MAKING SENSE OF SCOPES

While air rifles are certainly available with alternative sighting systems, notably open sights, it’s fair to say that the majority of shooters will be using a telescopic sight. But how do you go about choosing one? Finding one that comes within your budget is of course a major factor, but there are plenty of other things to consider.

A telescopic sight may well offer numerous exciting features, but it really has just one job to do, and that is to help us point the barrel of our air rifle in a particular direction so that when we pull the trigger, the pellet will fly through the air and hit the target in a predictable manner.

There are 11 factors that must be taken into consideration by an individual shooter who's looking for a scope. And that last bit is important because this is about finding the right scope for you, not your buddy or some random bloke at the range.

1 CAN YOU SHARPEN THE RETICLE PROPERLY?

Regardless of its design, which we'll discuss in more detail later, the reticle needs to be in focus for the shooter, irrespective of the target that's being viewed, the distance away from the target or the level of magnification that's been selected. Our eyes are all different and we need to use the ocular focus ring to ensure the reticle is crisp.

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