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.

 

[Danman]

No one has anything to say on the topic?

I was gonna respond earlier but honestly you nailed it.
12 to 16 power scope, 40 or 44mm objective is plenty, decent glass, without a too-thin reticle. My .22 S510 and its 4x16 Midas Tac are about perfect.
Runner up is my TX200/Hawke Airmax 4x12 inside 40Y... Very clear glass.

Squirrels can pop up from 15 to 75Yards away so I like my scope snuggled up close to the bore for those close-up/whats my hold again?! shots.
SFP or FFP is fine, I run both as i keep it inside 75Y and usually use pellets that have been doped.
Now.... pesting birds? thats a whole other scope category for me

 

[pan60]

sorry for the delay
I lot going on at the moment : )
first I will say I use the Athlon Midas 4 x 16 x 44 first focal plane side parallax
and I love the scope
but I do think a 8 to 12 magnification is plenty ( although there are time when a bit more might be nice? ) I would like ( if I could ) something that was FF side parallax a throw lever would be very welcome and a scope that could focus down below ten yards.
my first thought is I dont want ANYTHING else around here that needs a battery but after raining tons of lead down the the tree rats I could see and welcome a lit reticle. there are days when the light isnt that great under these trees.

 

[mrage]

@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.

View attachment 23671

Those "gimmicky" colors & combinations are why I've never considered that brand. Come-on , 2-3 color choices are plenty.

 

[FL22]

Those "gimmicky" colors & combinations are why I've never considered that brand. Come-on , 2-3 color choices are plenty.

One can certainly imagine that the IR has cost them some customers.

I have two, both have the battery removed. The other one is on my HW95, thousands of shots so far without issues. They were $157 each when I purchased them a couple of years ago, I’m certainly not going to complain about value.

They are $220 now, I switched to the Athlon Argos for 3 of my other Airguns.

 

[JungleShooter]

Where I live...
...the people have put up a monument for the squirrels!
(Sorry, can't find a photo of it now.)


So, hunting them is generally not seen as "good" but rather "evil."

However, I wonder how long it will take the growing squirrel population to start messing up houses and electrical installations....
➧ Once, money is involved, tree-hugging opinions usually become less attractive.


All that to say, I haven't shot a squirrel.
Yet.
One day, maybe on my next trip to the US....



Here is my question/ comment:

I haven't read anybody saying something about how wide of a field of view (FoV) they require at the bottom magnification....

I imagine — due to my lack of real life squirrel hunting experience — that those critters often pop up at 10 or 15y, running up and down, and you need to have both
⭓rapid target acquisition, and
⭓easy target tracking.

For which the FoV is hugely important.

And the FoV is not the same as the minimum magnification:
E.g., in my Scope Specs Tables I found two 4-16x scopes — with very different FoV at 4x (@100y):
▪︎ 35ft
▪︎ 23ft

Two 3-18x scopes: their FoV at 3x was:
▪︎ 43ft
▪︎ 33ft

The last scope at 3x had a narrower FoV than the first scope at 4x!
Gigantic differences....


What do you think?

Matthias

 

[Ezana4CE]

Where I live...
...the people have put up a monument for the squirrels!
(Sorry, can't find a photo of it now.)


So, hunting them is generally not seen as "good" but rather "evil."

However, I wonder how long it will take the growing squirrel population to start messing up houses and electrical installations....
➧ Once, money is involved, tree-hugging opinions usually become less attractive.


All that to say, I haven't shot a squirrel.
Yet.
One day, maybe on my next trip to the US....



Here is my question/ comment:

I haven't read anybody saying something about how wide of a field of view (FoV) they require at the bottom magnification....

I imagine — due to my lack of real life squirrel hunting experience — that those critters often pop up at 10 or 15y, running up and down, and you need to have both
⭓rapid target acquisition, and
⭓easy target tracking.

For which the FoV is hugely important.

And the FoV is not the same as the minimum magnification:
E.g., in my Scope Specs Tables I found two 4-16x scopes — with very different FoV at 4x (@100y):
▪︎ 35ft
▪︎ 23ft

Two 3-18x scopes: their FoV at 3x was:
▪︎ 43ft
▪︎ 33ft

The last scope at 3x had a narrower FoV than the first scope at 4x!
Gigantic differences....


What do you think?

Matthias

@JungleShooter I rarely comment on FOV because I don’t measure it and don’t I pay it much attention when scope shopping. As long as I can pan or reduce the scope’s magnification to track a moving animal without much difficulty, I’m content. I don’t have a range where anything is measured. So at 100 yards o can’t measure my FOV the way things are set up. Half the time I’m shooting in the open towards timber or a rootball where I have the space and I’m not around animals or people. 4x minimum magnification is the most I want to see. 2-3x works well for me to get an idea of what’s where in the woods. I’m not doing much long distance shooting, I think I’d appreciate it more in areas with long distances, open space, and an unobstructed view. I just don’t typically hunt those types of spaces.

 

[JungleShooter]

@JungleShooterAt 100 yards I can’t measure my FOV the way things are set up.

Half the time I’m shooting in the open towards timber or a rootball where I have the space and I’m not around animals or people. 4x minimum magnification is the most I want to see. 2-3x works well for me to get an idea of what’s where in the woods. I’m not doing much long distance shooting, I think I’d appreciate it more in areas with long distances, open space, and an unobstructed view. I just don’t typically hunt those types of spaces.

Yeah, the FoV in ft at 100y is just the manufacturer's way of expression FoV.

But it's not the practical, and it's hard to measure, like you say!

To measure or the check the manufacturer's data — I look at a tape measure at 10y, and then multiply it by 10....


But the FoV at 100y does not interest me as much as the FoV at 10y or 15y or 20y — depending on my hunting scenario.
(And for squirrel hunting in the woods, I assume these are typical distances..... )


So, I just go out into the field where I hunt,
▪︎put the scope on minimum magnification,
▪︎pretend that a rock or a plant at a typical hunting distance from me is actually a prey,
▪and raise my gun to acquire it quickly.

If I struggle, it might mean the FoV for this range (and for my current capability) is not wide enough.


Based on this field tests, I have made a personal minimum FoV table for myself, for different hunting scenarios.
That way, when I search for a scope, I know exactly what I'm looking for in a FoV....

And I won't have to rely on the minimum magnification, which is only a general guide, sometime misleading, unlike FoV.

Cheers,

Matthias

 

[Ezana4CE]

Yeah, the FoV in ft at 100y is just the manufacturer's way of expression FoV.

But it's not the practical, and it's hard to measure, like you say!

To measure or the check the manufacturer's data — I look at a tape measure at 10y, and then multiply it by 10....


But the FoV at 100y does not interest me as much as the FoV at 10y or 15y or 20y — depending on my hunting scenario.
(And for squirrel hunting in the woods, I assume these are typical distances..... )


So, I just go out into the field where I hunt,
▪︎put the scope on minimum magnification,
▪︎pretend that a rock or a plant at a typical hunting distance from me is actually a prey,
▪and raise my gun to acquire it quickly.

If I struggle, it might mean the FoV for this range (and for my current capability) is not wide enough.


Based on this field tests, I have made a personal minimum FoV table for myself, for different hunting scenarios.
That way, when I search for a scope, I know exactly what I'm looking for in a FoV....

And I won't have to rely on the minimum magnification, which is only a general guide, sometime misleading, unlike FoV.

Cheers,

Matthias

@JungleShooter Not a bad factor to consider. I hadn’t given it much thought. You’re going to turn me into a sophisticated hunter I see.

 

[JungleShooter]

@JungleShooter You’re going to turn me into a sophisticated hunter I see.

Haha! Dave,

I am quite sure that you are at least twice a good a hunter as I am:

✺ You actually hunt — my quarry is mostly too dumb for that.

✺ And your shots, I'm quite sure, are mostly off-handed — while I use a crutch 95% of the time (I just find an object to rest my gun on....).

I'd love to take some off-hand shooting lessons from you!
➧ So, if you ever come to Peru to see
▪︎one of the Seven Wonders of the World (Machu Picchu), and
▪︎the steamy Amazon jungle, and
▪︎the mysterious Nazca Lines in the desert, and
▪︎thousands of miles of beach,
▪︎with a bunch of mountains over 20,000ft —
I hope you'll stop by my place!

Matthias