In Search for the Perfect Airgun Scope

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jps2486

jps2486

Member
Apr 20, 2015
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Onalaska, WI, United States
I know most of you have variable power scopes. All of mine are, and guess what? I have them all turned up to max power and rarely turn them down. Doesn't it make sense for manufacturers to make fixed power airgun scopes at, let's say, 12, 16, 24, and 32 power and eliminate all that internal mechanical crap that costs a lot of money and affects precise operation? Maybe that way they can focus (pun intended?) on better optical quality, compactness, lighter weight, and lower cost. Oh, yeah, no more FFP/SFP either.
 
Honestly IMHO it doesn't even make any sense to me that SWFA Japan makes the 20x SS fixed power because it's not even clear. Even Mueller 40x56 fixed power and Weaver T36 fixed power are not even clear.

In these cases you don't even have the ability to back their power down to at least get some sorta semi decent picture quality at lower magnification so are you really SOL with these fixed power scopes just to name a few here.
 
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If they thought these fixed power scopes would sell then they'd make them. Honestly I'm not opposed to the idea because I'd like to see them squeeze every bit of IQ out of a scope. Going fixed would help that, and so would having a larger objective, also going fixed should bring price down.

But the versatility of variables.............

I had a fixed 40x Leupold which had its faults, though still liking it, but I sold it in favor of - paragraph #2. Had a 10x SWFA and sold it for the same reason. Sold the 4x in favor of 3-9's, and so on. Use the 1-?x24's instead of RD's except on my pistols. 


 
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I can’t believe how much scopes weigh now. I recently took some older high power scopes off my 6mm, .270, and 22-250. I do this every so many years to check the bases. They were Sightrons, and Bushnells. They were so light compared to the Athlons and such that I have on my airguns. A heavy scope from the bench on an airgun has its advantages because it helps chill the gun out. But the other day I was stalking a squirrel with my Priest and I was really bothered by the weight of my scope. 
 
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I can’t believe how much scopes weigh now. I recently took some older high power scopes off my 6mm, .270, and 22-250. I do this every so many years to check the bases. They were Sightrons, and Bushnells. They were so light compared to the Athlons and such that I have on my airguns. A heavy scope from the bench on an airgun has its advantages because it helps chill the gun out. But the other day I was stalking a squirrel with my Priest and I was really bothered by the weight of my scope.
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Ya, I checked out the Arken scopes that Joe W. has been raving about. They weigh 2 pounds-right, 32 oz. Nope!
 
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ILya Koshkin, a popular optical expert and owner of Opticsthoughts forums, and I, have been kinda railing on the optics industry for the last few years to come out with super featherweight hunting scopes with "all" the modern features and high grade glass. 

My suggestion was a 1" tubed 2-12x38 FFP compact scope with a thicker mil tree reticle, .1 mil click low profile locking turrets, a zero stop, 10Y focus, daylight bright illume, and coming in at 1lb.

The closest I've come to the above is my Athlon Talos 4-16x40 SFP which has .1 mil capped turrets and a mildot reticle. Glass isn't great but not bad either. They do have a 3-12 version.

Pardon that this in a fixed magnification thread but thought I'd mention it.
 
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ILya Koshkin, a popular optical expert and owner of Opticsthoughts forums, and I, have been kinda railing on the optics industry for the last few years to come out with super featherweight hunting scopes with "all" the modern features and high grade glass. 

My suggestion was a 1" tubed 2-12x38 FFP compact scope with a thicker mil tree reticle, .1 mil click low profile locking turrets, a zero stop, 10Y focus, daylight bright illume, and coming in at 1lb.

The closest I've come to the above is my Athlon Talos 4-16x40 SFP which has .1 mil capped turrets and a mildot reticle. Glass isn't great but not bad either. They do have a 3-12 version.

Pardon that this in a fixed magnification thread but thought I'd mention it.
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I think that is a great ideal. I have been looking at Maven's light weight hunter options. They aren't FFP though, but check most of my criteria.
 
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ILya Koshkin, a popular optical expert and owner of Opticsthoughts forums, and I, have been kinda railing on the optics industry for the last few years to come out with super featherweight hunting scopes with "all" the modern features and high grade glass. 

My suggestion was a 1" tubed 2-12x38 FFP compact scope with a thicker mil tree reticle, .1 mil click low profile locking turrets, a zero stop, 10Y focus, daylight bright illume, and coming in at 1lb.

The closest I've come to the above is my Athlon Talos 4-16x40 SFP which has .1 mil capped turrets and a mildot reticle. Glass isn't great but not bad either. They do have a 3-12 version.

Pardon that this in a fixed magnification thread but thought I'd mention it.
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Funny you say that about the talos. The number of times I put this beater neos back on a rifle after I remove another 1000.00 scope I am just not happy with is embarrassing. Why, cause it just works. You could be on to something.

OOPs, see this is off topic, my apologies. 

20201211_153642_resized.1607719472.jpg

 
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