Now, if you own an air gun, or you are planning to buy one, you will ultimately need to get a scope—yes, trust me, you will need one. However, most people tend to be confused, especially when it comes to the type of air gun scope they should get. Others wonder whether there are some scopes better suited for certain jobs than others. 

However, depending on the type of air gun and scope mount that you have, this will determine the type of scope that’s ideal for your air gun. Besides, you will need to determine whether you will need a variable or fixed magnification—read on to get more details about this. 

Do you need an air gun scope?

Well, this depends on the purpose of buying your air rifle. Ideally, you don’t need a scope if you plan to shoot some targets 30 feet away. Interestingly, it would be more fun to shoot targets at such a distance without a scope since you will need little or no skills at that distance when you decide to use a scope. 

However, if you plan to shoot targets at a longer range, or you need an air gun for hunting, you will need a scope. Also, there’s another reason why most people air gun scopes—those who like having extra accessories on their guns. 

Types of airguns scope out there

There are two different types of air gun scopes that you can buy. And, both these types are related to magnification, and they include:

Fixed

Fixed scopes are set on one magnification, meaning they cannot be adjusted. These scopes are denoted by a sign like 4×15 or 4×32. The 4x sign shows that the objects on the scope’s viewfinder are enlarged 4 times more than a naked eye can see. 

The benefit of having a fixed scope is that once locked in, it doesn’t need much adjusting. The downside of fixed scopes is that they don’t allow one to magnify an image more than the magnification set on the scope. Fixed scopes are ideal for hunting small pests like mice and rodents, or any rodent that’s at a close range. 

Variable

A variable airgun pistol scope makes it possible to magnify an image between 3 – 15 times. Mostly, this will be denoted by a sign like 3-12×32. That means, the scope can magnify an object 3 – 12 times, while the 32 denotes a 32mm lens. Variable scopes are ideal for people who love hunting larger games from long distances. However, variable scopes have one major downside—you will need to adjust the scope frequently because these scopes have intricate parts. 

Bottom Line

Now, since you understand the basics of air pistol scopes, the following are a few guidelines to assist you to choose the best scope. 

First, you need to determine the kind of shooting that you need to do. If you want an air gun rifle to hunt small rodents at a close range, choose a fixed scope (4×32) preferably. For larger targets, go for a fixed scope. If you want a scope for target shooting, fixed scopes are the best—not unless you want a scope that can zoom close up, where you will need a variable scope. 

Next, you will need to determine the quality of the scope that you need. If possible buy a scope that’s of a higher quality than the one you need. As the old saying goes—“You get what you pay for.” Therefore, you should buy something a bit better, than buying a scope that will give you problems locking on to your target. This is something you will need to keep in mind when it comes to air gun scopes and optics. Lastly, you will need to ensure that you purchase suitable mounting hardware.