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Thread: Low light scope?

  1. #1
    Randy Bohannon's Avatar
    Randy Bohannon is offline “Junes1 is a whining bellend”
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    Low light scope?

    A recommendation please for a low light air rifle hunting scope.

    At the moment I have a Nikki Stirling (can’t remember which, it’s the model below the ultimax) scope on an air rifle for shooting pigeons.

    This is quasi urban shooting for an industrial client and it involves trying to shoot them as they roost on the steel beams of the ceiling.

    the problem is that they tend to secrete themselves in out of the way places, usually in shadow and the scopeniant good enough to see them properly.

    its more a problem of white out from adjacent light sources than low light performance per se but I find the two go hand in hand.

    i have a few zeiss, SB etc scopes for my deer rifles and they don’t seem to suffer from white out as badly, any recommendation for a scope that works at air rifle ranges?
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  2. #2
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    I am using a vortex viper 3-9x40 on my air rifle which performs really well with very good glass (it has the BDC ret and is really easy to set the parallax to air rifle ranges) , I have got the same scope spare in 4-12x40 sf if you want to try one out , also worth looking at is Meopta scopes I have just put a 7 x 50 on my HMR and for the price it is outstanding (I am still undecided at the moment between that and my delta titanium) , they also do a 6 x 42 with a rangefinder ret that could be worth looking at , again they are very easy to sort the parallax out.

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    eyebull's Avatar
    eyebull is offline Even a stopped clock is right twice a day
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    Something like the MTC connect (or the soon-to-be-released SWAT), with a very wide field of view sounds like just the ticket?
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  4. #4
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    Glass that can do it on its own is too expensive and not often air rifle parallax compatible. A huge objective is just so bulky. I wouldn't go beyond a 30mm tube and 50mm objective as they are bulky enough.

    For dark area lofting birds a power rifle mounted torch that can focus the beam can cut the gloom if necessary. Its the cheapest option. These LED power torches aren't very big and can be had for under £40.

    One other option is to go NV. A Pard 007 with a good compatible scope would do it with ease. MTC and Hawk have scopes that are ideal.
    If it was a dedicated rifle for rats and lofting pigeon then the Pard 008 would do it too. Day or night around the farmyard they do it all, just all in digi.
    Last edited by Muskett; 25-06-2019 at 10:14 AM.

  5. #5
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    Hey up randers old bean, as muskett said illumination is the way forward, a cree torch and scope mounting bracket off fleabay, cheap as chips and should make life a lot easier. Also I find Hawke scopes very good for the money

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    Hawke Sidewinder is pretty good, I was watching a deer through mine at last light Saturday while waiting watching a fox bait.

    Have you considered NV ? a Pard 007 add on or 008 digi day/night might be the answer, completely legal for ferals

  7. #7
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    I would have thought illumination via gunlamp is the best way forward.
    Should spot any obstructions, cables / gaps in the beams that way too.
    NV is great - I use a Photon, but, a bit too much of an embuggerance for that sort of job. I would also keep mag as high as possible, give your scope a chance to focus through the lighting units.
    Last edited by Two200's; 25-06-2019 at 01:11 PM.
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    Has to be said for low light the sidewinder tac 30 always did well for me. Even in very very low light it still performed well glass wise . The illumination on the ret is so tunable town to almost invisible it's brilliant imo.

  9. #9
    eyebull's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by angrybear View Post
    Hawke Sidewinder is pretty good, I was watching a deer through mine at last light Saturday while waiting watching a fox bait.

    Have you considered NV ? a Pard 007 add on or 008 digi day/night might be the answer, completely legal for ferals
    I thought you weren't allowed to illuminate roosting birds?
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    Quote Originally Posted by eyebull View Post
    I thought you weren't allowed to illuminate roosting birds?
    Ok on ferals from what I have seen.
    Last edited by bighit; 25-06-2019 at 06:12 PM.

  11. #11
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    Exactly it's legal on ferals, which is surely what pigeons inside industrial units are classed as

  12. #12
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    I find a small simmons with a torch around dusk particularly effective.
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  13. #13
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    scope

    i've an old 4x38 docter and Deben small variable power scope mounted / clip on lamp with red filter setup, that works very well. only thing I will be getting to replace the light will be a scope mounted led torch when the Deben packs up (mainly to get rid of the battery pack and wires), imo. a wtc 1.5 x5x20 would do the job well..

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