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Compasseco brings out a large-format precision dot sight

We saw this one at the SHOT Show in Atlanta in February. Next to the Tech Force 96, which has been in the Compasseco catalog for several years, the Tech Force 90 is a monster! It’s a full 30mm optic that rivals sights sold at twice the retail price. As much interest as there is in optics among our readers, we knew we had to review this one for you.

This is a big sight, but not a long one. It weighs 8.8 ounces, but is only 4-1/2" long. As you can see from the pictures, it is square in cross section, which means that conventional scope rings will not fit. Fortunately, they aren’t needed, as the TF 90 has its own mounts built right into the base. In fact, you don’t just get a single mounting option, but two!

The reason is that this scope is not built exclusively for airguns. It can be used on firearms just as well, and Compasseco tells us that many of their sales of both this and the smaller Tech Force 96 are to firearms owners. For that reason, the Weaver base option is desirable, because a lot of firearms are made to accept the Weaver base. The mount comes packed with the scope and fits into conventional Weaver bases that have the notches to eliminate movement from recoil.

For airgun users, there is also a set of conventional dovetail clamps with the scope. You swap them for the Weaver base in a minute or two and just clamp them straight to the of top your airgun. If your gun requires a scope stop, it will have to be a separate device, as there are no Tech Force 90 Compasseco brings out a large-format precision dot sight provisions for a stop in the package that comes with the TF90.

For troublesome guns that have a lot of recoil, you may wish to install a B-Square dovetailto- Weaver rail on the gun first, then use the Weaver base that comes packed with the scope. This will stop all movement, so long as the BSquare rail is securely mounted.

A dot sight is an optical sight that usually provides no magnification of the target, so aiming is faster than with a telescope, plus you can shoot in lower light. The dot is illuminated from inside the scope and does not project outside. Only the shooter sees it.

By adjusting the sight so the pellet shoots to the point of aim, all you have to do is put the dot on your target and squeeze the trigger. With the huge 30mm tube of the Tech Force 90, it’s like looking through a window at your quarry. The fact that the dot is illuminated means you only have to focus on the target. The dot takes care of itself, and presents the shooter with a very easy sight picture. A long-life lithium battery powers the light; and with care, you should get many months, if not years, of field use before it’s time for a fresh one. You can leave the dot on while you shoot; the battery drain is very minimal.


A switch on top of the scope gives you seven different levels of light intensity. You turn it through the lowest numbers, stopping when you can just see the dot against the target. That gives you the most precise aiming point possible. There is enough intensity on the highest setting to shoot a target in broad daylight, as long as the target itself is not bright, too. We tested it on a Beeman P2, which was purchased just for this test. A number of years ago, a local reader brought over his P2 with a dot sight ,and I had my first taste of optical sights on an air pistol. I decided then that the P2 made a wonderful platform for testing, and we were fortunate enough to find one used at Atlantic Guns, our favorite airgun store in Maryland, when we did the airgun clinic earlier this year.


The scope simply clamped on the integral dovetails that are on all P1/P2 pistols. Since the P2 is recoilless, there was no need to bother with a recoil stop. Right from the first shot, I could tell the 90 was going to be good w i t hthis pistol. It clamped on in almost the correct position and only a small amount of adjustment was required to get it spot on. And, in this case, spot on really means spot on— as in the ten-ring of the international ten meter pistol target. I shot off a rest at 10 meters; and for the first time, I felt I could shoot better from a rest than offhand. Usually, I shoot a pistol better from the offhand competition position, but the P2’s recoilless behavior, coupled with the Tech Force 90’s clear sight picture, combined to make my job much easier.


The P2 is a blisteringly accurate air pistol, as From a rest at 10 meters, the P2 punched a score of 49. Not bad for a dot sight that’s not supposed to be this precise.

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