6 Best Scopes for AK47 in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Last Updated on Jan 03 2024

We’ve all been there. You narrow down the sights and have your target in the crosshairs. You line the shot up perfectly, and you pull the trigger. Only to have your bullet come in off-target.

If you have a low-quality scope, it won’t matter how many times you adjust your rifle, you’ll never hit the target. But with the ever-rising price tag of riflescopes, it’s not like you can just keep buying them until you find the right one.

That’s why we did the hard work for you and went through some of the best scopes for the AK47 out there and then narrowed down the top choices here. Read through our in-depth reviews and then select the perfect riflescope for you. You’ll never have an unpredictable shot again.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites (2024 Update)

	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Leupold VX-Freedom Riflescope	Twilight light management system 3x to 9x magnification rate Designed, machined, and assembled in the USA	CHECK PRICE
Best Value		UTG 3-9X32 BugBuster Scope	3x to 9x magnification rate Red dot sights Rainproof, shockproof, and fog proof	CHECK PRICE
Premium Choice		Aimpoint Micro T-2 Red Dot Scope	Easy to use red dot scope Long-lasting battery life for the red dot Eight daylight setting and four night vision settings	CHECK PRICE
		Vortex Optics Crossfire II Riflescopes	Illuminated reticle for low light situations Vortex scopes offer a lifetime warranty 2x to 7x magnification rate	CHECK PRICE
		Nikon P-Tactical Scope	3x to 9x magnification Quick focus eyepiece Instant reset windage and elevation adjustment turrets	CHECK PRICE

The 6 Best Scopes for AK47

1. Leupold VX-Freedom Riflescope – Best Overall

If you’re looking for the best scope around – you’ve found it. The Leupold VX-Freedom Riflescope is the perfect combination of affordability, durability, and performance. The Leupold VX-Freedom Riflescope isn’t perfect – but it’s pretty great.

It utilizes a twilight light management system that gives you an extra 10 minutes of visibility after the sunsets. Furthermore, it provides a magnification rate from 3x to 9x, making it great for distance hunting.

Finally, the entire Leupold VX-Freedom Riflescope was designed, manufactured, and assembled in the United States. Lupold offers a lifetime warranty on all of their scopes – but it’s unlikely that you’ll ever need it.

Finally, while there are plenty of things to love about the Leupold VX-Freedom riflescope – it’s on the pricier end of things. But if you want a high-quality scope, you have to pay for it.

2. UTG 3-9X32 BugBuster Scope – Best Value

If you’re looking for the best AK47 scopes for your money, the BugBuster has to be near the top of the list. It’s an extremely affordable scope that does everything you need to. It provides the same magnification rates as top scopes ranging from 3x all the way up to 9x magnification rates.

Moreover, it utilizes an easy-to-use red dot sight and is rainproof, shockproof, and fog proof. In short, it does everything that its more expensive counterparts do.

The drawbacks to the BugBuster are that you get extremely limited eye relief, and it can be challenging to adjust the sights.

When you combine both of these features using the BugBuster can prove a bit tiresome if you’re using your rifle a ton. All in all, it’s an excellent value for a great scope.

3. Aimpoint Micro T-2 Red Dot Scope – Premium Choice

If money is no object, then the Aimpoint Micro T-2 Red Dot scope might be precisely what you’re looking for. While it’s a pricier option, it’s an insanely easy to use red dot scope.

Not only does it offer a simplistic design, but it utilizes 12 different light settings. Eight of the settings are for daytime use, but it also provides four night vision settings that make this a premium scope.

The red dot sight itself can last for up to 50,000 hours of use, which means that you won’t have to worry about swapping out the batteries any time soon!

But while there are tons of things to love about this red dot scope, the biggest drawback is that it doesn’t offer magnification options.

While this can be great for closer targets, as soon as there’s some distance between you and your target, this scope becomes useless. For that reason alone, we couldn’t push it as our top choice.

4. Vortex Optics Crossfire II Riflescopes

Vortex Optics makes tons of premium scopes, and the Crossfire II Riflescope is no exception. Not only does it come with a renowned lifetime warranty, but it also offers tons of eye relief. This makes it easier to shoot from any position, and you’re less likely to tire out after a long day at the range.

While the maximum magnification rate of 7x is slightly lower than other models in the same price range, the ability to zoom out to only a 2x magnification rate is a nice perk.

This means that you’ll be able to focus on targets a bit closer to you while still focusing on the majority of targets at farther distances. Vortex Optics illuminates the reticle itself for low light situations, which is another benefit of this scope.

While the Crossfire II offers 7x magnification, you need to be aware that these scopes start to lose some of their clarity with higher magnifications. While you should expect this a little bit at these price points, the Crossfire II’s drop in clarity is just a bit higher than we would like.

5. Nikon P-Tactical Scope

There’s not much that the Nikon P-Tactical Scope can’t do. For starters, it has a magnification rate of 3x all the way to 9x, making it one of the more powerful scopes that we reviewed.

From there, you can quickly adjust the windage and elevation turrets to line up your shot and then reset them with the click of a button. If you’re taking multiple shots in a shorter time frame or just use your rifle a lot, this is a great feature.

Moreover, when you’re zooming, the Nikon P-Tactical scope has a quick focus eyepiece that allows you to clarify the image quickly and efficiently.

Finally, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more durable scope that holds zero as you maneuver. But while there are tons of things to love about the Nikon P-Tactical scope, it’s not perfect either.

It offers minimal eye relief, which can make shooting in different positions difficult, if not impossible. Additionally, while you get a decent number of features, it comes with a higher price tag than most scopes in this range.

6. Primary Arms SLX SFP Rifle Scope

While we love a lot of things about the Primary Arms SLX SFP rifle scope, the overall clarity is what forced it to the bottom of our list. It’s really a shame because Primary Arms did so many things right with this scope.

It has eleven different brightness settings to choose from, which adds to its versatility. Additionally, it’s the only scope that we reviewed that had a magnification option of 1x – then went on to zoom all the way up to 6x magnification.

This makes the SLX SFP rifle scope an outstanding choice for those that might be shooting long range for one shot then up close for the next.

Finishing things off, Primary Arms offers a lifetime warranty on this scope, so you don’t have to worry about it falling apart a few years from now. It really is a shame that clarity is just a bit off.

Buyer’s Guide – Choosing The Best Scopes for AK47

Picking the right riflescope is a big deal. They aren’t cheap, and if you purchase the wrong one, you might be stuck with it for a while. That’s why it’s important to know what you’re looking at before you make a purchase.

In this comprehensive buyer’s guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know to make the right choice the first time.

Magnification Matters

When it comes to magnification, you might think that more is always better – that simply isn’t true. The truth is that you want the right magnification for the job. For small targets that are a 100-yards away, you’ll want a 3x magnification, but for closer targets, all that magnification does is mess up your shot.

Furthermore, if you’re shooting targets 200 yards away, you’ll want 24x magnification. Everything else falls somewhere in between.

So, when you’re deciding what you need, figure out what you’re trying to shoot first. If it’s for close-range target practice, get a scope with 1x magnification. If you’re shooting distance targets or hunting from a tree stand, opt for something a little stronger.

Looking for Eye Relief

Before we dive into why eye relief matters – you need to know what eye relief is. Eye relief is the distance that you need to be looking through your scope to get an undistorted image.

So, if a scope has 11 to 14 inches of eye relief, your eye should be 11 to 14 inches away when aiming. Meanwhile, scopes with 3 to 4 inches of eye relief require you to be 3 to 4 inches away.

This matters because the shorter the scope’s eye relief, the more you’ll have to lean over your rifle to get an accurate view. Not only is this uncomfortable, but if you have a powerful enough rifle, it can also be dangerous.

While you don’t want an excessive amount of eye relief, if you have a little extra space to work with, then it’ll be far more comfortable for you to shoot from a variety of positions.

Make Sure You Can Adjust It

Whenever you’re shooting targets farther away, there are two main factors that you need to consider – windage and elevation. Both of these factors can be the difference between hitting your target and a bad miss.

That’s why you need a riflescope that allows you to adjust to the conditions quickly and easily. The last thing you want is to be struggling with the adjustment knobs as your dinner gets away.

Not only can it be the difference between a successful hunt or not, but it’s also a pain at the range to have a riflescope that’s difficult to adjust. Don’t underestimate the importance of ease of use.

Don’t Forget About Clarity

If it were up to us, nobody would sell a scope that didn’t have superb clarity. But it’s not up to us, so there’s plenty of crappy scopes out there.

That’s why you need to take the time to do your research before purchasing a riflescope. It doesn’t matter if you have a rifle with 9x magnification if everything looks fuzzy when you get there.

Meanwhile, it’s just as bad when a rifle is fuzzy from the start! That’s why the Primary Arms SLX SFP riflescope tumbled down our list – but even that riflescope is better than some.

If you stick with any of the scopes off our list, you won’t have to worry about clarity. However, if you venture out on your own, be careful, there’s plenty of duds out there, and you might not realize it until it’s too late.

Shooting in Dim Lighting

You can’t shoot what you can’t see. Without enough light, you can’t see anything, which means you’ll have a hard time shooting anything too.

Luckily for you, many of the scopes here offer illuminated reticles that make it easier to shoot. Our top choice, the Leupold VX-Freedom Riflescope, offers technology that gives you 10 extra minutes of sunlight at twilight, which can be the difference between finishing the hunt or heading home empty-handed.

Meanwhile, only the Aimpoint Micro T-2 Red Dot scope offers full night vision. If you’re only heading out during the day, any of the scopes with illuminated scopes will get the job done. But know what you’ll be using your rifle for before making your choice.

Durability Is a Big Concern

The last thing you want is to buy a riflescope only to have it break on you after a few uses or even a few years. That’s why it’s vital that you go with a durable scope that you know will last.

Most scopes come with lifetime warranties but verify before you buy. Also, verify consumer reviews of what happened when they tried to use their warranties.

While you don’t want to need it, a warranty offers you peace of mind by guaranteeing that you’re purchasing the last scope you’ll need. But the warranty is only as good as the company honoring it.

Go with a Brand You Can Trust

Yeah, there are tons of knockoff brands out there – but they also make knockoff products. While it’s enticing to try and save a few bucks by going with a lower-quality product. A riflescope isn’t where you want to skimp.

Well-known brands offer products that will last you a lifetime, so while you might spend a little more upfront, you’re saving money in the long run.

More importantly, you’re getting a quality product that will allow you to hit when you’re aiming at. The last thing you want is a scope that you need to adjust constantly or that simply doesn’t work.

Save yourself the frustration and get the right product the first time by going with a reliable brand.

Pick Your Scope Reticle

There are tons of different reticle choices out there. But while there are tons of options, what you need comes down to various factors, including personal preference and what you’re using your rifle for.

In our reviews, we recommend illuminated reticles because they offer increased visibility in low light conditions. Whether this is dawn, dusk, or just inclement weather, you want a reticle that you can see even when conditions aren’t ideal.

But if you’re still curious about different reticle styles and what you need, check out this comprehensive guide breaking down the different options you have to choose from.

Conclusion

It can be a bit daunting spending a ton of money on a scope you’ve never used before. But that’s why we took the time to come up with this comprehensive breakdown of the best AK47 scopes out there.

If you take your time and do your research, you can get a great scope the first time and never have to worry about it being the reason you miss your next shot.

You need to trust your equipment, and with any of the high-quality riflescopes above, you can rest easy knowing that every shot will be on target.

Featured Image Credit: zaleeb, Pixabay