Features for a good Beginner Airgun Scope? [2025-06-11]

[Airnut]

In my humble opinion, the best Magnum Springer scope for the money... Hammer's 4-12X40AO from Amazon includes the one piece mount.
 I have 3

Amen brother!!
Hammers for a rifle and Ncstar for a pistol.
They get the job done without breaking the bank and they both have a lifetime  warranty.

[Hoosier Daddy]

In my humble opinion, the best Magnum Springer scope for the money... Hammer's 4-12X40AO from Amazon includes the one piece mount.
 I have 3

Good God, man!! How on earth do you get by at only 12x?  And without side focus?  Without illumination?  Without zero stops?  Without a 34mm tube?  Without FFP?  And without a christmas tree reticle?  (says it's mil-dot, but I'm assuming no Christmas tree).  Why, the AO is only 40mm!!  Can you even see through it?

Assuming  that is "tongue in cheek" a beginner doesn't need all that "Balderdash gopeldygoop" for an entry level scope at (<30y) airgun range. Just something rock-solid, clear, and easy to use... Yes, it is classic a Mil-dot.

[Hoosier Daddy]

But then... I started out "scoping" some 50 years ago with 3/4" tubed Weavers at 4X.  LOL!
I have 2 still.
Better?

[Hoosier Daddy]

On a side-track...
I wish scope makers would bring back the old wide angle "T.V. view"...for poriffrial side vision .
I only have an old Readfield an a modern junk Gamo.

[Back_Roads]

On a side-track...
I wish scope makers would bring back the old wide angle "T.V. view"...for poriffrial side vision .
I only have an old Readfield an a modern junk Gamo.

I have one of the newer Gamo ones on one of my Daisy 880's not too bad of an option for starters. Better than open sights. Many newbies would think similar.

[KevinJBrown]

Beginner
Fixed magnification.
I try to keep the cost of optics around the cost of a rifle (don’t always succeed, but I think for beginners it’s a good measure).
As much as light gathering as can be mounted with medium or short mounts on the rifle.
AO
and parallax appropriate for the range at which the air rifle will be used.
Mil-dot reticle not too complicated, but enough to get the concept.
Mil-dot turrets.
Flip up lens covers.

[KevinJBrown]

Intermediate
Variable magnification top end 10X or less.
I try to keep the cost of optics around the cost of a rifle (don’t always succeed, but I think it’s a good measure).
As much as light gathering as can be mounted with medium or short mounts on the rifle.
AO
and parallax appropriate for the range at which the air rifle will be used.
Mil-dot reticle by now a shooter should have some idea what they want.
Mil-dot turrets.
Flip up lens covers.
[/quote]

[KevinJBrown]

Advanced
Variable magnification top end - shooter’s choice. FFP
I try to keep the cost of optics around the cost of a rifle.
Illuminated reticle.
AO
and parallax appropriate for the range at which the air rifle will be used.
Mil-dot reticle by now a shooter should have some idea what they want.
Mil-dot turrets.
Flip up lens covers.
Honestly everyone at this level is going to be entitled to their opinion.

[KevinJBrown]

Good glass, OK glass, (if you’re looking at scopes with bad glass you’re wasting time).
Good glass for one use might be just OK for another situation.
The right balance between High Definition (HD) and Extra-low Dispersion (ED) and the coatings used make one scope good for hunting and another good for poking holes in paper.
Usually if you can’t afford an OK scope the range your air rifle is shooting at will be OK with metal sights or lower magnification.
I have Hawke scopes on my air rifles and open sights on my BB guns. I don’t really like to talk about the scopes on my powder burning rifles I’d rather talk about what range they were chosen to shoot at.