another. This helps reducing the margin of error and getting a better shot at the target. Remember, we have to factor in the wind, the actual distance, the range of the rifle, and the bullet’s power. Just because the target appears closer through the scope doesn’t mean the bullet/ paintball will reach them. Parallax adjustment is another important factor.
Types of Lens and its Coating
The lenses of the scope are coated to make them durable and efficient. Similar to paintball masks, even the scopes have an anti-glare and anti-fog lens that increases visibility and lets you use the equipment in different weather conditions. Scratchproof and waterproof are two other coatings we get on the lens. Scopes can have a lens with single coatings or multiple coatings. It depends on the model and the price.
Objective Lens Diameter
When you read the specifications of a rifle scope, you must have seen something like 24x50mm. The 24x is the maximum magnification of the lens, and the 50mm is the diameter of the objective lens. This size signifies the amount of light that can go through the lens. The standard diameter is 40mm. Some scopes have a 50mm objective lens diameter, and some have 75mm.
While 50mm is popular and in demand, the one with 75mm is not recommended for everyone. It can be relatively hard to find the center of the lens with such a wide diameter. The result would be a sloppy shot and inaccuracy, despite using the scope.
We’ve seen in the above factor the disadvantages of using an objective lens with a larger diameter. Let’s see what would happen if it’s too small. Well, if a lens has 32mm diameter with 4-16x magnification, the view through the scope would be brighter at 4x and darker at 16x. That would make it harder to see at full magnification. We can confidently say that the ideal diameter of the objective lens would be around 40mm to 50mm.
Wrap Up: Our Choice
And we are almost done with paintball rifle scopes. So have you decided which one to buy? Are you still not sure? In that case, we would recommend the Twod Rifle Scope Tactical 6-24X50mm AOEG Hunting Rifle Scope.
As we have seen above, the scope is affordable, durable, reliable, and can be used in the roughest conditions. It offers good magnification and clarity. Considering the features and benefits, the Twod Rifle Scope Tactical 6-24X50mm AOEG Hunting Rifle Scope is definitely worth the price.
