Modern airguns are incredibly accurate compared to the guns of the past and pellets are much improved too, so it stands to reason to get the best…
Enfield 3-9 x 40 AO Illuminated Mil Dot
Reviewer: Graham Allen
One of the all-time classic scope specifications is the 3-9 X 40 and this versatile Enfield variant is a perfect example; it has a one-inch tube and a magnification range of 3-9 power and a 40mm objective lens. It offers parallax adjustment on the front lens, to keep the image clear at all magnifications and ranges; this is preferable to optics with a set parallax, where the image is blurred at certain ranges. The useful Mil-Dot reticle can be illuminated in red or green, which helps it stand out in a variety of situations, with five brightness levels available. It comes complete with a removable sunshade and is an ideal companion for any hunting air rifle.
Name: Enfield 3-9 X 40 AO
Price: £84.95
Contact: Armex Ltd. armex.co.uk
Discovery VT-R 3-12 X 42 AOE
Reviewer: Mark Camoccio
The Discovery VT- R 3-12X42 AOE comes with a set of ring mounts, a sunshade, and even a set of half decent flip-up lens covers. It is also nitrogen filled, waterproof, shockproof, and fogproof and the lenses are fully multi coated. With variable magnification from 3x through to 12x, the VT-R has a good all-round spec. It also features push pull lockable and resettable target turrets, an illuminated HMD reticle, and the low-profile turrets have ¼ MOA click values. This scope really is astonishingly good value for money. Especially when there's also the Discovery Lifetime Warranty to take into consideration. How it is done for the money, I have no idea, but it's hard to see a better bargain currently doing the rounds.
Name: Discovery Optics VT- R 3-12X42 AOE
Price: £69.99 inc. lens caps, mounts & sunshade
Contact: Sureshot Airguns. sureshot-airguns.co.uk and discoveryoptics.co.uk
Nikko Stirling Panamax 6-18 X 50 AO IR Half Mil Dot
Reviewer: Mark Camoccio
The Panamax 6-18 x 50 AO IR Half Mil Dot has plenty to offer and is built around a one-inch body tube and has a matt black finish and low-profile turrets. One of the big selling points with the Panamax range of scopes, is the extra wide field of view and the manufacturers claim a 20% advantage over standard comparable one-inch scopes. Parallax markings are 15-yards, 20, 25, 30, then 50 onwards and turrets are clearly marked with values of ¼ MOA, which equates to 10mm at 100-yards/ 2.5mm at 25-yards.
Image quality is excellent and this Panamax comes with an illuminated reticle via the low-profile rheostat control ‘third turret’ on the left, which offers five brightness levels, in either green or red; the central fine section of reticle then lights up and it all works extremely well. All the usual guarantees are here; waterproof, shockproof, nitrogen filled, multi-coated lenses, and this model comes with its own elasticated lens covers. There's also a Lifetime Warranty that relates to the original owner only.
Name: Nikko Stirling Panamax 6-18x50 AO IR Half Mil Dot
Price: £231.99
Contact: Highland Outdoors. highlandoutdoors.co.uk
SWFA SS 10X42 Tactical Rear Focus
Reviewer: Mark Camoccio
The SWFA SS 10X42 Tactical Rear Focus has a 30mm body tube and a fixed power design means less moving parts and a concentration of quality where it matters. A fixed 10x magnification and an objective lens of 42mm is an ideal spec for many applications. The matt black finish is highly practical, whilst the visible build quality is spot-on. Parallax is adjusted via the rear collar, rather than the more customary side knob/wheel on the left of the saddle. Parallax markings are 10-metres, then 20m, 30m, 50m, and then 100, 200, 300, 500, and ∞. The turret’s .1Mil Radian increments (equal to .36-inches @ 100-yards) and clicks are audible and positive and can be reset to zero if required.
The Mil Quad reticle has an inner fine section with full Mil-Dots and ½-Mil markings, then an extended stadia at 6 o’clock for longer range work. It's clear and precise and the German-style thick posts guide the eye. A super sharp image, ultra-precise adjustments, and that satisfyingly practical Mil Quad reticle all combine nicely at a price that seems fair.
Model: SWFA SS 10X42 Tactical Rear Focus
Price: £395
Contact: Optics Warehouse. opticswarehouse.co.uk
MTC Viper Pro Tactical 3-18 X 50
Reviewer: Mark Camoccio
The Viper Pro Tactical 3-18 X 50 model has magnetic, flip-up lens covers, with the rear incorporating a magnifier are super neat in the way that they sit flat down on the scope, straight out, or up. The company's SCB2 reticle can be illuminated, with a side parallax adjuster, lockable ¼ MOA tactical turrets, a new lens coating, and a 30mm body tube. Parallax is marked up from a minimum of 10-yards and then, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50 at the lower levels. The SCB2 reticle is extremely fine and precise, and looks great in bright areas. I did find in dull, dark wooded backdrops, that I could temporarily lose the centre. But overall, it's a design that has proved very successful on the HFT circuit, from shooters with better eyes than mine no doubt! Edge to edge clarity is certainly impressive, and overall resolution and image quality overall, was all well up to the mark.
Name: MTC Viper Pro Tactical 3-18 X 50
Price: £335
Contact: MTC Optics. mtcoptics.com
Aztec Emerald 5.5-25 X 50
Reviewer: Mark Camoccio
The Aztec Emerald 5.5-25 X 50 has a 30mm body tube and comes complete with a sunshade, four-inch parallax side wheel, cleaning cloth, and elasticated lens covers. The DYND1 reticle is impressive, with a central floating dot, and four equidistant lines around is in the 2nd focal plane; the ¼-MOA turrets are the push pull variety. The parallax drum is on the left of the saddle and if you want the four-inch side wheel can be easily attached.
The turrets are positive and so are the clicks and has the fairly common 60 clicks per revolution, The Aztec feels well made, is nicely finished, and more importantly, it offers good glass for reasonable money, and an impressively clear, crisp image. As for the spec on test here, it's difficult not to be impressed; whether for hunting or HFT, especially with Aztec's Lifetime warranty.
Model: Aztec Emerald 5.5-25x50
Price: £375
Contact: Gilbert Distribution. [email protected]
Zeiss Terra 4-12 X 50mm
Reviewer: Bruce Potts
The Zeiss Terra 4-12 X 50 has a one-inch body tube and this gives a broad range of magnification options; the finish is the usual Zeiss satin black anodising to the aluminium body. There is no parallax adjustment, so at close-range (below 50-yards) 10x is probably the maximum you can use and still keep things in focus; it is therefore perfect for an FAC-rated air rifle. The mag adjusts from left to right and has a serrated zoom ring and raised knob for a nice grip and smooth operation. The eyepiece has your typical fast-focus adjustment and is rubber edged for your protection.
Elevation and windage clicks are ¼MOA and all lenses are coated with the MC anti-reflective application of German design, which certainly contributes to the bright and higher contrast image and very good edge to edge clarity and the flat and crisp image; this is where the Japanese lenses really pay dividends.
The Terra has no illumination and only has one reticle choice is offered, being the Z-Plex design. Frankly, it’s a bargain and has the Zeiss name and build quality at an affordable price tag!
Name: Zeiss Terra 4-12x50
Price: £480
Contact: Zeiss UK. zeiss.co.uk
NIghtforce NXS 2.5-10x42 Compact Zerostop
Reviewer: Mark Camoccio
The Nightforce NXS 2.5-10x42 Compact Zerostop model is super compact, yet still comes packed with a technical specification to impress but all this fine pedigree doesn't come cheap. This NXS has a 30mm body tube, variable magnification between 2.5 and 10x, and a front objective lens of 42mm. With a minimum parallax figure of 25-yards, this model is very adaptable to airgun use. My test model came fitted with exposed Tactical target turrets, clearly marked in .25 MOA click values. Both elevation and windage turrets offer 100 MOA of internal adjustment through the range and this model also comes fitted with ‘Zerostop’ that allows for a quick return to zero. Further options come with illumination on certain reticle designs. This model also features side parallax adjustment.
There's a choice of four different reticles and to illuminate the reticle, just press and gently hold the centre of the left turret. Further pressing and holding can switch between green and red, and also different brightness levels. Image quality, brightness, colour vibrancy, edge to edge clarity and resolution on test, were all impeccable
Model: Nightforce NXS 2.5-10X42 Zerostop
Price: £2086
Contact: Sportsman Gun Centre. sportsmanguncentre.co.uk
Sightron SIIISS 10-50X60 FT IR MOA
Reviewer: Mark Camoccio
This new SIIISS features a 30mm tube and an illuminated MOA2 reticle, a five-inch side wheel, large padded transit bag, and even a rubber, push-fit scope enhancer. Those high, crisply defined target turrets remind me of Leupold, which is of course high praise, and with screw caps and 1/8 MOA click values, they are highly usable too. Ultra-precise markings from 0 through to 9, with plenty of in between marks, are a great start. The turrets can also be reset as such; once the scope is zeroed, the turret cap bolt can then be slackened off, so the shooter can set 0 to show where they want.
I really like the MOA2 design, with a floating central dot and equidistant lines surrounding. The central dot can be illuminated too, with 11 stages of brightness, adjustable via the rheostat knob just behind the magnification ring. All lenses are fully coated using Sightron’s Zact-7 TM 7-layer process and image quality from the Japanese glass is very impressive, with no aberrations. In use, this Sightron proved extremely consistent, and I could read distances, normally to within one to two yards. The side wheel movement feels super smooth, with the perfect amount of resistance. The scope is fog and shockproof, and let's not forget Sightron's Limited Lifetime Warranty.
Model: SIII SS 10-50X60 FT IRMOA
Price: £1375
Contact: Optics Warehouse. opticswarehouse.co.uk
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