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8 Best Scopes for 6.5 Grendel in 2024 — Reviews & Top Picks

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A rifle scope

Just because you have the perfect round and the perfect rifle doesn’t mean you can make any shot. That’s because you need the perfect scope too! That’s why we took the time to track down and review eight of the best scopes for a 6.5 Grendel.

With any of these scopes, the next time that you head out to the range, you can do it with the confidence that comes with knowing that you have the perfect setup! If you’re a little unsure of what you need, check out our comprehensive buyer’s guide that breaks down everything that you need to know before making a purchase.

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A Quick Comparison (Updated in 2024)

Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Bushnell Engage Riflescope Bushnell Engage Riflescope
  • Lifetime warranty
  • Zero reset turrets
  • 3.6" of eye relief
  • Best Value
    Second place
    CVLIFE 2.5-10x40e Red Illuminated Scope CVLIFE 2.5-10x40e Red Illuminated Scope
  • Low priced
  • Two-in-one design
  • Illuminated reticle
  • Premium Choice
    Third place
    Athlon Optics Ares ETR UHD Riflescopes Athlon Optics Ares ETR UHD Riflescopes
  • Five reticle styles
  • Lifetime warranty
  • 3.9" of eye relief
  • CVLIFE 4-16x44 Tactical Rifle Scope CVLIFE 4-16x44 Tactical Rifle Scope
  • Affordable
  • Flip-up lens covers
  • Green and red illuminated reticle
  • Ade Advanced Optics 6-25x56 Rifle Scope Ade Advanced Optics 6-25x56 Rifle Scope
  • Lifetime warranty
  • 3.5" of eye relief
  • Quick focus eyepiece
  • The 8 Best Scopes for 6.5 Grendel

    1. Bushnell Engage Riflescope — Best Overall

    Bushnell Engage Riflescope_Amazon

    There are a few brands that can combine price and performance like Bushnell. While the Engage Riflescope line is a little pricey, it has a 4x to 16x magnification range.

    But what makes that range so impressive is the 3.6″ of eye relief that comes with it! That’s more than enough to comfortably line up your shot round after round. Moreover, the optics are clear and bright, and you have zero-reset turrets that allow you to easily make adjustments between shots.

    Finally, this sight comes with a lifetime warranty and utilizes an MOA reticle that is ideal for gauging distances and windage factors. It’s a great deal for a great scope.

    Pros
    • Lifetime warranty
    • MOA reticle is excellent for making windage and distance adjustments
    • Zero reset turrets
    • Extraordinarily bright and clear optics
    • Outstanding 3.6″ of eye relief
    • Exceptional 4x to 16x magnification range
    Cons
    • Expensive

    2. CVLIFE 2.5-10x40e Red Illuminated Scope — Best Value

    CVLIFE 2.5-10x40e Red & Green Illuminated Scope_Amazon

    When you want the best scope for a 6.5 Grendel for the money, it’s hard to look past CVLIFE. The company makes budget optics through and through, but it delivers good enough results to get the job done. This scope has a laser sight on the side for super close-range shots.

    However, the laser sight isn’t that bright, and the top-end magnification of 10x isn’t great for long-distance shots — although it can get the job done.

    From there, the eye relief on this sight varies quite a bit. At the lowest magnification, you get a generous 4″, but as you up the power, the eye relief shrinks to a tight 3″. Still, this sight does have an illuminated reticle, which helps in low-light conditions. It’s certainly not the best option out there, but at this price, it’s a great deal.

    Pros
    • Low priced
    • Versatile 2.5x to 10x magnification range
    • Two-in-one design
    • Illuminated reticle
    • Great high-end eye relief: 4″
    Cons
    • The laser sight is not that bright
    • Low minimum eye relief: 3″
    • Not as crisp as high-end optics

    3. Athlon Optics Ares ETR UHD Riflescopes — Premium Choice

    Athlon Optics Ares ETR UHD_Amazon

    If you want the best possible scope for a 6.5 Grendel, you’re not going to beat the Athlon Optics Ares ETR UHD Riflescopes. There are five different reticle styles that you can choose from, and the magnification range starts as low as 4.5x but tops out at an impressive 30x!

    Moreover, it has an illuminated reticle, and the multi-coated optics gives you a crisp UHD image no matter how much magnification you’re using. But the most impressive part of this scope is the 3.9″ of eye relief that you get.

    With such a powerful scope, that’s an extremely impressive amount of eye relief. But at this price point, we wouldn’t accept anything less.

    Pros
    • Five reticle styles
    • Amazing 4.5x to 30x magnification range
    • Illuminated reticle
    • Multi-coated optics provide a UHD image
    • Lifetime warranty
    • Outstanding 3.9″ of eye relief
    Cons
    • Expensive option

    4. CVLIFE 4-16×44 Tactical Rifle Scope

    CVLIFE 4-16x44 Tactical Rifle Scope_Amazon

    This CVLIFE Tactical Rifle Scope is a versatile option that doesn’t break the bank. For starters, the 4x to 16x magnification range is more than enough to hit short-, mid-, and long-range targets.

    However, the eye relief is more than a bit sharp. At low power, you get a decent 3.3″, but when you max out the power, it shrinks to an extremely sharp 2.7″. Still, you get an illuminated reticle that comes in two different colors, and it has a flip-up lens cover and a sunshade. It’s not great, but at this price, it’s an outstanding deal.

    Pros
    • Affordable option
    • Includes a reticle sunshade
    • Flip-up lens covers
    • Green and red illuminated reticle
    • Great 4x to 16x magnification range
    Cons
    • Sharp eye relief: 2.7″ to 3.3″
    • Not as bright or crisp as other optics

    5. Ade Advanced Optics 6-25×56 Rifle Scope

    Ade Advanced Optics 6-25x56 scope_Amazon

    If you want a scope with a ton of versatility, the Ade Advanced Optics is an outstanding choice. Not only does it come with a lifetime warranty, but the 6x to 25x magnification range is fantastic. Switching between magnification ranges is easy with a fast-focus eyepiece.

    Additionally, the 3.5″ of eye relief is more than generous, and the optics are bright and crisp. However, all these great performance perks come with a tradeoff, and in this case, it’s the price. This is by no means a budget optic, but it’s well worth the added cost.

    Pros
    • Lifetime warranty
    • Outstanding 6x to 25x magnification range
    • Superb 3.5″ of eye relief
    • Quick focus eyepiece
    Cons
    • A bit expensive

    6. Sightmark Core TX Dual Caliber Riflescope

    Sightmark Core TX riflescope_Amazon

    If you’re looking for more options, the Sightmark Core TX Dual Caliber Riflescope has plenty. There are six different magnification ranges that you can choose from. This gives you the ability to find the magnification range to fit your specific needs.

    Additionally, there are three different color options to help you match your scope to your weapon. But what really sets these scopes apart is their generous eye relief. Low-end eye relief is excellent at 3.7″, while high-end is even better at 4″.

    However, we wish that these scopes offered an illuminated reticle, and they do use a second focal plane design. Neither is a deal-breaker, but it’s best to know what you’re getting.

    Pros
    • Six magnification ranges
    • Three color options
    • Superb 3.7″ to 4″ of eye relief
    • Lifetime warranty
    Cons
    • Second focal plane reticle
    • It does not have an illuminated reticle

    7. Barra H20 4-12×40 Rifle Scope

    Barra Rifle Scope_Amazon

    There are a few things to like about the Barra H20 Rifle Scope, but in the end, it’s just simply too expensive for what you get. For starters, it doesn’t have an illuminated reticle, and it uses a second focal plane design.

    While it offers 3.5″ of eye relief, that is just average for a scope — and it’s below average for a scope at this price point. From there, the 4x to 12x magnification is good but not great.

    It does have a fully transferable lifetime warranty, and it excels at bringing in tons of light. If you do get this sight, you won’t be disappointed — but you might feel like you spent a bit too much.

    Pros
    • The fully coated lens brings in plenty of light
    • Fully transferable lifetime warranty
    • Decent 3.5″ eye relief
    Cons
    • Second focal plane reticle
    • Expensive
    • No illuminated reticle

    8. Pinty Pro 3-9X32 Mil-dot Tactical Rifle Scope

    Pinty Pro 3-9X32 Mil-dot Tactical Rifle Scope_Amazon

    While the Pinty Pro Mil-dot Tactical Rifle Scope is an extremely affordable option, it’s most certainly a budget scope. The 3x to 9x magnification range is good for most hunting applications, but if you’re looking to hit long-range shots, you’ll be left disappointed.

    But what’s even more disappointing is the 3″ of eye relief and the low quality that Pinty pushes out with this product. It doesn’t cost much, but it can’t handle a ton of recoil, and chances are that you’ll end up replacing it sooner rather than later. There are better options out there.

    Pros
    • Extremely affordable
    • Decent 3x to 9x magnification range
    Cons
    • Sharp 3″ of eye relief
    • Not that high quality
    • Cannot handle tons of recoil

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    Buyer’s Guide – Choosing the Best Scopes for 6.5 Grendels

    With so many options and specs out there, it can be challenging to track down exactly what you need. That’s why we came up with this comprehensive buyer’s guide to walk you through everything that you need to know before ordering your next scope.

    How Much Magnification Do You Need?

    While the 6.5 Grendel is an intermediate-range round, all that does is open up a whole new litany of questions. If the round can handle a wide array of distances, how much magnification do you need to compensate for the wide range of possibilities?

    The truth is that most shooters can’t effectively make use of anything more than 16x magnification. That’s because as the distance of the shot increases, even the smallest movements can send your round way off target.

    So, more magnification isn’t what you need at that point, it’s more skill and practice. Moreover, if you use too much magnification, it can distort closer range targets. That’s why having a scope that has a wide range of magnification settings is best. This way, you can get as much power as you need, but if the target comes closer, you can lower the magnification to get the perfect view.

    What Is Eye Relief and How Much Do You Need?

    rifle scope_andreas160578_Pixabay
    Image Credit: andreas160578, Pixabay

    Eye relief refers to the distance that you need between your eye and the scope to see through it clearly. If you don’t have enough eye relief as soon as you pull the trigger, you’ll send the scope straight into your eye socket.

    While a 6.5 Grendel might not have as much recoil as some other cartridges, low recoil is a far cry from no recoil. Not only does eye relief come into play with recoil, but it also affects where you can mount your scope and how far “over” your rifle you’ll need to be in order to see through it. That’s a big deal when you’re trying to shoot mid-range and long-range targets. If you’re not in the right shooting position, you’ll never be able to hit your target.

    Because of this, we recommend at least 3.5″ of eye relief, but the closer that you can get to 4″, the better. On the low end of things, you can get away with a scope that has as little as 3″ of eye relief, but if you go any lower than that, you’ll likely run into problems.

    Do You Need an Illuminated Reticle?

    rifle scope_shepardhumphries, Pixabay
    Image Credit: shepardhumphries, Pixabay

    While you don’t need an illuminated reticle, it certainly makes things easier in low-light conditions. It all comes down to how optics magnify images. A lens can only bring in so much light in a given area, and as you increase magnification, that amount of area that it has to pull light in from decreases.

    In fact, the amount of light that you can bring in is inversely squared to the overall magnification. What that means is if you’re using 4x magnification, you’re bringing in 16x less light! While this isn’t a big deal when it’s bright, it can become a problem if you’re shooting at dusk, dawn, or on cloudy days.

    The first thing you’ll lose sight of is the reticle. Those small dashes and crosshairs can be hard to spot when there’s not enough light, and an illuminated reticle eliminates that problem. You’ll still need to be able to see your target, of course, but at least the reticle will be clearly visible!

    First Focal Plane vs. Second Focal Plane

    rifle with scope_D_Van_Rensburg_Pixabay
    Image Credit: D_Van_Rensburg, Pixabay

    One decision that often gets overlooked in the rifle scope selection process is the focal plane that it uses. There are two different options when selecting a focal plane, and it makes a big difference.

    A first focal plane scope has a reticle that always appears the same size when you look through the sight. That means whether you’re looking at 4x magnification or 16x magnification, the reticle will fill up the viewfinder.

    Even better, if the reticle has MOA dashes or other tools to help you hit a target, these changes are proportional to the magnification. This makes it easy to hit targets no matter the distance.

    A second focal plane reticle, on the other hand, only appears at its full size when you’re at maximum magnification. That means if you’re on a lower power setting, the reticle will appear smaller in scope. Even worse, the dashes on the reticle are now useless until you reach maximum magnification.

    While this is a big deal for some shooters, others prefer the clearer view that a second focal plane scope offers. But unless you’re an experienced shooter, we recommend a first focal plane reticle to make things easier shot after shot.

    Mounting Your New Scope

    insert scope_Iakov Filimonov_Shutterstock
    Image Credit: Iakov Filimonov, Shutterstock

    Before you narrow down your selection, it’s critical to know the kind of mounting system that your weapon has. All the scopes on this list utilize a Picatinny rail system.

    But while that’s the most popular option, it’s not the only one out there. Two other options include Dovetail and Weaver mounts. Weaver mounts are extremely similar to Picatinny rails. In fact, all Weaver mounts will fit on Picatinny rails, but not all Picatinny rails devices will fit on Weaver rails.

    However, if your rifle has a Dovetail mounting system, you’ll need an adapter to fit any of these scopes. While adapters tend to be low priced and high quality, if you don’t get one, you won’t be able to mount your new scope.

    Zeroing Your New Scope

    rifle scope_Piqsels
    Image Credit: Piqsels

    It doesn’t matter what scope you choose; if you don’t take the time to zero it at the range, you’ll never hit a thing. It’s the most essential part of the process, and it’s a great excuse to take your rifle and new scope out to the range!

    Keep in mind that while you can sight in a scope at any distance, 100 yards is usually the best option for a rifle. This makes it easy to make adjustments at different distances, which is a huge deal with a versatile round like the 6.5 Grendel.

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    Conclusion

    Hopefully, after reading through these reviews, you have a better understanding of what you need to get the perfect rifle scope for a 6.5 Grendel. But if you’re still unsure, why not go with the Bushnell Engage Riflescope? It’s our top choice for a reason, as it expertly combines longevity and performance. But if that scope’s a little out of your current budget, the CVLIFE 2.5-10x40e Red Illuminated Scope is an outstanding option at a lower price point.

    What’s important is that you get a top-notch scope on your rifle as soon as possible. That way, you can head out to the field or range with a top-notch setup right away!

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    Featured Image Credit: Justin Kral, Shutterstock

    About the Author Robert Sparks

    Robert’s obsession with all things optical started early in life, when his optician father would bring home prototypes for Robert to play with. Nowadays, Robert is dedicated to helping others find the right optics for their needs. His hobbies include astronomy, astrophysics, and model building. Originally from Newark, NJ, he resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where the nighttime skies are filled with glittering stars.