How to Sight in an Air Rifle Scope

Air rifles fire .177 or .22 calibre pellets, and have a maximum hunting range of about 55 yards with a maximum target range of about 70 yards. One would think that would make the use of a rifle scope on them irrelevant. But, in fact, because air rifles are frequently used to hunt small game, 50 yards is far enough away that a scope is necessary for a good shot at a tiny game animal.

Things You'll Need

• Air rifle with scope
• Cardboard box
• Brick or other weight

Instructions

1. 

   Hold the rifle by placing your primary hand on the grip and your secondary hand forward on the stock. Put the rifle butt squarely into the shoulder.

2. Tilt back your head so you can look into the scope using the eye that is closest to it. Close the eye farthest from the scope.

3. Adjust the scope for magnification, if possible. Some air rifle scopes come with only one magnification. For other scopes, the exact setting will be determined by both the range, the size of the target and the capabilities of the scope. But as a general rule you do not want to strain your eyes to see a target through a scope because it is too small.

4. Adjust for windage and pellet drop. A good scope will permit adjustments for these two factors. It may seem unnecessary for such a short range, but air gun pellets move at slower speeds than bullets. That lack of velocity simply means they suffer from windage and drop sooner. The horizontal knob will make small adjustments to correct for windage, while the vertical knob will correct for pellet drop or the ballistic parabola of a shot.

Resources

• BSA Guns