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Nikko Stirling Sabre Optics:  Accent, Airgunner MD & Airgunner IR

For most sensible ranges an airgun scope needs reasonable lenses to give a decent sight picture, be weatherproofed and of good build quality. Also it needs to be chosen to suit the hunting situation the specification has been designed for. In that respect and despite the very reasonable cost Sabre Optics certainly ticks all the right boxes. Hardly surprising as they are designed specifically for the UK market by ASI and manufactured by Nikko Stirling.

At present there are three designs; Accent, Airgunner MD and Airgunner IR. The Accent is the most basic, while the Airgunner MD and IR have more features. There are five models in the Accent range, four in the Airgunner MD and three in the IR. On test are the Accent 4 X 32, Airgunner MD 2 – 7 X 32AO and Airgunner IR 4 -12 X 42AOE.

Cheap & cheerful
If a cheap and cheerful starter optic is all you require then the Sabre Accent 4 X 32 is it. It comes with a cleaning cloth and mounts. It’s 11 ½” long with a 1” body tube, which is a useful size if you are thinking of fitting a mini-torch for ratting. Simple is the lock ring focus and the capped, coin slot turret adjusters. These offer ¼” MOA clicks with 60 per turn and 9 full rotations. Lens quality is good and the reticle is a standard 30/30 Duplex.

The Airgunner MD 2 – 7 X 32AO. This and the IR series come with cleaning cloth, one-piece, 1” mount and amber, flip-up lens covers. With lock ring focus and the magnification ring has a raised hub for ease of use. The front AO is serrated to aid grip with range markings of 5m, 10, 15, 20, 30, 50, 75, 100, 200 and 8. Turrets show a simple removable cover with finger dialable drums underneath. Again click values are ¼” MOA, with 40 per turn and 11 full rotations. A Mil-Dot reticule set in the 2nd focal plain completes a tidy and simple optic. Compared to the Accent the lenses do seem a tad brighter.

Last the Airgunner IR 4 – 12 X 42AOE, these having the added bonus that the 2nd focal plane Mil-Dot reticule is illuminated. A more substantial scope in both build and features the eye-bell has fast focus and a ridged zoom ring with a raised hub, with the old style, 11-position rheostat dial mounted at 12 o’clock. The level of illumination is surprisingly good across the whole range without causing blurring or flaring of the sight picture.

The coated lenses are by far the best but this could be due to the size of the objective. Click values and turret rotations are the same as the MD 2 – 7 X 32AO as are the AO markings. Due to the larger objective housing there’s room to add your own range marks from 20 – 50yds which some hunters will find useful.

Of all the scopes this does have the look in certain areas of the old style Nikko Stirling Gold Crown. All turret adjusters on all models tested operated positively, zoom rings (where applicable) were smooth yet assured in use and build wise I could find no fault with any. In that respect I feel Sabre Optics are a bargain. Rated shockproof, fogproof and waterproof what more can you ask for of scopes in this price bracket?

For: Comprehensive range for the airgunner
Against: Not a lot
Verdict: Some comprehensive and versatile optics at good money

Technical Specifications
Manufacturer	Nikko Stirling/Sabre Optics
Model	Sabre Accent / Airgunner MD / Airgunner IR
Magnification	4X / 2 – 7X / 4 – 12X
Objective	32mm / 32mm / 42mm
Length	11.5" / 11 7/8" / 13.5"
Weight incl mounts	12oz / 1lb 4oz / 1lb 10oz
Price	£29 / £78.50 / £99

All Prices Are Guides Due to the Changes in US & European Exchange Rates

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