If you’ve been playing airsoft, whether for your entire life or just for the past few months, you’ve more than likely come across the massive number of airsoft guns and accessories on the market that you have to choose from to build your arsenal. There are a lot of options, but not every airsoft gun is practical in every situation, and not every attachment is practical with every airsoft gun.

During the course of a match, players will have their own sets of goals and objectives to accomplish in order to give their team a tactical advantage to win the match. That means that different players will have vastly different needs in airsoft guns, attachments, and other tactical gear.

Airsoft scopes are some of the most widespread airsoft attachments, so understanding their use, and when to use them, is important. Let’s note here where airsoft scopes are most useful: over longer ranges, over rifles that are fairly accurate and have the range to reach out over longer ranges. Here are some reasons you might want to add one to your airsoft rifle.

Greater Accuracy
The first thing to consider is that airsoft scopes have the potential to make you much more accurate over longer distances, particularly if the rifle with which you pair them is a tack driver.

Some airsoft rifles impart unwanted spin to a bb that will skew it off course, though this might not be noticeable within ranges of 50 yards or so. Other airsoft rifles are tack drivers at ranges greater than that, and with the hop up system tuned properly can still hit targets are greater ranges.

The thing is, with open sights it can be difficult at greater ranges to connect with targets, whether they are tin cans lined up for plinking or players in a match. A scope, when properly mounted and sighted into a rifle that has been tuned for accuracy, can make all of the difference in the world. Sometimes, for that reason alone, a scope is worth the additional investment.

Use for Reconnaissance
Beyond the somewhat self-evident fact that a scope can help you be more accurate over your chosen rifle, a scope can be used as an invaluable tool for reconnaissance during a match. While many ultra prepared airsoft players are going to bring additional glass to a match in the form of binoculars or spotting scopes, the scope on your rifle is the perfect tool if you are without other options.

Providing intel to the players on your team can be the difference between a win and a loss, and the positions taken up by airsoft snipers sometimes put them in the ideal location for reporting movements of the other team’s players without even having to take offensive action.

In other words, you don’t even need to use the scope on your airsoft rifle to hit targets in order to win matches. In some cases, serving as a tool for reconnaissance will be the only advantage your team needs, and it’s one more reason to add a powerful scope to your airsoft rifle.

How to Select One
Picking out a scope for your rifle will require you to take a few things into account. The first thing to consider is the type of airsoft rifle you’ll be using. As a rule, a scope is a good match for spring-powered rifles that will be fired from a relatively fixed position. Beyond that, consider the following as well.

Consider the Range
While you’re shopping for scopes, you’re going to come across a lot of different options, and for the sake of explanation we’ll break them down into two (very) broad categories: Fixed magnification and variable magnification. Understand the ranges within which you will be working to pick out the right one.

If your course is small and doesn’t present any opportunities for longer shots, a fixed power scope like a 4x model will probably be all you need. If you are going to be playing in an open course with lots of exposed area, a variable power scope like a 3-9x model might be better suited to that situation.

Consider the Lighting
It’s important to note that sometimes, but not always, a scopes clarity will decrease with the ambient light. There are some scopes that are designed to be used in low light conditions. In addition to that, some scopes feature illuminated reticles or red/green reticles that are much easier to see in low light conditions. That’s something else to consider before picking out a specific model.

Get Your Accessories Here
While you can find plenty of airsoft scopes on our site to pair with your airsoft sniper rifle, keep in mind that we offer many other optics as well, ranging from red dot sights to circle dot sights and iron sights. Check out our catalog today to find the scope that’s right for you, and if you need any help or advice give us a call at 800-581-6620.