For the sake of science I analyzed all the current scopes for my own research on effectiveness for sniping/gameplay, (since the names and prices don't mean anything) and I wanted to share my findings and work here for anyone who is also asking the same question.
TL-DR; Best sniping scope is the PM II (3-12×50).
Here are the top 12 in order. These change based on criteria like price and availability assigned in the google document linked below.
PM II (3-12x50)
March Tactical
Hensoldt FF
Nightforce ATACR
Leupold Mark 4 LR
PM II (1-8x24)
KMZ 1P59/69
Burris TAC30
NcStar ADO-P4***
EOTech Vudu
Vortex Razor
PM II (5-25x56)
Google Document
Scope Comparison image link
I did a number tests, including relative scope zoom, screenspace of the scope, price, sight adjustment, and availability.
Relative magnification was done by determining the scope which has the closest zoom relative to the object being viewed inside the scope viewport.
Scope screenspace was calculated off of the total screenspace of the viewport inside the scope. This is important because as effective as relative magnification is, it can only be useful in correlation with total viewable zoom area.*
Price weight was done manually based on my own determination of price according to the mean of only flea market values.
Dual Sight ranking was calculated on the basis of if (1) the scope contains a second setting, and (2) if the second setting helps the scope be effective in multiple ranges (i.e. Close, mid, and far). Scopes with little to no overall change in range have a lower value.
Some scopes are also ranked based on other viewable area, i.e. the clarity on the edge of the viewport or the scope model blocks sight in a detremental way.*
Of course it's not perfect, but it got me what I wanted when it came to deciding which scope would be best for zoom effectiveness and price. Some criteria are relative, so you are more than welcome to copy my google document and adjust the weighted scores of a section if, for example, price is a lot more important to you than scope magnification. They are listed in order of relative zoom magnification which is the amount of zoom the scope actually allows. Only scopes with greater than 8x zoom are listed.
This is a live document I use depending on my needs so it may not reflect accurately depending on price changes or if I change a weight value. The weight values I used here are shown below.
Relative Magnification | Price | Dual-Sight | Screenspace |
---|---|---|---|
.4 | .25 | .1 | .25 |
All pictures used for comparison and analysis are in the imgur link. My FOV for this comparison is the max at 75.
Let me know if this helps you or if I missed a detail!