http://www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIRGUN WORLD 71I
’m a self-confessed optics nut with an
embarrassingly large cupboard full of
scopes, binoculars, camera lenses and too
many other glass-filled devices. I simply love to
be able to see more though a device than the
average human eye can see when out in my
beloved countryside. Magnifying an image
enlarges the delicate details, and high-quality
lenses and coatings deliver sharp image
quality, just like an HD TV. Quite often,
though, a simple optic of high quality is all we
really need to get the most from our sport,
provided we know how to make the most of
one.
THE NUMBERS GAME
Often, people don’t understand the meaning of
the numbers used to describe optical devices.
For example, the once popular, but now rare 4
x 32 scope has probably put more meat in the
freezer than any other. The ‘4’ means ‘four
times magnification’ and the ‘32’ tells us that
the front lens, the objective, is 32mm in
diameter. The almost equally popular 3-9 x 40
tells us that you can vary the magnification
from 3x up to 9x, and that its objective lens is
40mm in diameter. Once you grasp those
numerical references you can understand
most field optics.
Much is made of the size of the objective
lens in terms of its ability to gather light, but
this is an over-simplification. The quality of the
glass, the standard of finish and polishing,
plus the coatings determine the image you’ll
see and how bright it is. In low light conditions
this can be a make or break factor when it
comes to achieving successful shots. A
high-quality, 40mm lens will literally outshine a
poor 50mm one. It seems today that 50mm
objectives have almost become standard,
whereas at one time they were seen as
extraordinarily huge.SUBTLE CHANGE
Some manufacturers have gone bigger still,
with 60mm lenses seen at gun shows on
firearm scopes. So, assuming that you’re a 12
ft.lbs. hunter, just what do you really need? I
should put my cards on the table here and say
that, as ever, I’m out of step with fashion.Today, the trend is for ultra-high magnification
and huge objective lenses, as used by military
snipers to make 1000-yard-plus hits, but is
that what the airgun hunter needs for a
25-yard shot on a squirrel?
These mega scopes tend to be long and
bulky so when mounted on top of an
average-weight sporter, they can create a very
top-heavy feel. This can spoil the handling of a
fine rifle, so it’s important to choose a scope
that sits well on your gun. This is even more of
an issue if you own a bullpup because these
rifles tend to be top heavy before you even fit a
scope. They also force the use of high mountsHUNTING SCOPES
IS IT TIME TO DOWNSIZE?
Phill Price applauds a recent trend in scope size reduction
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Field target scopes are hugely, and I do mean ‘hugely’ specialised. A scope for a bullpup requires consideration.Beside the Frontier
2.5-15 x 50 the
Compact looks neat
and tidy.