6 Best Air Rifle Scope Under $100 Budget [2024 Updated]

Finding a good budget scope for your air rifle can be a challenge. There’s a lot of options, and they’re not all created equal. 

Now that doesn’t mean that choosing the right scope has to be difficult. We’re going to cover everything you need to know about air rifle scopes and help you find the one that’s right for you. 

That way instead of just telling you what the best rifle scope is (and inevitably getting it wrong because I don’t know you, or your circumstances) you can find the best one to meet your specific wants and needs.

Sound good? Alright let’s get started. 

What is an Air Rifle Scope?

Shooting air rifles is an absolute blast. Shooting .177 pellets (with the occasional BB) was a big part of how I learned to shoot. The low noise and relatively cheap ammunition make for a great time plinking or even hunting varmints. But the iron sights on these guns aren’t always great. Heck, sometimes they don’t even come with iron sights!

So, it's time to pick up an airgun scope. The same things that matter to a normal rifle scopes still apply here. Good magnification range, good clarity, good reticle, and good build construction all factor into how well you are going to hit your target. 

This list focuses on budget scopes. We’ve checked to make sure that while these are affordable, none of them are “cheap” or “discount” or “trash”. The goal is to make your shooting easier, not for you to spend hours dialing in your scope every time you pick it up. 

How Do You Choose the Best Air Rifle Scope?

I like to focus on a few things when I am looking for a scope for an air rifle. 

Magnification 

Is it fixed magnification? If not what is the magnification range? If you’re just plinking in your backyard, you don’t need a lot of magnification power unless you live on a ranch. If you’re going to be hunting squirrels with a pellet gun, a 3-9 power scope is a great option. 

We like variable magnification around here for hunting, but it’s good for range shooting as well, particularly if you’re going to be doing any kind of benchrest or competition with your airgun.

Glass Quality

In general, is the glass decent? Does the lens distort or stretch the image? Even if you’re just target shooting, you want a nice clear image, even in low light conditions. A good air rifle scope will perform well in all lighting conditions.

Reticle Style

A simple duplex reticle is fine here, but if you’re going with a more high-end quality scope option, you can spend a little more and get something from a higher price range that has a fancier reticle but...do you really need that for an air rifle?

If you do, go for it. I’m not gonna stop you. I personally don’t think you really need fingertip-adjustable turrets for windage and elevation adjustment and a Christmas tree reticle for an air rifle, but this is America, do what you want.

Build Quality

What is the housing made of? Is it waterproof? Shockproof? This is especially important as you need a scope designed to handle dual-direction recoil if you’re using a spring-piston gun. This is where robust stop pins are important. 

Additional Accessories

For $100, you probably aren’t going to get much in the way of optional accessories, but things like lens caps and sunshades can really make a difference to how enjoyable it is to shoot. 

1. Leapers UTG 3-9x32 Mil-dot Rifle Scope

First, we have this Leapers UTG 3-9x32 Mil-dot Rifle Scope option. As the names suggest this scope is a 3X to 9X zoom optic with a 32mm objective lens. But the name doesn’t tell you that this thing is a nitrogen-filled shockproof, fogproof, rainproof tough SOB with freaking emerald coated lenses. 

Honestly, there are scopes that cost three times as much that don’t even have half the features this scope does. There’s also 3.2 inches of eye relief and some fairly decent parallax adjustment. 

The Mil-Dot reticle is incredibly versatile. There is a traditional crosshair in the dead middle, but there are nine dots in each direction giving you plenty of adjustment for windage and elevation if you want to get fancy with your target shooting. 

If you are looking for more details about that product, then must check out our detailed UTG bug buster 3-9 x 32mm review

2. BARSKA 3-12X Mil-Dot Airgun Scope 

If you thought the last scope was great but wanted a little bit more zoom, then the BARSKA 3-12X Mil-Dot Airgun Scope is the option for you. 

Instead of max zoom being 9X it is now 12X. The matte black housing is made out of high-quality anodized aluminum and was designed specifically to handle the double recoil of an air rifle, and the 40mm objective lens is fully coated. 

This scope also has a mil-dot reticle, but this time there are only four dots in each direction that transition to thick lines on the outside edge. These dots are more than adequate since they’re coupled with the 12X magnification. This scope is one of the best long-range options available for sub $100USD. 

One of the standout features of this scope is its adjustable objective. This is their special version of parallax adjustment that helps adjust for that high power magnification available. Combine this with the shockproof, fog-proof, waterproof construction and you have an excellent scope for your favorite air rifle.

3. Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn Multi-X Reticle Riflescope

The Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn Multi-X Reticle Riflescope is a 3-9X magnification scope with 3.3 inches of eye relief and is designed as a versatile scope for air rifles, shotguns, and muzzleloaders. This means the scope was built for a lot more torture than what your air rifle will put on it. 

The reticle is simple, just a basic crosshair reticle that thickens out along the edges. While there isn’t any windage or BDC the scope has some nice ¼ MOA turrets that will hold true once you’ve dialed the scope in. 

The thing that impressed us with this scope is the clarity of the glass. It's shockingly clear and has great light transmission. 

The lens also has Bushnell’s Dusk and Dawn Brightness multi-coated treatment that lets you squeeze a little more shooting out of those low light times of the day. Overall this is a great choice for your favorite target shooting air rifle. 

4. CVLIFE Hunting Rifle Scope 6-24x50 AOE Red and Green Illuminated Gun Scope with Free Mount

So you want to put the biggest scope possible on this rifle? Nothing we’ve mentioned yet has whet your appetite? Have I got the scope for you. This CVLIFE Hunting Rifle Scope is 15.7 inches long and has a magnification range from 6X to 24X. Yeah, 24X, that’s not a typo. There’s more range in this optic than there is in the rifle you’ll put it on. 

The reticle is also impressive. It’s a crosshair with windage and BDC hashes, s. It’s also an illuminated reticle in either red or green running off of a CR2032 button cell. This 50mm scope is an absolute beast and looks almost comical on an air rifle.

Now I don’t know if this is the best air rifle scope on the list, but it is one of the most powerful scopes on this list. What makes this scope even more extreme is the price tag. $49.99USD. That’s including a lens cover and a 20mm weaver mount. So if you want to experiment with a high magnification this is your pick. 

5. Primary Arms Classic Series Gen II Removable Microdot Red Dot Sight

I know, not what you were expecting. But putting a red dot on your airgun can be a nice change of pace. Red dots are beyond easy to shoot and putting one on an air rifle is an absolute hoot. 

This Primary Arms Microdot is water resistant and fog resistant, making it ideal for the person who puts their rifles through hell. 

The reticle is a 2 MOA red dot that is great for close range engagements. The turrets adjust in ½ MOA intervals and there's no parallax shift past 33 yards. Couple that with the 11 levels of illumination and there’s nothing this scope can’t do. 

This optic is also cross platform, meaning this scope can come off of your airgun and go on your AR. You could even justify this purchase as an investment for a future rifle platform. So consider a red dot for having a great time with an air rifle.  

6. Winchester by Daisy Outdoor Products 4 x 32 AO Winchester Scope

The Winchester by Daisy 4x32 AO is an old classic from the brand we associate with air rifles and most powerful bb gun, Daisy. This scope is what you think when you hear air rifle scope. 4X magnification and a 25-foot field of view at 100 yards makes this a good close/medium range scope for plinking in your backyard. 

This scope is purpose-built for air rifles, meaning it is capable of handling double recoil.

The reticle is a classic crosshair, adding to the nostalgia of the scope. There’s an adjustable objective to make sure whatever your shooting is in focus, as well as 3 inches of eye relief. This scope with its 32mm objective lens is an all-around solid choice for your backyard air rifle.

This scope is sub $50 and is a great scope for just about everything. If you think that your air rifle just needs a little more zoom to live up to its potential then check out this scope. A great rifle scope for shooting in favorable light conditions. 

Conclusion

Good optics make a gun more fun to shoot, that’s just a fact. Go through and find the one that best suits what you want to do with the rifle, whether that is deal with some aggressive pest or put holes in paper from as far as possible. Whatever you need, there’s a sight here that can help you do it. Better yet most of them are available on Amazon, so you can just click buy it now!

Check out the article on best 1-4X scopes for the money by Hunting Mark

Which scope do you think is right for you? Are there any that you think we missed? Let us know in the comments!