Nikko Stirling Illuminated Any Good

[Geordieboy 23]

As title says really, looking at the nikko scopes as they are cheap and people say decent for price.

I'm going to get a 3-9x40 illuminated or a 3-9x50 non lumi

the illuminated one is a a tenner or something more..is it worth getting it or will the 3-9x50 be good enough or even better.

I've just got back into air rifles and want a decent cheap scope that I won't have to upgrade for a few years.

 

Im not stuck on a nikko stirling scope..so if you guys have any other options let me know

 

ATB Geordieboy

 

 

[kruby01 114]

I have a Nikko sterling 3-9x50 non IR and its as good as any mid range scope.

 

3-9x40 or 50 are both adequate for hunting it just depends on what you want, the biggest benefit is it will let in more light at dawn and dusk. I used to have a 3-9x40 and did notice granted only once but I was out at dusk and there was a rabbit about 40 yards away I could see clear as day with my eyes but through the scope I had no chance! Would a 50 have helped? I don't know because I didn't have it then but that's the theory. It was at that point where its dark but not dark enough for a lamp to be effective.

 

Some other mid ranges to look at are maybe a hawke or Simmons?

[fry 209]

i just bought a 95 with a 3-9x40 nikko on it and did not like it personally! its on ebay now. for the money i like hawke sport HD IR 4-12x50 AO mildot available here http://www.airrifleshop.co.uk/Scopes/HawkeSportHDIR.htm

[shropshire dan 467]

As billy and fry said hawke are great. Out of your 2 choices I'd get the 3-9x50 hands down. IR is handy for low light but then imo 50mm objective out performs a 40mm with IR

[pianoman 3,584]

The lower the magnification setting on your scope, the more light you'll see by until dusk becomes night. How good at light gathering the lenses are will determine how long you will be shooting before you need to switch to a lamp.

 

Hawke Sport HD series are a real bargain. Great little scopes for very reasonable money. They are where the better quality end of Hawke's range begin in my experience. I've had Airmax and and MAP-Pro scopes of theirs that have broken under constant recoil of my spring rifles and really put me off Hawke altogether. But, there are Hawkes and there are Hawkes

 

Their Panorama series are excellent scopes for a decent price. I have both a 4-12x50 and a 4-12x40 both with IR and AO and the 10x half-mildot reticle these have are excellent and they have proved themselves on my spring rifles under all conditions. So far....

 

The absolute best air rifle scopes I've ever used however are Bushnell Scopechief and Simmons Whitetail Classic and Simmons Pro Air. These all have simple 30/30 reticles which I love but, are no longer made anymore and it's a real sad situation. I have all these and all are over 10 years old and still superb in dusk, low light conditions. And they will stay in-zero and keep you sharp all the day long.

 

Only a fixed focus 50mm model is still around from Simmons Whitetail and even that looks set to be discontinued.

 

If you spot a Simmons Whitetail Classic on second hand sales, snap it up! It'll be a gem worth keeping.

 

Simon

[ian118118 10]

I have a nikko sterling 4-12x50 IR on my 97k and a 4-12x50 IR Hawke HD scope on my 410F. Not Much difference seeing as my local gunshop sold me the Hawke double what the nikko cost!

 

Ian

[shropshire dan 467]

Hawke eclipse are also a good buy. I have the old model and its great. Just bought a philipine white tail classic mint condition £40 with p+p its a 3.5-10x50 and as pianoman said they are awesome optics are excellent. Kruby01 had a simmons blazer which he loved and I had a older simmons which I prefererd I feel simmons modern scopes don't match up to their older models and the higher quality hawkes imo

[andy97 209]

theres a lot of difference in the hawke and nikko 4x12x50 clarity light gathering I had one on my 97 and was the worst 50quid I ever spent in my life

[bilbobagins 92]

to be honest there will be no difference in light gathering between 40mm and 50mm lenses at low mag its just the 50 will have a slightly bigger field of view and I have both hawke and nikko scopes on springers and no problems with either

[suffolkshot 1]

Hey there...got both 40 and 50, and I would say 50's definately have an advantage at night - just my opinion!

[andyfr1968 772]

Lense quality has more to do with low light performance than size, especially in low end scopes.

 

I've owned and used a good few Nikko scopes and they've been ok for what they are but I agree with some of the above comments, the ones I've used didn't perform well in low light compared to some others. Cheap and cheerful but they tend to last are are strongley built.

 

Hawkes do have very good quality glass for the price and are strong on features but but some of them are held together with snot and wishful thinking and their customer service (in my experience) is shit. I wouldn't have one given now.

[Geordieboy 23]

Cheers for the input fellas.

 

I went for a Nikko Mountmaster 3-9x50. I'm happy with it and can't see me upgrading for a while.

 

I went out a couple of hours ago just for a little mooch and the scope is fine for lamping. I know there are scopes way way better but like I said

I'm happy so far.

 

Thanks for all your advice

 

ATB Geordieboy

[Daz39 962]

Not impressed with the AOIR Nikko Stirling. The reflection on both green and red settings is blinding even on lowest power. Perfectly fine for day shooting but the IR is shit and I have seen many better!! I have the 4x12x50 AOIR and a Hawke sports HD 3x9x50. The Hawke is better in my opinion.

[Deker 3,453]

I have shot in a lot of situations with a lot of guns pointing at a lot of different quarry.

 

Whilst I have 2 IR scopes I have yet to find any reason to turn them on in the field!

[Deker 3,453]

Ref#9

 

Field of View is dictated by internal lens arrangement, Objective size has little to do with it, a wide angle 40mm can have a much wider FoV than a 50mm objective.

 

Like for like a 50mm objective will have a slightly wider FoW but allow greater light transmission than it's 40mm equivalent, that's why it is offered!