The 10 Best Laser Scopes
Updated by · How we research
Scope-and-laser combos, rail lasers and light-laser units compared by laser color, zoom, mounting and power. The Pinty 3-9x32EG kit leads for most rifles. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
A laser bolted to a rifle points where the bullet lands at only one distance, because it sits above, below or beside the barrel. Closer or farther, the dot drifts off. That makes these lasers close-range, low-light aids, while the scope does the real work farther out. This list is for hunters, plinkers and home-defense shooters on a budget.
Editor's Notes
October 26, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
The Pinty 3-9x32EG moves to the top. Its green laser is far easier to see in daylight than red, and Pinty names the laser safety class and standard it meets, which most kits at this price don't. The old leader, the Sniper FL3000 Tactical, is no longer sold, so the Votatu V848 takes over its night-vision role with green and infrared lasers that share one zero.
We dropped the Crimson Trace Lasergrip and the Ade Advanced Optics HG54G because they fit handguns, not rifles. The XOPing C4-16x50 and the Ade Advanced Optics 2.5-10x40 are gone, and we couldn't confirm the UUQ Tactical Reflex or the Tacticon Armament are still sold. The UUQ 2.5-10x40 and the Pinty Hunting GLS stay. We also added a bore sighter, since many readers want a laser that helps line up a scope rather than one to aim with.
These are budget kits from a handful of factories, and no lab or shooting magazine has published a test of any of them. So we leaned on the laser class each seller states, FDA laser hazard guidance, state hunting rules on laser sights and long sales histories.
Earlier notes
February 25, 2020, by Daniel Imperiale:
A few of the models included on our previous list had some availability problems, and the Cisno Quick-Release has particularly hard-to-reach adjustment points that could cost you a quality shot if a target arrived and you weren't ready. We removed those from our list, replacing them with some really fine options like the Sniper FL3000 Tactical, which offers both a green and infrared beam for use in daylight or at night with night vision goggles.
We also added a few options to the special honors section, two of which are still in the relative price range of the rest of the list, and one of which — from Burris — is significantly more expensive, but offers the kind of quality you'd want in a professional grade scope, including a long zoom range, wide 50mm objective, and outstanding optical performance.
Special Honors
Burris Eliminator 6 This is the other thing people mean by a laser scope: a hunting riflescope with a laser rangefinder built in. Press a button and it ranges the target, factors in temperature, air pressure and shot angle, and lights the matching aiming point, using ballistic data loaded from a phone app. It costs many times more than the kits on this list. burrisoptics.com
Sightmark LoPro Lasers Sightmark's LoPro line includes compact green lasers and combo units with a visible and an infrared laser, adjusted by hand without tools. It suits shooters who want a known optics brand with published specs instead of a budget kit. sightmark.com
Scope Combo, Rail Laser Or Light And Laser
The second kind is a stand-alone laser that clamps to a Picatinny rail, an M-LOK handguard slot or the barrel.
Gear sold as a laser scope comes in three kinds. The first is a rifle scope packaged with a small laser that rides on the scope or its mount, often with an open red dot sight as well. These kits are the cheapest way to get magnification and a laser on one rifle, but they are budget optics. A scope-buying guide from Top Firearm Reviews notes that glass quality isn't the strong point at this price, so expect a picture that dims early at dusk.
The second kind is a stand-alone laser that clamps to a Picatinny rail, an M-LOK handguard slot or the barrel. It works with whatever scope or iron sights you already own. The third adds a white light. On a home-defense long gun, a light matters more than magnification, because you have to identify what you're aiming at.
Color matters too. Green is far easier to see in daylight, red is cheaper and easier on batteries, and infrared (about 850 nanometers) is invisible without night-vision gear. A primer from Voodoo Firearms covers the same split for AR-15 lasers. Name-brand makers such as Sightmark sell low-profile green lasers and visible-plus-infrared units with finer adjustment, at several times the price of the kits here.
Where The Dot Lands: Zeroing And Distance
A laser mounted under or beside a scope sits off the bore line, so its beam crosses the bullet's path at one distance only. Pick that distance, usually 25 to 50 yards for a rifle, and the dot and the point of impact match there. Closer in, the dot sits off to one side of the hit, and farther out the gap grows. Shooters on the Northeast Shooters forum made the same point years ago, and the geometry hasn't changed.
Zero the scope first, with live fire at a known distance. Then turn the laser's windage and elevation screws until the dot sits on the scope's aiming point at your chosen distance. A bore sighter helps with the first step: it gets the crosshairs close enough to hit paper, but it never replaces firing groups.
Daylight range claims of 100 meters or more describe a dot you can find in shade or at dusk, not one you can spot on a sunny field. Treat the laser as a switch you leave off until you need it. Check the zero again whenever a mount is moved or a rechargeable unit comes off for charging.
Laser Safety And Hunting Rules
Visible aiming lasers in these kits are Class 3R, formerly called IIIa, with output under 5 milliwatts. The FDA warns that a Class 3R beam can be briefly hazardous to look into, and it requires lasers sold in the U.S. to meet federal performance standards. Never point one at a person, a vehicle or an aircraft, and watch for reflections off glass and water.
Hunting is where the law bites. New York bars hunting deer or bear with the aid of any artificial light, laser sights included. Washington bans big-game hunting with laser sights that project a beam onto the target, while still allowing rangefinders. Other states set their own rules, and some allow lasers only with a disability permit, so read your state wildlife agency's regulations before carrying one into the field. Some cities restrict laser sight accessories as well.
We found no recalls for any brand on this list in the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's database, though firearm accessories fall largely outside its reach.
How we researched this
We compared 19 scope-and-laser kits, rail lasers, light-laser units and bore sighters, plus several handgun lasers we screened out. We read each maker's and seller's specs and laser class labels, FDA laser guidance, state hunting rules on laser sights and shooting guides, looked at owner feedback patterns, and checked every brand for recalls with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. We found no independent lab tests of these kits.
Sources (9)
- FDA: Laser products and instruments
- New York DEC: Hunting regulations
- Washington hunting regulations: Prohibited hunting methods
- Top Firearm Reviews: Best rifle scope
- Voodoo Firearms: Best lasers for AR-15
- Northeast Shooters forum: Laser scope combo thread
- Sightmark: Laser sights
- American Hunter: Review of the Burris Eliminator 6
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Recalls
Frequently asked questions
Can you see a laser sight in daylight?
A green laser is visible in daylight at short range, especially in shade. A red laser washes out quickly in sun. Range claims of 100 meters or more are realistic only at dusk or indoors.
Should I get a red, green or infrared laser?
Green for daylight use, red if budget and battery life matter more, and infrared only if you use night-vision gear, since an infrared beam is invisible to the naked eye.
Are laser sights legal for hunting?
Owning one is legal in most places, but several states ban lasers as a hunting aid. New York and Washington are two examples. Check your state wildlife agency's rules before you hunt with one.
Will these fit an AR-15?
Anything built for a 20 mm Picatinny or Weaver rail fits a standard AR-15 upper or handguard rail. M-LOK lasers need a handguard with M-LOK slots.
Does a laser replace sighting in my scope?
No. Zero the scope with live fire, then set the laser to match at one chosen distance. A bore sighter only gets you close enough to hit paper.
Can I put a laser on an air rifle?
Yes. Clamp-on lasers with a barrel mount fit many air rifles and rail lasers fit guns with a rail. Spring-piston air rifles recoil in both directions, so check that the mount holds.
