There are those who view their deer rifle scopes as status symbols or “performance augmentations.” You may even know one or two of them. These are the folks who like to run with scopes that seem to stretch from the stock to the muzzle. We’ll not deny the benefits of high-end glass on a good deer rifle, but when it becomes analogous to sticking racing tires and rims on a Honda Civic, well … you get the idea. More isn’t necessarily better. It really boils down to intended use as to whether it’s worth spending north of $600 or $700 on a scope.

If you’re planning to ring steel at 1,000 meters with a custom rifle, it would be silly to drop a bargain basement optic onto your receiver. On the other hand, if you want a scope for hunting deer within the typical 200-yard range with your factory rifle, common sense says you’d be better off spending a few hundred on a good scope and use your extra money to find or work up the most accurate ammunition for the task.

So, while we like and appreciate high-end optics, we get more excited when we come across quality scopes that meet our typical hunting needs and are priced within our “every hunter” budget.

Fortunately, more manufacturers are stepping into this category. One such company that has recently stepped UP to this segment is TRUGLO. Their new Intercept rifle scope in 4-12x44mm with a BDC reticle sits at the $200 mark with most retail outlets (MSRP is $235.99), but its performance belies the comfortable price point. Ditto for their equally new Nexus scope in 4-12×44, which has an MSRP of $164.99 and a street price of around $150.

During a recent range session, we were testing the Intercept on a Remington 700 in 6.5 Creedmoor. On another bench, we were developing loads for a custom-built .300 topped with a high-dollar scope made by a leading manufacturer of long-range tactical optics. Let’s just say that our on-target performance with the TRUGLO Intercept was not only head-to-head with the $1,200+ optic, we actually preferred the Intercept’s reticle view and its illumination to that of the considerably more expensive scope. And given that both setups were intended for hunting within the 300-yard envelope, it really made us question the whole “expensive rifle needs an expensive scope” mindset so many of us seem to suffer.

Typically, when most of us think of TRUGLO, red-dots and tactical optics come to mind. Sure, the company makes several rifle scopes for hunting, but with their low price points, these optics have often been overlooked as first-round contenders in the big-game hunting category. The new Intercept, however, sweeps such notions aside. This is the company’s top-line hunting scope, and from our experience with the Intercept, it’s evident that TRUGLO has taken a serious step to put their name on the big-game hunter’s “must check” list.

The Intercept is built on a one-inch aluminum tube housing. It measures 13-7/8 inches and weighs 18.3 or 23 ounces, depending on the model. Four models are offered in the series xe2x80x94 a 3-9x42mm and a 4-12x44mm, each available with either an illuminated duplex or illuminated BDC (MOA) reticle. Windage and elevation adjustments are 1/4 MOA per click.

TRUGLO’s Nexus scope is based on the Intercept platform, meaning the same glass and housing construction, as well as same turret design. The zoom ring also has large ridges around its circumference, making it easy to turn even when wearing heavy winter gloves. It is offered in two models xe2x80x94 3-9x42mm and 4-12x44mm. The key differences are the Nexus uses a standard film-on-glass reticle overlay (vs. glass-etched) and it is not illuminated. This, plus standard scope covers instead of the Intercept’s neoprene scope cover, contribute to the Nexus’ lower price point.

The reticles are high points for the Intercept. The exceptionally fine center stadia lines offer precision aiming at distance without covering the aim point on small bullseyes. That’s a big plus for target shooters or hunters looking to really dial in their zero at longer distances. Both glass-etched reticles feature crosshair illumination, or black when not illuminated. We found the illumination feature to be a big advantage even in bright sunlight given the slender width of the crosshair stadia lines.

The illumination dial displaces the focus/parallax adjustment. It offers 11 brightness settings to match any ambient light condition. Since the second focal plane Intercept does not offer side focus adjustment, parallax correction is set at 100 yards.

The Intercept comes with either a 42mm or 44mm objective lens. Field of view is 11.7 to 33.12 feet at 100 yards for the former and 8.8 to 26.77 feet for the latter.

A welcome touch is the rubber-coated diopter ring on the ocular lens, which offers an exceptional grip when focusing. Eye relief for both 42mm and 44mm models is 3.75 to 4.10 inches.

Another big plus on the Intercept is its machined aluminum, knurled magnification ring. It rotates with modest resistance yet offers plenty of friction to keep from unintentionally moving out of adjustment. The adjustment ring incorporates a raised tab located at the 7X position (about mid-way in the magnification range) that facilitates grip for fast rotation and quick zoom indexing. It’s also a huge benefit when you need to adjust magnification while wearing heavy gloves.

Removing the machined aluminum hunting turret covers reveals indexed windage and elevation adjustment knobs. Finger adjustment and tactile/audible clicks make zeroing or point-of-impact adjustments easy. One click represents .25 MOA. The MOA adjustment range from center is 80 clicks for the 42mm model and 60 clicks for the 44mm model.

Although not much is used (if at all) by most hunters, the Intercept has single-screw windage and elevation turret dials, allowing the shooter to set the dials to “0” after initial zero sight-in at 100 yards. To do this, simply remove the dial screw, lift off the dial, align the dial’s 0 with the etched and painted index lines, reinstall the dial, and then secure with the screw. When adjusting for bullet drop or wind drift, simply rotate the turrets as needed to make the shot and then return them to their initial zero setting. Of course, for bullet drop compensation without adjusting the elevation dial, shooters can use the MOA BDC reticle on scope models so equipped. The Intercept’s MOA BDC reticle has stadia lines below the center crosshair representing 2, 4, 6 and 8 MOA.

The bottom line from our time spent with the TRUGLO Intercept is that we were totally impressed with the scope’s performance. The clear glass was absent of any noticeable aspherical or chromatic aberrations, the reticle is exquisite in both illuminated and non-illuminated states, the robust zoom dial makes changes easy, and the zero-index dials means the Intercept stands ready should we want to quickly dial in long-range shots.

For those who want to save a few more bucks, the TRUGLO Nexus is a viable option. It delivers the same functional performance as the Intercept but without the illumination and glass-etched reticle design.

That these optics come at price points below what one would expect from scopes with this quality and features represents a win for hunters who’ve come to realize that “intended purpose” in a rifle scope should always trump the notion that a high-priced optic defines a firearm.

TRUGLO Intercept /Nexus Rifle Scope Features

• Available in 3-9x43mm (TG8539BI, TG8539BIB) and 4-12x44mm (TG8541BI, TG8541BIB) magnification ranges
• One-inch machined aluminum tube
• 1/4 MOA click adjustment
• Glass-etched reticle can be used without illumination (black crosshairs); (film-on-glass reticle for Nexus, no illumination)
• Water-resistant/fogproof/nitrogen gas-filled
• Specially formulated multi-coating provides maximum brightness, clarity and contrast
• Aggressive grip machining on control surfaces (zoom ring and turret caps) for easy use with winter gloves
• Protective caps cover fingertip-adjustable windage and elevation turrets
• Available with a duplex reticle or a MOA-based bullet drop-compensating reticle; (MOA-BDC reticle on Nexus)
• One-screw turret dial design to easily slip the dial back to zero after making an adjustment
• Rubber-coated speed-focus eyepiece
• Generous eye relief (3.75xe2x80x934.10 inches)
• Durable scratch-resistant non-reflective matte finish
• Neoprene scope cover included; (elastic scope caps on Nexus)
• Lifetime Limited Warranty

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TRUGLO Optics for Killer Accuracy