Air Rifle Scope Magnification

[stonyman]

I have a BSA Firebird Air Rifle with a 3-9x40 scope on it but the scope has been damaged somehow, however I have a 4x32 scope in my cupboard that will fit it. My question is this if I fit the 4x32 will the rifle still be okay for hunting or do you really need an adjustable scope?

Many thanks for any advice that anyone can give me.

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

I have a BSA Firebird Air Rifle with a 3-9x40 scope on it but the scope has been damaged somehow, however I have a 4x32 scope in my cupboard that will fit it. My question is this if I fit the 4x32 will the rifle still be okay for hunting or do you really need an adjustable scope?

Many thanks for any advice that anyone can give me.

I use a 3-9x50 on my .25 BSA Supersport mainly used for vermin control and I know that with this air rifle it will be a nice clean kill - but only with an accurate shot. I won't take a shot at a range I am not confident with and zooming in on the target is, in my mind, a must with an air powered weapon - if I was using a Barrett M82A3 on a rat at close range I'd not be to concerned about an adjustable scope

To be honest I'd not want to have a fixed scope having moved on to a scope that can zoom etc.

Phil.

PS - thanks to hunter-zero for selling it to me

 

[stonyman]

Thanks for that, I guess a zoom scope is back on the shopping list, I'm going to hang onto the fixed scope just in case I get another rifle that's not intended for hunting.

Thanks again.

Stonyman

 

[C_Claycomb]

I would go the other way and say that a 4-32 is quite adequate. The important thing is optical quality, my experience, years ago, was it was quite possible to have a 4x40 with better clarity than a similarly priced 3-9x40. I currently have two rifles, each with zoom scopes, one a Tasco 2.5-10x42 (fixed focus) and a Simmonds 3.5-10x44 (also fixed focus) and use both of them at 5x for 90% of the time. The other 10% is when I drop the magnification to 2.5x or 3.5x for very close work. This latter isn't because the 5x won't work close up, but I like the wider field of view you get with lower mag.

I have found that cranking up to max magnification, for air rifle range shots, adds nothing to my accuracy, it takes time (and faffing around getting everything focussed), cuts down on my field of view, and in my case makes it harder to shoot with both eyes open.

If I think that fixed scopes are fine, why do I have two zoom models? Well, buying and using them has been part of my learning process, also, I bought both as "end of line" from Cabelas in the US, so got them for about 1/3 their price here If I had to buy a scope in the UK, now, I would be looking at light gathering power and optical clarity WAY ahead of magnification or zoom.

Sorry to throw a spanner in things

 

[mojofilter]

If you can hit your target with the 4x scope, you will be fine. Why not have a practice with it and see if you can blat an extra strong mint at hunting range with it before shelling out?

 

[mojofilter]

I would go the other way and say that a 4-32 is quite adequate. The important thing is optical quality, my experience, years ago, was it was quite possible to have a 4x40 with better clarity than a similarly priced 3-9x40. I currently have two rifles, each with zoom scopes, one a Tasco 2.5-10x42 (fixed focus) and a Simmonds 3.5-10x44 (also fixed focus) and use both of them at 5x for 90% of the time. The other 10% is when I drop the magnification to 2.5x or 3.5x for very close work. This latter isn't because the 5x won't work close up, but I like the wider field of view you get with lower mag.

I have found that cranking up to max magnification, for air rifle range shots, adds nothing to my accuracy, it takes time (and faffing around getting everything focussed), cuts down on my field of view, and in my case makes it harder to shoot with both eyes open.

If I think that fixed scopes are fine, why do I have two zoom models? Well, buying and using them has been part of my learning process, also, I bought both as "end of line" from Cabelas in the US, so got them for about 1/3 their price here If I had to buy a scope in the UK, now, I would be looking at light gathering power and optical clarity WAY ahead of magnification or zoom.

Sorry to throw a spanner in things

You posted as I was typing my measly reply, I agree wholeheartedly!

 

[chrisanson]

In my opinion you shouldn’t “need” a scope at the modest range’s of a none firearms air rifle.
I learned to shoot without a scope and still do on occasion (keeps you sharp). I just use a scope for convenience not advantage. Just my opinion.
Chris

 

[KAE1]

I would go the other way and say that a 4-32 is quite adequate. The important thing is optical quality, my experience, years ago, was it was quite possible to have a 4x40 with better clarity than a similarly priced 3-9x40. I currently have two rifles, each with zoom scopes, one a Tasco 2.5-10x42 (fixed focus) and a Simmonds 3.5-10x44 (also fixed focus) and use both of them at 5x for 90% of the time. The other 10% is when I drop the magnification to 2.5x or 3.5x for very close work. This latter isn't because the 5x won't work close up, but I like the wider field of view you get with lower mag.

I have found that cranking up to max magnification, for air rifle range shots, adds nothing to my accuracy, it takes time (and faffing around getting everything focussed), cuts down on my field of view, and in my case makes it harder to shoot with both eyes open.

If I think that fixed scopes are fine, why do I have two zoom models? Well, buying and using them has been part of my learning process, also, I bought both as "end of line" from Cabelas in the US, so got them for about 1/3 their price here If I had to buy a scope in the UK, now, I would be looking at light gathering power and optical clarity WAY ahead of magnification or zoom.

Sorry to throw a spanner in things

I agree, I have a 3-9 x for deerstaking and once the novelty wore off I never move from 6 x. I think 4 x 32 would be fine for an air rifle. If I rember correctly the exit pupil diameter is 7mm therefore anything 28mm objective ( 4 x 7 = 28) and over is ok for light gathering on a 4 x scope - correct me if I am wrong on that!.

 

[Buckshot]

I think most people who have variable scopes tend to find a mag that suits them and then stick with most of the time.
Some people use the full variation but most don't.
The main advantage that a variable gives I think is that you can sort the mag that suits you using only one scope. Some people like the wide field of view using a x4, others prefer to see the target better and go for a x6, a x8 or even more.

Chris is right though, pellet placement is much better than having a trick scope.
There is an argument that says to learn pellet drop using a fixed scope because changing the mag will change how you see the target and pellet drop at different ranges.

Personally, I have variables on all my rafles (deliberate spelling ) except one (it runs on iron sights) I like the options it gives me - and I do change the mag on them. It depends what I'm doing and where I am.

Cheers

Mark

 

[FGYT]

I agree, I have a 3-9 x for deerstaking and once the novelty wore off I never move from 6 x. I think 4 x 32 would be fine for an air rifle. If I rember correctly the exit pupil diameter is 7mm therefore anything 28mm objective ( 4 x 7 = 28) and over is ok for light gathering on a 4 x scope - correct me if I am wrong on that!.

yes thats quite corect BUT its the Best a Human eye can do is 7mm and thats when your young in your teens i doubt most adults can use a 5mm exit pupil

plus quality of scop makes a massive differance a £600 4x32 scope will be hugly bright and the picture crisp and sharp a £60 one will look dark and fuzzy in comparison the expensive one will also look like its a higher mag any way due to the sharpness of the image.

use what ever you feel works for you me i like high magnification but i can shoot low or open sights

ATB

Duncan

 

[British Red]

Well, I have resisted up to now but I'm going to chip in with my personal favourite hunting scope. On her rimmy, BB has a 1.5-5x20 Simmons Whitetail Classic.

What a fantastic little scope! Dialled down its like shooting a red dot with both eyes open. Dialled up its all the mag you will ever need for game work with a rimmy - clean, crisp, Nice sharp reticule. A glorious scope - as good in its way as my Leupold Precision!

You don't need big mag for an air rifle (unless shooting field target - which is the one shooting sport that doesn't float my boat). Clarity, speed of acquisition and light gathethering are all. Whilst this is a tiny scope, it really punches over its weight and is perfect for rimfires and air rifles

Red

 

[rapidboy]

Medium to short range air rifle hunting i'd stick with a fixed mag (4 or 6),simple, cheap and reliable.
I shot with a 4 x 32 wide angle scope for years , amazing field of view and more than plenty mag for airgun ranges.
I like to hunt on lower mag , usually 6.5 because that's what my favourite Simmons 44 Mags go down to but if im target shooting i wind them up to 20.
I never use anything in between and if i could own more guns i'd stick to fixed mags and keep one with a low mag scope for hunting and 1 for target shooting with a dedicated bench rest scope.

 

[FGYT]

Well, I have resisted up to now but I'm going to chip in with my personal favourite hunting scope. On her rimmy, BB has a 1.5-5x20 Simmons Whitetail Classic.

What a fantastic little scope! Dialled down its like shooting a red dot with both eyes open. Dialled up its all the mag you will ever need for game work with a rimmy - clean, crisp, Nice sharp reticule. A glorious scope - as good in its way as my Leupold Precision!

You don't need big mag for an air rifle (unless shooting field target - which is the one shooting sport that doesn't float my boat). Clarity, speed of acquisition and light gathethering are all. Whilst this is a tiny scope, it really punches over its weight and is perfect for rimfires and air rifles

Red

they are a Great little scope i used to use a similer but the Pistol version (longer eye relief) fwd mounted on a 44 lever action for rapid fire western shoots at CGC used on the Scout rifle concept is supurb for instinctive fast shooting.

ATB
Duncan

 

[British Red]

Bum,

Was down on Sunday Duncan, forgot to give you a shout - next time though!

I like the sound of that long eye relief version..wonder if they still do it? It'd go nice on my Marlin.....

Red

 

[stonyman]

Many thanks to everyone who posted on this, I have fitted the 4x32 onto my air rifle and now all I need to do is get to the range and check the zero of it. In reply to some I never used to use a scope on air rifles but sadly ever since I had shingles in my eye I now a scar on my cornea that makes it difficult to shoot with open sights apart from diopter type for some reason.

Thanks again and I will let you know how I get on with the fixed mag scope.