F-Class shooting is a very popular shooting sport that requires a very accurate rifle, ammunition with a high ballistic coefficient and the most important – accurate wind reading abilities of the shooter himself. To get the most of your rifle, you have to invest also in a good rifle scope which enables you to see your target as good as possible. The market of F-Class rifle scopes is constantly growing, but what are the main differences between an affordable entry-level rifle scope and an expensive 3000+ euros rifle scope?

To make it easier for you which rifle scope to buy, I’ve made a list of top 10 F-Class rifle scopes. All these rifle scopes feature big magnifications, which is crucial for precise shot placement at long distances. The second important feature of an F-Class rifle scope is the reticle. There are many different reticle styles, but they all have one common property – they are all positioned in the second focal plane. This is very important since the reticle doesn’t zoom in and out when changing the magnification. Because of that, the reticle stays very thin at maximal magnifications, so the user has a great view of the target.

Want to know more about F-class shooting and proper equipment? Read this buying guide.

Another important feature of an F-Class rifle scope are the precisely adjustable turrets. Some rifle scopes feature high capped target turrets, but some have also exposed turrets that are very similar to tactical ones. One click of such a turret is normally 1/8 MOA or 0.05 MIL.

In F-Class there are two disciplines to compete. F-Class Open and F-Class TR. Because there are some weight limitations, the user also has to calculate the weight of all the components so he can compete in the discipline he desires.

Here is my top 10 list of F-Class rifle scopes available in the year 2019:

10. Sightron SIII Target 10-50×60 LR

09.  Delta Optical Stryker HD 5-50×56

08. Vortex Golden Eagle HD 15-60×52

07. March Target 10-60×52 SFP

06. Schmidt & Bender 12-50×56

05. Sightron SVSS 10-50×60 ED

04. March-X 8-80×56

03. Kahles K 10-50×56

02. March-X 10-60×56

01. Nightforce Competition 15-55×52

10. Sightron SIII Target 10-50×60 LR

On the last place of this list, I’ve put the Sightron SIII 10-50×60 rifle scope. It is also by far the cheapest rifle scope on the list, with just 1289€. This is 400 € less than the second cheapest on the list, the Delta Optical Stryker HD. I put the Sightron on the list especially because of the price/quality ratio. The optics for this price are very decent, and it still features a 5 times zoom factor. The clicks are adjustable in 1/8 MOA, which is perfect for precise target shooting. The turrets are capped, and under the cap are high target turrets on which the clicks feel very good. The elevation is 50 MOA or 14.8 MIL, which is, with a canted mount enough for shooting targets up to 1000 meters. It weighs only 855 grams, which is perfect for an FT-R rifle, where the weight limit is 8.25 Kg for the whole system. It has also 5 reticles to choose from, so every user can find the one that suits him well.

9. Delta Optical Stryker HD 5-50×56

On the 9^th place is the Polish rifle scope Delta Optical Stryker HD 5-50×56. It has an incredible 10 times zoom ratio, and from all scopes on the list, the smallest minimal magnification. This means it has also the biggest field of view, so it can be used not only as an F-class rifle scope but also for long-distance hunting and ELR shooting. With 100 MOA or 30 MIL of elevation, it has much more than any other rifle scope on this list. Because of this feature, it is even more suitable for ELR shooting as well. It has 3 reticle options available, and the clicks are either in 1/8 MOA and since 2019 also in 0.05 MIL per click. It weighs 1100 grams, so it is more on the heavy side. The eye-relief changes from minimal to maximal magnification only 10 millimeters, which is great, so the user doesn’t need to adjust his position. The price of 1749€ for such a quality rifle scope also isn’t too big.

8. Vortex Golden Eagle HD 15-60×52

The first F-Class rifle scope from Vortex, the Golden Eagle 15-60×52 made it on the 8^th place. It features a 4 times zoom factor and HD lenses for optimal optical quality. This rifle scope has a great price/quality ratio and is perfect for every F-Class beginner and experienced shooter. It has 55 MOA (16.3 MIL) of elevation, which should be enough to 1000 meters shooting with a 20 MOA inclination mount. The parallax is adjustable from 20 yards (18 meters) to infinity, so it can be used also on very short range. With only 842 grams the Vortex is also light enough for F-TR rifles, and with 1/8 MOA per click, the turrets are also very precise. The clicks feel good but are not perfect. The one downside of this rifle scope is in the reticle selection, because Vortex offers only one reticle, the ECR-1. This is an MOA based reticle with a 0.095 MOA dot in the middle, measured at 40x magnification.

7. March Target 10-60×52 SFP

March is one of the best manufacturers on the planet when it comes to sports rifle scopes. Their products made many world records, and this March Target 10-60×52 SFP was used by many of them. I gave it on the 7^th place simply because it is a little bit outdated, and the glass quality isn’t so good than on their newer series. The glass is still better than on the lower-priced rifle scopes, and where March scores is in the internals. The build quality is extremely high, and you can be 100% sure that the clicks work flawlessly. It features ED glass and 60 MOA (17.8 MIL) of elevation. It is also the lightest rifle scope on my top 10 list, with just 700 grams. The clicks are in 1/8 MOA, and the biggest advantage of this rifle scope is the huge reticle selection. The user can choose between 11 different reticles, so everyone will find the right reticle for his needs.

6. Schmidt & Bender PM II 12-50×56

Almost everybody in the shooting industry knows Schmidt & Bender rifle scopes. The PM 2 series is the best Schmidt & Bender produces, and this F-Class rifle scope comes directly from this line. I gave this scope on the 6^th place because the magnification is just average and because it is the second heaviest rifle scope on this top 10 list. The biggest downside, in my opinion, is the extremely small eye-relief, which they claim is 70 millimeters, but I think that it is even less than that. Whatsoever, it has the second biggest elevation range with 75 MOA (22.2 MIL) and a large selection of reticles. Because all S&B rifle scopes are custom made, the user can even decide if he wants to get the rifle scope with the reticle in the first or in the second focal plane. For the first focal plane option 2 reticles are available and for the second focal plane option 4 reticles. The user can also decide in what subtensions the clicks should be – ¼ cm (2.5mm) per click, ¼ MOA per click or even 1/8 MOA. The elevation turret features also a turn indicator which is very important when dialing for long-range targets. In the upper part, a small number appears in which turn you are.

5. Sightron SVSS 10-50×60

Sightron is gaining a great reputation in sports shooting, thanks to their big selection of rifle scopes that feature great quality for an affordable price. With their SVSS 10-50×60 rifle scope they entered the high-quality level of F-class rifle scopes, thanks to the ED glass used in this scope and great coatings. This rifle scope is also the only one on the list that features locking turrets with a push and pull design. The clicks are in 1/8 MOA or 0.05 MIL. Currently, 3 different reticles are available, 1 MOA version, 1 MIL version, and 1 fine crosshair version with a 1/10 MOA dot in the middle. If you choose the MOA or MIL reticle, you can also use the scope on 24x magnification for range calculation and shot corrections.

The unique feature of this rifle scope is the parallax adjustment, which features 2 wheels. The big wheel is for fast adjustments, and the small one is for very precise adjustments because it is 4x more fine than the bigger wheel. The main tube diameter is 34 millimeters, and the internal adjustment range is 70 MOA or 20.7 MIL. In one revolution the turret travels 10 MOA or 5 MIL, so the turret has a multi-turn design. Thanks to the big objective diameter, the image is very bright even in not perfect shooting conditions. Despite the great features of this Sightron, It also has some negative specifications. It is the heaviest rifle scope on this list with 1210 grams, which is quite heavy, and in many times too heavy for an F-TR built. Also the big eye-relief range isn’t a positive feature because when changing magnification, the user also needs to reposition his shooting position.

4. March-X 8-80×56

On my 4^th place is one of the most famous F-class rifle scopes currently on the market. It is so famous because of its big magnification range, and especially because it features the highest magnification you can find on the rifle scopes market today. The March-X has a magnification range from 8x to 80x and a big 56 millimeters objective lens diameter. Because of the small 8x magnification, the field of view is quite big with 4.4 meters, and the parallax is adjustable from 10 yards (9 meters) to infinity. Thanks to these specifications, the March-X is also perfectly suitable for field-target competitions. It has tactical turrets for easy elevation and windage corrections, and for the elevation turret also a zero-stop can be set.

The eye-piece can be locked in place when your diopter setting is adjusted, so no unintentional movement can occur. The main tube is 34 millimeters, and the rifle scope features 4 millimeters wall thickness for great thermal stability. The elevation range of this March is 60 MOA or 17.8 MIL, so it’s more than enough for long-distance shooting. Even that this rifle scope is packed with so many features, it still is very light-weight with only 845 grams. The user can even decide if he wants to have a traditional wire reticle or a glass etched reticle. Some reticles can also be illuminated, (if you buy an illuminated version of this scope) and altogether 10 reticle options are available.

3. Kahles K 10-50×56

The Kahles K 10-50×56 rifle scope made it on my 3^rd place thanks to the great optics and some special features. It has a 30 millimeters main tube diameter, and a big 56 millimeters objective lens for enough light gathering in bad weather conditions. The elevation range is 55 MOA or 16.3 MIL, which isn’t so much, but with a canted mount, even with a bigger bullet drop caliber shooting past 1000 meters is easily possible. The clicks are in 1/8 MOA, and in one turn the elevation changes for 20 MOA. Because of that, the turrets have a multi-turn design, and on top of the turret a small turn indicator pops out when you get in the second or in the third rotation.

The most unique feature of this rifle scope is the parallax wheel position, since it is on top of the rifle scope, directly under the elevation turret. Thanks to this position, it is on the perfect spot for both, left and right-handed shooters. It is adjustable from 8 meters to infinity, so it can be used also on very short range targets. The Kahles K is 429 millimeters long but weighs only 890 grams. One small drawback of this rifle scope is the small reticle selection because you can currently choose only between 2 reticles. Also the field of view is quite small, but for an F-Class rifle scope, this isn’t very important.

2. March-X High Master 10-60×56

This particular rifle scope is on the market since 2017, and it has some impressive glass quality. On my list, the scope made it on the well-deserved 2^nd place. This March is the successor of the well-known March Target 10-60×52 rifle scope, which is on my list on the 7^th place. It has a completely different internal lens structure arrangement with super ED and high refractive lenses. Thanks to these new types of lenses, the optical quality is greatly improved against his predecessor.

This new March features a big 34 millimeters main tube diameter, and the wall thickness is 4 millimeters. The internal elevation of this rifle scope is 60 MOA or 17.8 MIL, and the user can choose between a Tactical or a Target model. The tactical model has exposed turrets, on which a zero stop can be set. The target model, on the other hand, has capped turrets. Both have 1/8 MOA clicks, and both can be ordered with the same reticles. March offers a total of 10 different reticles, and 4 of them can be illuminated. The parallax is adjustable from 10 yards (9 meters) to infinity, so it is perfectly suitable also for close range targets. The weight of this scope is 925 grams, so it is more on the heavy side, which is a small drawback for F-TR shooters. The eye-relief goes from 88 to 101 millimeters, which can also be disturbing for some users.

1. Nightforce Competition 15-55×52

And finally the first place. The rifle scope that meets all my criteria for the best F-Class rifle scope available in the year 2019 is the Nightforce Competition 15-55×52. It is right behind the March Target 10-60×52 in weight with only 790 grams. This means it is the perfect rifle scope for heavy F-Class rifles, F-TR rifles and all rifles where you have a weight limit. The glass quality is superb, and except the March-X High Master 10-60×56, no other scope can be compared with. The lenses used in the NF Competition 15-55×52 are made of ED glass, and the light transmission is incredible 92%.

The main tube diameter is 30 millimeters, and the complete length of this rifle scope is 411 millimeters. The turrets are tactical, so they are entirely exposed for quick adjustments. The clicks are in 1/8 MOA, and the elevation turret features also a zero stop feature. The internal elevation of this rifle scope is 55 MOA or 16.3 MIL, which isn’t very much, but with a 20 MOA canted base or mount, the user gets easily up to 1000 meters or even more. The parallax is adjustable from 25 yards (23 meters) to infinity, and this Nightforce features also a European-style eyepiece. Nightforce offers 4 different reticles, so every user can find the one that suits him best. All reticles are available only as non-illuminated versions. But like all rifle scopes on the list, also this Nightforce has a weak point – the price. It is the most expensive rifle scope on the list, with almost 500€ difference against the second most expensive rifle scope.

Disclaimer

We want to thank the Optics-Trade online shop for providing and enabling us to test these 10 great rifle scopes. This comparison was made because of our own interest in the optics and provides an objective opinion of tested rifle scopes. However, the article features affiliate links to Optics-trade.