Air Rifle Scope Upgrade ??

[Hanover Bill]

I am looking to upgrade the scope on my Benjamin air rifle, since I can't hit the side of a barn. LOL Any suggestions on a reasonably priced upgrade? I'm not the best shot but I still blame some of it on the scope.

Thanks;
Hanover Bill.

[mjfog]

Hanover Bill - Is it the rifle or the rifleman? I would set yourself and your rifle at a STABLE bench and chair. A wobbly card table and an aluminum folding chair ain't gonna cut it. Need to rest the forward end of the rifle's stock and the lower end of the butt onto something stable. Target bench shooters use sand filled bags. You might make do with dirt filled plastic bags. Think that you want your rifle in a vise, no movement. Adjust yourself with the above equipment so you feel comfortable the rifle will stay put while you concentrate on the sight picture you have of your paper target. Take a few deep breaths (don't hyperventilate), relax, let out some air and slowly squeeze the trigger. No jerking. Repeat this for five shots at a stable target set at reasonable distance, maybe 25-30 feet. Make no adjustments to the scope, don't worry about your target between shots; just concentrate on repeating the same exact procedure 5 times, same number of pumps, of course.
Your five-shot group will tell the tale. If your group is "tight" your rifle is OK. If your group is low to the right of where you want to hit, adjust the scope accordingly. Make take a few more groups do get the rifle "sighted-in". If you feel comfortable with your sight picture and the rifle's stability, but your shots are scattered all over the paper, your rifle is likely the problem. Adjustments to the scope won't help you.

Mike

[handyman315]

Couldn't say it better, mjfog gives a primer for how to shoot and target-in an air rifle. Been shooting a Benjamin pump since the early 70s - with a very modest scope - and doing what mjfog says will get you better results, unless there is something wrong - mechanically - with your rifle or your scope.

And old guys are comfortable just admitting we are not great shots, e.g., keep that Sparrow close, e.g., anything outside of 30 feet for me is generally luck.

[mjfog]

Handyman - Thanks for mentioning the scope. Hanover Bill, I assumed your scope is securely mounted to your rifle. As my wife always tells me, "Assumptions can get one into trouble."

[mjfog]

Handyman315 - Built a 257 Roberts Improved caliber rifle back in college. FN Mauser Supreme bolt action, 26" barrel, float mounted on a beautiful walnut, pistol grip stock. Had a 4 power Leopold scope. I handloaded my brass and shot a 117 grain, boat-tailed bullet powered to about 3500 fps. From a bench, with sandbags, from 100 yards I could consistently cover five shot groups with a dime. Man, I loved to target shoot. But that was 56 years ago. Eyesight and stability have altered slightly and now I'm into purple martins.
Hanoverbill - Keep me updated on your knockdown of house sparrows and starlings now that you and your Bengy pump are sighted in!

[handyman315]

Handyman315 - Built a 257 Roberts Improved caliber rifle back in college. FN Mauser Supreme bolt action, 26" barrel, float mounted on a beautiful walnut, pistol grip stock. Had a 4 power Leopold scope. I handloaded my brass and shot a 117 grain, boat-tailed bullet powered to about 3500 fps. From a bench, with sandbags, from 100 yards I could consistently cover five shot groups with a dime. Man, I loved to target shoot. But that was 56 years ago. Eyesight and stability have altered slightly and now I'm into purple martins.
Hanoverbill - Keep me updated on your knockdown of house sparrows and starlings now that you and your Bengy pump are sighted in!

OK, I'm impressed mjfog. Old guys must like similar calibers, e.g., my varmint gun is a 25-06, but the muzzle blast is so loud as to make it impossible to use anywhere near population. My love of Purple Martins has me looking for the quietest air rifle out there. This is my second season and as hoped my anchor pair showed up early . . . way early for this miserably cold spring here in SW Ohio.

[Hanover Bill]

Thanks for the good advice, I will try to put it to work.

Hanover Bill.

[Otee977]

What is the best air rifle today , I have bought my son Benjamin , gamo and others but they don’t stay accurate very long not like the old 177 cal brass pump Benjamin open site gun I had many years ago

[JRow]

I have a weilrauch HW30 with a Hawke Vantage scope. It’s a nice, heavy and accurate setup although a bit spendy. It does kill starlings

[Lizzie]

Scopes vary widely, wrt quality and glass clarity.
My favorites for the newer ones, are some of the simpler UTG or Leaper's brand.
I also have several vintage Bushness Sportview models and they hold up well on spring piston air rifles.
I would suggest that the UTG is easier to find, but I can usually find old Sportviews in pawn shops.

[Lizzie]

What is the best air rifle today , I have bought my son Benjamin , gamo and others but they don’t stay accurate very long not like the old 177 cal brass pump Benjamin open site gun I had many years ago

Depends on the price range, and the type of air rifle you want.
If you want quality and classic beauty, the HW 30 mentioned above is about as good as it gets, and the HW50 also has an excellent reputation.
Gamo brand is generally good, but they are a little more hold-sensitive in my experience.
I have a couple of vintage Beemans and a few vintage Dianas.
The problem with some of the spring piston guns, is there is a learning curve.

Now....if you want something that is easy to operate, is very affordable, and will kill starlings at 75 feet with good accuracy, just a little cheapie Crosman airmaster77 from Walmart will certainly do. It's what I started out on.

[flyin-lowe]

Hannover Bill
I am sure you know this but in case you don't, make sure if you buy a new scope you get one designed for an air rifle. Their recoil is different then a standard rifle scope and they are build differently internally. I have been told that an air rifle will destroy a regular rifle scope because they are designed with a different recoil in mind.

[jpp77]

The Gamo Accu-Whisper Pellet Gun is a "breakover" not a "pump" pellet rifle and is pretty deadly.

[Otee977]

I would use a 22 or shotgun as I live in the country but the starlings won’t let me get even 50 yards of them , destroyed 3 nests and a egg in each of the starling nest today