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Copy of Optics post on budget scopes.

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J

JDR

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Apr 7, 2023
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Woodstock, Georgia, USA
Seems not getting may views and replies in the Optics section so thought I would post here too.

Getting my pumper Crossman 761 XL back from a reseal job and want to scope it. Had a 4x15 $10 cheapy from Walmart that broke. Want to stay under $50 but could go up to $80, prefer 32 mm objective, variable power but could go fixed, dovetail rings of course and parallax adjustable. Problem I see is each budget scope has a significant number of bad reviews. Ones I am considering.

1. Hammers 3x9x32 https://www.amazon.com/Hammers-3-9x...ods&sprefix=hammers+scope,sporting,146&sr=1-2

2. Mantis 3x9x32 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ATEZOM...olid=2L49NEODEG1BY&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

3. Daisy Winchester 2x7x32 https://www.amazon.com/Winchester-D...&sprefix=winchester+scope,sporting,145&sr=1-4

Not going to move the scope so springer rated is not as much as a concern. Shooing say 5 to 50 yards. Squirrel head shots at 30 and invasive species birds at 50 yards plus som plinking. Gun I used as a kid. Any thoughts or recommendations. Thanks in advance for any replies.
 
I have had pretty good luck with the Gamo 4x32 scopes on the 760. Some people (here) call those scopes garbage, but they serve the purpose just fine. Just about any 4x32 scope should serve you well.

The 761XL probably won't have the juice to kill a squirrel at 30 yards even if you can hit it in the head. You'll be very lucky to get 600-fps at the muzzle. When testing the 761XL for accuracy I found that it was about even with the smooth-bore 760. .310" groups at nine-yards were the best it would do with Crosman wadcutter pellets. Those were the only ones that grouped into less than 3/4".

Sorry to be a buzz-kill, but I'm not sure if that gun is suitable to your purpose. I love the 760-series guns, but wouldn't use them that way.

Luck,

J~
 
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Treefrog said:
I have had pretty good luck with the Gamo 4x32 scopes on the 760. Some people (here) call them garbage, but they serve the purpose just fine. Just about any 4x32 scope should serve you well.

The 761XL probably won't have the juice to kill a squirrel at 30 yards even if you can hit it in the head. You'll be lucky to get much more than 600-fps at the muzzle. When testing the 761XL for accuracy I found that it was about even with the smooth-bore 760. .310" groups at nine-yards were the best it would do with Crosman wadcutter pellets. Those were the only ones that grouped into less than 3/4".

Sorry to be a buzz-kill, but I'm not sure if that gun is suitable to your purpose. I love the 760-series guns, but wouldn't use them that way.

Luck,

J~
Click to expand...
🤔I need to get another 760...forgot to pit it against my 880 before I gifted it😅🥴
 
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iAMzehTOASTY1 said:
🤔I need to get another 760...forgot to pit it against my 880 before I gifted it😅🥴
Click to expand...

They're about the same in accuracy, but the 880 shoots a bit harder. The longer pump-stroke compresses more air.

Here's a target from pellet testing in the basement at 9-yards. The 760-R is a smoothbore, the 760-XL groups are the two below and left.

J~

IMG_4762.JPG
 
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Treefrog said:
They're about the same in accuracy, but the 880 shoots a bit harder. The longer pump-stroke compresses more air.

Here's a target from pellet testing in the basement at 9-yards. The 760-R is a smoothbore, the 760-XL groups are the two below and left.

J~

View attachment 351396
Click to expand...
I was hitting bottle caps at 50 yards with my current 880 setup using 10.3g benjamin HPs 🤪🤙

20230423_183600.jpg
 
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How bout hammers magnum air gun scope? Spend the little extra and have a scope you can move up as / when needed. Now that Winchester scope ive read a lot of guys been surprised on them and like what they got at that price point. I never had a store bought gamo scope but of the package ones all but one failed and the one thats holding zero dont focus well , but holds zero under a few springers its been on .

Mantis? No clue on them..

So of i was to keep firm at $50+/- the winchester if i could strech to 50-100 the hammers .

Then in the end whatever you use its a it works and your satisfied or it don't.🤤
 
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JDR said:
A Pyramid Air article on air gun scopes recommended the Mantis. Does not include rings. The Hammers interests me but I need to check if the one piece mount may make the gun hard to load. Another article on air gun scopes recommended the Winchester for a budget scope. Thanks to all the replies.
Click to expand...
Ya, it could but you can throw a 10$ set of 2 piece rings in .

https://www.amazon.com/Hammers-3-9x..._3307774011_sccl_10/146-9801972-2967265?psc=1.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=air+rifl...ifle+scope,aps,484&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_4_15

Theres the combo 3/8- 11mm cause your gun i dont know what kinda rail is used
 
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I always try taking reviews with a grain of salt and try to see if the reviewer listed what rifle they put the scope on. Some while sure, nice and budget friendly, still won't hold up on higher powered guns. Hatsan's Optima's are one of those. Fail and a lot of times badly on the springers they were included with but put them on lower powered rifles like your 761 or a 760 or the like and they work out well and last years.
I've got a Hammers 3-9x40 in their one piece mount that at least in my case, has more than lived up to their "rated for magnum spring guns" claim since mine has been on 4 or 5 now that are all 17-20 fpe rifles.
I know others' mileage varies, but I've had good luck with mine and no doubt it would easily hold up if I wanted to put it on my Silver Streak or one of the pair of older 760's I have sitting here.
 
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SteveP-52 said:
I always try taking reviews with a grain of salt and try to see if the reviewer listed what rifle they put the scope on. Some while sure, nice and budget friendly, still won't hold up on higher powered guns. Hatsan's Optima's are one of those. Fail and a lot of times badly on the springers they were included with but put them on lower powered rifles like your 761 or a 760 or the like and they work out well and last years.
I've got a Hammers 3-9x40 in their one piece mount that at least in my case, has more than lived up to their "rated for magnum spring guns" claim since mine has been on 4 or 5 now that are all 17-20 fpe rifles.
I know others' mileage varies, but I've had good luck with mine and no doubt it would easily hold up if I wanted to put it on my Silver Streak or one of the pair of older 760's I have sitting here.
Click to expand...
I like the , "ya this scope holds up to my magnum springer.. i put 200 shots through it now and it still holds zero.".

Lol..
 
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I always say a scope on a springer is a dice roll. Even the "best" ones can spit there bits . Its almost a lick of the draw thing where you buy, you try, and hope ot dont make you cry..

I got to agree when you go with a scope that offeres s no questions asked life time that of it ead to fail you just srnd it in for repair or replacement . You go rebuy 3 50-80$ scopes you could of kust bought one of them and have somthing dependable and backed up you can use on several springer guns or any hand me up to a new gun.

I shoot primarily irons and that mostly due to that scope on a springer Chase. And never looked back.
.
 
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JDR said:
Nice to hear good things on the Hammers. I heard they were built like tanks. The Amazon reviews had 23% 1, 2 and 3 star which does puzzle me. Thinking it would be less than 23% since this scope is rated for magnum springers. When I read bad air gun scope reviews, a bunch seem to be related to use on magnum springers. Any insight?????
Click to expand...
Recoil. Springers recoil both forward and backward and that double recoil, especially in the higher powered magnum springers that will shoot 17, 18, 20+ fpe compared to the 6 or 7?? fpe your 761XL will, can kill even better quality air gun rated scopes.
 
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Well, got the UTG 3x9x32 Bugbuster with DT rings per the Amazon description. However it came in a UTG 3x9x32 Bugbuster box with Piccanny rings. Took it out and could not see thru the objective; just a tiny hole. Could not figure it out and thought it was defective. Noticed it was only 2 -7 power and fixed parallax at 35 yards. Researched it and found he sent me a UTG 2x7x32 handgun scope. Decided to keep it but left the guy a message on his error. I honestly believe he did not know what he was doing rather than try to cheat me. He did say it would not work on his gun. I thought it was due to the rings but who knows what he was thinking. He left a very nice note with his contact info. Not happy but it was only $60 and this handgun scope retails over $130 so eventually I will get a gun I can use it on. May scope one of my Mausers with a scout mount. However my funds are more limited so leaning toward the Winchester scope.
 
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