Adjusting my air rifle scope

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Adjusting my air rifle scope
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boisdevie1

Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 3897
Location: Lancaster

Posted: Sat Aug 23, 08 8:07 am Post subject: Adjusting my air rifle scope
On my air rifle I have a scope that lets me adjust for L to R and Up and Down. I was trying to get it set up the other day and despite making adjustments it had no effect. Does this mean that the scope is broken?

Brownbear

Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 14929
Location: South West

Posted: Sat Aug 23, 08 8:38 am Post subject:

It might mean that it's a cheapo scope - the sighting mechanism is not very good in many low-price models, giving a sort of 'lag'. The best cure for this is to avoid cheap scopes, and invest in a Leupold, Schmidt and Bender, Swarovski, Zeiss or similar, which with proper care will last you a lifetime. Anything by Hawke or AGS should be thrown away.

Also, make sure that you're not causing the inaccuracy yourself - is your stance consistent? Is the rifle supported stably? Is it clean? Have you got a proper sight picture in the scope?

Use very good support for your rifle.

Always shoot groups of 5 before adjusting as there may be fluke and flyer shots.

Always adjust using the centre of the group you've shot.

boisdevie1

Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 3897
Location: Lancaster

Posted: Sat Aug 23, 08 9:05 am Post subject:
The scope is a Hawke! I shot at short range on a crosshair target, initially trying to adjust L to R and it wouldn't shift. The gun was held very stably resting on a chair. Sounds like I'll have to chuck it away and get another scope. Thanks for your advice.

Brownbear

Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 14929
Location: South West

Posted: Sat Aug 23, 08 9:17 am Post subject:
I would recommend the Leupold VXIII 4.5-14x50 Long Range. It is a superb scope, and you can use it on an air rifle, or a rimfire or centrefire firearm, or with a Nightvision device if you want to add one later. I've tried lots of scopes, and this one gets the best balance on quality and price I have been able to find.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Sat Aug 23, 08 10:54 am Post subject:
What is the price of one of them?

boisdevie1

Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 3897
Location: Lancaster

Posted: Sat Aug 23, 08 11:21 am Post subject:

RichardW wrote:

What is the price of one of them?

Just had a look on the net. Very expensive. Too expensive for me. I'll have to buy some cheap old crap as usual.

Brownbear

Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 14929
Location: South West

Posted: Sat Aug 23, 08 12:03 pm Post subject:

RichardW wrote:

What is the price of one of them?

Cheaper than buying cak and throwing it away, because it doesn't do the job.

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Sat Aug 23, 08 5:24 pm Post subject:

boisdevie1 wrote:

RichardW wrote:

What is the price of one of them?

Just had a look on the net. Very expensive. Too expensive for me. I'll have to buy some cheap old crap as usual.

If you don't mind not having a warranty then try https://www.theriflescopestore.com/. I've used them before to buy a Leupold scope. Excellent customer service and just 3 days delivery from the USA. I saved about 40% off the UK price. I was recommended them by someone else.

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Sat Aug 23, 08 6:15 pm Post subject:
What do you reckon to Simmons scopes ? I find mine OK.

Brownbear

Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 14929
Location: South West

Posted: Sat Aug 23, 08 6:50 pm Post subject:

gil wrote:

What do you reckon to Simmons scopes ?
I find mine OK.

As I recall, Simmons is just a trade name under which various scopes are sold, manufactured by whoever has spare capacity at the time the order's put in. So sometimes you get one that's been made in Germany and is the dog's doodahs, and other times you get some Chinese-made pile of carp that isn't even worth the effort of setting fire to.

Luck of the draw.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Aug 24, 08 11:14 am Post subject:

Brownbear wrote:

I would recommend the Leupold VXIII 4.5-14x50 Long Range.

Perhaps bit OTT to spend �500+ on a scope for a �100 air-rifle? Isn't there something a bit more reasonable you could recommend?

As for the problem, I've heard something about this sort of thing before, have you searched the various air-gun forums Bois? Could it be you've wound the sights to their limits or something?

whitelegg1

Joined: 05 Apr 2005
Posts: 409
Location: Woodford Green

Posted: Mon Aug 25, 08 5:17 am Post subject:

What air rifle are you having the problem with....

If it is a spring powered on then resting it on the chair could be the problem......it would probably cause it to be very inaccurate.

(Unless it's an AA TX200 SR, or a Whiscombe etc etc ((UNLIKELY))!)

What you need to promote is free recoil.
Try bundling up a towel to rest the rifle on, and hold it loosely....

Put the target at approx 10m.

Wind the adjusters fully in one direction (but not TOO fully!!!) then wind them all the way to the other end of their adjustment, counting how many revolutions or clicks......Then wind them both half the way back.... The scope 'should' be centred.

Remember when adjusting at 10m, you will need a larger adjustment for a small change than at 25m.

If the scope says one click it 1/4 inch at 100m. Then it should take 10 clicks to move the point of impact 1/4 inch at 10m.

If you cannot get the point of impact to move far enough to hit where you think you are aiming, you could have a mounting issue.
Check the mounts are on straight. Are they decent mounts?? Or El cheapo chineese from Fleabay???

Expensive scope would be lovely, but a bit overkill on even a reasonably priced spring air rifle.

Personally, I would say you would be better to spend your money on something like an HW77k (new or spookily the older sometimes the better!!!), and a second hand half-decent scope...from someone reliable, who won't rip you off!!! For possibly under �200 you will have a combination that if it performs.....will be better than you or I will ever be!!!

Just my thoughts.

Pete

kevin.vinke

Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 1304
Location: Niedersachsen, Germany

Posted: Mon Aug 25, 08 6:07 am Post subject:
I have to agree, I would suspect the scope is moving. I have the 77k originaly with two point mount and it kept sliding foward with each shot. Changed it for a full contact mount and it�s fine now.

boisdevie1

Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 3897
Location: Lancaster

Posted: Mon Aug 25, 08 6:43 am Post subject:
Thanks for all those very helpful comments. The rifle is an Air Arms so it's a good quality piece of kit and does much more than 12ft lbs! I shall have a try again with the scope this afternoon. I'm hoping for success because I have the offer of pigeon shooting in a barn this week. Thanks once again. Just another reason why I love this site.

jaracas

Joined: 14 Aug 2008
Posts: 2

Posted: Mon Aug 25, 08 10:33 am Post subject:
ermm, does it have a silencer/moderator fitted?i had a similar issue on my hw100 not so long back and it was the pellets clipping the silencer. hawke arent too bad, i had one for a long time with no problems at all, in fact its still on one of my rifles

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