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Pros - Very inexpensive for a 5-reticle scope - Good light transmission - Generous field of view Cons - Non-illuminated - Eye relief is a little bit too good - No lens caps included

Well hey there! Welcome to my review of the Raging River 4×32 Crossbow Scope. This scope is a Chinese-made budget-friendly alternative to some of the other makes and models out there, with what the manufacturer calls a “Pro 5-Step Reticle.” Let’s take a look at the scope and see how well it performs.

What Is the Size of the Raging River 4×32 Crossbow Scope?

This scope measures eight inches long and is a mere 2.5 inches in diameter, with its 32mm objective lens. It weighs less than a pound, at 12 ounces, so it won’t add a lot of weight to your crossbow setup. Eye relief is unlimited, which some might say is actually too good. In fact, I found that I had to put the scope further forward on my rail than I typically do.

How Powerful Is the Scope?

The 32mm objective lens on this scope provides you with 4X magnification, and the view through the scope is quite clear and with good contrast and depth. In fact, I found the scope was clear enough even in lower lighting conditions to easily target a deer’s vitals from 60 yards.

What Can I Expect From the Optics of the Raging River Scope?

Raging River is obviously new to the game, because they just don’t reveal any of the important details about their scope’s that I look for. For example, the company doesn’t mention what type of anti-reflection lens coating is used on the optics for the 4×32 scope. Judging from the ability of the scope to gather light, though, I’m guessing the optics are at least multi-coated, if not fully multi-coated. Pretty impressive for such a budget scope, in any event.

How Well Does the Scope Gather Light?

I was surprised at how well this scope gathered light. I used this setup during an early morning deer stalk, and was able to quite readily spot a buck bedding himself down for the day. From 45 yards, in the minutes just before dawn, I was able to clearly spot the buck’s chest and get a good bead on him. I took the shot and my arrow penetrated and went clean through the buck’s lungs, giving me a clean kill that only allowed the creature to stumble away a few yards before taking his dirt nap. My only complaint is that the reticle is non-illuminated.

How Wide is the Scope’s Field of View?

The 5-step reticle provides you with aiming points from 10 yards out to 50 yards, and the field of view is pretty good out to 100 yards. Raging River doesn’t disclose any specifications about the field of view, but I would estimate it to be in the neighborhood of 22 yards. That’s more than adequate for spotting and leading a deer, so the scope has that going for it.

How Easy is the Scope to Mount?

If you follow the correct procedure, mounting this scope is quick and easy. It comes with a set of 1-inch rings for a Weaver/Picatinny rail, so make sure your scope has that size rail. If you have a dovetail mount, you’ll need a set of dovetail rings to go along with the scope. It’s a shame when I see someone who has returned a scope just because of having the wrong set of rings, but unfortunately it happens to more than one ill-educated crossbow owner.

How Easy is the Raging River Scope to Sight In?

Once again, the right procedure is key here. If you do the job right, you’ll find sighting in the Raging River 4×32 Crossbow Scope is a quick and easy process. I was able to sight mine in within about 6 shots, and the scope held zero for several months at least. Unfortunately, I haven’t owned this particular model long enough to tell you whether it will last between seasons, but I expect it probably will. The windage and elevation knobs are of a toolless design, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally scratching up the finish on your scope when you sight it in.

How Durable is the Scope?

This particular model is made from an aluminum alloy and then anodized in a flat black finish. Those are all of the details the manufacturer gave about the scope, but here is what I’ve been able to gather from using the scope in adverse weather conditions. It appears to be both fogproof and waterproof, so I would gather that the manufacturer has O-ring sealed the lenses and nitrogen-purged the optics chamber. Unfortunately, no lens caps are included, so you should be mindful of scratching up the lenses themselves.