Squirrel Hunting Scopes for PCPs: What Do You Require?

[Ezana4CE]

Obviously this is largely based upon your style of hunting and shooting. I’m a woods hunter. I hit the squirrel woods once I kill a few dummies around the house early in the season. These are the younger squirrels that usually don’t know what hunting is. I generally don’t like to to take many shots beyond 45 yards. I prefer bullpup PCPs, but will hunt with a traditional rifle styled PCP. For me I like scopes with magnification ranges of 3-12x and 4-16x (ideally a 3-18x scope would be great) ,a throw lever, first focal plane (FFP) scopes that have a side parallax that has a minimum focus of 10 yards, an illuminated reticle (with a daytime bright setting), and thick, dark posts outside of the reticle to make it easy to acquire shots in the lower magnification ranges.

I like scopes like this Primary Arms SLx, especially when they’re on sale.

Primary Arms SLx Compact 4-16X44mm FFP Rifle Scope - Illuminated ACSS Athena BPR MIL Reticle

This rifle scope is part of the Primary Arms Optics SLxx® line.

www.primaryarms.com

Ideally I’d like to try this one. I’m not crazy about the reticle. Primary Arms SLx 3-18x50mm FFP Gen II Rifle Scope - Illuminated ACSS Athena BPR MIL Reticle

What do you use and prefer? If you care to elaborate, please tell us why.

 

[pan60]

great topic!
I will weigh in sometime tomorrow. : )

 

[Ezana4CE]

No one has anything to say on the topic?

 

[Playingdead]

I have multiple scopes for hunting. I generally like SFP with parallax adjustments. I have been having get luck with my Vector Veyron 6-24x44IR SFP. I try to stay 6-12x for hunting. My Falcon I will shoot out to 50 yards as well as my Avenger. The Avenger has a Vortex Diamondback Tactical 6-24X50 and is a nice balance between hunting and target shooting. I have a Beeman .177 that has a 3-9x44 Bushnell on it that is great. I shoot that one out to 30 yards.

I generally like less magnification if I have a clean shot unsupported. Also can be easier to get on target. If I am hunting from a blind or bench I want all the magnification I can. Aim small - Miss small.

I think the days of fixed power are past mostly. With the quality of glass and the price, higher power scopes are preferred. I would have bought them back in the day, but they were expensive and exotic.

 

[FL22]

@Ezana4CE , I have a UTG 4-16X44 that serves me well atop my BRK Sniper .22 this is my rabbit and squirrel rig.

What I like about the scope

The simple thick mil dot reticle, It makes for fast target acquisition.

Adjustable parallax

It includes scope rings and dust covers

Price

What I do not like

The illumination feature is an absolute gimmick, multiple buttons and psychedelic colors is just too much for me to deal with.

Because of the gimmicky illumination feature (buttons) the scope is unnecessarily longer and heavier.