Limited to $150 (may be $200), what brand 6-18, 6-24, or 8-32 magnification AO scope would you recommend for PCP long range target? What would be your top 3 brands? Any particular models you recommend? Thank you!
TOM, I have the BSA Essencial Hunting scope 3-9 x 50 on my BSA Lonestar ( .22 ) and I am very satisfied about this combo. No problem at all for distances till 100 meter / 113 yards for both of them. BSA scopes give very good value for little money, also their PCP are really workhorses and superb hunting PCP's. Best regards from Johannis. ( still waiting on the Diana PCP's ! )
I can speak from experience having tried many different brands and scopes and I haven't found a scope that really gives you the quality, clarity, optics and overall FEATURES the way Leaper's does for the price. Not only that, but if you ever decided to put one of their scopes on a springer, you would NEVER have to worry about it breaking because the 5th generation Leaper's scopes are about the toughest made for springers.
The scope I settled in for on my D 54 is the Leaper's Accushot 4x16x56mm SWAT AO, sidewheel parallax adjusting w/100mm wheel(incredible, must-have feature for perfect parallax removal and automatic range finding on long distances), 1/8" click MOA(instead of 1/4"), mil-dot reticle, red or green illumination w/ez tap:
All I can say is, it offers the most options, abilities, accessories, quality, clarity and anything else I can think of for 189.00. I don't think you'll find another scope that has ALL those things rapped up into one scope for anything less than double that price. Give it a look! (the Accushot line of Leaper's is their best, so I would suggest only one of the Accushots. I've seen many of their 8x32x56mm scopes on highly competitive field target shooter's rifles.)
(p.s. I'm getting consistent 2 1/2" groups at 100 yards with the D 54 and this scope on, which pretty much allows me to nail tin cans or bottles at 100 yards at will, hardly ever missing, and I drop pest birds at 80-90 yards like it's nothing, imagine what you'll do with a pcp and this scope.)
I am thinking to scope my diana 54 Airking with the same scope as your's (think it is the really best buy), but I am worried how will it look on the D 54 since it is 14in long?
Could you post some pics of yours?
I am worried about the scope covering the loading port. And if I pull it back it could hit me in the eye when recoiling ?!
How does it work on yours D54?
I also intend to mount it on the leapers picattiny/weawer base for D48,D52,D54.
What is the ring hight of yours?
If not, don't worry about this scope with the new Leaper's mount on the 54, they are a perfect combination. Just get the MEDIUM height weaver type rings. There's plenty of load clearance because the scope doesn't even cover the load port and everything stays snug on the rifle. The scope gives you over 2" of eye relieve as well. I actually got a 1 1/2" group at 100 yrds on a calm day the other day with this combo which is the best i've ever gotten(probably because i'm up to around 1500 rounds thru it now) and get 1/2" in the 40-50 yrd range, so I think you will love it. The only thing I need on mine now is a tune to get a bit more consistent shot string.
I too am gung ho Leapers - low price, lots of adjustment, good quality. I tried a BSA from Sportsman's guide, but it didn't have the adjustability of the Leapers. I like the 3-12 x 44 with the sidewheel AO, but that is just personal preference (I have the mini's on my Talons). I have a 8-32x56 on my TX200 - If I remember right, I got it from Cheaper than Dirt for $179. Mostly I got the others from Pyramyd Air.
If you want something interesting to think about, consider the mildot scopes in that price range.
With mildots, you can sight the rifle in at say thirty or thirty five yards and then bring your distance further and closer to match each upper and lower mildot. Then, with a sidewheel design you get the rifle in focus for the distance and put your yardages on a card for each mildot. Or you can mark the sidewheel for the same result. Then you essentially have a simple and fairly accurate rangefinder in your scope.
I did this with first with a Bushnell Legend mounted to my R11. The rifle almost hit dead on for every ten yards per mildot. Now that scope has no sidewheel so I carried my Nikon 440 but it was darn easy to know what dot corresponded with what yardages.
That rifle wqas sighted to fifteen yards in and 90 yards out. No joke. With the R11 rested I could plink a can at 90 yards all day long if I did my part. Granted, windages make a difference so far out but like I said, when I did my part the rifle was not the questionable factor.
Oh, and Leapers/Accushot rings are very good. Just be sure you know whether you need 30 millimeter rings or standard US dimension rings for the scope you're getting.
The Leapers Scopes I use have Mil Dots; I find them very handy to use with the side wheel focus AND a B-Square Scope level. I sight in at 30 yards and have a target range that goes from a5 to 55 yards. I need to write down the mil dot change for the major dot distances for each gun, but after that; no rezero involved for different distances, just do distance on the sidewheel and how many mil dots down at that distance (check the level or you will miss right or left).
