Things You Need to Know Before Choosing Crossbow Scopes

May 30, 2024

If you use a crossbow, you will notice that aiming accurately with your eyes is by no means an easy task (ignoring my words if you are an excellent marksman). Especially when you have to shoot at long distances. Fortunately, a crossbow scope can be your “magic third eye”, assisting you to aim precisely and to acquire your target quickly. Then, choosing a good scope for you is the very first step to being a marksman.

What do you have to know before selecting a crossbow scope? 

Today, VictOptics will introduce the characteristics you should consider when choosing the best crossbow scope, such as illuminated crossbow scopes, thermal or night vision crossbow scopes, red dot crossbow scopes, and the best budget crossbow scopes. After reading this blog, you can choose the best scope for your crossbow.

Crossbow Scope OPSL30 VictOptics

Illuminated Crossbow Scopes

First, what is an illuminated crossbow scope, and why do you need it?

An illuminated crossbow scope means that there is an illuminated reticle on the scope, which uses a battery-powered light to enhance visibility in low-light conditions. The illumination can make it easier to aim and shoot accurately.

This feature is particularly beneficial for hunting or target shooting in dusk or dawn hours when lighting may be limited. Additionally, it often offers multiple brightness intensities, and you can adjust the intensity of the reticle to adapt to changing lighting conditions.

With the help of an illuminated reticle, you can aim clearly at dusk or dawn, ensuring precision in low-light conditions.

Our scopes offer dual-color dot illumination, allowing you to choose between green and red. What are the advantages of this feature? The answer is simple: versatility.

Green dots remain highly visible even in the brightest light, while red dots provide excellent contrast in forest or grassland settings.

This dual-color option ensures you have optimal visibility in any environment. Check out the red and green illumination intensity comparison in the picture below.

Illuminated Crossbow Scope with Green and Red Reticles

Featuring double colors of dot illumination, the OPSL30 SCB 2-5X24 crossbow scope is a good choice when you have to use your bow on various backgrounds. This scope offers variable power 2-5X magnification, making it suitable for short to mid-range to long shots. It has green and red reticles for you to switch from. They are calibrated in 20-yard increments from 20 to 100 yards but are consistent and accurate beyond ranges needed for hunting. You can calibrate your crossbow scope speed (300-475 FPS) to the speed of your crossbow and then adjust the magnification ring to your crossbow speed. It has 60 MOA windage and elevation adjustments in total.

Thermal Crossbow Scope or Night Vision Scope?

Well, we have mentioned above that an illuminated reticle can provide better reticle visibility when at low lights. Then, what if we want to shoot at night? If you are fond of night hunting, an illuminated crossbow scope will not be available anymore. Under this circumstance, you will need a thermal crossbow scope or night vision crossbow scope to help.

Then, there’s a new question, that is, how to choose, a thermal scope for a crossbow or a night vision?

Let’s learn about the working principles of thermal scope and night vision for crossbows first.

Thermal scope uses infrared radiation to detect objects (heat signatures), which means that no light will be involved in the process. As long as there are objects that give up heat, you can detect their existence with little effort.

A night vision system can present a clear image of objects by amplifying the ambient light in a dark environment. 

In short, you can observe objects at distances and shoot them by using a thermal scope or you can use it in field scanning. While your prey is close to you, you can choose a night vision scope to see a clear image of your prey.

Red Dot Crossbow Scope

When you look through the scope, you see a little red dot that helps you know exactly where your arrow will go when you shoot.

With the help of a red dot crossbow scope, aiming can be much easier for you.

It’s especially helpful when you’re hunting because it helps you aim quickly and accurately, even if your target is moving.

Compared to magnified crossbow scopes, one advantage of the red dot scope is free eye relief, which means you can use the scope with two eyes open. Therefore, you can quickly acquire your target, and the wide field of view provides a full image of your target. It’s highly recommended in fast-moving games.

Check VictOptics T1 1X30 Red Dot Scope. It features 3 MOA dot sizes with 11-gear red illumination intensities, making it excellent for moving targets. This red dot sight allows you to keep both eyes open and on your target at all times, and it mounts to a standard weaver rail. 

Overall, a red dot scope makes it simpler and more precise to shoot your crossbow, which can improve your chances of hitting your target successfully.

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