Preferred scopes

[Scotchmo]

Years ago, hunters tended to use lower power scopes on airguns. I’m curious what’s common today.

What are you using when you hunt with your airgun?
4x32mm?
3-9x40mm?
3-12x44?
4-16x50?
Etc.

 

[Motorhead]

Max X power really does not matter .. when hunting I try & match my Binoculars which are 8X.
At 8X the distances we are taking lethal ethical shots it is plenty IMO.

 

[L.Leon]

West Hunter 3x12x44

 

[Ezana4CE]

I like 3-12x magnification or 4-16x for PCP airgun hunting in the woods. I usually use magnifications 4-6x for woods walking and I use the max magnification to help estimate range (for lack of a better explanation). I have a 10x fixed mag on one of my Bulldogs. I’d say the scope I’m using is largely dictated by what is available to use, what I’m hunting, where I’m hunting, and in what sort of weather or environmental conditions I am hunting in.

 

[JimD]

I have everything from a 2-7 on my Prod to a 8-32 on my P35-177. Most of mine are 4-16, however. I will probably buy a smaller lighter lower magnification scope next, however. Maybe the Vector 3-12. I hunt with the scope set on 6-8X, usually 6X. The few times I've messed up and left the gun at higher power finding the target has been noticably more difficult. I have more magnification on the guns because I shoot a lot more paper than animals and the higher power is nicer for targets.

 

[Revin]

I have 4 -16's but even though I like the 16x magnification I hate the field of view and focus/ parallax adjustment required on closer shots. So I'll join in for the answers, and hopefully learn to turn the power down when hunting

 

[Joedirt199]

Most of mine are 3-9 or 3-10, fixed 6x or 4x. I use the variable scopes at 6x for the woods hunting and gives me plenty of view for 20-30 yard hunting.

 

[Sqwirl57]

Whatever is on the gun I decided to take out that day. Sometimes its a fixed 4x and sometimes its a 10-50x60. My most common scopes are typically 4-16x though. They give a nice balance between target shooting and hunting.

 

[qball]

It depends?

There are 3 functions for the scope when hunting:
1. Hit the KZ, magnification depends on distance and KZ size
2. Target acquisition, lowest magnification setting possible for given distance
3. Target identification, if you are trying to tell a female house sparrow from a female finch at 100 yards you would need higher mag

OR, spend more(a lot) money on a march that has 10x magnification range so you can have your cake and eat it too.

 

[WorriedMan]

Vector Veyron 6-24x44 FFP (Non-IR) 10-power for pesting/hunting, crank up to 24 for target work. WM

 

[FelixS]

5 25 56

 

[RWSx3]

For me... just as Motorhead said "lethal ethical shots" is most important when hunting or in my case, pest control with airguns. A 4x will do all I need for backyard use and rarely will I turn up my 2-7, 3-9, 3-12 variables unless using to view targets after the shot.

 

[Ranchibi]

I enjoy my Athlon Ares BTR @ 2.5-15.......

 

[ChuckInOhio]

My preferences are dictated by the practical range and the specific target. I have an S510 in .177 tuned around 650 FPS for shooting in my basement 10m range and for shooting house sparrows inside my barn, and that wears a Bushnell Legend 5-15 AO as the shots are in closer. To be honest, if I used it more I’d put my 2.5-16 Elite 6500 on it but the Legend works well as is. On the other end of the spectrum my .22 Wildcat Mk1 wears a Hawke 6-24 FFP and my .25 Crown wears a Vortex 5-25 PST Gen2 FFP. I use Kentucky Windage/holdover on the Wildcat and dial my dope on the Crown. My hunting consists of house sparrows and starlings, so I rely on the higher magnification for proper target ID as I have a number of birds that resemble female house sparrows, etc…

 

[MOhunter]

I typically like fixed power scopes. I've currently got a Vector Optics marksman 10x44 on my Huben for coyotes. although my lower powered springers have 4x scopes on them.

 

[AmosBurton]

3-9x40 SFP for squirrel out to 75yds. I mostly use it at 6x magnification, if I have time I'll dial it all the way up to 9 so I can do the ranging math real quick.
When I shoot targets I'd love to have more magnification but for hunting 3-9 works real well for me. And I use SFP because that's what I learned with.

 

[HubenK1Sniper92]

3-9x40 SFP for squirrel out to 75yds. I mostly use it at 6x magnification, if I have time I'll dial it all the way up to 9 so I can do the ranging math real quick.
When I shoot targets I'd love to have more magnification but for hunting 3-9 works real well for me. And I use SFP because that's what I learned with.

3x9 not me lol, my old eyes like 6x24x50 scopes

 

[BackStop]

3x9 not me lol, my old eyes like 6x24x50 scopes

I definitely undermean what you stand! (grin)

For my backyard (10-50 yards) I actually prefer the highest magnification I can get. Which for now is 27x or 34x (but that Athlon scope can't focus at less than ~15 yards).

Maybe it is old eyes, but then again, I am shooting at small targets... so the more precise I can get with the scope, the better my chance of making a good clean kill.

Yeah, I know... I don't fit in with the "majority" here when it comes to scope power. But it works very well for me and makes me a MUCH better shot.

Aim small, miss small.

 

[HubenK1Sniper92]

3-9x40 SFP for squirrel out to 75yds. I mostly use it at 6x magnification, if I have time I'll dial it all the way up to 9 so I can do the ranging math real quick.
When I shoot targets I'd love to have more magnification but for hunting 3-9 works real well for me. And I use SFP because that's what I learned with.

Just curious how you get a good headshot on a squirrel at 75yds using a 3x9 power set at 6? Hell I have mine set at like 18 power for squirrels at 40yds at my feeder

 

[AmosBurton]

I do practice on targets a lot at various magnification but I don't take the 75yd shot on a squirrel at 6x. I dial up for the shots like that. I scan the trees with it on 6, from close in to farther out. I like to see more until I see the target and then dial up to 9. Under 50yds 6x works just fine for me.
I don't see close up very well but I can almost still read the bottom line of an eye chart @ 20'.