How to Choose a Rifle Scope: A Practical Buyer's Guide
Magnification, objective size, focal plane and reticle are the four decisions that matter most. Here is how to match a scope to the way...
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Field Notes
Product guides, equipment care and buyer education from the D&R team.
MOA vs MIL: Which Rifle Scope Turret Is Right for You?
Both measure angles, both work, and neither is 'more accurate'. The real rule is simpler: keep your reticle and turrets in the same unit....
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First Focal Plane vs Second Focal Plane (FFP vs SFP)
In an FFP scope the reticle grows and shrinks with magnification; in an SFP scope it stays the same size. That one difference changes...
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Red Dot vs Holographic Sight: How to Choose
Both are fast, both are parallax-friendly, but they create the reticle in completely different ways — and that drives battery life, reticle choice and...
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The LPVO Buyer's Guide: 1-6x, 1-8x and 1-10x Explained
A low-power variable gives you red-dot speed at 1x and magnified precision up top. Here's how to choose between 1-6x, 1-8x and 1-10x and...
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Pistol Red Dots and Optic Footprints, Explained
The hardest part of a pistol optic isn't the optic — it's making the footprint, slide cut and plate all agree. Here's how the...
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Do You Need a Magnifier for Your Red Dot?
A magnifier turns a fast red dot into a mid-range optic on demand. Here's when it's the right call, and when an LPVO is...
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How to Choose Your First Spotting Scope
Magnification, objective size and tripod pairing decide how useful a spotting scope really is. Here's how to get all three right the first time.
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Scope Mounting Guide: Rings, Bases, Height and Torque
A great scope on a poor mount will never hold zero. Here's how to choose rings, set the right height, level the reticle and...
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ACOG vs LPVO: Choosing a Close-to-Mid-Range Combat Optic
A fixed-power ACOG and a variable LPVO solve the same problem two different ways. Here's how battery-free durability stacks up against true 1x versatility.
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How to Zero a Rifle Scope: A Simple Step-by-Step
Boresight, pick a distance, fire a group, adjust off the center of that group, confirm. Here is the whole process without the guesswork.
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How to Mount and Zero a Pistol Red Dot
Get the footprint and torque right, co-witness your irons, then zero at a realistic distance. Here's the clean way to set up a pistol...
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