Cricket scope help needed
OK, please be patient with this … I’m pretty ignorant when it comes to scopes.
I currently have a Talon SS that I purchased with the Airforce 4-16×50 scope. It does everything I need (i.e. I’m no expert).
Now I plan on getting a Cricket, and I’ll need a scope (& rings), but there are so many choices and features that it is bewildering.
I plink and shoot tree rats, out to about 50 yds, and would like a relatively small & light scope (to match the Cricket Standard), with roughly a 4 to 16X zoom. I would like to spend ~ < $300. I realize I should not penny pinch on a scope, but that’s about all I can afford (I actually would like to spend less).
Please does anyone have any advice on good scope / rings set in that range? I currently see Nikon’s on sale, and the 4.5-14X40 Buckmaster for $200 (but I believe parallax is only adjustable to 50yds?)
Any help will be appreciated.
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As an owner of Hawke SW SR PRO, So far I am satisfied with what it delivers. The birds in the picture SECoda refers to is about 75 yard, the little open area around the center cross hair is about 1.5MOA @32x mag. Your gun should be capable to deliver that accuracy at 880FPS. It is a little bit big, but not a lot. I like the optical mag instead of digital magnification of my camera. The turret is responsive, and it returns to zero nicely. X-mas tree structure gives you more reference marking for the holdover and windage compensation. For the money, it is reasonable.
Do not worry about the color fringing if you are not going to use it as an image recording device. It would be nice if they can refine the optical more.
you can get the MTC Viper here http://www.paperplatetargets.com/optics.html
I received my Viper 3-12×44 today. Its late here so no able to test out the optic. But from all the review I read it should be a fine scope.
8-32×60 seems popular.
Optically i´d rate them on par with SW and far superior to UTG,CP etc. I have a Hawke Varmint 6-24×44 and the optics are clearer, the reticle and the turrets are better on the Viper. No question. It´s like Zoco said – a top level low priced scope made in China (like 99% of other lower priced brands) or in Korea depending the modell. In my opinion THE best scope in its price range, by a good margin.
I came to that same exact conclusion about the reticle thickness. It´s too thick already by the 55yrd mark. For target shooting that is – it works for hunting and plinking i quess.
I had the same Hawke Varmint and think that was a mistake by Hawke. The 1/2 mil dot wired reticle is too thick and optics marginal. I sold it.
8-32×60 seems popular.
Optically i´d rate them on par with SW and far superior to UTG,CP etc. I have a Hawke Varmint 6-24×44 and the optics are clearer, the reticle and the turrets are better on the Viper. No question. It´s like Zoco said – a top level low priced scope made in China (like 99% of other lower priced brands) or in Korea depending the modell. In my opinion THE best scope in its price range, by a good margin.
8-32×60 seems popular.
Optically i´d rate them on par with SW and far superior to UTG,CP etc. I have a Hawke Varmint 6-24×44 and the optics are clearer, the reticle and the turrets are better on the Viper. No question. It´s like Zoco said – a top level low priced scope made in China (like 99% of other lower priced brands) or in Korea depending the modell. In my opinion THE best scope in its price range, by a good margin.
That’s right on the money IMO. I am lucky to do all of my shooting whether paper clipping or pesting from stable bench rests so I tend to employ bench rest type gear with one exception. I really dislike long unwieldy airguns. At 27″ the Cricket is really ideal and the std Edgun is about at my max preferable length. I don’t mind, however, popping the largest scope I can fit on it that doesn’t lengthen it. Weight isn’t much of an issue. I often pest small targets beyond 100 yards so I prefer the high mag. I really like the new SR Pro reticles on the latest redesigned Hawke Sidewinder 30s. The viper Reticles aren’t quite an SR Pro but it is of the Christmas tree variety for better windage estimation. Unfortunately for me the sun sneaks across my bench rests from the side right before evening making the sunshades a necessity.
The stocks are so nice that I use my Stubby modded Talon for shooting in the field. It has a Edgun clone black bed liner finished stock (Maddog) that is perfect for dragging through the bush.
Forgive me for borrowing Firecracker’s nice SR Pro reticle picture on the forum.
MTC SCB
I have several MTC scopes, – including Vipers and Mambas (same scope, different turrets), – and I have used them for years without any problems at all. They are good scopes and stand out from the crowd of low priced Chinese produce. In fact a lot of the Chinese scopes come from the same few factories, – but under different names…….
The Viper turrets are a dream to operate and makes zeroing your gun very easy. However repeatability may not be the best, – and after a while you may find the turrets eating their own O-rings. But then again I know few people who actually use their turrets a lot. In my experience the vast majority would use holdover techniques which may be just as efficient…….. 😉
First thing to take into consideration is what kind of use your gun is intended for. I see lots of people buying huge scopes with bucket sized sunshades and side wheels bigger than a dinnerplate just to make the airgun look nice. A fashionthing I guess, which by all means is legitimate, – but probably not reflecting the actual use of the gun……… 😉
If your aim is to move about and hunt, – it may be much more practical to use a small and lightweight scope. And the Cricket deserves that as she already is light and tiny. One of my favorite scopes for the purpose is the Leupold EFR (extended focus range) 3-9×33.
This is a remarkably good scope, – and the extended focus range means that you can set it to 20 yds, – and it will be focused almost all the way out to infinity. With a weight just above 300 grs, you can hardly feel it on your gun at all. 9x zoom is more than enough for hunting out to 70mts, – and shooting freehand with a higher zoom level is actually not very easy. I have this scope on almost all my springers and the quality is outstanding. Also you manage to aim and shoot before your object has disappeared. No need to turn big and bulky sidewheels. You’re ready to shoot immediately…
Paperclipping and benchrest demand a different set-up with a higher magnification (zoom), – and mildot reticles of some kind. The MTCs are brilliant for the purpose, but there are loads of others too. I have ended up with several Bushnell tactical scopes in the range 24x to 30x zoom which do the job well……..
Just my thoughts on the matter………. 😀
Trygve in Oslo
I am always looking for a good inexpensive scope. These days there are more to choose from than even a few years ago. How would you compare them to other scopes like Hawke Sidewinders? The two blogs I found put them very close and well ahead of Leapers, Center point, and the less expensive ones.
8-32×60 seems popular.
Octavius ; Why not take a look at the MTC/Optisan Viper 10×44 ? I have that scope on my Edgun and it´s superb. The SCB reticle is made for airgunners. It has great turrets and reasonable price to boot. Check the MTC website if you´re interrested.
It should looks great on cricket/matador
It is sufficient 10x zoom? I know is it difficult easy to say what is enough…
The SS-10-42M is an excellent scope. Are you looking at getting one Octavius?
It’s kind of tough though now a days to buy scopes from the US… many scopes are considered “restricted items” and as such the stores refuse to sell them to foreigners and/or ship outside of the US. SWFA wont sell any scope at all to foreigners… store policy.
I even had problems buying a couple of scope mounts (in NY) as they too were restricted and I had to lie and say I was US citizen, born and raised in New York. Even the receipt had a large warning text saying it was a restricted item and not allowed to take out of the country.
Does anyone have this rifle scope? http://swfa.com/SWFA-SS-10x42M-Tactical-Riflescope-P53713.aspx or this http://swfa.com/SWFA-SS-10×42-Tactical-Riflescope-P53712.aspx ?
It should looks great on cricket/matador
It is sufficient 10x zoom? I know is it difficult easy to say what is enough…
THX Hoot I´m also interesting for UTG 3-12×42 May be is not so bad idea for cricket. Now I´m sharing Hawke Tac 8.5-25×42 with HW100 and is not so comfortale 😕 and second point is 8.5 mag is so close sometimes…
Usually I´m shoting with hawke with 10mag. only with 25x I measure a distence 🙄
I have the new (last year) model Panorama they added with AO (4-12x50AO) 10x 1/2 mil dot and it is as clear of my Sidewinder Tacticals now (I looked through somebodys old one and it was really bad….). Hawke also just updated the Sidewinder SR line with the thinner etched reticles and new SR Pro pattern about a year ago. I wish they would announce this stuff. The glass etched reticles are thinner now and the optics are better than say the old Sidewinder SR line was. Tacticals were redesigned nearly three years ago. A scope guy from SWFA did a technical comparative review of the redesigned optics on the Tacticals against comparable Burris, Sightron, Leupold, and other good scopes and it did very well. I can find the link if anyone is interested.
I’ve heard the Hawke Panorama is not as well made as their top of the line.
I’ve had two (2) UTG, side-focusing, 3-12 X 42mm scopes, and they are just excellent in performance. Crisp and sharp at top magnification, and the side focus is a real help when trying to zero in on a critter.
The larger powered scopes tend to lose crispness and brightness at top powers. The image never seems very clear to me, so I simply don’t buy them, as I don’t need that much magnification. I’ve gone to 14X and 16X and had very good experiences. Higher than that and things begin to get big, heavy, and hard to focus.
It doesn’t matter how close to the barrel the scope is. As long as it clears the magazine, etc, it will zero in as you need. I’ve used high and low mounts and could never tell any difference other than where I had to place my face to center my eye on the scope. The higher rings were more comfortable than the very low.
Not everyone will agree, but this has been my experience.
Kindly ‘Ol Uncle H 😯 😯 t
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I wonder if the March scopes show less Chromatic aberration? 🙂 I know in telescopes the low CA devices skyrocket in price in a hurry.