Mike Fellon

The Marlin 60 creates a scope selection problem most shooters don’t see coming until they’re fighting a nose-heavy rifle or watching their zero walk around the target. It’s not about finding a “good” scope, it’s about finding one that actually works with this rifle’s grooved receiver, light weight, and rimfire-specific needs. Put a centerfire scope … Read more

The SCAR 17 doesn’t behave like most .308 rifles. Its gas-piston system and reciprocating charging handle create a unique set of demands that eliminate half the scopes on the market before you even start looking. I found this out when I mounted a mid-range tactical scope I’d used successfully on AR-10s and watched it fail … Read more

The AK-47 presents a scope mounting challenge that trips up more shooters than it should. That side rail mount positions your optic forward and off-center from the bore, which means eye relief becomes critical in ways it isn’t on an AR platform. Mount a scope with 3 inches of eye relief, and you’ll spend your … Read more

I bought my first Marlin 336 in .30-30 fifteen years ago, and it’s taken more deer than any other rifle in my safe. Over those years, I’ve learned that finding the right scope can make or break your hunting season. The .30-30’s realistic 200-yard range demands an optic that balances magnification, durability, and light transmission … Read more

Most shooters are scoping their .17 HMR completely wrong. They’re either slapping on whatever 3-9x scope they had lying around, or they’re going full tactical with high-magnification optics designed for centerfire precision work. Both approaches miss what this cartridge actually needs. The .17 HMR occupies strange territory. With a 2,550 fps muzzle velocity and essentially … Read more

Muzzleloaders kick. Not the polite push of a .243 or even the honest thump of a .308. They deliver a rolling, forward-backward impulse that’ll punish cheap glass and remind you why eye relief matters when you wake up Sunday morning with a scope-shaped bruise. After testing dozens of muzzleloader scopes on my CVA Accura V2, … Read more

The M1A demands more from a scope than most rifles. Not because it’s inaccurate, far from it. But that side-mounted receiver rail sits higher than anything you’re used to from bolt guns, which means you’re adding a cheek riser to nearly every setup. Pair that mounting reality with the rifle’s 100-to-600-yard versatility, and scope selection … Read more

Here’s what most shooters miss about scoping a 10/22: parallax settings matter more than magnification power. I’ve watched countless people mount centerfire scopes with 100-yard parallax on their rimfires, then wonder why their groups open up at 50 yards. The 10/22’s typical engagement distances (25 to 75 yards for most shooting, occasionally stretching to 100 … Read more

The Mini-14 gets over-scoped more than any rifle I test. Shooters mount 4-12x or even 5-25x optics on a rifle that’s designed to be fast-handling and versatile from 50 to 300 yards, then wonder why it feels wrong. The Mini-14 isn’t a precision rifle, it’s a 2-4 MOA platform built for reliability and quick handling. … Read more