There are many companies manufacturing rifle optics, and all are vying for your attention. With so many names spending money on ads, it can be difficult to know which brands to target and which ones to stay away from.
In this review, I won’t just look at a single rifle scope; instead, I’ll examine Mueller Optics to see what they bring to the market in terms of quality and price. I’ll also look at a few of their best scopes so you can get an idea of what they provide. Let’s get started.
What Are Mueller Scopes?
The Mueller Optics company is an organization that almost exclusively makes rifle scopes and other accuracy-boosting optics. They usually make scopes within a $200 price range, offering affordability and quality alike. This makes them a popular choice for hunters that have a little extra cash to spend but still need to consider finances.
Basically, Muller scopes are partially well-known because they combine quality parts and design with more affordable asking prices than several upper-tier scope manufacturing companies like Leupold.
While they do create some specialized rifle scope variants, most Mueller scopes are designed to be versatile out of the box. This is another popular design trend, as it means that many hunters can purchase a single scope from this company and use it for a variety of purposes or on several different rifles. Most of their scopes are also one-piece products, meaning they tend to be exceptionally durable.
Like many top-tier scope manufacturing companies, Mueller only produces rifle optics that have multicoated lenses, which offer increased visibility and durability under regular use. Furthermore, their reticles tend to come with extremely fine crosshair sights. Why does this help? Thinner crosshairs make it much easier to hit accurate shots on smaller animals that can sometimes be obscured by thicker sights. Essentially, it’s a great advantage at longer ranges.
Mueller adjustment turrets are also known to be great. They’re usually quite responsive to slight finger movements, making it easy to change your windage or elevation adjustment compensation on the fly. Even better, Mueller usually releases new scopes every few years, so there’s almost always a new optic to check out if you like to refresh your loadout or build every now and again.
One final Mueller advantage is the lifetime warranty that comes with every scope they produce. Each scope sold by this company is protected by a warranty that covers manufacturer defects or breakage from regular use. It’s an excellent additional feature for peace of mind.
All in all, Mueller scopes are great for their versatility, durability, and affordability. While the quality of their glass isn’t quite as high as something you might get from an expensive Vortex scope, it’s still quite worth your time and money overall, especially if you have to remain within a certain budget.
Below, you’ll find a selection of a few top-tier Mueller scopes so you can see what I’ve been talking about.
If you are interested in my other reviews have a look at UTG scopes review or Sightron scopes review.
The 3 Best Mueller Scopes Reviewed
1. Mueller Target Rifle Scope, Black, 8-32 x 44mm
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Mueller’s Target Rifle Scope caught my eye for several important reasons. Let’s take a closer look.
My Feeling After Using This Product
The Target Rifle Scope is a very versatile optic, featuring zoom levels of between 8x and 32x. In my experience, this is great for medium to long-range hunting and target practice, especially since the scope comes with generous levels of eye relief (up to 4 inches in total). Therefore, I could easily recommend it for high-recoil weapons and ammo.
The Mil-dot reticle is also a nice touch. Not only does it offer windage and other holdover estimation points, but it’s also relatively clean and minimalist, so your sight picture won’t end up crowded. In my opinion, overly crowded reticles are more trouble than they are worth.
Then there’s the fast-focus eyepiece, which is designed to help you snap-in to your target as quickly as possible. When I experimented with the Target Rifle Scope, I found it to be an excellent addition to the optic overall.
Product Highlights
But the highlight, at least for me, was the top-tier set of windage and elevation adjustment turrets. These are detailed, marked, audible, and tactile to the touch. As a result, you can easily adjust for windage and elevation with these fully exposed turrets, all without looking away from your target.
The scope’s durability and matte black finish round out its impressive suite of different features. All in all, the Target Rifle Scope’s many benefits far outweigh the minimal downside.
Common Problems and How to Deal with Them
That downside is simply low eye relief at the maximum magnification setting. Once you crank magnification up to 32x, you’ll find that eye relief shrinks to 3.2 inches.
That said, 3.2 inches isn’t all that short! It’s certainly enough for experienced hunters and marksmen to work with, especially if you use the scope with the right type of rifle. However, I’d also point out that the scope weighs 26 ounces, so it might be a bit heavier than you think.
Key Features
- 8-32x magnification
- 44mm objective lens
- SFP scope
Pros
- Very durable scope
- Good eyepiece
- Excellent windage and elevation turrets
- Mil-dot reticle is very helpful
Cons
- A little heavy
- Eye relief shrinks a bit at maximum magnification
Basic Parameters
Manufacturer | Mueller |
Weight | 26 oz |
Eye Relief | 3.2”-4” |
Magnification | 8-32x |
Field of View | 2.5’-9.3’ |
The Bottom Line
Overall, the Target Rifle Scope is a good “all-purpose” hunting and target shooting scope that I’d recommend for hunters of all types of game.
My rating: 4.9/5
2. Mueller Quick Shot Rifle Scope
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If you’re looking for something tactical, flexible, and adaptable, you might instead want the Quick Shot Rifle Scope.
My Feeling After Using This Product
The Quick Shot Rifle Scope first impressed me thanks to the two separate sensors built into the front of the red dot apparatus. As a red dot sight, this scope already comes with unlimited eye relief. But the sensors help to detect lighting conditions in the ambient environment. Even better, those sensors automatically adjust the brightness of the red dot so you can always see it. Talk about convenience!
I also really liked the manual brightness settings, which you can switch using a control located on the top of the optic. Granted, the dial is in a slightly awkward place compared to many other illuminated reticles, but it’s something you can get used to with a little bit of practice.
This reflects scope further offers four different reticle styles you can choose from, including more minimalist and streamlined reticles and more complex reticles intended to help you hit distant targets. In any case, extra customization is always welcome, particularly when you consider the fact that most reflex sights only have plain red dots.
Product Highlights
I’d be remiss not to mention the easy, intuitive mounting base built into the scope’s design. If your rifle already has an existing rail system for optics and other attachments, sliding this red dot sight onto your firearm should be quick and simple.
That’s a big benefit, whether you are a beginner to target shooting or an experienced firearm user. The faster you can mount an optic on your firearm, the better. This also means you can easily remove the reflex sight when needed – for example, if you want to put a magnifying hunting scope on your rifle, you can do that without having to break out a bunch of tools.
Common Problems and How to Deal with Them
Unfortunately, the Quick Shot Rifle Scope’s automatic brightness feature might be a little slow for comfort, so you may end up using the manual brightness setting anyway. On top of that, the battery doesn’t last for very long compared to other illuminated optics. Keep this in mind, and consider bringing some extra batteries with you if you take this scope on a long hunting expedition. Fortunately, the batteries can usually be picked up at average grocery stores.
Key Features
- Reflex sight
- Unlimited eye relief
Pros
- Red dot sight automatically adjusts dot brightness
- Manual dot brightness controls are available
- Very easy to mount
- Lightweight
Cons
- Battery life could be better
Basic Parameters
Manufacturer | Mueller |
Weight | 4 oz |
Eye Relief | Unlimited |
Magnification | N/A |
Field of View | 15.7m at 100m |
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, the Quick Shot Rifle Scope is a stellar red dot sight that’s perfect for target shooting and varmint hunting. I would easily recommend it for any shooting situation that doesn’t call for magnification, and the illuminated red dot is also a good choice for shooting in lowlight environments.
My rating: 4.9/5
To find out more about scopes have a look at best NcStar scopes review or my article on Redfield scopes.
3. Mueller APT Tactical Rifle Scope, Black, 4.5-14 x 40mm
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Mueller also offers an excellent tactical scope, featuring variable magnification and a host of other impressive features.
My Feeling After Using This Product
The APT Tactical Rifle Scope can zoom in up to 14x, and the 40 mm objective lens does a good job of transmitting light and color clarity straight to your eye. More importantly, I found that eye relief only went down to 3.25 inches, even at maximum magnification: perfect for pairing this optic with high recoil weapons and ammunition.
Furthermore, the scope is fairly durable, and you can count on it to continue working in any inclement weather environment. That’s a big benefit if you like to hunt in rain, fog, or even snow.
Add to that the fact that the scope’s tube is sized perfectly for fitting with normal mounting rings and rails, and it’s clear that this scope is designed to be easy to use and perfect for hunters of all experience levels. The MIL-style reticle is another good added touch, helping to hone your precision shooting over time. It works well with the fast-focus eyepiece integrated into the scope’s frame.
Product Highlights
For my money, the standout feature of this optic is the set of windage and elevation adjustment turrets. These are clearly marked, and they offer tactile, audible feedback. Most importantly, you can lock the turrets when needed, preventing your elbow or fingers from accidentally jostling them as you switch positions or lie prone to stabilize your shooting. This is a major feature that, make no mistake, you’ll really appreciate once you try it for yourself.
Common Problems and How to Deal with Them
Unfortunately, this Mueller optic doesn’t come with an adjustable objective or parallax turret. Therefore, you’ll find yourself unable to compensate for parallax if you decide to take this scope into the field for long-distance hunting or target shooting.
On top of that, the scope is a bit heavy, though not excessively so. Mounting it on your firearm and experimenting with it for a few hours should be enough for you to compensate accordingly.
Key Features
- 4.5x-14x magnification
- 40mm objective lens
- SFP scope
Pros
- Excellent set of windage and elevation adjustment turrets
- Very durable overall
- Fast-focus eyepiece and reticle are useful
- Very easy to mount it to a firearm
Cons
- There is no parallax turret
- Could feel a little heavier than you are used to
Basic Parameters
Manufacturer | Mueller |
Weight | 23 oz |
Eye Relief | 3.25”-3.5” |
Magnification | 4.5x-14x |
Field of View | 9’-27’ |
The Bottom Line
In the end, the APT Tactical Rifle Scope is a standout rifle optic with a variety of good features that make it suitable for both budget-minded hunters and experienced target shooters who want something that will last a long time to come.
My rating: 4.8/5
Concluding My Mueller Scopes Review
It’s clear that, while Mueller isn’t quite as well-known as a company like Vortex or Athlon, it’s still a company that might be worth your time and money, particularly if you need to find scopes that balance budget with quality.
Their scopes will never compete with upper-end manufacturers like Leupold in terms of raw clarity or number of features, but they occupy a necessary space in the scope sphere, helping beginner hunters get their bearings and experienced marksmen find quality backup optics.
Mike Fellon is an experienced firearms enthusiast and optics expert. He delivers unbiased and detailed rifle scope reviews. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas. He inherited his hunting passions after his father John – he was fascinated by his stories, hearing how much attention, focus, dedication and patience he invested in shooting every animal. When he was old enough, his father first allowed him to shoot some cans and bottles with his shotgun, and then took him hunting – it was love at first sight. Mike has never stopped shooting ever since.