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When you own an M4 carbine, you will know that this weapon cannot perform the best without an appropriate M4 scope.
Because there are a bunch of products out there, you will probably find it a bit hard to choose the best M4 scope for yourself.
That’s why I made a brief guide on how to make the right choice while looking for the best M4 scope.
Picture | Product | Our Rating |
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 | 4.7/5 | |
 | 4.6/5 | |
 | 4.6/5 |
The Factors To Consider Before Buying An M4 Scope
The design of a carbine rifle, in fact, is made based on that of a typical rifle. General speaking, a carbine rifle is considered a compact version a standard rifle with smaller barrels.
Thus, in addition to the factors that you need to consider when purchasing anything and the purpose and your budget, you also need to pay attention to some technical ones.
Your Main Purpose With An M4 Scope
The first thing you need to do when choosing an M4 scope is what you will mainly use it for. This has a considerable influence on which features you will need as well as the appropriate specifications you have to go for.
Many of you want to use your weapon mainly for defense use, like protecting your house safe from unauthorized access. In that case, the most important thing you have to find in the scope is the ability to work effectively in dim space.
And, you should go for something really portable for you to handle easily.
Especially, you have to put your priority to a scope that is easy to control and adjust so that you can get what you want immediately. Urgent situations are not when you struggle to adjust the scope.
Meanwhile, if you are looking for the M4 scope for a hunting gun, what you should consider the most is the magnification capability because this function determines how well you could aim the target.
The Budget You Have For An M4 Scope
If you are luckily living in a wealthy financial situation, you have no worry about spending some more money on a useful gear like an M4 scope.
But you have a limited budget, so you should consider carefully before making your decision.
Think about how important it really is for your life. Is that really a must? Or is there any alternative for it?
In other words, make sure that the scope you purchase is helpful and frequently used. I have to bold this because I have some friends who buy an M4 scope but only get it used a few times a year.
Also, in general, a scope made from high-quality materials, well finished is likely to last for a longer time. Of course, it often comes at a high price.
Some Technical Factors
Now, let’s take a look at some of the most important specifications you need to consider from an M4 scope.
Weight
The ideal M4 scope for a carbine rifle should be light in weight so that it can enable the portability of your weapon. The suggested number is no more than 16 ounces.
But, be careful with the M4 scopes that are lighter than 9 ounces because it is hard to fix it in a stable condition.
Size
M4 rifle is a weapon intended for short distances so you should focus on the scopes in the short-range size. As a matter of fact, those M4 scopes cannot provide users with a very impressive magnification range.
However, to make up for that, it works well when you need to something to match your tactical weapons. The weakness of distance is what it pays to get the excellent point-and-shoot capability.
The needed functions
The M4 scopes available on the market include various functions that meet the diversifying needs of the users.
The manufacturers always try to satisfy their customers by including the useful features such as illumination and noise minimization.
While choosing an appropriate M4 scope, you should think about what you will use it for. I discussed this above so you can take a look at that again if you want.
Crosshair style
The manufacturers offer their customers a lot of crosshair styles which can bring different benefits while using the scopes. However, sometimes it is exactly what makes you harder to make your decisions.
The traditional style is called “duplex” that you can easily find on the market. The center part of its two lines is thinner than the part close to the edge.
The second style you will come across has the name “Mil-dot”. This type includes the dots in the center area of the crosshairs, thereby allowing users to calculate the windage and elevation more easily. Also, they can help the users to estimate the distance to the target.
Also, another crosshair style can be found is the Bullet Drop Compensator.
The most noticeable function of it is that it can help users to make much more accurate shots to the target in a long distance. It doesn’t require users to change the elevation either.
Related: If you have an Ar10, you should find best scopes for ar 10 to have the good shoot.
Our Suggestion For The Best M4 Scopes
To assist you better with your choice, we suggest here our top 3 M4 scopes. Each product has its own strong points that meet your needs and preferences.
Picture | Product | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 4.7/5 | |
| 4.6/5 | |
| 4.6/5 |
This well-known manufacturer offers their customers the products at different prices. This product can be considered one of the most noticeable M4 scopes they have created.
The product is set at a reasonable price while providing quite reliable performance. The scope can be zoomed up to 4x so you can magnify the targets best in a short distance to have accurate shots. Particularly, it is intended for the carbine rifles.
The crosshair style of this model is BDC and allows the users to shoot in the distance of about 500 yards.
It weighs around 16 ounces which is a bit heavy. To make up for the extra weight, you can expect the scope to last for a long time thanks to its high-quality material.
The model also includes a fully multi-coated magnification optics so that you can get the better light and adjust the brightness if needed.
A drawback of this M4 scope is that it is not equipped with the illumination. Thus, this model seems an ideal choice for you to use in daytime only.
Here are some of its other Pros and Cons:
Pros
The eye relief has the appropriate distance
BDC crosshair is helpful for aiming
Good customer care
Cons
The crosshair line is a bit large
Not illuminated
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The Spitfire series of Vortex is well-known for its extensive features despite the fact that it is designed in a compact size. Thanks to those features, it can assist users to target in no time.
Like many M4 scopes, this model is equipped with fully multi-coated optics. But more than that, it also has the anti-reflection coating to help users to get a better view.
My favorite feature in this scope is its illuminated crosshairs whose brightness can be adjusted. Thus, you have the great control of the light used for your work.
In addition, the crosshairs are engraved right on the glass surface. This can help you to target more precisely no matter how the light condition gets.
The product even allows you to adjust the position of the scope on your rifle in case that you want to do that. It is also quite easy to mount and adjust to your weapon thanks to the mounted rail on it.
Here are the most expected section:
Pros
The well-built design can help the equipment to resist better against the deterioration from weather
The high level of image quality
Long warranty ensures your benefits
Cons
A few customers find their crosshairs not totally straight on the prism
The illumination doesn’t work well in too shiny places.
This NightForce is a great choice that you should consider if you are looking for the best M4 scope. The manufacturer has been gaining their popularity in the field thanks to its impressive attempts to satisfy users for the past years.
In addition to the basic features that any M4 scopes have, the feature that impresses me the most is it striking magnification which can be up to 20x. That’s really a thing because you can enhance your performance a lot.
What’s better?
It is the fact that the image quality remains almost equally clear even when you use the magnification at the maximum level.
Is there any minus point of this M4 scope?
Pros
Impressive image quality
Great finishing quality
Durable material
Cons
The price is a bit high for my budget.
What is Your Pick?
Above are our top 3 of the best M4 scopes that you can find on the market now. If I have to choose the winner among them, I’m gonna go for the Bushnell AR Optics. It can provide pretty good performance while using with an M4 rifle. Also, its price is quite reasonable so most of us can afford it.
How about you? What’s your own choice? Let me know on the comment!
I am Jerry Gonzalez, and my heart beats for the great outdoors, especially in the breathtaking landscapes of Helena, Montana. Engaging with fellow enthusiasts online and at local hunting clubs has been a rewarding experience, and I find great joy in sharing knowledge and experiences with like-minded individuals. My goal is to empower my fellow hunters with well-informed choices, regardless of their experience level.