Best 6.5 Creedmoor Scopes

I’ve seen plenty of new calibers come and go, but when the 6.5 Creedmoor hit the streets, it looked like it had the bones to be an excellent cartridge.

It had a lot in common with the .308, which made it easy to adapt to various rifles while offering a flatter trajectory and better ballistic coefficient.

Less recoil, a greater effective range, and a versatile projectile helped guarantee its success and cement it as one of the most popular choices amongst precision-oriented shooters.

But as with any long-range round, the presence of an optic just makes things better. With that in mind, we rounded up some of the best optics to help you get pointed in the right direction for your next 6.5 Creedmoor rifle.

THE QUICK LIST

1. Best Budget Option

   Burris Signature HD 5-25x50mm, 6.5 Creedmoor

   Jump to Details
2. Best Value

   Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25×56 FFP PR2-MIL

   Jump to Details
3. Editor’s Pick

   Nightforce ATACR 7-35×56 F1

   Jump to Details
4. Best for Competition

   Vortex Razor HD Gen 3 6-36×56 FFP

   Jump to Details
5. Best for Hunting

   Swarovski Z5 3.5-18x44mm

   Jump to Details
6. Best High-End Scope

   Tangent Theta 5-25x56mm Professional

   Jump to Details

Why You Should Trust Us

I’ve spent a lifetime shooting that started in a family that hunted every season they legally could. From there, I joined the United States Marine Corps and spent five years as an infantryman. In the middle of my Marine Corps career, I began writing and have never stopped.

I love shooting, and I love guns — weird guns, old guns, new guns, tactical guns, and sporting guns. I’m a continual student of firearms, and I strive to educate myself to provide the best information possible to the readers of Pew Pew Tactical.

Best 6.5 Creedmoor Scopes

1. Burris Signature HD 5-25x50mm

Let’s start with a long-range option that won’t break the bank.

The Burris Signature HD 5-25x50mm comes in under $800 while delivering a nice magnification range for extended distances.

A set of fingertip-adjustable turrets makes adjustments easy, and the push/pull locking design helps ensure accidental adjustments won’t be a problem. Turret feedback is very tactile, and a zero stop makes field adjustments a breeze.

Adjustment graduations are a very precise 1/4 MOA per click, so you can really dial in those adjustments to get things just right.

The Signature HD series has several reticle choices, including a 6.5 Creedmoor-specific option featuring a BDC designed for the 140-grain ELD projectile and a nice illuminated center point.

When you dial up the magnification and look out to those 800 to 1,000-yard ranges, some distortion will be present. It’s not enough to make you miss, but it’s noticeable. It isn’t the world’s crispest glass, but it’s about as good as it gets for under a grand.

Overall, the Burris Signature HD will help you extend your effective range and make it a bit easier to hit those ways out there targets with your 6.5 Creedmoor rifle without costing an arm and a leg.

2. Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25x56mm

Leupold is a classic American optics company with a great track record of making excellent variable optics.

Their Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25x56mm is a step up from the Burris in both quality and price.

The first thing you’ll notice is that you see everything. I mean everything. While the optic is made in America, the glass is from Japan. Japanese glass is typically ahead of everything but German glass, so take it for what you will.

You get great edge-to-edge clarity with little to no noticeable distortion. Additionally, Leupold offers more than a half dozen reticle choices.

Ultimately, it’s up to you, but the PR2-MIL is a solid option for long-range shooting with the 6.5 Creedmoor. You get plenty of elevation and windage holds and a combination design that forms a nice pyramid for placing those shots right where you want them.

The Mark 5HD is also surprisingly light at only 30 ounces.

Overall. the Mark 5HD punches well above its price tag and is backed by a fantastic warranty. Ultimately, this is likely one of the better options for someone getting into long-range shooting without taking a plunge into optics that cost more than multiple rifles.

What do you think of the Leupold? Rate it below!

3. NightForce ATACR 7-35x56mm

NightForce is often considered the cream of the crop.

Their ATACR is a step into the big-boy realm of long-range optics. It’s one of the most popular long-range shooting optics on the market and is a dominant force in the competition world.

ATACR is not only a fancy acronym for advanced tactical riflescope; It’s likely the clearest glass on the market. At the least, it is the crispest optic I’ve ever looked through.

High-quality glass backed by hand bedding delivers something else entirely. Distortion isn’t an issue, and the sight picture is bright even at extended ranges. Everything is clear, and colors are easy to see and differentiate from.

Reticle selection includes a variety of options that all revolve around long-range shooting. You can pick from MIL or MOA, and the Horus TREMOR3 seems particularly impressive with its wide variety of elevation and windage compensation.

The magnification range of 7-35X can be somewhat limiting. It’s a pure long-range scope, and at short and even moderate ranges, it won’t be the fastest scope.

Everything from the bar stock machined tubes to the hand-fitted lenses reflects quality, care, and attention. These are the optics trusted by professionals around the world for a reason. You’re looking at spending at least $3,500, but consider it an investment in quality.

4. Vortex Razor HD Gen 3 6-36×56 FFP

Vortex makes every kind of optic at every price point but has definitely made their mark with their premium line of variable optics.

The Vortex Razor HD Gen 3 is one of those high-quality scopes. And for the money, it might just be best in class.

It doesn’t quite meet the ATACR levels, but if it’s not equal, it’s only a half-second behind in a foot race. Vortex’s HD optical system gives shooters a beautiful sight picture for those long-range shots — edge-to-edge clarity, no distortion, and great colors.

You get all that for almost $1000 less than the ATACR.

There are multiple reticle options, all of which are illuminated. The illumination is bright enough for shooting at high noon in washed-out environments.

The magnification range does limit you to moderate and long ranges, but that’s the point of the 6.5 Creedmoor for most shooters. The Razor Gen 3 series has been Vortex’s best showing yet, and it’s an excellent pairing for almost any platform.

5. Swarovski Z5 3.5-18x44mm

Like most things made in Germany, Swarovski optics are precision-oriented tools that excel at helping shooters put small bullets into small targets at distance.

If you are a hunter who prefers the precision, lower recoil, and hard-hitting nature of the 6.5 Creedmoor, then the Swarovski Z5 is for you.

Not everyone needs to hit targets at 1,000 yards, and many hunters want to take deer humanely. The magnification range of the Z5 allows for both close and fairly long-range shots.

Range is relative to the task, and long-range for hunting is usually much closer than long-range for PRS. A lower magnification range not only lowers the price over 5-25x options but also allows for more light transmission. Grabbing that last bit of light, even at 200 yards, is critical for hunters.

Most animals feature fairly good natural camouflage; a brown deer in a fall forest can blend in easily. The brilliant Swarovski glass makes it easy to differentiate colors.

A long eye relief also makes it easier to get a good overall sight picture for those closer shots, and the BRH reticle helps keep things in focus and allows you to make easy wind and elevation calls.

While it won’t be the best for long-range competition, the Swarovski Z5 gives you an excellent hunting optic that can be flexed into multiple roles.

6. Riton 7 Conquer 4-32x56mm

The Riton 7 Conquer 4-32x56mm is another decent budget option for 6.5 Creedmoor shooters.

Riton has been making waves in the optics community since branching out from red dots, and they have delivered impressive scopes at a great price point.

While it might not be the first choice for a duty scope or the one to take home first place in a national competition, it’s perfect for the beginning competitor, weekend warrior, or average Joe who just wants to stretch their rifle out.

The clarity is decent, some chromatic aberration is visible, and there is some color distortion.

With a slightly lower-end magnification, the 7 Conquer works well at a wide variety of ranges. Like the Z5, it could be used for hunting; however, it’s a bit heavier and larger than the Z5.

Riton uses a first focal plane fully illuminated PSR reticle for precision shots with a pyramid design for simultaneous windage and elevation calls. It’s mostly daylight bright, but it can be lacking if you are in a super bright environment.

For a budget-friendly and versatile option, the Riton 7 Conquer 4-32x56mm delivers.

7. Tangent Theta 5-25x56mm Professional

Let’s end this list with one of the best optics on the market, period.

If you want to be a serious competitor with a serious setup, the Tangent Theta is for you. Be warned, the Tangent Theta 5-25x56mm will cost over $5000, so make sure budget isn’t a consideration.

What does five grand get you? First, we get a level of clarity that makes you almost feel physically closer to the target — It’s a stunning sight picture.

Secondly, they are designed to be as rugged as a tube of aluminum and glass can be. It’s a heirloom optic, meaning you’ll pass it down to your kids, and it’ll work fine.

The Tangent Theta is premium in every regard, from the tactile and audible adjustments that are extremely precise to the magnification ring and daylight-bright illuminated reticle.

It’s no surprise it is a common sight amongst the top shooters in the world.

If you want to sling 6.5 Creedmoor like a pro, the Tangent Theta will certainly help you get on target.

Final Thoughts

When shooting at ranges where there is a perceivable time between the shot being fired and hitting the target, you know you need a nice optic.

Good glass isn’t cheap, but we tried to include something for everyone. However, we know there are tons of other excellent optics out there as well.

Do you have any experience with any of these scopes? What optics do you think should be on the list? Let us know in the comments below! Looking for more long-range accessories? Check out our article on the Best Rifle Bipods!