Preferring pneumatics, many buyers of rifles are surprised to find that a fairly powerful factory-made weapon has a very weak aiming system that does not allow for accurate shooting at long distances to the object. The focus of this article is sights for air rifles, their types, modifications, mounting methods and owner reviews on the effectiveness of use in practice.
Types of sights
In the market for pneumatic weapons, the buyer can find four basic types of aiming.
- Mechanical sight. Factory equipment includes a rear sight and a front sight, but the basic devices are not always effective, so many buyers prefer modernized devices.
- Collimator A unique system with the use of optics, light and the laws of physics has found its worthy application in the arms business.
- Laser designator. Such a scope for an air rifle is more needed for boasting, because in practice its effectiveness is very low.
Optical sight. The most effective aiming system for any rifle.
Types of Mounts
Mounting the sight on an air rifle is possible in many ways, because the fastenings on the fingers can not be counted. However, there are some features related to their interchangeability, which the buyer will be useful to know.
A universal mount called “dovetail” allows you to install any bracket, and, accordingly, any sight using adapters. The guide bar is mounted top or side on the receiver and is a trapezoidal shape in cross section, with expansion from bottom to top.
The Vivera rail and Picatinny rail are a bracket with a rail fixing system. The difference between them is only in the distance between the fixing slots. Interestingly, all devices designed for mounting on the Weaver rail will easily fit onto the Picatinny rail, but the reverse process is not possible.
First meeting
All weapons experts recommend starting shooting training using only a mechanical sight. Firstly, the weapon in the basic configuration with the whole and front sight has a minimum weight, and secondly, between the shooter and the target there is a minimum of obstacles and interference for aiming.
The mechanical sight for an air rifle on the market is presented in all kinds of combinations, most often using multi-colored optical fiber for better combining the rear sight with the front sight when shooting. In addition, dioptric sights, which improve focus on the target , have proven themselves well. In the process of teaching mechanics, it will be enough to fully master the shooting technique, and only by learning to get into simple goals offhand, you can install complex optical devices.
Entertainment Devices
Using a laser pointer and a collimator for rifles is interesting only in the first days of purchase. Aiming is several times faster, and the object itself is better visible. Naturally, the accuracy and rate of fire increases significantly. That's just such a sight for an air rifle limits the distance of shooting. The farther the target, the fatter the point of the laser beam, or the complete dimming of the object in the collimator.
Such devices are more interesting for owners of short-barreled weapons, which has a firing limit of more than fifty meters. Judging by the numerous reviews of the owners of airguns , the laser designator has proven itself on automatic weapons that can shoot in bursts.
The best of the best
But optical sights for air rifles are considered to be the best device for effective shooting. And if the buyer thinks that choosing the right device is not difficult, he is very mistaken, because sometimes it’s easier to choose a rifle than to choose the right optics for yourself.
- Lenses. Peering at different angles when choosing, it is necessary to exclude the presence of all kinds of chips, scratches, bubbles and other defects on the glass that will interfere with aiming.
- Lens and eyepiece. In addition to the fact that everything in the device should be adjusted to the owner’s vision, use should not cause discomfort.
- Line of sight. The larger it is, the more convenient it is to aim. And the sighting of the optical sight of an air rifle without specialized equipment will be more effective.
- Case and aiming system. Although these are secondary factors, the high-quality case material will reduce damage to the optics upon impact, and convenient handwheels for focusing will allow you to make adjustments without taking your eyes off the eyepiece.
Double recoil features
For all owners of pneumatics, where a spring-piston system is used, unpleasant news will be to find out that their rifle is capable of breaking glass in inexpensive optical sights. The reason is the technology of manufacturing devices. After all, sights for air rifles are initially focused on firearms, where there is one-way recoil. Therefore, most manufacturers did not bother to strengthen the front glass mounts. As a result, when the trigger is pulled, the expanding spring hits the cylinder, which transfers energy not only to compressed air for the bullet to fly, but also the trigger mechanism, which carries the whole rifle along with the optics forward by a fraction of a millimeter. Then the natural recoil is already working, when the bullet takes off from the barrel.
Double Impact Solutions
Judging by the numerous reviews of the owners, for the buyer there are several options for solving the double-return problem.
- A cheap Chinese sight for an air rifle and its installation will cost a penny. Glasses broke - not a problem, because the price allows you to purchase a new device.
- Expensive double-sighted riflescope. Judging by the reviews of the owners, sometimes the cost of such a device is higher than the price of the rifle itself, but after shooting once, you can use the weapon for a very long time.
- Acquisition of hunting pneumatics such as gas spring, gas system and PCP. In such devices there is no double return and, accordingly, there is no need to choose between the first and second paragraph. Targeting an optical sight of an air rifle of this type is recommended only with the help of professional devices.