Beginners scope help

I'm new to airguns. I found a vintage 1973 benjamin air pistol. It was in almost excellent cond. I sold it because it didnt have enough power to take out garden pests. I'm looking to get in to the hobby. Im looking at the crosman vantage .22. I was wondering when it says Scopeable: 11mm dovetail does that mean I use 11mm dovetail mounts? I was looking at this gun because of it s nitro piston is this a good beginners gun? And what cheap scope can I buy that's worth it .
 
A general rule: spend at least 50% of the price of your gun on a scope. Many would say this is the low end. A decent scope will make a huge difference to the enjoyment you get from your gun. NP pistons are a step up from springer, especially at lower end of market. A beginner good scope to look at is the UTG bug buster 3-9 x 32 ($90 - 100), but you will have to get 11 mm rings for it, because it comes with Picatinny mounts.

 
I generally stay away from cheap scopes, but this one stands out. The Centerpoint 4-16X40. It has an illuminated mil-dot reticle, adjustable objective, and decent optics. It comes with Weaver style rings, so if you have an 11MM grooved receiver, you will have to by airgun rings. And you can't beat the $65 price. I have two of them; one on my R7and one on my Prod. Of course, for more serious target work, you will want a better scope. Walmart sells them. If you can't find it in the store, order it from their on-line store.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/CenterPoint-Illuminated-4-16x40mm-Scope/17173797
 
Copycat,
Get the best possible scope you can afford. You can always transfer it to another gun if you need to. For a while, I was using one night vision scope on three different guns. I used an adjustable pic rail mount base by Air Force , wrote down my settings and was able to jump one expensive specialty scope from gun to gun and kept it's zero after the adjustments were looked up and dialed in. Eventually I bought some good day scopes and left the NV in the safe. I moved from the city to the country and no longer have a supply of rats to shoot at night. That is the only thing I miss from being in the city.

Back to your scope.......definitely look for a Mil-Dot reticle that can focus down to ten yards or so. A 30mm tube is nice but not a deal breaker. Most of all, the turrets should be crisp and sharp, repeatable. Someone in here talks very highly of the Aeon brand of scopes. They aren't too terribly expensive and seem well built.

Jamie
 
I might have changed my mind. I was thinking id rather get. 160$ air rifle and get a quality scope later on.A air rifle that is a step up from the vantage but I really want the nitro piston. I know they are in many crosman/benjamin rifles. But idk which is absolutely the best for 160 $ preferably In the crosman category. Please give me your best advice. Thanks in advance, copycat.
 
I agree. The 4-16x40 Centerpoint is a very good scope for the money. Centerpoint was mounted on my Gamo Varmint Hunter Break Barrel and that scope never lost zero after shooting 1500-2000 pellets. If you are in the market for a scope I would definitely recommend purchasing a scope with an adjustable parallax adjustment. Most shots I take with a air rifle are 50 yards and under so I want a scope that can focus the cross hairs at short distances so they don't appear blurry. 

 
I put a Vortex Diamondback 4-12x40 AO on my Crosman Nitro Venom Dusk. Scope is worth more than the gun. I use Burris Signature Zee rings since I needed quality rings that could adjust since point of aim and point of impact were about 8" apart at 10 yards.

Don't cheap out on optics or mounting hardware. Cheap optics have a tough time adjusting turrets, holding zero, and providing a clear picture. Not going with decent mounting hardware on a springer or piston air rifle will GUARANTEE not holding zero. Get decent rings and use removable loctite on the screws to mount the scope. Make sure the scope is decent and then you're gonna be a happy camper.
 
"cj_86"I agree. The 4-16x40 Centerpoint is a very good scope for the money. Centerpoint was mounted on my Gamo Varmint Hunter Break Barrel and that scope never lost zero after shooting 1500-2000 pellets. If you are in the market for a scope I would definitely recommend purchasing a scope with an adjustable parallax adjustment. Most shots I take with a air rifle are 50 yards and under so I want a scope that can focus the cross hairs at short distances so they don't appear blurry. 



Just ended up with this scope by chance on my way home from work this morning. Was at Walmart and saw it for $69, so since I have a Krosa on the way, I bought it. I've never had a nice scope, so this is mind blowing to me. Clear as day and sharp as a finely tuned Gerber as far as what I'm used too, so this will do just fine for me I think. Forget that 50% cost of the rifle nonsense. I can't justify spending $450 on a scope to shoot 30-40yds. That's just me and my situation, but to each there own. 

Also, I got the Benjamin Varmint Hunter in .22 comes with a scope that works and is pretty decent, a laser and a pretty bright flashlight with red lens cover for night hunting. Works good. I got mine for $127 from Sportsmans warehouse. Also, for your budget you can get the Crossman pump in .22 that is supposed to be pretty nice. 13xx(not sure) is the model.
 
You might want to look at the Aeon scopes. They are under $300 and you can get magnification up to 32 power. Although I am no expert on scopes, I believe the Aeon are on par with the Hawke (at least for beginners). Check last years AOA bechrest competition for scopes used. If you are planning to shoot beyond 75 yards you may need a higher power than 16. I put the Aeon 6-24x 50 on my Cricket Carbine and like you all, in the beginning it's tough to buy a gun, scope and tank all together! I am glad I went with a better scope and now that I am beginning to shoot longer distances, I don't have to buy a new one and get used to it. The scope really should match the quality of your gun. Cheap gun/ cheap scope, quality gun/quality scope. If you are hunting only, you probably will not use the higher power so a scope 6-16 would work fine. FYI- Batman is selling a Hawke 6-16x50 Sportsmans scope in the classified. I have that mounted on my son's Marauder. You can buy them new at Pyramid Air or Airgun Depot. Hope this helps.
 
Bob Chanell did a review and in his travels he mentioned a SNIPER. It's a 4X16X40 front AO with a 5 yard minimum focus. It has a lifetime warranty, front and rear lense caps, weaver hi 1" mounts, and an illuminated reticle. As he stated, and I must agree for the 65.00 cost on Amazon this scope is a fantastic value. It's from the same centerpoint- UTG/leapers line. It's worth a look see. It would get my vote for the best value under 100.00