directly on solid mounts. Now my Nikko is mounted that way so fingers crossed. The scope needs additional customisation also.
locked at all times and check it every now and then that it is still locked. A loose stock to action can drive you crazy!
To complete the project you needed a good scope. Of course, there are a lot of scopes out there and a lot of prices. Deciding which scope to go for was a difficult decision. For Field Target there are some particular specifications you need for a scope. The magnification must be more than 32X to be able to range find your targets accurately, You need a crisp and bright image, hence the tube diameter of 30mm and an objective lens of 50 or 60mm is the best combination. Parallax adjustment by side wheel is a must for Field Target and you need capable turrets to dial in to your targets at 1/8” at 100 yards if possible.
Of course, there are scopes that satisfy these requirements but come at a price. Personally I could not afford to install a € 700 scope on my Field Target rig and I’m not sure if the recoil, even if tamed, would still ‘eat up’ the scope. After long search and trials, I replaced the original scope with a Nikko Stirling Platinum Nite Eater 10-50X60 AG IR 30mm with an FT reticle. This scope meets the specification and has good characteristics and comes at around €280 or £252 at todays exchange rate. Of course it has some flaws but I am getting used to that. At 50X in low light the image is not that crisp but it’s good enough for ranging accurately and I’ve found it to be spot on. I managed to set ranging at 1 meter intervals all the way from 10 meters to 50 meters with this scope. Turret accuracy is fine and for now I am happy with it. If this scope fails, then I have no option to go for its bigger brother, the Nikko Diamond. With regards to mounting, I initially used a Sportsmatch Dampa mount on my previous scope but I had a bad experience with it. The mount rubber bushes came loose and the scope vibrated and lost its zero and broke when I wanted it most during the 2009 Field Target Worlds in South Africa. There I talked with other experienced shooters who use springers
You definitely need a long sun-shade and this will help to eliminate glare especially with large diameter optics. One of the scope’s main functions in Field Target is range-finding using the side parallax wheel. Most scopes either incorporate a side wheel or this can be purchased separately. The maker’s wheels are normally between 100 and 110mm in diameter and most of them are pre- graduated in meters, feet or yards. How accurate they are is, in my opinion, a big question mark. Field Target shooters
want to calibrate the scope according to their eye-sight and focusing capabilities at known fixed distances. A wheel of 110 mm is big but it might not be big enough to mark one meter increments for your ranging. It’s possible to find custom wheels with a bigger diameter that allows you to have a visible separation mark between your ranging distances. Others choose to customize their own side wheel. I decided to customize mine.
This was done by tracing the outline on cardboard. Then I draw two tangents (at mirror image) and used a plate to create an arc further out of the main wheel diameter. Once I got the required size, I cut out this template and traced it on to 5 mm thick Perspex. The new so-called ‘shark fin’ wheel was then cut out and the edges finished with a file. The wheel was then fixed by drilling holes through it and through the original wheel spokes. The holes were tapped and stainless Allen screws completed the job. I required a pointer to make reference to the wheel. The pointer was machined from aluminum as a slit ring and at one end a dowel pin was glued for a reference. The ring was then installed on the fixed part of the eye-piece tube at a specific location and marked so that if it moves by accident I will notice it. For the main elevation turret a friend machined a turret cap with a larger diameter out of aluminum and this was fitted and locked on top of the original turret.
Once these items are installed its time to head down the range and calibrate your scope and turret to all the possible target ranges in Field Target. We will tackle this in my next article. A Field Target air rifle can weigh up to 10 kg so carrying it around during a match can be laborious. I did not want to drill and tap the wooden stock (personal opinion) so I installed a FAB arms tactical sling. I just use this to carry the rifle, I don’t use it for standing shots because I don’t like the use of slings or other accessories used in Olympic target shooting applied in Field Target shooting (again a personal opinion).
Target Shooter 89
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