News on riflescopes and spotting scopes, supported by explanations of magnification, reticles, focal planes and mechanics. Understand parallax, field of view and adjustment range.
Leica is adding a Flat Dark Earth edition to the PRS 5–30×56i. The German manufacturer announcement dated 8 October 2026 introduces a new colour version of the precision riflescope, combining an FDE housing with matching Tenebraex flip caps.
ZEISS is expanding the Conquest Apia family with the straight-view 65S and the 85 mm 85A and 85S. The manufacturer's announcement on Shooting Wire dated 16 October 2026 also lists new MOA and MRAD reticle eyepieces, an interesting addition for long-range observers.
MGH presented the Telson Target Master Victory at JUST 2026. The scope with a 34 mm tube, FFP reticle and zero stop is already available in Europe.
Behördentage 2026 brings security technology suppliers and professional users together on 7–8 October. Organiser TeutoDefence runs the event for a restricted audience of public-sector professionals.
A compact body, two- to ten-power magnification and a 30 mm objective: that is the combination offered by the ZCO ZC210. True Pearce tested the SAN-1 reticle version for GunsAmerica. His report appeared on 23 August 2026; ZCO has linked to it since 14 September.
Since 1 October 2026, ZEISS’s outdoor business has been operated by the independent company VALYRA GmbH in Aalen. Products and services remain available worldwide under the ZEISS brand.
Leupold is expanding its observation optics range with the MX-6HD 8–48×60. The announcement dated 25 September 2026 introduces a compact spotting scope with a first-focal-plane reticle.
Burris has announced that the 2026 Veracity generation is shipping in the US. Its 11 September release highlights the Veracity 5–25×50 among the models: a riflescope with a first-focal-plane reticle and a 30 mm main tube.
The reticle is the visible marking inside a riflescope. It may consist of a crosshair, dots or a more extensive scale. Its design is separate from the magnification of the target image. A fine reticle, a bright illuminated dot and a detailed image are also different characteristics.
Manufacturers do not all define mount height in the same way. Some measure from the top of the rail to the ring centre; others measure to the underside of the scope tube. Two identical numbers can therefore describe different heights. Only a dimensioned drawing shows whether the figures are comparable.
No. Inclination changes the fixed orientation of the mounted scope. It does not increase the mechanical travel available inside. The total range and the travel still available from a particular starting position are two different specifications.
More magnification does not automatically make a better riflescope. Field of view, viewing comfort, reticle, mechanics, size and weight also contribute to the overall picture. Likewise, an illuminated marking does not brighten the target image by itself.
When looking through a riflescope, you see two things at once: the reticle and the target image. They may not appear equally sharp. The dioptre adjustment at the rear of the scope adapts the appearance of the reticle to your eyesight. This is not the same as focusing the target image.
A beam of light emerges from the rear of a riflescope. Its diameter is called the exit pupil. In a simple example, an effective objective diameter of 50 mm divided by ten-times magnification gives an exit pupil of approximately 5 mm. This value describes the beam, not directly how bright the image appears.
Field of view is the area you can see through an optic without changing the direction you are looking. A wide field of view shows more of the surroundings. Manufacturers may state it as an angle or as an image width at a specified distance. Width alone is not enough for a comparison: the reference distance must always be included.
Light transmission describes how much of the light entering an optic comes out again. Some is lost inside through reflections or absorption by the materials. High transmission is therefore fundamentally different from a large objective lens. The measurement method matters too: a peak value for one colour of light cannot simply be compared with an average across several colours.
Colour fringing means coloured edges at areas of strong contrast, such as a dark edge against a bright background. It can occur because lenses do not reproduce all colours of light in exactly the same way. The technical term is chromatic aberration. Special glass types can help, but their presence alone does not tell you how effectively the complete optic controls this error.
Optical coatings are extremely thin layers on glass surfaces. Some reduce reflections and the resulting light loss. Others help water bead off or make cleaning easier. A water-repellent layer therefore has a different job from an anti-reflection coating.
Dust, grains of sand and fingerprints cannot all be removed in the same way. Hard, loose particles can scratch surfaces when rubbed across them. Before wet cleaning, they should therefore be removed carefully, for example with a suitable blower bulb. Rubbing harder does not make cleaning gentler.
MOA and MRAD are two units of angle. They do not describe a fixed length. A corresponding length can only be determined when a distance is also given. An angular value is therefore more like the opening between two lines than a measurement on a ruler.
Adjustment range describes how far an adjustment travels between its two limits. The total range stated in a data sheet is not available in both directions from every starting position. Think of a slider: when it is near one end, less travel remains in that direction.
Inclination means that a rail or mount provides a fixed angle along its length. It is a feature of its geometry. For example, 20 MOA / 5.8178 MRAD describe the same angle in two units. The decimal places result from conversion; they do not describe manufacturing tolerances.
The designation 4–20 × 50 gives two specifications: magnification can be adjusted from four times to twenty times. The front lens, called the objective, has a stated diameter of 50 mm. Higher magnification makes an object appear larger. It does not, by itself, tell you how sharp, contrast-rich or colour-accurate the image is.
The reticle is the crosshair or scale visible inside a riflescope. Its position within the scope determines how it behaves when magnification changes. There are two basic arrangements: first focal plane, abbreviated FFP, and second focal plane, abbreviated SFP.