It’s exciting to buy your very first air rifle. However, once you go out there and start hitting targets that are further away from where you are, you’d realize that it’s not enough – you need to get the best air rifle scope!
Unfortunately, choosing the best one isn’t easy. With so many options, you can easily feel overwhelmed and confused. In the end, you may even pick the wrong scope and that’s just a waste of money.
To help make the process easier, here are seven things to look for when choosing a rifle scope:
1. The Right Type of Scope
For you to find the perfect air scope rifle, you need to focus on picking the right one not just for your gun but for your needs too. In general, there are two main types you can choose from: variable and fix.
A fixed air rifle scope is set to just one magnification. Because of that, you can’t make any adjustments.
Most scopes under this type have low magnification. Usually, they’re at 4×32.
Although fixed air rifle scopes don’t have great magnification levels, they have a large field of view. This makes them highly recommended for close-range shooting.
A variable air rifle scope, on the other hand, lets you adjust the magnification range. This allows you to get a larger field of view when you’re target shooting and zoom far enough to hit targets in the distance.
2. Magnification
When you’re considering magnification, you have to understand how much your target can be magnified when you compare it with how it looks without your scope.
Consider this:
If your scope has 3x magnification, it means that it’ll let you see targets as though they are four times closer.
If you are using your rifle to hunt a target that’s about 100 yards away from you, the scope can make it appear as if it’s only 25 yards away.
3. Reticle
This feature allows you to aim at your targets with your scope. It’s also a big help when it comes to estimating the wind.
Some scopes have the standard crosshair which offers one of the best accuracies. They are highly recommended for target shooters. Other scopes have the mil-dot which is good if you’re hunting in dark environments.
4. Lenses
When it comes to picking lenses, there are two things you need to think about.
- The diameter of the objective lens affects the amount of light that’s allowed in.
- The bigger the lens in diameter, the heavier the overall weight of the scope gets.
Another thing you have to consider when picking scopes is the coating of the lens. Since glass has this ability to reflect light, you’d want coated lenses.
Also, make sure that it’s a high-quality coating so you can enjoy less glare and better light transmission.
5. Construction
Obviously, when looking for the best air rifle scope, you’d want something that can keep up with you.
Scopes vary in the diameter of their main tubes. You can get one from 25mm to 34 mm, depending on the brand you’re considering.
When you buy a scope with a bigger tube, you’ll have more space for its interior compartments. And because of that, you’ll get a better adjustment range as well. This is a big factor you need to consider when you’re doing long-distance targeting.
6. Eye-relief
The last thing you want to happen is to get yourself injured while firing your gun. While hunting and target shooting are exciting activities, getting a bruised eye isn’t.
To avoid that, consider investing in an air scope with higher-eye relief. The standard is around four inches while scopes of lesser quality can give you around 3 to 3.5 inches.
7. Turrets and Adjustments
When you’re hunting, you want everything to be all set. The last thing you’d want is to have turrets that fail halfway through your activity.
Turrets’ primary function is adjusting windage and elevation. The first one refers to the horizontal adjustment while the latter refers to the vertical adjustment of your scope.
Usually, these knobs are located on the right and top parts of your scope. You’ll find non-tactical models advertising turrets at 1/4” or 1/8”.
In Conclusion
The factors mentioned above can help make the process of picking the best air rifle scope easier and less stressful for you. However, ultimately, the best one will still depend on what you are planning on using your scope for.
If you’re shooting just within 100 yards, you can go with a scope with a magnification of 1x to 4x. If you’re aiming for something at more than 200 yards, it’s a good idea to go for a scope with 9x magnification.
For the other factors, consider picking based on what you need and what fits your air rifle.
