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Pros - Inexpensive riflescope - Compatible with airguns and crossbows - P4 Sniper reticle Cons - Poor focusing ability - No rings included - Narrow field of view

What Are the Scope’s Dimensions?

This scope is 8.67′ long, with a 1′ tube diameter. Overall width is around 2 inches, and the scope fits nicely into any normal rifle or crossbow case, mounted on your rifle or crossbow. It weighs 9.2 ounces, so it adds barely more than half a pound to the weight of your rifle or crossbow.

How Much Magnification Do I Get From the ?

The NcStar 4×30 compact scope is a fixed 4X magnification scope, without any zoom capability. The P4 Sniper reticle works perfectly at this magnification, but I wish the scope had better focusing capabilities. Objects simply cannot be focused clearly with this scope; a competing 4X scope allows me to read the fine print on my ammunition boxes from across the room, but this scope won’t focus in well enough for that.

How is the Optics Quality on the Riflescope?

The optics are blue-coated for light transmission, and the scope definitely brings in light pretty well. Unfortunately, the focusing problems make the quality of the optics almost a moot point. The one shining star of this scope, though, is the reticle: a P4 Sniper reticle.

If you aren’t familiar with the P4 Sniper reticle, here’s how it works. Each of the lines is a different MOA width; the top and bottom lines are 5 MOA, the next line is 4 MOA, and so forth. If you know your target’s size in inches, you can use these MOA lines to determine the range according to the mathematical formula TARGET Size divided by MOA times 100 to get your range in yards. For example, an 18′ target that is 5 MOA wide is an estimated 360 yards away.

What’s the Light Gathering Capability Like on the Scope?

The scope brings in light like nobody’s business, working almost flawlessly during bright daylight but also working fairly well during low light conditions. Since the reticle isn’t illuminated, I wouldn’t use this scope during really low-light conditions, but I successfully used the scope just after dawn to bring down a large buck.

How Wide is the Field of View?

The field of view from 100 yards away is just 26.2 feet, which is a bit narrow for my liking. It’s good enough, though, for taking down game that is mostly stationary, but I wouldn’t trust it to try leading a target on the run.

How Easy is the Scope to Mount?

Unfortunately, NcStar doesn’t include rings or any other mounting supplies with the scope, so you need to have your own rings/mount. I had a set of 1′ rings, and they worked perfectly with the NcStar 4×30 scope.

Any Tricks or Tips About Mounting the Scope?

Once you have a set of 1′ rings, mounting the scope is quick and easy; no tips or tricks required!

How Easy is the NcStar 4×30 Compact Scope to Sight In?

Once I had the scope mounted, I sighted in. I always recommend using a laser bore sighting tool, if possible, since this helps save ammunition and time. If you’re mounting this on a crossbow, though, you’ll find that it sights in quickly and easily.

I tested this scope on my TenPoint Titan crossbow, a Ruger 10/22 takedown rifle and a .50 caliber muzzle-loader. Sight-ins on both the crossbow and the rifle swere quick and easy, with the 20 yard bull’s eyes coming in within just a few shots. The windage and elevation knobs are easy to use, and don’t require any special tools for adjustments. Once sighted in, the screw-on caps cover the windage and elevation adjustment knobs perfectly to keep your scope sighted in.

How Durable is the Riflescope?

NcStar isn’t known for high quality scopes; rather, they’re known for inexpensive products. That said, this is a pretty rugged little scope. It’s constructed out of a single piece of aircraft grade aluminum, and has held up perfectly against the recoil of everything I’ve tried it on. I’ve even dropped the scope a few times, by accident, and the scope has held zero and remained just as clear and crisp as when I first unboxed the scope.