Hunting and target shooting with air rifles has become an increasingly popular hobby for many men and women around the world. A large part of participating in this type of hobby is learning about and choosing the right equipment and attachments for your air rifle. While there are many different rifle scope options out on the market, you want to get something that is specifically made for air rifles. Not only will this save you money, but you know that the scope was designed with air rifles in mind.
Top-Rated Air Rifle Scopes
The following are some of the highly rated air rifle scopes that are available on Amazon.com:
- Hammers 3-9×40 AO Magnum Spring Air Gun Rifle Scope with One Piece Mount: Equipped with a full size scope which provides a clear view of the target, 3x-9x power, and a large 40mm adjustable objective. Includes a solid one-piece mount with stop pin.
- CVLIFE Tactical 3-9×40 Optics R4 Reticle Crosshair Air Sniper Hunting Rifle Scope with Free Mounts: Includes 1 x 3-9×40 optics, R4 reticle rifle scope and two free mounts.
- UTG 4×32 Full Size AO Mil-Dot Scope with RGPM-25M4 Airgun/.22 Rings, 1-Inch, Black: Equipped with True Strength Platform, completely sealed and nitrogen filled, shockproof, fog proof and rainproof. Includes adjustable target turrets with ΒΌ MOA per Click Windage/Elevation Adjustment, and Medium profile .22/Airgun Rings and High Quality Lens Caps
- Winchester by Daisy Outdoor Products 4 x 32 AO Winchester Scope (Black, 4 x 32): Includes adjustable objective. This scope is fog proof and shock proof, and comes equipped with a cross-hair reticle.
Objective Lens Diameter
It is vital that the buyer knows that the diameter of the objective lens is responsible for the amount of light that is let in to the scope. A larger diameter will let in a greater amount of light. Keep in mind, that the larger the lens diameter, the heavier the scope. Note that if a scope has a lens diameter above 48mm, often additional mounting rings and bases are needed to place the scope at a higher level.
Reticle
Another vital component to understanding how the scope works is to learn that the pattern that is in the eyepiece of the scope is called a reticle, and it is responsible for establishing the position of the gun on the target. Types of crosshairs can include Fine crosshair, Duple crosshair, Mil-Dot, Target Dot, and Circle. Each type of crosshair is designed for different hunting locations, distances, and target sizes. Because of the variety available when choosing a reticle it is vital to choose the one that will best serve your purpose. For example, when long range shooting, often the dot on the reticle can cover up the target rather than aid in the shooting process and therefore a reticle without a dot may be what is needed for that particular type of shooting.
Scope Lens Coatings
Because scope lenses are made from glass that provides a clear image for the shooter, there is often a reflection that occurs as a result of light hitting the surface of the glass. The reflection can greatly impact the amount of light that is able to pass through the lens which impacts brightness. To avoid this, it is best to choose a scope lens with an applied coating. There are several different terminologies to learn regarding the different coatings and what they mean. For example, when a lens simply says that it is coated, it generally means that a single layer of coating has been applied to at least one surface of one lens, while Fully Coated means that there is a single layer on all air to glass surfaces. Then there is multicoated which means that more than one layer of coating has been applied to at least one lens, with fully multicoated meaning that there are multiple layers of coating to all air to glass surfaces.
Scope Magnification
When looking at the magnification of scopes, keep in mind that the magnification number simply represents the number of times the target is magnified in comparison with how one would see the item without a scope. There are scopes that are adjustable and offer a range of power and magnification, while others are designed with only a single magnification number.
How is the Air Rifle to be Used?
Now that you know a little bit about the different elements of an air rifle scope, the next step is to determine how your air rifle will primarily be used. For example, asking yourself what type of hunting you will be doing is a great place to begin. Depending on the type of hunting, different scopes are necessary because of the size of the animal as well as the location. The type of location is important because the terrain involved in your hunting spot plays a big role in range. The reason for this is that if you are shooting out in an open plain, you will have a longer range than if you are shooting in a closed in space up in the mountains or down in the swamplands.
Mounting your Scope
Air rifles are usually fitted with either a dovetail mount or a weaver mount, however, regardless of which type of mount your air rifle uses, it is important to prevent your scope from moving by using scope stop pins or plates to secure your scope. When it comes to whether to use a one or two piece mount, understand that while a one-piece mount is often the pricier choice, it is also thought to be the more stable option especially when used on a very powerful spring rifle.
Sighting in the Scope
Check out this awesome video on how to sight in your new air rifle scope: