Even though there may appear to be thousands of options for consumers to choose from when it comes to selecting the best air rifle scope, there are actually only a few factors involved. Each air rifle scope is designed to fit a specific type of mounting bracket, and they are often not interchangeable from one model to another. Manufacturers do not create extremely powerful scopes for most air-compressed firearms. Since their range and velocity are normally limited, a magnification of 4x to 8x is usually the most powerful enhancement available in an air rifle scope. Other innovations such as laser sightings and automatic range finders are available on a handful of air rifle scope models.

The first factor to consider in a quality air rifle scope is the way it mounts to the firearm. An 11mm dovetail is the most popular type of mount on air rifles, but there are also many other versions available, especially with less popular brand names and modified stocks. Availability with smaller air rifle companies may be limited to the scopes that they custom produce for their products, so it is advisable to research the mounting options beforehand. Larger corporations normally carry a variety of air rifle scopes to fit their products, and there are also a number of third party manufacturers that offer them at competitive prices.

Magnification is another big topic when it comes to an air rifle scope, and consumers often make the mistake of assuming that more is always better. The vast majority of air rifles on the market have limited capabilities in terms of range and firing power, so choosing an air rifle scope that offers 20x magnifications will often be a waste of money. Instead, a proper fit for the average air rifle enthusiast is a magnification of 4x to 8x; this provides plenty of accuracy at medium range with very few adjustments necessary. Of course, some of the higher end pellet rifles are accurate from thousands of yards (meters) away, so a complimentary air rifle scope in this situation should have a higher magnification.

There are also several other accessories that shooters may want to consider when choosing the best air rifle scopes. Many hunters enjoy using a laser-guided sight in place of an air rifle scope since it allows for faster shooting, but at the same time it also requires precise adjustments in order to make the shot. Automated range finders are available on some of the more expensive models to make these calculations automatically. Other innovations are lenses that are fog proof or ones that naturally block out the glare from the sun and other bright objects.