Description
Rifle Scope Product Details
Hatson Optima 4x20mm Scope, Black, One Size
Air gun rated scope with dovetail mounts. 4x zoom. 20mm objective. 3/4″ tube diameter.
Rifle Scope Product Features
4x magnification
3/4 in tube diameter
Dovetail mounts included
1/4 MOA click adjustments
Scope caps included
Sport type: Tactical & Military
About the Hatsan Company
Hatsan is a premium company for weapon scopes, optics, mounting solutions, and other components used for firearms like rifles and long guns. They create and build their products making the most of building materials which are long lasting and resilient. This includes the Hatson Optima 4x20mm Scope, Black, One Size by Hatsan. For additional shooting products, visit their website.
Rifle Optic Details
Rifle scopes enable you to exactly aim a rifle at various targets by aligning your eye with the target at range. They do this through zoom using a set of lenses inside the scope. The scope’s alignment can be dialed in to account for varied environmental things like wind speed and elevation increases to account for bullet drop.
The scope’s function is to help shooters understand precisely where the bullet will land based upon the sight picture you are viewing via the optic as you align the scope’s crosshair or reticle with the intended target. The majority of modern-day rifle scopes have around eleven parts which are located internally and externally on the optic. These parts consist of the rifle scope’s body, lenses, adjustment dials, focus rings, and other parts. See all eleven parts of a rifle optical system.
The Styles of Rifle Scopes
Rifle scopes can be either “first focal plane” or “second focal plane” type of scopes. The style of focal plane a scope has identifies where the reticle or crosshair lies in relation to the optic’s magnification. It literally implies the reticle is located behind or in front of the magnifying lens of the scope. Picking out the most suitable style of rifle optic is based upon what type of shooting you plan on doing.
First Focal Plane Scopes
Focal plane scopes (FFP) come with the reticle in front of the magnification lens. This causes the reticle to increase in size based upon the level of magnification being used. The benefit is that the reticle measurements are the same at the magnified distance as they are at the non amplified distance. As an example, one tick on a mil-dot reticle at 100 yards without “zoom” is still the exact same tick at 100 yards using 5x “zoom”. These kinds of scopes are valuable for:
- Quick acquisition, far away types of shooting
- Shooting scenarios where calculations are minimal
- Experienced shooters who understand their aim point “hold over” and also “lead” ratios for their rifles
- Shooters who don’t mind the reticle is enlarged and uses up more visual sight room than a SFP reticle
Second Focal Plane Glass
Second focal plane scopes (SFP) feature the reticle behind the magnification lens. This causes the reticle to stay at the exact same size relative to the amount of magnification being used. The end result is that the reticle dimensions alter based on the magnification employed to shoot over longer distances considering the markings represent various increments which fluctuate with the zoom. In the FFP example with the SFP optic, the 5x “zoom” 100 yard tick would be 1/5th of the non “zoom” tick reticle measurement. These particular styles of glass are handy for:
- Long distance styles of shooting where shooters have increased time to make ballistic estimations
- Shooting where most shots take place within shorter ranges and spaces
- Shooters who prefer a clearer optic sight picture with less space used up by the larger size FFP reticle
Zoom for Rifle Optics
The amount of magnification a scope provides is determined by the diameter, density, and curvatures of the lenses inside of the rifle scope. The magnification of the scope is the “power” of the scope.
Single Power Lens Rifle Glass
A single power rifle optic and scope will have a zoom number designator like 4×32. This means the magnification power of the scope is 4x power while the objective lens is 32mm. The zoom of this kind of scope can not adjust because it is set from the factory.
Adjustable Power Lens Rifle Scopes
Variable power rifle scopes use enhanced power. The power adjustment is accomplished by using the power ring part of the scope near the back of the scope by the eye bell.
Power and Range Correlations
Here are some suggested scope powers and the ranges where they can be successfully used. High power scopes will not be as useful as lower powered scopes considering that too much zoom can be a negative aspect depending on your shooting distance. The same concept applies to longer distances where the shooter needs enough power to see exactly where to properly aim the rifle at the target.
Lens Coating for Optics
All modern rifle optic and scope lenses are coated. There are different types and qualities of finishings. Lens covering is an essential element of a rifle’s setup when looking at high end rifle optics and targeting systems. The lenses are one of the most key parts of the glass considering they are what your eye sees through while sighting a rifle in on the target. The coating on the lenses shields the lens surface and even helps with anti glare capabilities from refracted daylight and color visibility.
HD Versus ED Lens Coatings
Some scope makers likewise use “HD” or high-definition lens coverings which use various procedures, polarizations, components, and chemicals to draw out different colors and viewable definition through the lens. Some scope producers use “HD” to refer to “ED” implying extra-low dispersion glass.
Single Finish Versus Multi-Coating for Rifle Scopes
Various optic lenses can even have different coverings applied to them. All lenses typically have at least some kind of treatment or finishing applied to them prior to being used in a rifle scope or optic. This is due to the fact that the lens isn’t just a raw piece of glass. It is part of the finely tuned optic. It needs to have a finish placed on it so that it will be efficiently functional in many types of environments, degrees of light (full VS shaded), and other shooting conditions.
Single coated lenses have a treatment applied to them which is normally a protective and enhancing multi-purpose treatment. This lens treatment can protect the lens from scratches while lowering glare and other less beneficial things experienced in the shooting environment while sighting in with the scope. The quality of a single covered lens depends on the scope developer and just how much you paid for it. The scope’s maker and cost are indicators of the lens quality.
Some scope makers similarly make it a point to define if their optic lenses are covered or “multi” covered. Being “better” depends on the producer’s lens treatment innovation and the quality of products used in constructing the rifle scope.
Anti-water Coating for Rifle Scopes
Water on a lens does not help with keeping a clear sight picture through a scope at all. Many top of the line and high-end scope makers will coat their lenses with a hydrophobic or hydrophilic coating which is water repellent.
Rifle Optic Mounting Options
Mounting solutions for scopes come in a few choices. There are the standard scope rings which are individually installed to the optic and one-piece scope mounts which cradle the scope. These different types of mounts also generally are made in quick release variations which use toss levers which enable rifle operators to rapidly mount and dismount the scopes.
Optic Mounts with Hex Key Rings
Normal, clamp style mounting scope rings use hex head screws to mount to the flattop style Picatinny scope mount rails on rifles. These types of scope mounts use a couple of separate rings to support the optic, and are often made from 7075 T6 billet aluminum which is designed for long distance precision shooting. This type of scope install is excellent for rifles which need a long lasting, rock solid mounting solution which will not move no matter how much the scope is moved or abused.
Quick-Release Cantilever Optic Ring Mounts
These kinds of quick-release rifle scope mounts can be used to quickly remove a scope from a rifle and reattach it to a different rifle. If they all use a similar style mount, several scopes can also be swapped in the field. The quick detach design is CNC machined from anodized 6061 T6 aluminum and the mounting levers connect solidly to a flat top type Picatinny rail. This enables the scope to be sighted in while on the rifle, removed from the rifle, and remounted while maintaining accuracy. These kinds of mounts are useful and handy for rifles which are transported a lot, to take off the scope glass from the rifle for protection, or for scopes which are used between multiple rifles. An example of this mount style is the 30mm mount designed by Vortex Optics. It typically costs around $250 USD
Sealing and Gas Purging for Scope Tubes
Moisture inside your rifle optic can mess up a day on the range and your highly-priced optic by causing fogging and producing residue inside of the scope tube. Many optics prevent humidity from getting in the scope tube with a system of sealing O-rings which are water resistant. Generally, these scopes can be submerged under 20 or 30 feet of water before the water pressure can push moisture past the O-rings. This should be plenty of wetness avoidance for conventional use rifles, unless you anticipate taking your rifle on boats and are concerned about the scope still performing if it goes over the side and you can still rescue the gun.
Gas Purged Rifle Glass Tubes
Another part of avoiding the accumulation of wetness inside of the rifle scope’s tube is filling the tube with a gas like nitrogen. Since this area is currently occupied by the gas, the glass is less influenced by temperature level shifts and pressure variations from the outdoor environment which could possibly allow water vapor to seep in around the seals to fill the vacuum which would otherwise be there. These are good qualities of a good rifle scope to look for.
