Best Air Rifle Scope Reviews

Air guns and air rifle scopes have a rich history, and with the recent technological advancements, these gears have become excellent choices for survival as well as for hunting games. This weapon certainly excels in hunting rabbits, squirrels, birds, and other game animals, thus, the best air rifle scope is preferred by many hunters so as to excel in their games.

With today’s technologies and refinement, air gun scopes come in a wide variety of models, features, and specifications. While hunting is performed in different parts of the globe, hunters would always need a reliable air rifle scope as they go hunting in the woods and fields.

Besides using bows for hunting, and the use of firearms has been prohibited in many places, air rifles have given way to small hunting games, becoming enormously popular throughout the world. Nonetheless, the best air rifle scopes are necessary in order to obtain power and accuracy together with the rifle itself.

With that said, below are the top airgun scopes reviews that will surely help any hunter in choosing the best gear, maximizing the performance of an air gun, while obtaining accuracy during hunting games at the same time.

Best Air Rifle Scope Reviews

1. Simmons 511039 Rifle Scope

With a 4.5-Star Rating on Amazon is the Simmons 511039, which is a high quality scope and made of fully-coated optical glass lenses. This is among the best airgun scopes on the market today, considering its parallax correction preset feature, allowing a vision of 50 yards and beyond. Its Rim fire measures at 0.375 inches, and includes dovetail mounting rings.

This airgun scope also features a HydroShield lens coating, ensuring a very clear sight picture. Moreover, its SureGrip rubber surfaces can simplify the adjustments under various conditions. The Simmons 511039 is constructed with a once-piece tube, allowing a very easy handling, while providing durability and great strength at the same time.

It is one of the parallax scopes today that offers a high-grade optical glass in order to obtain bright and sharp images, along with high contrast. This scope gun is also fog proof, shockproof, and waterproof, packed in one.

The Simmons 511039 is surely an improved rim fire scope as the manufacturer has added innovative features that are distinct from the rest. Simmon’s Quick Target Acquisition (QTA) eyepiece allows plenty of eye relief, making and acquiring targets in just a snap. The SureGrip feature is also very convenient, even when using gloves. Thus, it is among the most reliable and the top rated air rifle scopes you can find today.

READ:Best Air Rifle Reviews

Certainly, Simmons has been committed to providing high-end viewfinders and scopes on the market, meeting the requirements of every customer. It is a trusted brand in this industry, whether you are a military, an avid huntsman, or simply a recreational user.

Hence, it offers different types of scopes that have been molded for every user and purpose. Overall, the Simmons 511039 is very well-built, and is the best pellet gun scope within its class, with a very reasonable price that will never dent your wallet.

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2. CVLIFE Tactical 3-9×40 Optics

Another best scope for air rifle is the CVLIFE Tactical 3-9×40 Optics with an average rating of 4-Stars. It features 3-9x magnification, 1.57 inches objective diameter, and 0.2 inches exit pupil. It measures at 12.20 inches in length, and weighing at 0.76 pounds. This is the best scope for pellet rifle with one-inch tube diameter, with free 2 x 0.79-inch rail mount.

As the best scope for air rifle hunting, this one is shockproof, fog proof, and waterproof all at the same time. It is a well-built scope with a very affordable price tag. Unlike other pairs or rifle combos, this one stays together, offering a very good quality from its brand name.

The CVLIFE Tactical has impressed a lot of owners as it is ideal for target shooting games with 30-30 as well as a .223. This scope for air rifle works great for zooming in on mid-range targets. In fact, many customers have testified about the performance of this item, saying that it is a very good scope replacement that is combined with other pellet rifles.

The CVLIFE Tactical can simply make a difference, starting at 15 yards to zero in on the target. It makes about 10 shots possible, with very little adjustment. It also allows shooting at 25 yards, while getting amazingly tight groups of 3/8” to 1/2” at a consistent manner.

Furthermore, this air gun scope comes with 3/8-inch mounts, which clamp to the top grooves, although a drop of Loctite might be necessary in securing the screws, while preventing loosening due to vibration.

This very good air rifle scope is also ideal for many air rifles out there, such as an AR-15, fitting wonderfully without sliding from the mount. All in all, the CVLIFE Tactical 3-9×40 Optics can surpass your expectations, and sighting it in is dead-on all the time!

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3. Hammers 3-9x32AO Air Rifle Scope

Meanwhile, the Hammers 3-9x32AO Air Rifle Scope is a full-size scope, featuring a 32mm parallax adjustable objective. It garners an average rating of 4-Stars on Amazon due to its impressive and efficient features. This is the best air rifle scope for hunting, based on reviews, and highly recommended using on a magnum air rifle.

READ:Crosman Nitro Venom Break Barrel Air Rifle (22) Review

It features a very sturdy one-piece mount, together with a built-in stop in and three clamping screws. The standard one-inch, one-piece main tube also boasts MilDot reticle with finger-tight windage and elevation adjustments. This scope for pellet gun has been reinforced internally so as to endure the unique shocking from high-powered air rifles.

The built-in and removable stop pin is able to help in keeping the scope to stay in place, despite the powerful shocking during shooting. The integral rings are added for the scope’s better alignment. Thus, this air scope comes in an anodized black matte finish.

Moreover, the Hammers 3-9x32AO Air Rifle Scope also works well on a Gamo .177 Whisper (review here) along with JSB Diabolo pellets. Any user will be pleased due to the consistency of this scope; regardless the various air rifles on the market. It also performs very well on a .22 Rimfire, especially with a dovetail on the barrel, securing the scope properly.

Users of the Gamo Big Cat (review here) are similarly happy with the performance of this scope, saying it is the best scope for the money as it fits clearly, and works the same way with the Nitro Venom as long as the base is switched from the Hammers to the Nitro.

Overall, the Hammers 3-9x32AO Air Rifle Scope is ideal for many air guns of today, considering its efficiency, durability, and accuracy. This could be the best pellet rifle scope, considering its unmatched innovative features and its trusted brand name.

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4. UTG 3-9X32 1″ BugBuster Scope

Any air rifle scopes review would also attest to the performance of the UTG 3-9X32 1″ BugBuster Scope, which garners a 4.5-Star Rating on Amazon. This scope is produced on a True Strength (TS) Platform. It is completely sealed and nitrogen-filled. This scope is also fog proof, rainproof, and shockproof.

This is the best airgun scope because this one-inch tube is created with emerald coated lens, allowing a crystal-clear view, plus the maximum light transmission, zero re-settable target turrets with a precise 1/4 MOA per click adjustment. It also features a range estimating Mildot reticle, resulting in maximum aiming and shooting performances.

Potential buyers of this scope can refer to the instructional videos that are found on the product page, providing the proper mounting and calibration. This very good pellet gun scope may likewise require a certain degree of resistance for the control knobs, ensuring that the sighting-in is not accidentally adjusted.

Additionally, the UTG 3-9X32 1″ BugBuster Scope offers maximum reliability on any airgun application. The dual green and red illumination, including the accommodating eye relief makes this pellet gun scope a no-brainer for many shooters, especially those in various environments and in the most extreme weather conditions.

READ:Gamo Hornet Air Rifle .177 Caliber Review

This scope also includes a 2-inch sunshade with high-quality flip-open lens caps, plus quick detachable rings. Hence, it is very ready to meet any shooting need. Aside from the TS platform, this scope also boasts a Smart Spherical Structure (SSS), which controls the joint-like interaction between the outer and the inner tubes of the scope.

This overall design of the scope air rifle offers a long-term reliability, while guaranteeing a precise and reactive windage and elevation adjustments eventually.

The scope’s premium lockable and re-settable turrets allow consistent and crisp windage/elevation adjustments, while protecting and complementing one of the most crucial parts in the optics. This is the best airgun scope with an innovative side wheel control, surpassing the traditional versions and giving shooters a quick access for reticle light

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5. Simmons 8-Point Truplex Reticle Riflescope

With an average rating of 4.5-Stars is the Simmons 8-Point Truplex Reticle Riflescope, featuring high-quality optics with incredible high definition clarity. This air rifles scope is constructed from materials that are 100% tested. It has fully-coated optics, along with a design and durability that can last for a long period, and is also fog proof, waterproof, and recoil-proof.

Using rifle scope, such as the Simmons 8-Point Truplex Reticle Riflescope is equal to the 1/4-MOA SureGrip, allowing an audible-click windage as well as elevation adjustments. This scope is easy on the eye and on the wallet, offering more quality features compared to others in its category.

This model provides brighter and high-contrast image with its effortless adjustment feature, thus, delivering an excellent precision in a basic scope. In fact, this target rifle scope performs very well on a Ruger 10/22 Tactical rifle, allowing the user to target almost everything. Its zoom is smoother than other users have ever tried, while the adjustment dials make sighting very accurate.

Overall, the scope performs great, like a champion and does not allow users to spend more just to achieve the same incredible quality. However, it does not come with a mounting clamp, requiring the user to order mounts separately, if and when necessary.

Additionally, plinking has never been better with this scope, even putting it on a Mini-14, thus, allowing the user to zero it in within minutes or after 60 rounds. While, the Simmons 8-Point Truplex Reticle Riflescope is not a competition scope, it sure does perform as one, surpassing different brands that cost substantially more.

All in all, this is the best air rifle scope for the money, providing shooters and huntsmen a very good quality without spending too much dollars. It is likewise ideal for low-valued rifles that are used as plinking guns and for hunting animals.

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6. BSA 3-12X40 Sweet 17 Rifle Scope with Multi-Grain Turret

Among the best air rifle scopes is the BSA 3-12X40 Sweet with an average rating of 4.7-Stars. One of the pellet rifle scopes today, this one is a sure upgrade, providing no less than crystal-clear precision. It can offer serious optical power to various .17 rifles without having to do the guesswork.

READ:Ruger Blackhawk Combo Air Rifle Review

It features an adjustable objective and a .17-specific trajectory compensation. Its upgrade is significantly evident in its overall look, but made more affordable. Boasting 3-12 x 40 Side Focus, fully-coated optics, and this scope’s specific calibration allows quick-change turrets, along with three-inch eye relief.

Furthermore, this is among the very good quality rifle scopes that are fog-proof, shockproof, and waterproof. Its one-inch tube comes with an adjustable objective, including hand-adjustable windage and elevation. It includes lens covers, although rings are sold separately. This scope measures at 12.90 in inches and weighs at 22.7 ounces.

This is the best air gun scope based on reviews. Many customers have attested to the performance of this scope, enjoying its ease of use. A good number of owners are likewise happy with it, saying that the scope has met or surpassed its purpose. Hence, this is among the pellet gun scopes that allow users to Magnification low: 3; Magnification high: 12, while providing the necessary focus.

The compensator turret for elevation is one of the scope’s selling points, which is geared towards common bullet weights, ranging from 17 grams to 20 grams. The BSA Sweet .17 3-12 x 40mm Rifle Scope is surely one of the scopes for a 17 rifle. Over and above, the BSA Sweet .17 3-12 x 40mm lives up to its name, certainly a sweet combo for a .17 rifle, boasting a user-friendly design, ease of use, and durability that is built to last.

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7. Hawke Airmax Airgun Scope

The Hawke Airmax scopes come in a variety of configurations, including a small model, with a range of fixed and variable magnifications, tube diameters between 1 inch and 30 mm, and overall lengths. These are all top-notch airgun scopes that are springer rated.

However, the 1-inch version is what I ultimately went with because it is substantially less expensive than the 30-mm variants, and I believe that springers don’t really benefit from having greater elevation control. But a 30mm scope could be a better choice if I were buying one of them for a PCP.

The AMX and AMX IR etched glass reticles are used by the Airmax. When using a spring-piston airgun, the pellet trajectory is well managed by this reticle’s various aim points, especially when using bigger calibers.

It may come as a surprise that tough scopes made for magnum centerfires are incapable of withstanding the recoil of a spring-piston. However, a spring-bidirectional piston’s recoil can swiftly reduce a costly scope to useless rubbish. My Hawke Airmax has endured years of rigorous use, both in terms of dependability and performance on some hard-hitting magnum springers.

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Air Rifle Scope Buying Guide

Nowadays, hunters who want to use air rifles can choose from wide ranges of models and brand names. However, the scope that comes along with the rifle is a significant factor that every consumer must take into consideration, ensuring that the scope is a perfect combination of the rifle in order to achieve precision or accuracy in every use.

Below are some of the factors that affect the decision-making of every potential buyer of airgun scopes, considering all the mentioned product reviews at the same time.

Basic Types of Air Rifles

• Multi-pump Rifles – These types of airguns require the user to pump the gear several times in order to compress air within the chamber, and then releasing it behind the pellet during firing. Multi-pump rifles can take small hunting games and dispatch pests, especially in .20 and .22 calibers. Many types and models of good air rifle scopes work well with multi-pump rifles.
• Break-action Rifles – Also known as spring piston and break-barrel rifles, these types are equipped with a barrel, which is hinged at the rear area. The spring tends to push the piston forward during firing, while compressing air in the chamber behind the pellet and driving it down the barrel. Similar to the multi-pump rifles, many kinds of air rifle optics are compatible with the break-action rifles.
• Pre-charged Pneumatic Rifles – Also referred to as PCP, the pre-charged pneumatic rifles are characterized by compressed air before the shooting occurs. These rifles have reservoir, which can be filled with compressed air through pumping. The reservoir is large enough, allowing several shots without the need of refilling it instantly.

READ:Crosman M4-177 Pneumatic Pump Air Rifle (.177)

Note: With regards to accuracy and power, the PCP rifles are unbeatable and are available in .22, .177, and .25 calibers, although there are larger calibers today. Therefore, you also have to choose between the different types of air rifles, before acquiring the best air rifle hunting scope or plinking scope.

Key Benefits of Air Rifles

Obviously, making use of air rifles and a very good ar scope comes with limitless benefits. Below are just some of the key benefits of using this survival gear.

• Air rifles are known to have quiet shots; even missing a first shot, there is no loud sound for the succeeding shots.
• Air rifles are easy to shoot and point. Even the beginners and the inexperienced shooters can easily learn the use of such gear, especially with reliable air gun rifle scopes.
• Pellet guns come at reasonable price tags, regardless the caliber. So, those with limited budget can also enjoy this gear, along with the best cheap long range scope.
• Air guns have iron sights, providing optimum accuracy, ranging from 10 to 50 yards of distance.
• Unlike guns and other hunting tools, pellet guns can be owned legally in most areas. It is because these items are not equivalent to firearms, thereby; permission to own one is not a requirement at all.
• High-quality air guns, along with the best scope do not tend to lose its quality very easily, because there are no primers, powder, or cases to worry about.
• Air rifles can be used as defensive weapons in times of crisis.

Major Factors Surrounding Air Rifle Scopes

After learning about the basic types of air rifles and their key benefits, it is now time to discuss the factors, surrounding the air rifles scopes, keeping in mind each aspect prior to your purchase.

Optical Power

Before buying some good hunting scopes, it is very important to figure the scope’s optical power. This will determine how much magnification you want or need. The magnification also establishes the limits of the scope’s usefulness. For instance, a 1000-yard bench shooter will be awfully under-equipped with a 4x scope, but a deer hunter within the woods will have a hard time shooting with a 32x scope.

Therefore, the optimal magnification for a specific task is subjective. Bear in mind, however, that lower magnifications like 4x and 6x allow more intuitive and faster shooting, including a better target tracking. On the other hand, higher magnification scopes like 16x and more allow greater target resolution, although it might become heavier and larger with difficulty of use through unsupported positions.

READ:Daisy Outdoor Products Model 1938 Red Ryder BB Gun Review

With this in mind, shooting scopes that are lower than 10x are generally better suited for shooting at less than 500-yard distances and offhand shooting purposes. Scope reviews also reveal that more than 10x scopes are perfect during supported positions such as sandbags or a bipod.

But, with a careful rifle scope comparison, you can find variable power scopes that allow for wide ranges of magnifications to be chosen at will, although variable power scopes are more expensive than the fixed counterparts.

Size

After identifying the magnification, it is now time to pick the objective lens size. The objective lens is the one responsible for transmitting the ambient light, allowing you to focus it into an image. Large objective lens means more light is transmitted to the eye, resulting in clearer and brighter images. Typically, large objective lenses are accompanied by higher magnification ranges.

While large objective lenses offer brightness and clarity, these too, may require a higher mounting over the barrel and action. Hence, it could result in some issues with the proper cheek weld maintenance that can affect the shooting ability in a negative way.

For compensation, the best scopes for rifles that have large objective lenses can be used more effectively through a cheek-riser, although the size of the scope cannot be compensated at all because large objective lenses are usually heavier and bulkier. This affects the overall balance of the rifle.

Reticles

Aside from the size and the optical power of airrifle scopes, the reticles are equally essential. Today, there are dozens of reticle pattern, ranging from simple center dots to more complex grip patterns. On that note, below are the basic types of reticles for familiarity’s sake.

• Duplex Reticle – This is the most common type of reticle nowadays. The best quality rifle scopes with duplex reticle are described with a thin center crosshair that tends to become thicker towards the outer area of the scope.
  Naturally, this design focuses the eye to the center, while the thick outer bars help in low-light shooting, wherein the very fine center crosshair is virtually invisible. Good rifle scopes with duplex reticle are perfect for target shooting and hunting applications.
• Mildot Reticle – On the other hand, Mildot reticle has subtle, but powerful enhancements. The best mil dot scope is characterized by the size and spacing, along the reticle lines that correspond to certain angles, which are measured in milradians.
  Having this type of reticle allows the user to identify a target range as long as the size of the target is known. It also allows intuitive and fast adjustments for windage and elevation. The Mildot reticle is standard for the law enforcement and military snipers.
  Air rifles that are used for more than 300 yards should have the Mildot reticle as it can retain the intuitive focus, while obtaining accurate range calculation simultaneously.
• BDC Reticle – The Bullet Drop Compensator (BDC) reticle is perhaps the most famous among the three. It results in accurate shooting over various target ranges without the adjusting the elevation setting of the scope. However, this is obtained by several aiming points integrated into the reticle pattern that corresponds to various target distances.
  This type of reticle found in scopes brands is more of utility beyond the duplex reticle. But, it is available for specific cartridges and is moderately accurate for 500 yards and beyond, while using the specific load, which the reticle is calibrated for.

READ:Gamo Hornet Air Rifle .177 Caliber Review

MOA Versus MRAD

The next factor you must consider is how your scope will be adjusted. This is basically determined by two measurements, including the MOA and the MRAD. The Minute of Angle (MOA) in a high-end rifle scope is associated with linear inches as 1MOA is equivalent to one inch at a 100-yard distance.

This allows more precise zeroing compared to the Milradian (MRAD) scopes. Hence, it is perfect for those who want a very fine adjustment capacity for a long-range airgun.

Meanwhile, 1MRAD is nearly close to 3.6 inches at a 100-yard distance. It is used almost like a ruler, while its real beauty is attributed to the same process, regardless the range because the calculation of linear measurement is eliminated.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, rifle scope comparisons are crucial if you’re a potential buyer of this item. It is always essential to do your homework, considering the product ratings and customer reviews on the internet. After choosing the best air rifle on the market, picking the best all-around rifle scope is sensible, maximizing its potential, regardless the model and brand of your pellet gun.

Generally, a budget between $200 and $300 dollars is too much for a scope as there are cheap rifle scopes for sale on the web, offering high quality, durability, accuracy, and trusted brands, such as the above-mentioned reviews. Finally, ensure that you’re ordering from a reliable and certified dealer, making sure of no less than genuine parts, while maximizing free shipping and other bonuses.