Best Scopes for 3006 – Versatile devices for a versatile rifle.

The good old 3006 is a popular choice in the United States for a reason. Not only is it suited to a variety of hunting types, but you can also load it with a ridiculously wide range of bullets. Now, if you’ve recently purchased a 3006, you might be in the market for a good scope to go with it.

This could mean hours and hours of frustrating research that you probably want to skip. Therefore, we’ve reviewed the top 6 scopes for a 3006 to put an end to your indecision. After all, no one likes to delay a good hunt.

Top 6 best scopes for 3006

Nikon is one of the oldest and most well-known optics brands. They are undoubtedly trustworthy and quality-driven.

The Prostaff has a magnification range of 3-9 x. This means that it is slightly more suited to short-range shooting, which the 30 06 rifle is excellent for. This is an SFP scope – the BDC reticle stays consistent across the magnification range.

The optics are fully multi-coated. This ensures minimal light loss and bright, crystal clear images. The eye relief stands at a very comfortable 3.6 inches, so you can rest assured that you won’t be receiving any rifle tattoos with this one. The rifle scope also houses a well-crafted, quick focus eyepiece that allows you to focus rapidly and acquire your target with efficiency.

The spring-loaded instant zero-reset turrets are a feature that Nikon likes to integrate into most of its scopes. It allows you to reset your turret to zero after sighting in at a particular yardage to simplify the field adjustment process. It is also known to hold zero well.

Externally, the rifle constitutes a one-inch aircraft-grade aluminum alloy tube. It is water, fog, and shock-resistant.

The price is almost unbeatable.

However, this scope can get a little bulky.

Burris is a popular US-based optics brand that is known to provide an excellence at an affordable price.

One of the unique selling points of the Burris Fullfield rifle scope is its Ballistic Plex E1 reticle. The reticle is highly sophisticated and allows for unmatched accuracy even under difficult conditions. It’s fantastic for long-range hunting. Another signature feature is the hi-lume multi-coated optical coating, ideal for crisp images even in dim lighting.

The magnification range is in perfect sync with the abilities of the 30 06. This again is an SFP scope and is therefore terrific if you’re shooting at a high magnification range. Switching to a lower range might require calculations, but there are definitely a lot of apps that can help you with that.

The parallax adjustments go from 50 yards to infinity and are easily accessible. The Fullfield also boasts of unmatched finger-adjustable and accurate turrets. They hold zero and are repeatable.

The eye relief ranges from 3.1 – 3.8 inches, so your face is safe from any recoil.

The internal body is double spring-tensioned, which equals ultimate durability. The scope can handle any bullet that goes into the 30 06 cartridges. So much so, that Burris covers it with a lifetime warranty.

While the 42 mm front lens provides beautiful images with great clarity, the scope can get heavy. Another little con is that the turrets are not zero-reset.

We can’t talk about rifle scopes without mentioning Athlon.

The Athlon Argos has an impressive magnification range of 6-24x. The fully multi-coated 50 mm front lens paves the way for high light transmission and brilliant, high-quality pictures in a range of lighting conditions.

The reticle is illuminated to allow you to hunt whenever and wherever you desire. It’s placed in the first focal plane, which means that the reticle changes size across the magnification range. This is well-suited to long-range shooting. It’s especially great if you zoom in and out quickly while you’re hunting. An FFP scope facilitates speed and precision.

The parallax adjustment is quite accurate. The windage and elevation turrets can be adjusted quickly and have no problem returning to zero.

Like most other Athlon scopes, the body consists of a one-piece argon-purged tube made of aircraft-grade aluminum. This not only helps to keep out moisture efficiently but also makes your scope highly fog-proof and waterproof. It is recoil resistant and can endure anything your 30 06 throws at it.

The eye relief can prove to be slightly inconsistent. Again, owing to lens size, the scope can get weighty.

Vortex optics is another American and veteran-owned business that provides terrific optics for a wide range of uses.

The Vortex Crossfire II is an advanced redesign of the original Vortex Crossfire that aims to please hunters with its accuracy and high-grade optics packed into a new, sleek body.

It has a fully multi-coated 44 mm lens for low dispersion and more than comfortable light transmission. Since we’re only recommending the best scopes, this too provides bright, clear images.

The BDC reticle is illuminated, has a battery life of 150 hours, and sits in the second focal plane. The conveniently illuminated red dot doesn’t drown out your image. The magnification range stands at 6-18x. The scope is great for shooting in low light and at a fixed magnification. It also has a fast-focus eyepiece which allows you to focus and shoot quickly and never miss a target.

One notable feature here is that the objective lens is adjustable, which means zero parallax errors. Every hunter knows this is a boon. The reset turrets are crisp and capped.

This rifle is also built out of aircraft-grade aluminum and has a matte anodized finish, which, as Vortex points out, helps you remain concealed due to low glare. Other than that, it is completely weather-resistant and comes with a warranty.

However, it might not hold zero for very long and the knobs are a little tight.

Leupold is a seasoned player in the hunting game and a trustworthy one at that.

The Leupold VX is house to Leupold’s signature Twilight Max light management system, which combines all possible transmission of the visible spectrum along with glare reduction to help you perform like a pro. The edges of the lenses are also blackened to ensure low dispersion of stray light. Great for all lighting conditions, especially low light.

The VX has a Diamondcoat 2 lens coating, which is an ion-assist lens coating. This military-grade lens coating will ensure extra-low dispersion and maximum brightness. The fast-focus eyepiece facilitates speedy adjustments and is also lockable. It’s a scope suitable for any place on earth, just like the 30 06 cartridges.

The twin bias spring erector system is another unique system that narrows the margin for error caused by pressure during high impact.

This is an SFP scope, therefore the BDC reticle maintains its size and thickness across the magnification range.

The body is highly durable with advanced waterproofing. It’s also pretty light and comes with a lifetime warranty.

However, the reticle is not illuminated.

The last on our list for the best scopes for 30 06 is another Vortex product. This one’s an FFP scope.

The FFP reticle allows for a smooth transition across the 6-24x magnification range. This makes the scope suitable for both, short and long-range hunting. The reticle is also illuminated to allow hunting even in unfavorable lighting conditions. The fast-focus eyepiece does its job at sharpening your reticle effectively.

In addition to being fully multi-coated, the lenses also have an anti-reflective coating to reduce glare and provide brilliant pictures.

The Diamondback is equipped with Vortex’s precision-glide erector system which provides for a seamless visual experience.

The user-friendly windage and elevation turrets allow you to adjust the crosshairs without hassle. Body-wise, the scope is made of durable Aircraft-grade aluminum and provides an overall great experience.

The one downside might be the fact that the reticle isn’t easily visible over white backgrounds. The scope is also slightly heavy.

Things to look for when you’re purchasing the best 30 06 scopes.

The 30 06 rifle cartridge is a versatile cartridge perfect for most hunters. You need an equally versatile and adaptive scope to go with it. Here are some things to keep in mind.

Focal planes

We all know that two types of focal planes exist- the first focal plane (FFP) and the second focal plane (SFP). Your preference should depend on the range you usually shoot at and how often and quickly you switch between magnification values. FFP is available in many scopes like Burris XTR II, etc.

The FFP is suited to long-range shooting and quick switches while the SFP is suited to a fixed magnification. While there’s no denying that the FFP is more user-friendly, the SFP provides a consistent, easy-to-see reticle which can be better if you shoot short range at fixed magnifications.

Lens size and coating

Larger lenses allow more light to enter, which ensures a larger, clearer image. However, they can prove to be heavy and difficult to maneuver. It’s important to choose a lens size according to your preferred magnification range, so you’ll have to decide on whether you want to compromise on comfort or convenience. The coating is another important aspect of the scope. You need to make sure that your lens is well coated to allow maximum light transmission and minimum scattering of stray light.

Reticle

There are various types of reticles- dot, German, BDC, illuminated, non-illuminated, etc. You need to decide on what type of reticle is best for you and your hunting needs.

Turrets

Turrets are extremely important. Every scope will have an elevation turret and a windage turret. It’s always best to check the crispness of these turrets to avoid frustration later. It’s also good to pay attention to the measurement systems. There are two types of measurement systems – the MOA and the MRAD. To learn more, click here. Turrets might have additional features, like being lockable or zero-reset, so lookout.

That covers the main points. Every company will try to tempt you to buy its scope by adding some sort of unique additional feature to it. Most of these features might have fancy names but are very simple things in the practical world. Don’t be fooled and see what best suits your needs.

Conclusion

There. Now you won’t have to go through hundreds of tabs trying to list out and cross-check features – it’s all right here. (Man, I wish I had access to an article like this back when I was trying to decide on a scope. What a pain that was!)

I hope this article has provided some multi-coated clarity on what rifle scope is best for you. We’ve listed rifle scopes across a broad price range so you can decide how much you want to spend according to your level and intent. Your scope determines your success, and no one knows that better than us. Rest assured that every scope mentioned here is only among the best for your 30 06 rifles. All you have to do now is choose. Good luck hunter, rack ’em up!