Air gun scopes?

[troy fairweather]

Give me a crash course in air gun scopes, I know why some air guns need the rated scope. I am familiar with normal scopes and what's good and bad, with air gun scopes I have no idea. I may pickup a budget scope for that 853 just for testing pellets, so what are the decentr cheaper scopes.

 

[LoonWulf]

For pneumatics, and low power springers most scopes have enough reinforcement to survive. Your 853 is a low energy single stroke pneumatic so basically as zero recoil impulse. Any scope can be used on your gun and survive.
THAT said, youll probably want something with an AO or SF, and a short focus range 7-10yds is good. You can get away with just going to a lower power, but I want some focus ability on any sub 50yd rifle.

For medium to heavy springers, I generally recommend an airgun rated scope. With the Mediums you can sometimes get away with a regular scope, but not always.
With a heavy springer, they are known to kill even airgun rated scopes sometimes, so more research is worth while before buying for a Magnum springer.

The major issue with springers is they push themselves backwards during the first part of the firing cycle, then the piston slams forward arresting or reversing the rear movement suddenly. Kinda the difference of driving a car into a pole a 35, as compared to driving a car into another car traveling slightly slower.

I pulled the intensity off my bulldog, im not positive if its staying off or going back on. If it stays off you can have it, its good to 10yds i think.

 

[troy fairweather]

For pneumatics, and low power springers most scopes have enough reinforcement to survive. Your 853 is a low energy single stroke pneumatic so basically as zero recoil impulse. Any scope can be used on your gun and survive.
THAT said, youll probably want something with an AO or SF, and a short focus range 7-10yds is good. You can get away with just going to a lower power, but I want some focus ability on any sub 50yd rifle.

For medium to heavy springers, I generally recommend an airgun rated scope. With the Mediums you can sometimes get away with a regular scope, but not always.
With a heavy springer, they are known to kill even airgun rated scopes sometimes, so more research is worth while before buying for a Magnum springer.

The major issue with springers is they push themselves backwards during the first part of the firing cycle, then the piston slams forward arresting or reversing the rear movement suddenly. Kinda the difference of driving a car into a pole a 35, as compared to driving a car into another car traveling slightly slower.

I pulled the intensity off my bulldog, im not positive if its staying off or going back on. If it stays off you can have it, its good to 10yds i think.

The only scope I have with a ao is my swfa as 10. I know it will focus at less then 10 yards. Finding 30mm rings to fit the 11M dovetail maybe a pain. I'll we how the gun shoots and if I can get a good rest to test them pellets.

I have that old Bushnell and a tasco ,they focus good up close so I could use them. I could have sworn I had a set off rings somewhere.

 

[LoonWulf]

I spent an hour last night looking for 30mm dovetail rings and couldnt find any, spent the next hour looking for the 1" dovetail rings ID JUST HAD!!! cant find them.
Im swapping scopes again, and am limited by mounts lol.

 

[troy fairweather]

I spent an hour last night looking for 30mm dovetail rings and couldnt find any, spent the next hour looking for the 1" dovetail rings ID JUST HAD!!! cant find them.
Im swapping scopes again, and am limited by mounts lol.

I would think the European and English guys use 30mm with the dovetail. The Talley qd rings I have look like they could fit.

 

[misser]

was talking to a burrris rep he said the burris scopes would hold to a BB gun

 

[LoonWulf]

I would think the European and English guys use 30mm with the dovetail. The Talley qd rings I have look like they could fit.

I have a couple of dovetail adapters, but i KNOW ive got 30mm scope mounts for dovetails too.

 

[LoonWulf]

was talking to a burrris rep he said the burris scopes would hold to a BB gun

now if he said it just like that id say safe bet. Did he mention if they were spring airgun rated? I know Leupolds all are, as are Clearidge. Those are the only two companies ive spoken to, so dont know how many others build all their scopes to be springer rated.

 

[troy fairweather]

now if he said it just like that id say safe bet. Did he mention if they were spring airgun rated? I know Leupolds all are, as are Clearidge. Those are the only two companies ive spoken to, so dont know how many others build all their scopes to be springer rated.

I just pulled the Nikon off my Argentine mauser, these Talley are the old small dovetail type and they fit he 853, the bases have the recoil stops but I can st enough of the rings on front and back to work. Good enough to test a few pellets.

 

[LoonWulf]

I just pulled the Nikon off my Argentine mauser, these Talley are the old small dovetail type and they fit he 853, the bases have the recoil stops but I can st enough of the rings on front and back to work. Good enough to test a few pellets.

yep that should work fine.

 

[misser]

now if he said it just like that id say safe bet. Did he mention if they were spring airgun rated? I know Leupolds all are, as are Clearidge. Those are the only two companies ive spoken to, so dont know how many others build all their scopes to be springer rated.

I dont know that to be true of Leupolds .i had 2 different ones on a AR15 and it did them in.

 

[troy fairweather]

I dont know that to be true of Leupolds .i had 2 different ones on a AR15 and it did them in.

It's a different recoil, plus you just sent the Leopold back if it breaks.

 

[HankC]

853 will not need a heavy duty scope but will need an air gun scope that is set to air gun range/objective distance, typically 10 to 30 yrs; otherwise, you get parallax error. Not all AO can be adjusted down to air gun range. Center Point air gun scope sold at Wal Mart are heavy duty that work on springers and adjusted down to air gun range. Regular rifle scope can be modified to get objective distance down to air gun range by turning the front lens and lock ring, typically using a low power scope which is less sensitive to objective distance. I have done a few 4x32 scopes and works great. May not be air tight anymore, but not a problem if you don't use in the rain. Honestly, one reason I get my 853 is to shoot the peep sight!

 

[troy fairweather]

853 will not need a heavy duty scope but will need an air gun scope that is set to air gun range/objective distance, typically 10 to 30 yrs; otherwise, you get parallax error. Not all AO can be adjusted down to air gun range. Center Point air gun scope sold at Wal Mart are heavy duty that work on springers and adjusted down to air gun range. Regular rifle scope can be modified to get objective distance down to air gun range by turning the front lens and lock ring, typically using a low power scope which is less sensitive to objective distance. I have done a few 4x32 scopes and works great. May not be air tight anymore, but not a problem if you don't use in the rain. Honestly, one reason I get my 853 is to shoot the peep sight!

What do you pull the seals out of the scopes. This 853 will be used 99% with the peep. I just thought it maybe nice to use the scope for testing the pellets.

 

[WisBorn]

Troy I put a BSA air rifle scope on a gun I had worked fine. They cost around $60.

 

[troy fairweather]

Troy I put a BSA air rifle scope on a gun I had worked fine. They cost around $60.

I'm gonna try that Nikon, worst that can happen it it breaks then I send it in to get repaired or replaced.

 

[misser]

I'm gonna try that Nikon, worst that can happen it it breaks then I send it in to get repaired or replaced.

thought nikon was not making scopes any more

 

[misser]

It's a different recoil, plus you just sent the Leopold back if it breaks.

there was one other scope that AR messed up thinking it was a nikon 4-14 . i did finnly find one or two that do hold up ...so far

 

[HankC]

What do you pull the seals out of the scopes.

When move the front lens to adjust the objective distance, break the "seal" and the nitrogen fill inside the scope may leak. The scopes I worked on, do not have physical seals but maybe light sealant on the threads, I recall one scope was hard to break loose to turn the front lens. I put silicone grease on the threads to serve as sealant when I locked the front lenses. It has been over 10 yrs, all scopes, four I think, I worked on still going strong and no moisture/condensation inside. My magnum springer, a Chinese copy of RWS48, has a modified Tasco World Class 4x40 scope on it. It was probably $30-40 when I bought it on sale at Cabelas. I'm not going to put an expensive scope on a springer!

 

[troy fairweather]

thought nikon was not making scopes any more

They still will fix or replace them.

 

[LoonWulf]

I dont know that to be true of Leupolds .i had 2 different ones on a AR15 and it did them in.

Dunno, im not a leupold guy. Ive seen a couple fail too.
The upside to them all being springer rated is they will be covered under warranty.

I guess i could try my vx-f on my new springer for a while and see if it dies.

 

[HankC]

By the way, it is the springer's forward "recoil" that kill a typical rifle scope. Many rifle scopes are only designed for rear ward recoil, not forward. Cheap Chinese made Tasco, at WalMart many years ago, appears made for both forward/rear ward recoils. I think 3 scopes I modified were all Tasco's. 2 on magnum springers, one on CO2 (QB78). I figured if broke, just take to WalMart and replace. Another one was a Chinese mini scope that I put on a medium duty springer.

 

[LoonWulf]

When move the front lens to adjust the objective distance, break the "seal" and the nitrogen fill inside the scope may leak. The scopes I worked on, do not have physical seals but maybe light sealant on the threads, I recall one scope was hard to break loose to turn the front lens. I put silicone grease on the threads to serve as sealant when I locked the front lenses. It has been over 10 yrs, all scopes, four I think, I worked on still going strong and no moisture/condensation inside. My magnum springer, a Chinese copy of RWS48, has a modified Tasco World Class 4x40 scope on it. It was probably $30-40 when I bought it on sale at Cabelas. I'm not going to put an expensive scope on a springer!

Most scopes, especially cheaper ones, unless noted in the literature are grease sealed, and as long as it hasnt dried and you didnt adjust it too far you probably didnt hurt the purge.
Ive repurged a few scopes and silicone, this sealing grease the lab used for equipment is what i used on the threads.

 

[HankC]

didnt adjust it too far

Now my memory is coming back on it. Will need to remove the front lens completely and move the internal thread tube so to lock the front lens at the new setting after adjustment. I remember is moving the front lens forward, so it is possible not removing the lens completely but put an thin O ring at the "gap", turn and seal the front lens. Why I did not think of doing so at the time!

Edit-Wrong info in my post and fixed below!

 

[3Crows]

OP, just get a BSA air rifle scope or something like the Leepers Bug Buster. I am not into putting $1,000 scopes on air rifles, especially a break barrel that will have questionable accuracy and will sooner or later possibly destroy it.

I would not put a Leupold on a magnum break barrel rifle unless I was wanting to test their warranty terms and they are not BB guns. The recoil cycle on even medium power break barrel rifles is brutal on scopes and a magnum break barrel will destroy scopes and the more expensive they are the more the magnum break barrel will relish ruining them.

And there is nothing about an AR15 that causes a violent recoil reversal as occurs in a break barrel (springer) rifle. It is not a good comparison or test.

Precharged pneumatic rifles and pumper pneumatics have virtually no recoil and what little there is will be normal in direction. Powder burners may kick seemingly like a mule but while it may seem to knock the slobber out of us it is nonetheless progressive. The instantaneous slamming stop of the spring piston assembly is violent and sudden t hough the total intensity is less there is a damaging spike and it is in the wrong direction to make it worse.