Canadian Airgun Forum

Hi all,

Newbie first post here...

Well I finally pulled the trigger (pun intended) and went to Cdn Tire and picked up my first air rifle in 40 years - a Ruger Blackhawk in .177 (no PAL needed). At $150.00 with 4x32 scope it looked like a good deal - and most of the reviews that I've read about the Ruger Blackhawk have been positive - especially with this price point.

I have mounted the scope per the instructions and I see a full field of view when I comfortably mount the gun to my shoulder (no shadows or fringes on the edges). Problem is I cannot get this thing to focus, despite what the instructions say. I have loosened the locking ring (the only adjustment ring on this scope) and rotated the eyepiece but that does't do anything. I have a well lighted basement with 40 feet of distance to my pellet trap - the scope won't focus. I can make out the general contours of targets but it is quite fuzzy. I tried looking out the window at distant objects (30 yards, 50 yards and further) again no luck.

I realize that this is a generic, cheap scope, and that I shoudn't expect too much but I wonder what else I can try to get it to focus. As an aside, I was planning to upgrade to a better scope anyways - I am looking at the BUSHNELL Trophy XLT 3-9x40 Rifle Scope with Mil Dot Reticle (feedback welcomed) as I do plan to take the gun outside and shoot targets at longer distances. Eventually, once I get my PAL later this summer, I will be upgrading to a higher velocity nitro piston air rifle to hunt pest birds on farms.

Any ideas, comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Maybe I just got a bad scope?

Thanks for reading about my little dilemma.

Targetor

Just out of curiosity your not keeping the scope caps on are you ?

_________________
"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle"

Hello Ace,

Good one! But this isn't my first rodeo. I hunted pests throughout the 1980s with a BSA .22 Meteor (birds) and Marlin .22 Magnum rimfire (groundhogs only) both with scopes. So no, the scope caps are not on - and no (in case someone else should ask) the scope is not mounted backwards (LOL). Cheers, Targetor

_________________
"I cook with wine. Sometimes I even add it to the food."

The scope is fixed focus at a far distance. Look at a target 30-50-100 yards away and it should be in focus.
The scope can be re-focused to any distance, if you want to bring the focus closer, remove the outer ring on the objective lens to expose the objective lens and using an appropriate tool rotate the objective so it moves outward. I refocused a 4x32 Ruger scope to 10 yards without any problems.
The eyepiece is adjusted so the X-hairs are in focus.

_________________

))))----//----------==
Iacio, ergo sum

There isn't protective film or something on the glass is there?

_________________
Crosman Phantom .22 w/CenterPoint AR22 4x32
Crosman 760 Pumpmaster w/original Crosman 4x20

lol...i was just asking but since you know what your doing carry on.

_________________
"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle"

Hi Dukemeister,

Your suggestion did the trick. I was able to remove the cover from the objective lens and then rotate the lens - quite a bit actually - until the image appeared sharp. All is well.

I appreciate your helping me out on his.

Regards ... Dan aka Targetor

_________________
"I cook with wine. Sometimes I even add it to the food."

Hey, cool tip. I have several low end scopes that this should work on to get a better focus at a fixed range.

Thanks Dukemeister

_________________
Mac Granite


Crosman Nitro Venom Dusk .22
Diana 24 .22
Daisy 953 .177

Hi,

I have the same scope and also adjusted the objective for 10m use. The visual focus gets you approximately in the right place, but the stricter test is to check for parallax of the cross hairs against the target. If you minimize the apparent movement of the cross hairs when you shift your eye position you'll reduce the chance of targeting errors. Parallax was pretty horrible out of the box (even though the focus was usable), but I was pleased that it was relatively easy to adjust.

I agree, that's a cool tip Dukemeister, thanks.

_________________

The scope that came with my Ruger air hawk didn't last long against the 2 way recoil generated by the gun's piston spring. I think I got 60-70 shots out of it before the reticle gave up the ghost...

Do your-self a favor and get a scope that is rated for springer use. There are several models out there with adjustable objective that are reasonably priced.

Regards,

Doc Sharptail

_________________
"Ain't no half-way"
-S.R.V.

That's surprising that the scope sold with a Ruger would fail quickly but then again the Ruger air rifle package is "affordable".

I'd like to get one of those Bug Busters, they're pretty popular. I have a CenterPoint & a Leapers and both have served me well.

_________________

Targetor:
If you're thinking of buying a new scope it is a 'must' that the scope be:
a) designed specifically for 'spring piston' airguns. The 'two-way' recoil of a springer air rifle will bring down scopes made for firearms that only have 'one-way' recoil!!!
b) with an Adjustable Objective (AO) that quicky can accomodate your shooting distances and correct the parallax. Some scopes can focus down to 10 yards and that's neat to have if you're target shooting or hunting small game or pest. They don't have to be expensive to do the job.
Good luck !
Hawk-i

_________________
Daystate Huntsman Regal XL .25
AA S510xs Carbine .22
Weihrauch HW77 SE .22
KRAL Puncher .177
CZ-200S lam. .177
Weihrauch HW50S Stl
Cometa Fusion .22
HatsanAT44&95 .22
FAS 6004T
Weihrauch HW44 .22
'HAVE GUN. WILL SHOOT'