1-4x scope for AR-15 is one of the best scopes for many shooters. AR-15 is a lightweight popular semi-automatic weapon. Arguably the most popular weapons in the United States. The majority of the gun welding population either owns an AR-15 or has at least handled it before. It is that popular.
This is why getting the best scope of all ranges has become more of a necessity than a side note.
Getting the proper scope for this rifle is essential. In this guide, we’ll be seeing some of the best 1-4× scopes for AR-15.
These scopes will help you shoot better, especially when targeting larger objects, shooting at close range objects, needing a quick aim and shot, and a wide field of view. It also brings clarity at distances of around 200 yards if you’re using the 4× magnification.
1-4x scopes for AR-15s will further improve its already good accuracy, make your aiming and shooting faster as most of the scopes have aiming crosshairs that draw your eyes to the target.
The scopes also help to reduce ammo wastage as every shot counts with a scope. Another important feature most users, especially hunters would enjoy seeing that night hunting has become quite popular is its night vision. You can see more clearly in low-light conditions with a scope attached to your AR-15.
To make it easier for you to get a 1-4x scope for your AR-15, I’ve curated a list of some of the best scopes in this range. They consist of both budget and high-end scopes to help your shooting.
Let’s take a look at some of them below:
Table of Contents
Best 1-4x Scopes for AR-15
Before you rush out to buy any rifle scope for your AR-15, you should first read this guide on the best AR-15 scopes with magnification ranges of 1-4x. These scopes fit the usage of the AR-15 perfectly and will make it easier for you to use the rifle.
- Vortex Crossfire II 1-4x24mm Rifle Scope – Our Top Pick
- Trijicon Tri24 Accupoint 1-4×24 Dual-Illuminated Rifle Scope
- Vortex Optics Viper PST Gen I Rifle Scope
- Burris MTAC 1-4×24 Rifle Scope
- Monstrum 1-4×20 Rifle Scope
- Bushnell AR Optics 1-4×24 Rifle Scope
In case you want to know about the scopes, in brief, this comparison table below is tailor-made for you.
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Vortex Crossfire II | • Magnification of 1-4xO • Ring sealed and nitrogen • purged to keep water out | View Price |
 | Trijicon Tri24 | • Magnification of 1-4x • True 1x • Great optics | View Price |
 | Vortex Optics | • Magnification of 1-4x • Finger adjustable • TurretsGas purged and O-ring sealed | View Price |
 | Burris MTAC | • Magnification of 1-4x • CQ 5.56 illuminated reticleBurris • forever warranty | View Price |
 | Monstrum | • Magnification of 1-4x • Lightweight • Rangefinder attached | View Price |
 | Bushnell AR | • Magnification of 1-4x • Perfect for 223 Remington caliberIPX7 • Waterproof design | View Price |
But if you want to get into the details about each of the scopes before making a purchase, this section below is just what you need.
Vortex Crossfire II 1-4x24mm Rifle Scope
Vortex optics are known for their durability, and this vortex scope is no different. It is made with aircraft-grade aluminum and is anodized to increase its strength, making it shockproof to withstand any recoil from the AR-15 rifle.
It also both O-ring sealed and nitrogen-purged to stop fog from forming inside the lenses and keep water out of the rifle; talk about double protection. This allows it to be used in wet conditions without any issues.
Vortex crossfire II comes with an illuminated “V-brite” reticle and has crosshairs and a red dot at the center to further enhance your aiming and speed. The downside here is that this illuminated dot may not be bright enough in some instances.
However, that should be much of a problem as the image quality is great, especially when compared to scopes in the same price range. It is also able to make parallax adjustments with the help of its adjustable objective.
With a 24mm objective lens, multi-coated to prevent scratches and allow enough light into the reticle, you’ll be getting clear images when you look through. It is also a second focal plane type of rifle scope.
It has a ½ MOA graduation per click at 100 yards, which is ¼ inch change in direction, and at only 9.8 inches long, you have a scope you can handle easily. You’ll also enjoy its long eye relief of 4 inches, which will make it easier for you to use this scope for long without undue stress to the eyes.
Pros
- Crosshairs and illuminated red dot increases the speed of aiming
- Nitrogen-purged and O-ring sealed to keep moisture out
- Single sheet aircraft-grade aluminum makes it durable
- Easily affordable
- Multi-coated lenses
- Adjustable objective
- Long eye relief
Cons
- May still struggle with high recoil caused by high caliber
- The illumination is not bright enough
Trijicon Tri24 Accupoint 1-4×24 Dual-Illuminated Rifle Scope
If you’re old school, you’ll love the Trijicon tri24 accupoint scope on your AR-15. There’s hardly any special feature on this scope, but perhaps that draws many users to it.
It focuses on the basics and tries to make it quite good. This 1-4x scope with a 24mm objective lens will give you one of the best images you can get. It is helped further by its use of Japanese multi-coated lenses.
It also makes up for its lack of special features by having various reticle designs to choose from, three to be precise. Namely, triangle post, duplex, German crosshairs. All the objects projected on this reticle will remain the same size even at the maximum magnification of 4x. They are all in the second focal plane.
It might not be the lightest scope, but it can boast a decent enough weight at just 15 ounces without the mounting rings. Another thing you’ll enjoy about the Trijicon tri24 accupoint scope is the illuminated reticle that allows you to use it in low-light conditions.
It is made with aircraft-grade aluminum and has an eye relief of 3.2 inches, all of which make it both shockproof and safe to be used on rifles with high recoil. It can also boast of having a true 1x magnification, unlike many other scopes with 1x magnification on paper.
It has ½ MOA adjustments for the windage and elevation. It also sports a turret cover to protect the turrets from being accidentally moved after setting the zero.
Pros
- Aircraft-grade aluminum used to make it shockproof
- 3.2 inches eye relief
- True 1x magnification
- Great optics
- Three reticle designs to choose from
- Illuminated reticle
Cons
- Expensive
Vortex Optics Viper PST Gen I Rifle Scope
The brand vortex commands so much respect in the optics space, and this is due to its quality features and customer-centric warranties.
This vortex optics viper PST Gen I scope has a 1-4x magnification and an objective lens of 24mm that lets in a reasonable amount of light to improve the image quality. This scope is quite popular among gun enthusiasts because it is seen as an all-rounder, providing value to different kinds of shooters. Using this scope on your AR-15 will blow your mind.
Its finger adjustable turrets further enhance its appeal. You can easily zero your target without having to use screws or coins. The MOA adjustments of the turrets are also firm enough to stay at your zeroed dial when it shakes a little. But there’s even more to this scope that makes it so appealing.
It is made with a single piece of aircraft-grade aluminum, making it strong, shockproof, and suitable for a wide range of weapons, including the AR-15. It is also double protected from moisture as it is both gas purged and O-ring sealed.
Pros
- Finger adjustable turrets
- Good optics
- Double protection against moisture with its O-ring sealed and gas purged tubes
- Shockproof as it is made with aircraft-grade aluminum
- Water and fog proof
Cons
- In a bid to make the turret firm, it became a little too stick to move
Burris MTAC 1-4×24 Rifle Scope
Just like Vortex, Burris is another brand in the optics industry doing quite well. It is known for its great features and even more affordable prices.
Burris MTAC has a magnification of 1-4x an objective lens of 24mm and 30mm aluminum tubes bigger than the usual 1-inch diameter tubes on most other rifle scopes. This allows for better light transmission into the tubes and ultimately clearer images.
The reason why Burris MTAC is one of the most suitable scopes for your AR-15 is its ballistic CQ 5.56 reticle that lets you switch between short-range and medium-range shooting quickly and on the go.
You’ll love its field of view of 32-100 feet at 100 yards and its eye relief of 3.5-4 inches. It is a second focal plane scope with ½ MOA adjustments for elevation and windage.
One of my favorite features is its dual internal spring-tension system that maintains zero even after a recoil. It is also filled with nitrogen to stop fog from forming inside the tube.
Optical glass, multi-coated lenses, an illuminated reticle powered by a CR2032 button battery give this scope clear and crisp image formation. There are ten levels of brightness you can change the illuminated reticle to, including a battery saver option.
It can be mounted on the popular Picatinny rail mounts without issues.
Pros
- Optical glass
- Illuminated reticle
- Shockproof, fog proof, and waterproof
- Second focal plane with ½ MOA adjustments
- CQ 5.56 reticle
- Good eye relief
- Wide field of view
- 30mm aluminum tubes letting in more light
- Finger adjustable turrets
- “Burris forever” warranty
Cons
- No option to change the red illumination color
- Not the lightest scope
Monstrum 1-4×20 Rifle Scope
Monstrum can boast of having one of the best reticles in the game. Its brilliant features set it apart from most other reticles in this magnification range.
Unlike the single red dot on most reticles, the monstrum reticle has a full illuminated reticle with a red or green dot option to help you choose the most suitable and easily seen dot depending on the light conditions.
One particular feature I like is its rangefinder. This helps you estimate the distance of the object you are targeting, making long-range shooting even more precise than it already is using this scope. Seeing that this is not a high-end scope, the rangefinder is basic and not extremely precise but good enough.
It comes with a set of mounts that are easily fitted on your rifle, and seeing that this rifle is small and lightweight, handling wouldn’t be a problem when using this scope on your AR-15. It also comes with dust covers for the focal sight.
The lack of parallax adjustments sets it back a little. Still, the monstrum scope makes up for that by making affordable scopes with other good features like its aircraft-grade aluminum body and sealed internals to prevent moisture from entering and damaging the scope.
Pros
- Extremely lightweight and easy to handle
- Shockproof, moisture, and fog proof
- Dust covers and mounts attached
- Excellent optics
- Rangefinder
- Illuminated reticle with an option to choose between red and green dot
Cons
- No parallax adjustments
- Low illumination brightness
Bushnell AR Optics 1-4×24 Rifle Scope
If you’re shooting anywhere below 500 yards, you will be getting an accurate representation from this Bushnell AR Optics scope. The scope is more adept at shooting far distances than many others in this list. This is represented by its type of reticle, where it was of the common mil-drop reticle. It has a drop zone reticle.
This type of reticle helps calculate bullet drop better and accurately target objects set at far distances. The downside is that the windage calculation is poor.
Bushnell AR optics also spots a second focal plane design vital for quickly targeting and shooting especially moving targets. This is done by moving the second focal plane level located on the scope.
Solid design and an IPX7 waterproof design allow you to use it on weapons with medium recoil rates and under moist conditions. Its 24mm object lens allows a decent amount of light while the multi-coated lens keeps the image clear.
You’ll find this scope with a matte black finish which is perfect as it does not cause glare which can give out your location or spook your prey. It has a good field of view of 112-27 feet at 100 yards and an eye relief of 3.5 inches.
The MOA for Bushnell AR optics is ½.
Pros
- Good eye relief
- Wide field of view
- IPX7 waterproof design
- Drop zone reticle suitable for shooting longer distances
- Multi-coated lens
- ½ MOA
- Perfect for the .223 Remington caliber
Cons
- Poor windage calculation
- Heavy and bulky
- Not so good with other calibers
- Not durable
Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Right 1-4x Scope for Your AR-15?
Knowing all the top 1-4x scopes for AR-15s is not enough; you need to know which one will suit your particular needs more. Luckily there is an easy way to figure this out yourself.
You need to go through these factors listed below and crosscheck that against the rifle you want to purchase.
Here are factors to consider before choosing a scope for your AR-15:
- Magnification
This cannot be stressed enough. It is one of the most important things you should check first before selecting a scope for your AR-15.
First, the AR-15 sports lightweight bullets; what this means is that the bullets are better suited when shooting short to medium distances where limited outside forces are acting on the bullet.
The best scope range for this is the 1-4x magnification. You should consider the distance you’ll be shooting from and match that with the magnification scope you need. If you are shooting short to medium range ideal for AR-15, you can go with a magnification of 1-4x. If you are shooting longer distances, then maybe you need a scope with higher magnification.
- Durability
What is the scope from? Can it withstand the recoil pressure from the AR-15? Being a semi-automatic weapon, the AR-15 will exert some recoil pressure on the scope. If this scope is not strong enough, it’ll be damaged in a short while.
This is why you need a strong scope, ideally made from aircraft-grade aluminum.
You also need a scope you can use in wet conditions without fog forming in its lenses or water entering the scope.
- Parallax Adjustments
Put simply; this is how objects just close to your face are affected when you move your head with how you see objects farther away. That is, when there are parallax adjustments enabled, you should be able to see a distant object that was blocked by a closer object when you move your eyes.
Can you see how important this feature is?
Sadly not many scopes have this. You should consider this when selecting the best scope for your AR-15. Some rifles just have fixed parallax at a particular distance, but a scope that allows you to adjust its parallax at any distance will serve you better.
- Price
Price is also a significant factor as budgets are different. There is also the issue of value for money. Not all high-end scopes provide value for money.
You want to look for a scope in your budget range that also gives you a good value for your money.
Verdict
You now have everything you need to make your decision. Go ahead, check through the list of Best 1-4x scopes for AR-15 and the factors to consider to come up with your best version.
