The Best Long Eye Relief Scopes

If you’re looking for a long eye relief scope for handgun hunting (awesome!) or your scout rifle, you’re in luck.

Our experts found the best long eye relief scopes on the market today for every budget.

So, what’s important in a long eye relief scope? Well, we think that durability should be your foremost concern with these types of scopes.

Considering that many handgun hunters use high-caliber ammo, your long eye relief scope has to be built like a rock. Super cheap long eye relief scopes can literally shake apart after some shooting but you won’t find any of those on this list.

Let’s get right into our reviews of the best long eye relief scopes below.

Aim Sports 2-7×42 8.5-10.5″ Long Eye Relief 30MM Scout Scope

If you are looking for a long eye relief scope, and you’re on a budget, you can sacrifice a big name for a quality scope from Aim Sports. The product boasts an eye relief between 8.5 and 10.5 inches. It comes with a mil-dot reticle and a magnification range from 2 to 7x. The primary optic is 30mm, giving a bright picture even at full magnification.

At high magnification, the optics aren’t the best in the world. You are likely going to notice a bit of distortion around the edge of the field of view, but it isn’t really enough to compromise your shot.

Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn Multi-X Reticle Riflescope

Six inches isn’t a ton of eye relief in this category, but for the price, the name, and the optical quality, this is a great all-around hunting scope. Let’s face it, for most long eye relief applications, six inches is plenty. The Bushnell carries a 40mm optic and 3-9x magnification, the Banner Dusk & Dawn delivers everything you could want in a scope, with a longer than typical eye relief.

Waterproof construction, so you don’t need to worry about the rain. This scope provides a clear, bright picture. Calling it Dusk & Dawn might be a bit of an exaggeration. At 9x, you are getting almost 4.5mm of exit pupil, which is plenty bright for most applications, but the darker it gets, the more you will notice some dimming in the image.

Still, this is a great scope for the money.

UTG 2-7X44 30mm Long Eye Relief Scope

This imported scope comes with all those things that scope enthusiasts crave. Etched mil-dots and internal lighting to brighten things up in the dark. Fogproof and rainproof. The scope comes with an integrated shade over the objective, though it’s a little short for my taste on a sunny day.

You want eye relief? This scope gives you a generous 11 inches of it. Parallax adjustment comes standard, from as close as 10 yards. The 44mm objective, coupled with 2-7x magnification, gives you plenty of brightness, even after the sun goes down.

This is truly a wonderful value scope, and built to last.

Leupold FX-II Scout 2.5x28mm Duplex

If you want long eye relief and a clear picture, the best way to accomplish the task is with a long tube and low magnification.

You won’t notice any funny distortion effects out of this scope. The image is clear and sharp, all the way to the very edge of the field of view. And the 28mm objective may be sleek, but at this magnification, it provides the brightest image your eye can handle. Leupold built this scope for a purpose.

The biggest downside here, in fact the only downside, is going to be the magnification. If you want to shoot anything precisely at over 100 yards, you might pass on this one. 2.5x magnification, for me, is enough for punching vitals at 100-150 yards, but if you are going long and looking at smaller targets, it’s not going to be enough.

It’s also a great value on Amazon right now.

Nikon Force XR 2.5-8×28 EER Matte with BDC Long Eye Relief Scope

If you want a long eye relief, premium multi-coated optics from the lens experts, sturdy construction, and a wide range of magnification, this is what you want, and the price point reflects it.

Still, most people who demand a lot from their scopes know that you have to put up some money if you want the best. The Nikon Force was built tough enough for pistols, and designed around placing it on a S&W 500. It can handle shocks and bumps. The 11 inches of eye relief is plenty for any application, especially if you have a far-forward mount on your SKS.

The only real downside here is the primary objective. To keep the picture as crisp as possible, Nikon skimped a little on the objective, cutting it from a 28mm blank. This means darker images at dusk and dawn at higher magnifications. Stick for 4x or less at those times for the brightest image.

For under $300, this is a great long eye relief scope for your money.