Air Rifle Scopes - What to Realistically Expect for Around $100 ?

[SamTheMan]

Hi guys - I wrote a long entry, but something happened with my internet & it didn't post. So, I'll give you the short version    I bought a Beeman Silver Kodiak dual that came with 177 & 22 barrels last weekend. My first higher power airgun and first springer. (Had Red Ryders as a kid and bought a Powerline 880 only about 6 months ago). I do have many years of experience with firearms, however.  The air rifle came with a Beeman fixed scope and I've been hitting small balloons moved by the breeze and pop cans at up to about 90-100 yards paced off distance. I'm quite happy to be able to shoot pellet can lids and pop can tops at 100 yards from field positions & estimating the wind. (Don't require tiny groups from the bench & don't know if the Beeman is capable of that anyway. This is for fun & cheap practice of rifleman/hunter skills.)  It would be nice to have a 3-9x variable and mil-dots. I'm willing to spend as much on the optics as the rifle, which is about $100.
What can I expect to get for $100 in a variable mil-dot airgun scope ? I've never spent as little on a riflescope. Would it be better to just save my money and use the fixed 4x scope that came with the air rifle ? Frankly, I wouldn't bother to buy a $100 variable power mil-dot rifle scope, figuring that it had to be junk.  But, I don't know anything about scopes for airguns so would appreciate hearing your thoughts on this.  At this time, I'm not willing to buy a higher end air rifle or spend more than about $100 on the scope; I want to use the rifle I have first. Thanks

[JonnyReb]

 For the money you can't beat a Hawke "sport" model with AO. They are chinese made like about all the other springer rated scopes but are much lighter and brighter than the average leapers,Hammers,Centerpoint etc. Best of all they DO hold up to even magnum springer recoil and are available for about 50.00 for a 3x9x40AO from eabco.com.  Anywhere else they run about 70.00. Still..i almost guarentee you can't find a better 70.00 scope.  After using them for a few years i would have 0 qualms about putting them on any airgun or powderburner, i think they are a fine product.   Jeff

[SamTheMan]

JonnyReb - thank you for the input. That's funny, moments before I read your post, I was reading about the Hawke sport model.

Hmmmm . . . makes me curious to try mounting one on a centerfire too, just to see how it holds up.

I appreciate your comments. Nice to hear from someone who has used a product for awhile.

Best regards, - - -

[darren]

sam,
you can put a 4-16 centerpoint avail at walmart for about 70.00 on that rifle and be good to go ....and still have money for pellets...BONUS

[mobilehomer]

Sam, I bought a Hawke Sport 3-9X40 AO a few weeks ago from eabco.com. It works great. I ave already put about a thousand through the gun since then. It still holds zero. This site has them a little cheaper, plis the mil-dot reticle, if you want it.

http://www.fedtacticaldirect.com/HAWKE_bymfg_1071-1-1.html

[Yarp]

sam,
you can put a 4-16 centerpoint avail at walmart for about 70.00 on that rifle and be good to go ....and still have money for pellets...BONUS

My first seventy-buck CP from Amazon was good enough that when I bumped into thirty dollar referbs at Natchez, I picked up four more. They all work well.

[Roadworthy]

I'd go with the Hawke Sport 3-9 X 40 AO again, I like it so well the first time.  I've been using mine for about ten months on a Crosman Nitro Venom with no problems.  The list price is like $79.99 so of course you can find it cheaper.  It is available in mil-dot, that's an option.  You can also get the IR version.  DON'T!  The IR version is not recommended for spring guns.

Any of them should work on powder guns.  Believe it or not, airguns are harder on scopes than powder.  The recoil is different.

[SamTheMan]

Thanks again guys for providing some good suggestions for me to check out.

You guys really have my curiosity up, to see what an approximately $100 air rifle scope can do.

Having never shot a springer airgun, I was surprised at the recoil. I like that, as it helps simulate the recoil of a centerfire rifle and how you often lose the impact point while watching through the scope. Makes for more realisitic practice.

I appreciate all your comments & suggestions.

[SamTheMan]

Hello again - after all your help, I thought I'd let you know what I decided on.
I was looking for a scope that had the features I prefer, at a very good price, and that was currently in stock.

I ordered the Hawke Sport HD 2-7x32mm AO Mil-Dot scope. (No IR !)  Its a new model - - - HK3012
Price delivered to my door is about $60 from FedTacticalDirect.

Online I found Hawke Sport HD 3-9x40mm scopes, but the ones in stock with AO didn't have mil-dots and the ones with mil-dots didn't have AO.  (Or if they did have AO & mil-dots they were at full list price.)  That's o.k., as I really like 2-7x-32mm scopes for use in the field and have them mounted on several of my rimfire & centerfire hunting rifles.

I'm really looking forward to trying this new scope out and thank you for all your help in sorting through the info. 

[korny351]

Sam, I bought a Hawke Sport 3-9X40 AO a few weeks ago from eabco.com. It works great. I ave already put about a thousand through the gun since then. It still holds zero. This site has them a little cheaper, plis the mil-dot reticle, if you want it.

http://www.fedtacticaldirect.com/HAWKE_bymfg_1071-1-1.html

I got all excited about this site (FedTactical) until I noticed that none of the 3-9x40 were AO until you get up to the IR series.  Cross-check model numbers with Hawke before commiting yourself.

[daveb50]

I just got a HAWKE VARMINT 3-12X44 1/2 MIL DOT from FedTacticalDirect, it has a side wheel AO. $115.36 + shipping.