Don't cheap out

I second that. Why anyone would spend $1500 to over $2000 on a high end air rifle, and then install an under $100 scope just baffles my mind...

Well, as to why, there are very few objective metrics to evaluate scopes. Lots of things are trade-off, you want a scope that weights nothing but a huge objective so it gathers as much light as possible. Large means heavy. Certain design elements you can't appreciate still you try yourself. Like what eye relief matters. Forgiving vs focus that snaps in and out. There are no consensus on features... like illuminated reticles being good or bad. sfp or ffp. moa or mil (well, at least that one is easy, mil ), and especially when you have mil reticles with moa turrets. Heck, can't even standardize on a way to mount scopes (dovetail vs weaver). There are no standards for durability, or quality. Few manufactures tell you if a given scope is suitable for a magnum springer. I suspect part of the answer is that there is significant markup, and a solid oem industry, so it's tempting to make poop and price it as gold. Even when are lucky and have folks like Joe that test samples, it does not really tell us about all the scopes (ie quality control). Joe likes SWFA but there was a recent thread where someone was disappointed with theirs. I have read a lot about people preferring the FX No Limit rings due to larger range of motion, but the tests that Tom did suggest that the Sport Match are sufficient. I.e. marketing and not fact drives the market.

Agreed! I have a Delta Stryker HD 4.5-30FFP waiting on my red wolf to arrive. If you're going to buy anything in the upper end price range, get the best optics you can reasonably afford and max out its potential. 

"Macros"Agreed! I have a Delta Stryker HD 4.5-30FFP waiting on my red wolf to arrive. If you're going to buy anything in the upper end price range, get the best optics you can reasonably afford and max out its potential. 

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my mortgage payment is less than the cost of that scope! dang... my wife you kill me.

I have scopes that cost from $150 to $2200 I have found that the ones in the $400 to $800 range to be good for my vision my old eyes need a bright sharp scope the more expensive are great but I’m now content with scopes in the range I mentioned as it leaves me with more to spend on guns..

"Kyler"

"Macros"Agreed! I have a Delta Stryker HD 4.5-30FFP waiting on my red wolf to arrive. If you're going to buy anything in the upper end price range, get the best optics you can reasonably afford and max out its potential. 

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my mortgage payment is less than the cost of that scope! dang... my wife you kill me.

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True... But then so is the gun! So I lost that battle at the get go. Lol

A quality scope makes all the difference!!

Too true. Literally everything we do with our airguns is done looking through the scope - makes sense to get the best view of the action possible. 

Lol, nobody buys a house on a hill with a killer view and installs bubbly/sandblasted windows

So true! This is especially obvious when you buy a scope with adjustable turrets. The ability to make accurate adjustments and get back to a consistent zero is not an easy thing to do and you get what you pay for, typically. In saying that, there are some great value scopes now days that offer most of what the high dollar scopes offer for a great price.