Airgun Depot's Airsenal News

I was sent the 3-9x42AO Gold Crown scope to review and found it a very nice scope that is extremely easy on the pocketbook, as well. Just look at the features you get for a price well shy of $100:

• An adjustable focus and parallax, allowing you to focus at ranges as close as 5 yards on out to infinity.
  

• An adjustable zoom feature from 3-9x.
  

• Dust covers that feature an easy-to-use flip open action.
  

• Improved lens manufacturing tolerances, as well as a coating to increase the light-gathering capability of the scope. At dawn and dusk, this feature is handy!
  

• One piece construction of the scope’s body, giving rigid strength.
  

• Rubber adjustments on both the zoom ring and objective ring….very precise.
  

• A nice mil-dot reticle featuring 4 mildots in each direction from center.
  

• And it comes with a one-piece mount already included…saving you more money!

I have a few different scopes, so I decided to set out one evening on my front porch with several of them and compare them to the Nikko Stirling’s features. The scopes were the budget Tech Force 3-9x40, the Leapers 3-9x40AO, a Tasco Varmint in 2.5-10x42, and a fixed 4x BSA with adjustable AO. To make things interesting, I also pulled out a friend’s Leupold MK IV in 10x, an $800 scope.

What I did was take each scope every half-hour, and focus on a series of objects, close and far away, in shadows and out in the light, from 2 hours before sunset until dark. As the evening progressed and the light grew dimmer, the ability of the Nikko Stirling to keep the image bright began to show up. It was superior to every scope in the test, with the exception of the Leupold. But remember, the Nikko costs just 10% of what the Leupold costs!

I compared the magnification and clarity at each setting on the scope and tried to determine which scope I would want to be looking through in the event I was sighting in on a squirrel or rabbit in the bushes. The Nikko once again got my vote for such a use, clearly beating out the Tech Force and BSA, as well as the Tasco Varmint scope. The Leapers was a close second to the Nikko.

Nikko Stirling is not new to the market. They’ve been manufacturing optics such as telescopic sights, mounts, spotting scopes and binoculars for over 40 years. Malcolm John Fuller, the founder of the company, passed away in 1994, but he founded the company with the express purpose of making optics for hunters. They don’t make any other optical parts for cameras, jewelry, microscopes, or spectacles. They focus solely on hunters and their needs.

The Gold Crown series of scopes from Nikko Stirling are also braced for the recoil that spring-piston airguns deliver, so there is no need to worry about whether or not they will hold up.

I mounted the Nikko Stirling on an RWS 850 Magnum and shot several hundred rounds while using the scope. As you can see, the scope is 13 1/2" long.

The one-piece mount that comes with the scope held very securely, and there was no shifting of impact while carrying it afield or shooting from the bench. I look forward to getting additional Nikko scopes to place on some of my other guns to enhance my shooting pleasure.

Magnification was clear and crisp. Below, you see two photos, the first being a 20 yard focus, the second a 100 yard focus. Both are very nice and sharp, though my camera work may not reflect that.

A 20yard focus off my back porch.

A 100 yard view through the scope at my treeline on the back edge of my property. This scope is clear and bright at all levels of magnification.

I personally rate this scope a best buy in its price range, and I think if you try one, you will be pleased with the performance it gives.