A scope is a scope right? No, not at all. The reason there are so many to choose from is because there are so many uses for them. Even if you’re just concentrating on a good hunting scope for your airgun, there are a few questions you’ll need to answer before you’ll know what will fit your needs the best.
- What type of airgun are you using, pre-charged pneumatic, or a break barrel?
- What are you hunting?
- What distances will you be shooting?
- Are you hunting day or night?
- Do you want an optic that records your shots?
- Do you know how to judge distance or do you need an optic that does that for you?
What Type of Airgun Are You Using?
If you’re hunting with a break-barrel, you’ll need an optic like the Hawke Airmax 3-9×40 AO that is specifically made for the backwards recoil a break-barrel produces. Many expensive optics have been destroyed because shooters thought, “It should hold up, I paid a lot of money for it”. It’s a tough pill to swallow when all you have left is an expensive paper weight.
A PCP or Pre-charged Pneumatic swing the door wide open for just about any optic, depending on the rail size and compatibility. Most small bore PCPs aren’t going to have any felt recoil and have little to no effect on the optics. If you’re shooting close range small game the Hawke Vantage 4×32 AO may be perfectly suitable for your needs.
Small Game, Large Game, Near or Far?
When hunting small game, it is helpful to have an optic that offers a large and close field of view. Your target may show up at five yards, but then another one at forty-five. Being prepared for either distance is going to have a great effect on how successful your hunt is.
A base magnification of two or three like the UTG BugBuster 3-12×32 is going to serve you better than that of five or six like the Element Optics Helix Gen2 6-24×50 for those close up takedown shots. Remember to adjust your magnification and parallax appropriately, there’s nothing worse than not being able to find the animal in your sights and it be your fault!
Airguns have come a long way! There will always be a limited distance and that is the case for anything, but, hunters are now taking out prairie dogs and such at several hundred yards. Now we’re talking about a whole new ballgame! Just as the smaller magnification helps with closer shots, a larger magnification helps with farther.
The truth is a Hawke Airmax 3-9×40 can and will get the job done, but for more aimpoints and the ability to use your dope on game past 100 yds a scope like the Vortex Viper HD 5-25 FFP may be a great option.
A Few Features to Look For
The fact is there are so many options out there. A few key features to look for when choosing a hunting scope;
- Consider the type of hunting and choose the appropriate magnification.
- Clarity, from base magnification to as close to max as possible.
- Crisp reticles with multiple aim points.
- 30-34mm tube to allow more light in for extended use.
- Locking turrets to eliminate possibly messing up your zero.
- Zero stop for dope settings.
- Durability, shock, fog proof, with etched reticles.
- Unlimited Lifetime Warranty.
We hope this was helpful and you’re able to narrow down your options. If for any reason you need more help go to the bottom right of this page and click on the chat bubble to converse with one of our experts! Here’s to get well equipped for one of the greatest outdoor sports, hunting!
