For hunters looking to find some more action after deer season expires, coyote hunting is becoming a popular pastime. Unlike other big game animal hunting, coyotes are allowed to be hunted with a wide variety of different firearms, day and night.
If you’re like me, you use an AR-15 for coyote hunting. If I’m honest, half the benefit of owning an AR 15 is using it Coyote Hunting. If you’re serious about predator hunting, the first thing you should be doing after purchasing your weapon is investing in a scope. Ideally, we’d get you into a thermal scope, but basic night vision will work for now.
PS. If you’re just looking to drop cash, the ATN ThOR 4 4.5-18 is probably the best bang for your buck thermal wise. For straight night vision, I’m into the
These are the 5 best scopes for AR-15 Coyote Hunting
- ATN ThOR 4 4.5-18 (Best for Nighttime Coyote Hunting)
- ATN X-Sight II HD 5-20x
- Primary Arms 1-6×24 SFP GEN III ACSS-Predator
- Vortex Crossfire II 3-9×40
- Leupold VX-Freedom 2-7×33
- Trijicon TR24R AccuPoint 1-4×24
This opens up the possibilities for hunters to get serious with culling predator numbers on their hunting property by the most effective means. Ask any serious coyote hunting enthusiast and you’ll quickly find out that the AR-15 is one of the most popular guns to use—and for good reason.
AR’s provide plenty of knockdown power to take out a fully-grown coyote while also giving hunters enough shots to be forgiving when trying to hit a running ‘yote. The AR-15 can be fitted with plenty of different add-ons and there are many different kinds of scopes that are considered to be ideal for AR-15’s that are specially intended for coyote hunting.
These are the 5 best scopes for AR15 Coyote Hunting
It’s worth pointing out that when I was considering or am recommending scopes for coyote hunting with your AR 15, I’m almost always recommending scopes that work well for night time coyote hunting. If you start with the top end of your budget and pick something that will work for night time hunting, you’ll get day time benefits out of the scope as well.
That said, you do sacrifice some quality when going straight to a day and night thermal scope versus just choosing the most expensive Vortex or Swarovski scope you can afford.
ATN ThOR 4 4.5-18 (Best for Night time Coyote Hunting)
The ATN ThOR 4 lineup of scopes are probably the best combo of affordability and quality on the market.
Buy the ATN ThOR 4 at Brownells
Check Price of the ATN ThOR 4 at Amazon
For coyote hunters, one of the most exciting things about the sport is the ability to slip in undetected under cover of darkness and wait for your prey. Night hunting for coyotes has grown in popularity across the country as hunters are taking advantage of the ability to utilize night vision optics and other items that aren’t typically associated with big game hunting.
The ATN X-Sight II HD 5-20x is perfect for day or night hunting, making this one of our favorite coyote hunting scopes. Featuring a digital night vision scope, the ATN X-Sight II is a workhorse than is fully functional in just about any coyote hunting environment.
Want to show your hunt to your buddies or upload it to your Youtube channel? The ATN X-Sight takes HD digital video of your hunt and can be uploaded from the field.
Features
- Day and night compatable
- HD optics
- Illuminated reticle
- Wifi/Bluetooth capabilities
If there are any cons, as with most scopes, it’s the price. This one is also a little advanced on the technical side, so a bit more understanding is necessary when it comes to setting it up and getting the most out of it.
Takeaway: If you’re looking for a coyote hunting scope that can do it all, the ATN X-Sight II HD 5-20x is what you want. For the serious coyote hunter, it’s worth the price and is perfect for tech-minded ‘yote hunters.
Primary Arms 1-6×24 SFP GEN III ACSS-Predator
If you’re familiar with AR-15 rifles, you’ve likely heard of Primary Arms at one point or another. This particular scope might not be a first-choice for some coyote hunters, but Primary Arms makes a wide variety of different scopes that can be customized to meet the needs of just about anyone.
One of the best things about this scope is that it won’t exactly break the bank for most hunters, making it ideal for those that might be just getting into coyote hunting.
Features
- Affordable Price
- Illuminated Reticle
- Waterproof/Fogproof
- 30 mm reticle
Here’s what we would change
- Some reported reticle problems
- Sight picture clarity is not on par with other premium brands
Takeaway: The Primary Arms 1-6×24 SFP GEN III ACSS-Predator is one of the best overall AR-15 scopes on the market and can function for a number of different purposes. Primary Arms stands behind their product with a lifetime warranty.
Related: Best Red Dot Sights
Vortex Crossfire II 3-9×40
Vortex is among the top scopes in the outdoor optics industry for good reason. For anyone who is knowledgeable about AR-15’s and the best accompanying scopes, Vortex is a brand that will continually surface as one of the top choices.
The Vortex Crossfire II features an illuminated V-Plex reticle that offers an illuminated center dot that’s intended for low-light use which is perfect for serious coyote hunters who are waiting at dawn or dusk for their target.
There are a few downsides to this one as it is manufactured in China and sometimes considered to be poorly made compared to other premium-brand optics.
Features
- Affordable Price
- Waterproof/Fogproof
- Illuminated Reticle
- Fast-focus eyepiece for quick target acquisition
Any negatives of this scope?
We have heard some complaints of durability issues. With that being said, Vortex has one of the best return policies in the optics market, so you can buy one of these (or any Vortex optic) with literally no concerns.
Takeaway: The Vortex Crossfire II 3-9×40 offers everything you need in an AR-15 hunting scope for coyotes. Vortex is one of the top brands in the optics industry and, while this particular model might not be the absolute best, it is one of the best scopes you’ll find for an AR-15 coyote rifle based on the value.
Leupold VX-Freedom 2-7×33
The Leupold brand is one of the top dogs among outdoor optics brand and they’ve earned their spot among those ranks. The Leupold VX-Freedom 2-7×33 might even be the top choice among our list of the best scopes for AR-15 coyote rifles.
The Leupold VX-Freedom offers plenty of value for the cost as its also one of the most affordable options on our list. It is super lightweight and offers a very wide field of view (43 feet) when sighted-in at 100 yards.
It doesn’t feature an illuminated reticle, but the sight does offer Leupold’s Twilight Light Management system which is perfect for low light conditions. The sight picture clarity is superb, as is most of Leupold brand scopes.
Features
- Affordable Price
- Twilight Light Management System
- Easily-adjustable power ring
- Wide field of view
Here’s what we would change..
- Might not be ideal for night hunting
- Lack of reticle options
Takeaway: The Leupold VX-Freedom 2-7×33 is an easy addition to our list as it offers everything you could want, except just a few perks that other scopes have. What it lacks in features, it makes up for in sight picture clarity and is our overall top choice for daytime coyote hunting.
Trijicon TR24R AccuPoint 1-4×24
We’ve narrowed down our list of the best scopes for an AR-15 coyote rifle and the choice is clear—the Trijicon TR24R AccuPoint 1-4×24 is our overall favorite.
This one isn’t as affordable as other scopes on our list, but if you’re a serious coyote hunter who’s willing to spend a little extra for all the marbles, this is the scope you want.
The TR24R AccuPoint offers one of the clearest sight pictures of any scope on the market. It’s construction is similar to other scopes in the Trijicon brand that are extremely well-made and offer everything you could want in a durable, yet functional scope.
Compact and super lightweight, the TR24R AccuPoint might not be the best for those looking to reach out and take coyotes from a long distance, but the AR-15 is widely considered to be a medium range gun, making this medium range scope the perfect fit.
Features
- Multi-purpose scope
- Quick target acquisition
- Glass-etched reticle
- Battery-free reticle illumination
You’re going to be paying a bit more for this scope. It’s for the serious coyote hunters out there and on that note, it comes with a serious price tag.
Takeaway: This scope has everything a serious coyote hunter could want and offers superior quality among a highly-competitive field of other brands. The Trijicon TR24R AccuPoint 1-4×24 is more costly, but for those looking to get the best scope available, the cost is only a small obstacle.
Things to remember when picking out a scope for AR 15 Coyote hunting
First off, stay within your means. Coyote hunting is not cheap. Second, you get what you pay for. Are some optics more expensive than others? Absolutely. That doesn’t mean you should go out and leverage yourself entirely just so you can get the worlds best thermal scope. As far as optics are concerned, we always advise folks to buy something that’s at the top of their budget – it’s the best and most ethical thing you can do to improve your chances at success in the field.
Conclusion: Best AR-15 Scopes For Coyote Hunting
That will wrap up this article about the top AR-15 scopes you can get for coyote hunting.
Thanks for reading!
