32x scope choices and recommendations

I recently bought the UTG 8-32x56 to go with my new Crown .25. It's not a bad scope, but not overly clear at 32X. I was hoping for better, and the experience left me wanting a better scope. Don't get me wrong, it's not terrible and it's possible I set my standards too high, and to be clear I don't have any experience with more expensive scopes, but I was hoping for a clearer sight picture. I have a cheap CVLIFE 6-24x50 scope that is clearer at 24x than this scope is at 32x-- I was hoping it would be at LEAST the same, given the price differential.

Just my 2c ...Scopes that magnify that much are almost always gonna have a lot of optical problems . I would look HARD at the Weaver T series fixed power scopes . They can be had for under 400$ if you shop around and are gonna be FAR better than any variable power scope for same money ...I test a TON of scopes and the scope I use on my main rifle is a Weaver T series T24 . Like I say , just my 2c

Agree with JoeWayne magnification in the 30’s nothing beats a Weaver T -36. Used mine in F class shooting at 1000 yds,it has a fine reticle and a little dark but can’t be beat for the money. 

Mark look very cautious at the UTG scopes . For my videos they have been only above the Centerpoint scopes ...Which is not saying poop

I have the hawk airmax 30 on my fx boss and it workz great, highly recommend 

Although i have to admit that i havent gone up to such high magnification, really dnt need it for such an accurate airgun, just my opinion

For the same money as the UTG, the Mueller 8-32x is a better scope. Its clear all the way to 32, clicks consistant, and snap in and out of focus to range. The only downside is lack of oversized sidewheels. I modified a UTG wheel to fit mine. The Hawke is popular also, I used one on a borrowed field target rifle last weekend and had some trouble with it. The owner of the rifle normally shoots 70 or 80% in piston class, so probably just me not used to it.

I will back up what JoeWayneRhea said. If you are still dead set on getting a variable power scope, give some consideration of the Athlon Argos 8-34X56 scope. My single biggest gripe on that scope is a narrow eyebox. I actually own one, so my opinion is not based upon reading an article about it. I also own a two UTG scopes, to include their top end scope with the etched reticle. The Athlon is simply better in virtually every metric (except ease of eye alignment). For ease of eye alignment, UTG is king.

I'll second the Mueller for the price tag as I have two of them, one with mil-dots and one with cross hair only. Both are very clear and have been trouble free and work and track perfectly. I have let others try mine and most everyone has ended up buying one as they can be found for as little as $210.00 if you look around a bit. J.L.

I recently bought the UTG 8-32x56 to go with my new Crown .25. It's not a bad scope, but not overly clear at 32X. I was hoping for better, and the experience left me wanting a better scope. Don't get me wrong, it's not terrible and it's possible I set my standards too high, and to be clear I don't have any experience with more expensive scopes, but I was hoping for a clearer sight picture. I have a cheap CVLIFE 6-24x50 scope that is clearer at 24x than this scope is at 32x-- I was hoping it would be at LEAST the same, given the price differential.

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Those low end 6-24x50 scopes can work well enough, but the actual magnification is often much less than 24x. That is why they look so clear. I've seen some that won't even go to 16x, even though it says 24x right on the scope. Compare their FOV with a real 24x scope and you can see the difference.

CVLIFE 6-24×50 is clear ? because CVLIFE actually is a 4-12X scope ! read some reviews comparing it with Nikon side by side then you will get it !

CVLIFE 6-24×50 is clear ? because CVLIFE actually is a 4-12X scope ! read some reviews comparing it with Nikon side by side then you will get it !

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BinSong, I agree.

Serious reviews of scopes should include a test of the apparent/actual magnification. Seat-of-the-pants review ignore a lot of critical aspects of scope selection, including the measured magnification.

Here is a quote I lifted from a site that knows something about testing scopes:

"*The Schmidt & Bender PMII 3-27×56 may seem to have a giant field of view for its max magnification of 27x, but I measured its apparent magnification at the max zoom to actually be 22.4x … not 27x. I explain how I measured that in the How To Measure the Apparent Magnification of a Scope post. More on that below as well."

So even high end scope manufacturers can be guilty of the same exaggerations. The CVLIFE scope is a good example of exaggerated claims. Exaggerated FOV and exaggerated magnification. They either don't know any better (I doubt that), or are hoping the buyers only care about clarity as that is the extent of knowledge on optical performance.

Clarity is based on correct mechanics, lens quality, objective size and magnification. There is not much point in trying to judge a scopes "clarity" unless you know what magnification you are using. And you can't go by the numbers on the scope. You need to measure it. That's why I don't place much weight on a lot of the reviews that espouse "clarity" when they don't know what magnification they are looking through.

MarkNagel,

In your price range ($300-$400), 32x with good clarity is not that common. All the scopes that I use are in the $100-$300 range, but I keep it at 24x max as I have yet to see a true 32x scope in that price range that has what I consider good clarity.

There was a review of the Hawke 30 Sidewinder 8-32X56 along with a couple other scopes right here not too long ago. As I recall, the author praised the generous 'eye-box' of the Sidewinder. If that's important to you, it might be worth checking out. The MSRP for these scopes is a bit more than your stated budget, but not by much. And there are deals out there.

Another vote for the Mueller at the price point. I purchased the Athlon Argos 6-24 over the 8-32 due to the close focus distance, the 8-32 only goes down to 20ish yards.