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Outdoor Life editors have been putting the top optics through controlled and field testing for years, and you have probably already found our extensive reviews and round-ups. But the best scopes, sights, and binos are big investments, so when our favorites go on sale we like to let you know. Check out the top optics on sale at Cabela’s right now with our honest reviews to back up your purchase.
Top Optics on Sale at Cabela’s
Sig Sauer Oscar8 Spotting Scope is $500 off
While the OSCAR8 has been on the market for four years, it remains a solid seller for Sig Sauer, and also represents a rare cross-over spotter, appealing to both hunters as well as long-range shooters. Built around two varieties of premium glass, it’s also one of Sig’s most optically ambitious products.
Specifically, the 80mm spotter sports extra-low-dispersion glass in the objective lens. That’s not uncommon for premium brands, as that class of glass corrects chromatic aberrations, which we see as color fringing and jags of multi-colored light, before they enter the optic. But the Sig is unique in using high-transmission glass on its internal lenses. That glass boosts light transmission and generally improves image resolution.
Indeed, the Sig posted a good resolution score, though we were disappointed in its low-light performance, which placed it in the very middle of the pack of nine full-size spotters. But its bomb-proof build and aggressive controls that are a cinch to turn with cold or gloved hands made it a team favorite for both durability and comfort. With a very approachable real-world street price of under $1,700, it’s a good buy for quality glass and a durable build. — Andrew McKean
Read More: Best Spotting Scopes, Tested and Reviewed
Leupold DeltaPoint Pro Reflex Sight is $100 off
When it comes to getting lead on steel and paper quickly, no sight performed better in our test of the best red dot sights than the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro 6 MOA. Its large, bright dot and exceptional optical clarity make it a no-brainer for this kind of shooting. Like all Leupold DeltaPoint’s, this model is wonderfully engineered. The toolless battery compartment/adjustment button is convenient and clever. Pushing on the button allows the shooter to cycle through eight different brightness settings.
The coin-slot windage and elevation adjustments have 60 MOA of travel. They adjust in 1 MOA clicks and give excellent tactile feedback when turned. To harden the sight, Leupold encloses it in a metal shield that wraps over the optic. This bumps the weight to 2 ounces, making it one of the heavier open-emitter sights in the test.
The battery life figures that Leupold gives are much lower (and more realistic, to be honest) than you’ll see with other sights, but it’s worth keeping the dot brightness to a lower setting or making a point to turn off the sight when not in use to get more from the battery. — John B. Snow
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AGM Global Vision Rattler V2 35-384 Thermal Imaging Rifle Scope is $300 off
The Rattler has external battery capability. This is a huge plus if you want to hunt for more than 4 hours or hunt in extreme weather. Freezing temperatures will kill a normal CR123 battery quickly, but an external battery pack rated for 20 hours will let you hunt without worrying about battery life. External batteries are also easy to wrap a hand warmer around, extending operating time greatly.
The rattler records video and takes photos. It boasts 16 GB of onboard storage, which is plenty to get you through even the most active hunts. Be aware that there is no microphone, so the recordings have no sound. To get around this, I purchased a cheap audio recorder the size of a pack of gum for when I want the audio. Unless you are a YouTuber like me, you probably won’t care much about the audio, but it is worth noting. My only real complaint with the video function is that it requires a long press of 3 to 4 seconds to start. That can feel like a long time when a coyote is passing through. — Keith Gibson
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Leupold BX-4 Range HD TBR/W Rangefinder Binoculars is $400 off
I took a prototype BX-4 Range on a mule deer hunt in Mexico, and experienced the speed and simplicity of the unit in the dense brush of the Sonoran Desert. The 10×42 unit performed on par with Leupold’s non-ranging BX-4 Pro Guide binocular, with very good edge clarity and decent field-of-view, both important features when scanning both tight cover and distant viewscapes for big Sonoran bucks. Shot opportunities are fast and fleeting in the desert, and the BX-4 Range performed admirably in these snap-shot situations. The circular reticle in the Leupold is fast and intuitive, and I found I didn’t have to hunt and peck for ranges.
The ranging engine is lightning fast, on par with units from Sig, which has previously been the undisputed speed champion of this category. Leupold’s TBR software is accurate and proven, and the addition of wind holds gives long-range shooters plenty of tools, though competition shooters will probably want to link to custom ballistics software through a mobile app, which isn’t possible with the BX-4. — Andrew McKean in Best Rangefinder Binoculars
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More Optics on Sale at Cabela’s
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