Budget v Premium scopes 

Merchandise available from www.aar-OnAir.com Vector Optics scopes available from www.vector-air.co.uk PLEASE NOTE..Vector Optics are not owned by Vector Air, the names are purely coincidental. Vector optics were used in this review as opposed to any other company, because these were available at the time of filming. Any mention of a company or supplier is not a paid promotion, but simply a recognition of thanks. That said, people will still jump to their own conclusions.

I love how you're doing the fiddle fingers.

Good video, one point you didn’t address however was exit pupil, a scope with a maximum zoom of 25 and a front element of 56mm will have an exit pupil of 2.3 mm which in anything other than bright light will lead to a dim image no matter what tube diameter or quality of lens, yes better quality lenses and coatings will perform better than poor quality ones. The human eyes pupil can open to 8mm and to maximise image brightness in dim light the exit pupil of a scope needs to match or come close to this. So a 3-9x50 will have an exit pupil of 16mm at the lowest mag and 5.5 and it’s highest which will give a much brighter image in poor light than a 2.3 mm exit pupil. Sometimes a lower magnification image with higher brightness will make for more accurate shooting than a higher magnification dim image. So bigger zoom isn’t always better. Just my observations, keep the videos coming.

Back in the day we had Tesco 4x20 scopes on our mercury and vulcan and did alright,how times have changed😐

You are sooooo nice to watch. Your voice and the way you express yourself is very entertaining. I very like to learn stuff from you. A lot more than most RU-vidr. The editing is also nice with little close-up and lower voice insertions etc.. I appreciate all from your channel as a noob in Air Guns for Self Defense. Cheers with a big pint, from Canada!

I only discovered Vector Optics scopes about two years ago while shopping around for a replacement of the now destroyed "Big Name Brand" on my magnum springer, the owner of my local gun shop suggested, supplied and fitted my first Vector Optics scope and today i own three of them, thank you Andy.

Thank you for a great review Andy. Now I know exactly what to look for in a good scope. I've bought several of the guns you've reviewed so far and never disappointed.

I bought the 6-24x44 Veyron after watching your review video, and have not been disappointed, far far from it. Everything you say about it is spot on. Good clarity optics, with accurate tracking and parallax adjustment, and I love FFP I have also got a larger Parallax wheel and focus lever from SMW Engineering, not because they need it but because it improves already good turret movement, making it a tad smoother and easier fine control. Pity that Vector don't produce on themselves. Excellent video as usual, thanks. Also rock solid on my HW77.

Very well explained…so glad that you mentioned “diminishing returns”….nowhere is it more apparent than in optics

It definitely shows that I've been watching this channel _a LOT_ because my inner monolog has been _this guy_ for a few days now.

Great 📹 Andy. Good content.. I started with the Hawke Vantage, then went Sidewinder (x2), then Frontier FFP, each time the quality, especially the clarity of image, got better. But now I have a scope with a BIG elevation turret, IOR Vulcan 6-24x56 FFP 35MM, absolutely gorgeous. The clarity just blew the Frontier into darkness. As we know, you get what you pay for

Interesting and informative. Thank you Andy.

looks like you and air gun gear show are going head to head this week

Hi Andy I used to be one of those "that looks big for the money, bought from the corner pet come gun shop of bygone years" the only thing he sold were springers both rifle and pistols BSA mostly, BSA SUPERSPORT was one of his best sellers, site wise he did a lot of the big cheap rubbish that the springer destroys, i still have a scope and box as a reminder of past stupidity and money wasting days, all changed now thankfully. Memories flying about all over the place, really enjoyed your video as always bud, thanks. Take care Stay safe and keep it lit.👍 my friend

Great information Andy thanks 👍👍

I bought my first rifle in December for £800 (after a good review by Andy) and the only scope with the right mounts in the shop was a £39 model which I thought looked fine. I changed it the next week for a second hand scope that cost £70. Still not happy I bought another from ebay for £175 which is ok. A month on I bought a vector optics Taurus 3-18 x50 FFP for £320 after seeing a few reviews. This scope is excellent with crystal clear glass. It also comes with a lifetime warrranty everything about it just says quality. I can’t imagine anything much better at any price and will buy another one the same for my next gun. Keep the reviews coming Andy. Very helpful and entertaining.

You hit the nail on the head with your starting comment , “point of diminishing returns “ ! Tough stay on zero scopes don’t have to cost an arm and a leg !

Ive got a vector sentinel 25 m benchrest ,10-40x50 ,ive had scopes that were a lot more money but not the clarity and precision of my vortec , i absolutely love it

I loved my 120y.....and the London Armoury 6-24x50 FFP on my R10TH

Beaufiful job!! Greatly informative video!

Hi firstly thank you for your videos they have taught and made me think. I have purchased the Vector optics everest 3-18x50 after watching this video .Hope to try out today will update.

I have a lot of experiences with Nikko Sterling. Good price, good quality. Even on a rimfire rifle, they hold. It does not have to cos hundreds of pounds.

Very helpful info, thank you...

Good advice .. Thanks

So I guess the takeaway is - start with the Hawke 3-9x40AO for 50 quid, as recommended in the 'best budget scope' videos. Then, when you want to upgrade, skip the online £100-ish scopes, because they aren't actually an upgrade - you need to be spending around £200 or so to get a noticeable improvement.

I have 3 Vector optics taurus scopes, very good scopes with no issues whatsoever

I have the Vector Taurus 5-30x56 FFP. Best scope I've ever owned. The guys I shoot with all own Elements and even they're impressed with the quality.

Thanks you have helped big time. keep t up.

Great advice Andy. I mistakenly bought a 'Zos' scope, no focus adjust an parallax set to 100 yds.... Lesson learned !

By far the best KMSL thanks so much for the help keep up the great work

well done for this something that has be making me wonder

Thanks, was thinking of either a 110 k or an R 10 carbine, will now go for a Rotex and a good tele! Can always upgrade to one of the other 2 ..... but think Walther will be fine, always used springers with open sights but now wish to do more target shooting.

Just "splurged" on a $90 USD base model Hawke 4x32 for my incoming Seneca Aspen.

I have an old Bushmill on my old faithful HW77, still spot on, even though I have to use a shooting fork now at 72 as the old girl has quite a whack, the good old scope deals with it over 20yrs shooting.

Hi Andy, I bought the Vector Veyron 6x24 ffp. All the lads at the range can't believe how good it is. Definitely worth the money

Hi Andy, I have purchased Hawke's in the past based on your reviews and great scopes they are, recently purchased a Veyron based on your past review. Not used Veyron yet as waiting for rifle delivery so I can't comment on it. This last review would have been interesting if compared the Veyron to the Hawke or is that one in the making.

Good advice

Nice informative & professional review Andy. I've made the mistakes you highlighted in my past purchases. Thanks to you I won't be doing it again. Gonna buy a Vector when my beloved Air Arms Pro sport arrives.

love the videos and i do understand your point however i have always used nikkostirling scopes on the cheaper side 50 to 80 pounds and i have had no issues in the past 20 years or so still we dont have to agree all the time thanks again for the opinion though

Great review. The hawke scope are Nice too

One of the first scopes I bought was the ZOS 6-24 X 50, and it sat atop my Air Arms S510. It came in a cut sponge box with sun shade and flip up covers and mounts. I did not use the mounts as they felt like a Chinese soft cheese product, but the scope worked faultlessly until I sold it on. In contrast, it's replacement was an Optisan EVX 6-24 X50 costing considerably more would regularly creep off zero. I could not wait to get rid of it. So I guess there is good and bad at any price level.

Im new to the sport and you just stopped me from making a BIG mistake with a cheap scope. Now I decided to save up longer for a good scope thank you

In a nutshell the vector optic scope is Hawkes new competition. And having used most Hawke scopes the Vector optic's range is on a whole new level regarding quality, value for money and top notch engineering. Keep up the good work Andy.

Thanks!

When I first received my IR Optisan scope I thought the IR mechanism was broken because it did not light up. It did work but it is designed to be seen when it gets dark and not during sunny a summer day 🙄🙄. Compared to ebay scopes which are designed to be seen during the day and blind you once it gets dark. I'd still recommend a fixed power ebay scope if all you do is back yard plinking at roughly the same distance and money is an issue. If not, get a Vector Optics. They are VERY good for the price. I sure love mine.

SWFA fixed 6x scope is the best sub 12ft pound scope. 10m to infinity parallax, 6x is great magnification from close range up to 55 yards. With it being fixed, more of the budget goes to better glass due to less lenses and this also means it is more rugged and less to go wrong and can take springer recoil. And yes, it's built to last as it was made for the military.

Great review

I have been using a Vector Veyron ffp on a springer for some time now and they certainly are a quality scope,and always maintain zero,

I've never bought a scope for more than low $100s and most have been under. Watched a friend take a header, smashing his Leupold on a 2-ton piece of granite that was in the way. I hunted that day, he sobbed! I've always done well and have enjoyed myself every bit as much, as any with a Simmons. I also drive to my destination safely & quite successfully, with my 13 yr. old Suzuki rather than a with a 60g SUV. I stop for breakfast at McDonald's rather than at the Lazy Dog Cafe'. Yup, you guessed it ... a Sausage Egg McMuffin and their award-winning coffee, rather than egg's benedict sprinkled with Saffron. Yup, on the way home I uh, stop for obvious reasons at the same McD, because they'll actually let me use the facility w/o purchasing. "The circle of life" completed ... without breaking the bank. Just having some fun Andy. You've always been greatly appreciated by this "cheap-skate!"

Thanks for this. Love the backdrop, is it 3x2 or 3x3. Really sets the scene.

I have always found UTG/Leapers scopes to be quality beyond what you pay. Good for people looking for a budget friendly scope.

Just got a Enfield scope and it is really good. Have you ever tried one

Hello AAR Just to let you know, I really enjoy this channel, I am not an Air rife guy. but you have started to convince me, I should potentially look at the sport Thanks Graham 👍

Also a second focal plane scope will only be accurate for hold over at maximum power zoom, a small calculation will have to be made when on other powers. Whereas a first focal plane is accurate for hold over/under at any power due the reticule being proportionate.

Excellent, 👍

Great channel. You are a very talented presenter, makes it very engaging. Thank you

Very informative vid Andy! And yes, i remember the 120Y 👍

Another outstanding review. There seems to be a lot of comment about promoting Vector-Air and Vector Optics (no relation I believe); but you cannot dispute that the reviews are honest, down to earth and entertaining to watch compared with some of 'UK air gun reviewers' who are absolutely dire and actually don't really know the product they are reviewing. If it's that pro V-A, why does an outlet in Nottingham (which has limited parking among other things) still advertise AAR on their website? Because the reviews are trusted by air gunners all over the world and generate good business in shops all over the UK and beyond.

Great video Andy

great video!

I've just bought my first scope over £40, I bought the vector veyron 6-24x44 that you have there and on first impressions it's as good as you say 👍👍👍

Love the honeycomb filters, they work well in the English sunlight ( IMO) I have them on my two Hawks. Do vector do a 5/25x44 ? I like a relatively small objective on my scopes.

I’ve bought a Hawke 4-16+50 mil dot IR. It cost me £110 so I’m guessing it’s still in the budget zone but it works a treat on my airarms S410 rifle. What’s your take on Hawke Andy.

Just like you said,I bought 2 Ebay specials,before settling on my vector veyron.Its an excellent scope for under £300.

Hi Andy ... I'm a returning newbie shooter, I've just purchased the new Gamo Varment Swarm with 10 shot magazine ... As a reborn newbie shooter I would be very interested in seeing you do a review of this gun, and see what you think of this break barrel beauty ... Thanks, & keep up the great work on the channel ... Regards Dean'o

The larger tube e.g 30/34mm tube is to allow for more elevation. Its a misconception that its for more light. The objective lense is what allows more light especially when at max power on the zoom. Such as a 56mm objective lense will give you more light than a 50mm objective. Hope that helps

One thing I learned Is buy good glass if you really want the very best from your rifle ( I'm not knocking the budget scopes from hawke and Nikko sterling, they are great ,especially when you are just getting into shooting , the mount master 4 x12 x40 or 50 are brilliant for hunting. I use Bushnell elites ( very outdated to some but perfect for me ).

I do like Vector but just can’t get weather to go for the Element Helix ffp of the Titan, vector make lots of scopes red dots etc but I worry about quality control on the large amount of products they make as Element only have four, I’ve not even heard about the Paragon but I do know about the Continental looking at Vector Optics on the web it’s not so easy to choose a scope as there so many and I would find it easier if they Vector, had there scopes in some sort of category ie Hunting scopes, Target Scopes etc etc. But as always a great blog Andy.👍

Gnarly! Early congrats on 90k subs. So close

ill stick with my Nikko Stirling AG 6-24x56 MD 😎✌️

Amazing.

This video was zeroed in nicely .

I used Hawke and luepold . I also have bushnell original and a

Excellent

It really depends on what you are doing with your rifle. If you are hunting at close range then a 3 - 9 x 40 is fine or at night a 3 - 9 x 50. 30 mm tubes are better than 1" and get a set of sportsmatch mounts, now you can go up on the mags from these but I would not go up above 20 mags for huntings unless you are sitting still and waiting at a distance 30 metres max though. Now for target shooting and HFT you are using the scope both for range finding and BDC up to 60 metres on fairly small targets and nock-downs. The saying " If you can't see it you can't hit it" comes into play here and this is where the money goes. I would say that any one interested in this type of shooting needs a good scope and starting at the cheaper end I would be looking at MTC, Nikko Sterling Diamond range, and their target one followed by Hawk then Falcon scopes. Two places to look at for buying would be Optics Warehouse and Utting outdoors. I really would let yours eyes do the talking and try out some if you can get down to a local gun range. I have a Nikko Sterling Target master which I have fitted to an HW97KT its ok but not great at full mags and the range finding and turrets are basic with no indication how many turns I am up from 20 metre mark, MTC the same but this might have changed on their newer scopes. So for target work at ranges of up to 50 - 60 metres 10 - 40 x 56 would be a goos starting point with good glass, next a large side focus parallex wheel for range finding and good turrets with dependable tracking; i.e. its goes back to zero and does not go off zero. I Like Andy's Airgun Reviews but even on the higher scopes the £400.00 area you will find it very differcult to find a good scope in that price range meeting the above requirements. Mt Nikko does tend to go Milky at high mags though not really bad it could be clearer. As much as the rifle choice is important the scope is equal to that if not more so.

Bushnell legend, is a good scope, as long as you buy a real one. My mate went against my advice and brought that zos scope, and now its fogged up and no good , I sold one of my old Nikko sterling scopes.

Only have big UTG scopes. Plan was to get Vector or Zeiss from sale if they brake.. Still going strong.. Maybe I was lucky whit them..

Like anything in life....you get what you pay for, to a degree. The law of diminishing returns plays a part too. You’ll see a bigger difference between a 40 and 150 scope than a 300 to 1000. Its more about how much you can afford vs what you expect from a product. My rifle came with a cheapo scope and it would be perfect for tin cans with a springer. But for targets at distance, it’s cloudy, blurry and inaccurate. Does that mean it deserves a scope for a grand? No. With a sub 12 that would be complete overkill. From what I can see Andy tries to give impartial advice that best fits the majority of users. Well done Andy. Keep up the good work and get that new nv video sorted!

I've got a konus evopro 3 - 12 x 50 side focus ir ....for 150 ish gbp I've found it a great scope, however mill dot would be better, certainly feels and better quality than a hawke scope of the same money

Much good advice, but I'd steer clear of side focus in anything other than expensive scopes. It means more lenses, greater complexity and extra weight and cost. Better to go for the best glass and the least bells and whisltes in your price range. The basic Sightron, for example, has front focus and the glass is a lot better than others at the same price.

Pretty good review overall. I don't tell what I use. I don't spend big on scopes as today's tech you don't have to overspend. They do cost around 175. Never needed to spend big. Just my experience and opinion.

My grandad who taught me to shoot always said you should spend a minimum of 50% of the value of your rifle, on a scope. If it's a more top end rifle, that's a good place to start looking, if it's a cheaper rifle, you should spend 100-150% of the rifle value.

I had a 120 y, best car I ever had. 40 years on still wish I still hah one.

don't worry guys next week will be something different.... I think its all down to how good your eyesight is nothing to do with the cost of scopes😜

I bought lasik for my eyes and that was my best Investment. And I still have some good scopes

2 -3 years ago everyone loved Vortex scopes....Then several of them, especially the one eyed guy, only love the Element brand. Well I have a $200 Vortex Crossfire 2, 4x12x50 on my PCP and can (and do) shoot squirrels at 75 yards all the time. Thanks for not selling out, Andy!

Best channel whatever your budget !

Haven't got a huge budget but hawke scopes suit me just fine 👍

Nice video. Do you use the turrets to set your zero for different distances or holdove holdunder. As the big Vector scope has repeatability when dialing.

Yep, I've got the T shirts for eBay scopes 😭😭

One thing I would say is an issue with Vector Optics, is the sheer choice of different models they have, although I have to admit don't know if the is the same with other scope manufacturers as I haven't looked at them quite as closely. On their website I counted 15 different models. If it hadn't been for your review I doubt I would have tried them.

Datsun 120Y, I learned to drive in one of those. Excellent review. It seems basically that you pay the same fir your scope as your gun.

I put a 10 x 40 x 50 Zos on my AR15 ,used it for 5 years and could get a 1 hole group at 100m and at 200m you can see a .223 hole in paper ,it never failed me ,some of my m8s had them on a 308 and they were fine, we had 1 out of about 5 scopes that had a slight problem, and that was the focus diel was a bit stiff

My thoughts: 2/3 on the gun, mx 1/3 on the scope. Just bought a Stoeger to use on our "cottage", the whole pack was 190€. I allso have a Gamo with a 100€ scope wich is nice. The biggest problem there is getting the mounts to keep the scope in place. The question is allso what you really need. Use it just for fun or "top notch" for threading a needle? If you shoot at 10-25 meters there is propably not need for a very expensive scope, a decent 3-9X40 goes a long way...

"This one, at least, has a small knob". Now you're getting personal. 😁

Thank you another head banger,still undecided,what price is a mid range scope what should one be paying?

Hey Moustache can you add links in your videos to the product? Just saying makes it easier when going to buy from a great review... PS you made me buy the BSA R10th walnut of course and become a subscriber. Good Job!

Your idea of budget is not mine, I was thinking £20 - £30.

5:11 that’s the scope I just mounted onto my Umarex 850 M2🤦🏻‍♂️

On this reccomendation I replaced my scope with the Veyron 6-24 44. The scope is excellent for my needs however I have had to shim the rear mount by 1.5mm. I'm a relstive newcomer to this sport and wondered if this was normal. It seems a bit excessive to me. the crappy scope it replaced needed no shimming at all. Any advice would be welcome