10 Best Air Rifle Scopes of 2021

There is no doubt that an air rifle scope is fun to shoot and it is also a highly versatile firearm that can come in handy for everything from plinking to hunting and shooting competitions.

But, with the best air rifle scope, you can make it even better by increasing the accuracy and enhancing its ease of use.

While not all air rifles will need a scope, most will do with one as it will improve the overall performance by allowing for easier target viewing and shot placement. Different scopes for air guns will have different strengths and weaknesses, and it is up to you to choose one that suits your needs best.

To help make the process quicker and easier for you, we highlight the vital things to consider when shopping for an air gun scope. But first, check out our top 10 air rifle scopes review below.

10 Best Air Rifle Scopes – Review

• Magnification: 3-9x
• Eye Relief: 4.2 inches
• Field of View: 14 to 37.7 feet at 100 yards
• Length: 9.8 inches

2. UTG 3-12x44 – Top-notch Scope with Superior Illumination

• Magnification: 3-12x
• Eye Relief: 3-3.4 inches
• Field of View: 10 to 32 feet at 100 yards
• Length: 10.4 inches

For many air rifle enthusiasts, illumination is everything in for a scope as it makes it easy to shoot in any lighting condition. UTG understands this well if the design and features of this particular scope are anything to go by.

This air rifle scope will use a unique illumination enhancing system and with a special circuit and housing to ensure uninterrupted view even under heavy recoil. And there is also a smooth control knob and illumination memory feature.

Besides this, the scope is also built on the true strength platform and nitrogen purged to make it not only highly durable but also shock, fog and waterproof.

And it comes with lockable and resettable turrets with a handy side wheel adjustment to make windage and elevation adjustment quick and more precise. To make things even better, it has the range estimating mil-dots and integrated sunshade and lens caps.

This air rifle scope is quite heavy but given its built-quality and features, a little extra weight is a small price to pay for such a high-performing scope.

• Magnification: 6-24x
• Eye Relief: 3.52 inches
• Field of View: 28 feet at 100 yards
• Length: 15.7 inches

Budget is always a concern even when shopping for the best pellet rifle scope as you cannot buy what you cannot afford. But, with this CVLife scope, it is all about getting the best value for your bucks.

The 6-24x magnification scope offers one of the widest magnification ranges on our list which makes it perfect for both short and long range shooting and it also has a more durable and highly rugged 30mm main tube.

With this scope, you will get an eye relief of 3.52 inches which is quite decent. However, the dual red/green illumination is what many shooters will love most about it.

Sighting in the scope is also straightforward and quick, and shooters will also love the fact that it holds zero well even when you have to carry your scope through the brush. And when you buy it, you also get free mounts.

The 15.7-inch length may be a little too long for some shooters' liking, but the good news is that it is still within the acceptable parameters and should be compatible with most air rifles. The quality of the turrets is also a little wanting but they still work well enough.

• Magnification: 4x
• Eye Relief: 3.4 inches
• Field of View: 32 feet at 100 yards
• Length: 12.2 inches

If you plan to be using your air rifle for hunting small game from short to medium distances, this dependable 4x fixed magnification scope by UTG will work well for you, and it is also a more affordable option.

It is a well-built rifle scope that is designed for long lasting service thanks to is true strength platform and the fact that it is completely sealed and nitrogen filled to make it rain, fog and shockproof.

Adjusting the windage and elevation is made easier by the finger adjustable turrets with 1/4-inch clicks. And the scope also has a built-in angled sunshade at the front and some flip-open lens covers.

There are also range estimating mil-dot crosshairs that will be highly useful for hunting and the scope will come with mounting rings.

The crosshairs appear a little thicker than what some shooter might like and the included rings will not fit some air guns, but these are both minor issues and hence not deal breakers.

• Magnification: 3-9x
• Length: 12.2 inches

• Magnification: 2-7x
• Eye Relief: 2-3 inches
• Field of View: 2 to 4.8 feet at 100 yards
• Length: 13 inches

Winchester 2-7x32 with an adjustable objective is the best air rifle scope for any shooter shopping for something for short range shots as its 2-3-inch eye relief and 2 to 4.8 feet at 100 yards will be perfect for this.

It is a highly durable scope with a solid and sturdy main tube that is completely sealed and purged to make it completely fog and shockproof.

Also, the scope is fully adjustable for both windage and elevation to allow shooters to fine tune it to suit any situation or condition.

Overall this is also quite a compact and lightweight scope that will not add any unnecessary mass to your scope, and it is super easy to sight in even for beginners. When you buy it you will also get the mounting hardware in the package.

While this scope seems to loosen a little after a few shots this is an easy issue to fix by making it super tight when mounting or replacing the mount rings with better quality ones.

• Magnification: 3-9x
• Eye Relief: 3.1-3.3 inches
• Field of View: 13.1 to 39.3 feet at 100 yards
• Length: 12.75 inches

Anyone that shoots a magnum air rifle should have this Hammers scope as it is just great for these firearms whether you are hunting or sports shooting.

This full-size scope has an adjustable objective to allow users to tune it to suit their particular shooting situations. And both the elevation and windage can be easily adjusted using your fingers.

Hammers uses a standard mil-dot reticle on this scope which unlike the duplex types will also be ideal for other things such as range estimation.

Also, the scope is made with a durable one-piece main tube and will come with an equally solid and sturdy one-piece mount and with an integral ring for better scope alignment.

Although the mount is a little low when you have it on some air rifles, the height is perfect for a magnum which is what it is best for. And even with other rifles, the height is still quite good for most shooters.

• Magnification: 3-12x
• Eye Relief: 4.2 inches
• Field of View: 9 to 35 feet at 100 yards
• Length: 13.66 inches

Although the design of this Barska air rifle scope is quite simple, this is still a well built and highly versatile scope that will come in handy for a variety of shooting needs.

Its 3-12x magnification range makes it ideal for both short and medium range shooting, and the 4.2 inches of eye relief is quite generous given the price of the scope.

The adjustable objective lens makes it easy to deal with parallax, and with the fully coated optics, you can be confident of maximum light transmission for bright and crisp sight pictures.

This scope also uses reverse recoil technology that ensures that it can withstand the extraordinary recoil that air guns will produce.

There is also a handy adjustment knob for elevation and windage, and the fact that it is also backed with a limited lifetime warranty also helps to make this one of the best air rifle scopes out there.

The absence of mounts in the package and the little too stiff knobs when new are probably the only shortcomings. However, the knobs should loosen enough after a few uses and mounts are cheap and easy to find.

• Magnification: 3-9x
• Length: 12.2 inches

With the durable aerospace aluminum alloy construction of the main tube on the Pinty Optics R4, you can be certain that it will give you great service for many years. And better yet, despite the superior construction quality it is also a highly affordable scope model.

The scope is also easy to sight in even for beginners and will hold the zero well. With the mil-dot reticle, it is also designed to provide outstanding accuracy for both mid and long-range shots.

This scope is also nitrogen filled and with an O-ring seal to ensure that it will be completely water and fog proof, and its design also includes a handy lens flip cover.

Also, both the windage and elevation are adjustable which helps to enhance the shooting accuracy. When you buy this scope you will also get free 20mm rail mounts.

While the included mount rings look a little big, this should not be a concern as they are specifically meant for 20mm rail. If you have a different air rifle scope, all you need is to buy appropriate rings which should not cost much.

• Magnification: 3-9x
• Length: 12.59 inches

When shopping on a small budget but don’t want to compromise on the scope quality that you get for your air rifle, this X-Aegis model is another great choice that you will never regret.

Apart from being one of the best budget air rifle scope on our list, this is also a well-made scope with a durable aircraft-grade aluminum alloy main tube that is almost indestructible.

The scope also has dual red and green illumination with 5 intensity levels for each to make it great for use in a variety of shooting conditions and throughout the day.

With its fast focusing eyepiece, you can easily lock on to the target even when it is moving. This scope will come with two mounts instead of one to ensure maximum stability and it is usable with or without the battery.

The few shortcomings such as the field of view being a little blurry on the edges when at the high magnification settings and failure to hold zero well under heavy recoil are typical of most budget scopes and hence not deal breakers.

How to Buy the Best Air Rifle Scopes

As you are shopping for an air rifle scope, there are some important things that you need to watch out for, and they include the following.

1. Magnification Types

Magnification is a crucial element when it comes to target viewing and shot placement, and it is one of the most important things to consider when choosing a scope for your air rifle and any other firearm.

There are two types of rifle scope magnifications which are fixed and variable and each has its pros and cons which means they are both useful for different situations.

Fixed

A scope with a fixed magnification is one that only offers one magnification options and you cannot adjust to increase or lower. You can tell a scope has a fixed magnification by checking the numbers used to describe it which will be for example 4x or 6x.

These are the older type of the two and they will offer the benefit of being lightweight, more affordable and also less complex for easy mounting and use.

Fixed scopes are also more compact and easy to carry as they do not add a lot of weight to the rifle, and they are perfect for beginners as they do not have a significant learning curve.

While these scopes will offer a more forgiving experience and a wider field of view, they are not very versatile as they only have one magnification option.

Variable

Variable rifle scopes are the most common and popular of the two, and they are the types that will allow you to choose from a wide range of magnification options such as 3-9x or 4-16x depending on the shooting conditions or situation.

These versatile scopes will allow users to fine-tune them when on the field to suit their particular situation. And because most have higher magnification settings, they are often the best for long range shooting.

With these scopes, you get the best of both short and long-range shooting, and they are generally more feature-rich than the fixed scopes.

But besides being more complicated to use and harder to sight in, these scopes will also be bulkier and heavier.