The best sights and scopes for tracking big woods bucks on snow will be able to handle cold, wet, and snowy weather so that when the opportunity finally presents itself your sights and scopes are up to the challenge. It is also important for scopes and sights to have fast target acquisition because when tracking you often only get a split second to shoot. In this post, you’ll learn about the best optics for tracking deer on snow.
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William’s Peep Sights
Pros
Peep sights are one of the best sights for tracking big woods bucks on snow. They are able to handle snowy conditions, especially in thick brush. Although you can get good with any sight it seems like other open sights have more room for error. Peep sights are also great because there is no magnification so you can keep both eyes open for quick shooting. When the peep sight gets filled with snow you can blow it out or use a stick to scrape it out. This is faster and easier than trying to keep a scope clean.
Cons
Although these peeps sights will get the job done and are a great option they do have some downsides. The biggest is that they are difficult to sight in because they move around a lot when you tighten the sight on the ramp, the harder you tighten the sight down it will want to move up on the ramp, so you have to plan for that forward movement. The screw that holds the sight in place also digs into and scars the ramp. Once you get it sighted in it is helpful to mark the ramp so you can always reset the sight if it gets bumped.
I currently use a William’s peep sight but I could see myself eventually trying a 1x zoom scope for tracking.
Trijicon TR24 AccuPoint 1-4×24 (SFP)
The Trijicon TR24 is one of the bests scopes for tracking bucks on snow. It has been around for a long time and is a popular Low-Power Variable Optic (LPVO) scope. It’s been out for over 10 years and is still going strong and has been a favorite among trackers.
True 1x Magnification
Cheaper 1x scopes don’t have a true 1x magnification and others have a fish-eye effect at the edges of the scope making it difficult to shoot with both eyes open. The Trijicon is a very true 1x power scope made to shoot with both eyes open, making it one of the best fast acquisition scopes for tracking deer in the snow.
AccuPoint Fiber Optic True Daylight Bright Illumination
One of the most unique features of this rifle scope is that it uses AccuPoint fiber optics to illuminate the reticle, this means it does not need batteries to function. This is a great feature for trackers because technology does not always work the best in wet, snowy, cold conditions when tracking deer.
During the daytime, it’s illuminated very brightly by fiber optics, during low-light conditions tritium illuminates the reticle. The reflection from the snow also helps to keep this fiber optic reticle bright under the canopy.
The large triangle post-reticle has been a favorite among trackers for fast close-quarter shooting, but other reticles are available.
Vortex Viper PST Gen II 1-6X24 (SFP)
The Vortex Viper PST Gen II 1-6×24 is one of the best scopes for tracking bucks on snow for the money. For example, this scope is so good it is often said to undermine Vortex’s Razor Series 1-6×24 LPVO scope (which are +/- 2000$). Also, the Vortex Viper is much better than the Vortex Strike Eagle, so if you can save your money or buy this scope used it is definitely worth it.
With the true 1x magnification, industry-leading warranty, crisp and clear glass, true daylight bright illumination, and excellent reviews this scope is tough to beat for the price.
True 1x Magnification
It has a true 1x magnification with no fish-eye effect which is great for fast target acquisition, which is essential for tracking deer on snow.
True Daylight Bright Illumination
The Viper has excellent illumination with true daylight brightness allowing the red dot to be easily visible in bright daylight conditions (such as tracking in bright snow). If the battery dies or if the illumination stops working you can still use this scope with a regular crosshair.
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LPVO Scopes For Tracking Deer on Snow
Check out my post 18 Best Hunting Rifle Scopes For The Money to learn more about the low-powered scopes in the chart below. These LPVO scopes below can also be used for tracking big bucks in the snow but I handpicked the best scopes (above) for tracking bucks on snow for this article.
*Price at the time of this post
Best Short-Range Rifle Scopes Vortex Crossfire II Vortex Viper PST Gen II Burris RT-6 Trijicon Huron Trijicon TR-24
Award #1 Best Budget #1 Best Overall Value #2 Best Value Best Non-Illuminated Lightest & Battery Free Illum.
Magnification 1-4x24 1-6x24 1-6x24 1-4x24 1-4x24
Price* 200 600 310 500 769
Availability Check Amazon's Price
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Check Optics Planet PriceCheck Amazon's Price
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Scope Considerations For Tracking Bucks on Snow
Magnification & Short-Range LPVOs
If you’re hunting in dense cover a magnified scope is not a good idea when tracking, you will not be able to pick up the target as fast. If you’re tracking in open ridges you can get away with a 3-9×40 but even then you’re never going to use a magnification over 6x so a 1-6×24 LPVO is a better choice.
Snow In The Scope
Snow will fall into scopes which can make them more annoying than a peep sights for this reason. Be aware of this and bring materials and/or scope covers with you to keep your scope clean if you choose the scope route.
Scope Electronics
Cold, wet, and snowy weather are the worst conditions for electronics. Be careful when buying any scope with electronics and make sure it can still be used even if the battery dies.
More Hunting Optic Resources:
Find the best hunting gear faster by navigating to one of my more specific articles:
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Best Brands To Look For When Buying Hunting Rifle Scopes
Brands To Avoid When Buying Hunting Rifle Scopes
- Nikon (they stopped producing rifle scopes)
- Cheap off-brand Amazon scopes (not worth the money)
Big Woods Deer Hunting on Snow
- Gear for Tracking Bucks in Snow – Big Woods Deer Hunting
- When Do Bucks Use Signpost Rubs? | 4-Month Trail Camera Study
- Signpost Rubs – Everything You Need To Know | Big Woods Deer Hunting
- Do Does Drag Their Feet In Snow? | Reading Deer Track Drag Marks
- Big Buck Tracks – What Do They Look Like? (With Photos) | Buck Track ID
- Best Guns For Tracking Deer On Snow | Big Woods Deer Hunting
- Maximize Your Deer Tracking Season | Move To The Best Snow Conditions
- How to Track Big Woods Bucks in Snow – The Art of Reading Deer Tracks
- Where to Find Big Woods Buck Tracks In Snow
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Best Places To Shop For Hunting Gear
Some great places to find hunting gear include:
- Amazon – Free Two-Day Shipping For Prime Members
- Cabela’s – Free Shipping on Orders Over 50$
- L.L. Bean – Free Shipping on Orders Over 50$
- Walmart – Free Shipping on Orders Over 35$
- Dick’s Sporting Goods
