Best scope for hunting on PCP

generally on small game you are 'not' hunting shooting them long range ... most cases are tight quarter reflex response shots and a smaller 4x does the job best .. but a lighter 4-16 will work and give more options if you do alot of different shooting .. a 24x or higher is a bench scope imo lol ... you can call shooting that tamed squirrel that adds beauty to your landscape out of a tree at 150 'hunting' if you want .. but it isnt lol ..

i tried some cheaper compact scopes (discovery, vector optics, westhunter) and I keep coming back to the athlon talos btr 4-14 FFP for all my scoped guns. I think it has a great weight:length:magnification ratio for carrying around the woods.

I ended up replacing both my 6-24 FFP and 6-24 SFP (both athlons) with the 4-14 ones for weight and size. Plus I find it a little easier to shoot when all my scopes are th same!

What ever you get, you don’t want to run a scope on max power. The target image could experience distortion and parallax error. I’ve been using 6x24 FFP’s for a number of years on my prairie dog guns shooting out to 200 yards and I typically have it set around x10-14. When you crank up the magnification you loose your FOV and you’ll spend too much time trying to find it in your scope. I suggest FFP because your holdovers won’t change with magnification. A great asset when shooting multiple targets at different distances.

i tried some cheaper compact scopes (discovery, vector optics, westhunter) and I keep coming back to the athlon talos btr 4-14 FFP for all my scoped guns. I think it has a great weight:length:magnification ratio for carrying around the woods.

I ended up replacing both my 6-24 FFP and 6-24 SFP (both athlons) with the 4-14 ones for weight and size. Plus I find it a little easier to shoot when all my scopes are th same!

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That Talos BTR 4-14x44 is a very well balanced scope and I love the reticle in it, in the world of inexpensive scopes it was the first of its type with an all .2 mil reticle. I have mine on a FX Royale which sits by the door to use on ground squirrels or skunks. Do I wish that same reticle was in a Midas TAC 4-16, heck yeah! Too me the reticle in the mil version of the TAC is way too thin.

I like the Helos 2-12x42 DMR more than both of those though because it has better glass than the Talos, locking turrets, etc, but what stands out (pun intended - grin) is the .3 mil center dot and the circle of death. Even on 2x you can plainly see them. Do I wish for more magnification sometimes, yep, but for an all around hunting scope, even plinking scope, this one intrigues me more and gets used more often. A truly unique scope!

I'd also like a reticle option in 3-18 with a blend of both attributes of those reticles, but optimized in dot and line thickness for this mag range. I've grown to appreciate thicker reticles as my eyes wane.

OP, I personally like the most magnification I can get away with for long range specifically because in a variable mag scope you can always dial down when it's appropriate. If you don't see yourself using low magnification much then 6-24 is likely the answer.

I would recommend much less magnification for hunting. 2 x 7 40 AO is plenty of magnification and field of view out to 50 yards. 

An important thing for me is weight,also has been stated,do not want to go to full magnification.

Vari-power scopes seem to come in ranges,liked 3-9, 4-12, 4-16....

I would advise 4-12 x40.or 44mm....also 4-16 can be good.

Quality over power,weight over huge objective lens,,,,btw the better scopes seem to weigh less in these ranges.....

For shooting over say 70+ yards...more power may be a better choice...so now you are going to spend more money for quality....say a 6-20...or there about....

There's always a tradeoff among precision with a ffp and many references on the reticle and a faster acquition of the aiming point with a SFP.

IMO if you are hunting up to 130 yards is better to have only 6 references on the reticle an a SFP without focal adjustment.

The vortex tactical SFP have gave me exceptional results for hunting.

I'm kind of with wimpanzee on the FFP scope, I didn't really buy into that therory till I put one on my long range center fire then I could defiantly see the benefit for PPC.

But to all their own preferance on FFP or SFP as far as magnification, I learned on the 1000 yard range, bigger is not always better - you need just enough and not overdo it.

Maarodigro,

a little while ago I wrote an article to answer the question — What magnification do I need?

Because it's not that simple of a question. It depends a lot on your shooting scenarios:

•What's typically the closest range? 

•What's typically the farthest range? ("Long range" does not have an agreed upon definition, it has been defined as anywhere from 60m to 150m....)

•What's the kill zone size? (a pigeon head, or a heart/lung shot on a coyote?)

•Are most of your shots offhanded, or rested?

•Are your targets moving quickly, or are they pretty stationary?

•Do you just want to see the quarry you're trying to hit, or do you want to see the hit (filming it, or seeing hits on paper targets)?



And weight, length, ranging, FFP—SFP, amount of light available, all these play a role, too....



Anyhow, I'll attach the article below.

Matthias



Attachment: Article

View attachment SCOPES. What Magnification Do I Need.1642452030.pdf

I normally leave my scopes at 6X for shots at 20-30 yards. I can find my target pretty quickly with them set at 6X and I can also place my shot well. I like more for target shooting but not for pretty short range hunting. I might dial up on a scope that could do that for a longer shot. But I doubt I would go over 9X. It magnifies my wiggling which can make me loose confidence in the shot.

I have a 2-7X Hawke on my Prod - a great budget scope in my opinion. I have a West Hunter 4-16 on my Avenger (nice features, not the most dependable), a Primary Arms 4-14 on my P35, and an Athlon Talos 6-24 waiting for the next PCP. I used the Athlon some on the P35 but it's recticle is pretty fine and I decided I prefer the Primary Arms scope on that rifle. I like the Athlon fine. But I agree with the comments that it is more of a target scope.

Two of these are first focal plane and two are second. FFP is fine as long as the recticle doesn't get too small at low power. My Primary Arms is marginal IMO. At 6X it is OK, however. Second focal plane avoids this but you have to understand where the markings are accurate if you want to use them for hold over or under. Normally I am just holding off an estimated amount that is estimated versus the size of the target. So second focal plane works fine.

My Primary Arms is 30mm tube and the Talos is 1 inch but the adjustment range is actually greater for the Talos. Good to check if it's important to you.

I lean towards 6-24 for my air rifle scopes. If you think you might buy a night vision add on somewhere down the road, SFP would be a better choice.

My only shooting is in my backyard for pesting tree rats and chipmunks... and the occasional Norway rat and Starling.

The ranges are usually from ~15 out to 45 yards these days.

Even with those relatively close ranges, I prefer a HIGH magnification which right now is 27x, but I would use higher power even for very close shots if I had a scope capable of focusing at extreme close range. That is why I still am not using my FFP Athlon Argos BTR 8-34. It can only focus to 15 yards at its lowest power. (Aim small/Miss small).

Some people find it hard to do with high magnification, especially when hunting in unfamiliar terrain.

However, when "hunting/pesting" in my backyard where I know my ranges (measured many of them with a tape measure) and also where my targets/pests are most likely to sit still long enough for a good shot... I LIKE to have the ability to put the cross hairs on a particular spot, not just aim at the head or body in general.

I know this is not the "norm" as far as what most people say, but then again I believe in the axiom:

Aim small/Miss small!

Precision/accuracy of shot placement is everything for me. Especially that first shot! (smile)

Get a Hawke Scope

I like low to moderate power scopes for hunting. 3-12 or 4-16 and like others have said I carry them on low power for quick shots where holdovers aren't needed. Two great options for different budgets are:

-Leapers 3-12 SWAT Classic (non-IR) for about $100-130. Fairly thin reticle with 6 mil-dots, a very effective side AO, sturdy construction and decent glass. It just works well.

-Athlon Midas TAC 4-16 for $600-700ish. FFP with a great reticle, good side AO, fantastic turrets with a super solid zero stop and very clear glass. My favorite scope.

I've noticed I like my Primary Arms 4-14 and my Athlon Talos 6-24 scopes significantly more than my Hawke Vantage 2-7. I should, they cost roughly twice as much. I have not owned a scope that cost over $300 but I have noticed that my scope which approach that are noticably nicer than my two that cost closer to $100. Which magnification should just be part of the selection criteria. I am not sure I would want a FFP 6-24 for hunting. I am concerned that the reticle would be too fine at 6X.

I use an ATN X-Sight 4K pro 3-14x scope and an ATN Thor4 1.25-5x scope for night time work. One of the things I like best about the scopes, is that they give me the wide angle view I need, but they also allow for an extended magnification range that goes up to 37.6x on the X-Sight and 12.5x on the Thor4, but the resolution is reduced significantly.

The real reason I like the scope more than the video recording is the built in Ballistics Calculator, as this is very important when shooting a varying distances quickly without having to be concerned about holdover or under.

Can a Leupold 3-9x40 be used on a Benjamin Bulldog or Marauder in .25? Or does it have to be a specific air rifle type scope like a Hawke or UTG or Leapers? Would using a Leupold not be advised? Thanks. 

"Airgun (specific) scopes" are only highly recommended on piston airguns. Use whatever you like with any other airgun power-plant. 

What are hunting? Birds rabbits? What range will you be shooting? All this matters because if you are hunting you will most likely be propped up on a tree, fence post, truck mirror.. If the animal moves a lot then a lower magnification is better. If its like a pigeon sitting and you are at 50 yds then higher magnification is ok and you are stable... 

I use 4-12's and all mine stay on 8 power... I see these guys constantly screwing with magnification and it just doesn't make sense at air rifle ranges...