Have you ever put a regular scope on an air rifle or crossbow?

[pert near]

I hear all the time never put a rifle scope on an air rifle or crossbow. Supposedly the rifle type design is to only tolerate rearward recoil not forward impulse (no matter how mild). Seems like nonsense with all the scope manufacturers proclaiming how rugged their scopes are. Especially since most have adopted super-duper no cost repair warranties for their products. I've yet to hear someone getting a letter back saying "We can tell, you ruined your scope by mounting it on junior's .177 daisy."

Has anyone ever cheated & put a rifle scope on an air rifle or crossbow? If so, good or bad result.

Just wondering...

 

[jdh]

We put a take off Tasco fixed four power, that had been on a 308 bolt action for about 200 shots, on a 1000 FPS 22 spring piston. The winner of the pool took the pot with the 4. It lasted four shots before it failed.

 

[wally]

I put a cheap 4X scope from a Sears .22lr on a spring piston air rifle, reticle broke after a few shots, but it was still usable, just an intersection of wavy lines instead of a sharp cross-hairs. Its still usable, dispatched a rat off my fence with a about 10 years ago -- my neighbor's new cat is such a ferocious hunter that rats and mice have been no show ever since.

 

[ScrapMetalSlug]

I put a rifle scope on a crossbow and it did not fail, yet anyways. Adjustments were kind of strange, since I was sighting in the crossbow for 30 yards. It was a 3x10 range finding shepherd scope which is a bit overkill for crossbow range. I fired about 100 shots with the crossbow. I have since moved that scope to a bolt action 22 I picked up, and it still works fine. I too have heard it was a bad idea, but I had the scope laying around so I figured I would try it.

 

[jmorris]

My Pump or PCP air rifles can use "regular" scopes and they do not hurt them, my RWS "springer" kills them though but yes I have had cheap regular scopes on all of them.

I also had one on an old Barnett wildcat cross bow that didn't have any issues but it wasn't what I would call "violent", nothing compared to a powerful spring powdered air rifle.

Back when Tasco scopes were a polished "blue" in appearance I had a lot better luck with them. The flat black painted looking ones they sell today are almost more trouble than they are worth. I'll buy a half dozen of them at a time from Walmart to take home and test, some won't even make it on a rifle before they go back in the package.

I have one of the old ones on a bolt action Walther target rifle that, even spent a short stint on my 50 BMG one weekend after the rifle turned a much more expensive optic into a kaleidoscope, still works perfect to this day.

 

[bassjam]

I have a buddy that ruined a Bushnell rimfire scope by putting it on his Gamo .177 air rifle. I don't know how many shots it took, but it didn't make it through a range session.

 

[Legionnaire]

Spring piston air rifles do bad things to traditional rifle scopes. That said, there are some inexpensive rifle scopes that are specifically designed and explicitly marketed as being safe on spring piston air rifles. I have a Bushnell Banner (forget the specific model number) on a Beeman R7 and it has been working fine for years. I did break a cheap Tasco before that.

It's a good question, though. I suspect that with the plethora of new scopes with glass-etched reticles, the most common failure of cheap scopes on an air rifle (broken reticle) is minimized. I assume that that is what happened in the other cases of "failed" scopes listed here?

 

[readyeddy]

I put a Leupold VX-2 3-9x33mm Rimfire EFR on my Hatsan 135 springer, and the scope was broke in about 10 shots. Leupold repaired the scope and it now sits on my 10/22.

 

[north east redneck]

I had a 3x9 rimfire scope on a break barrel .177 that I shot at targets and used to eliminate a population of chipmunks around the house. Lasted a few hundred shots. If it had been on my RWS 350 Magnum .22, I'd bet it wouldn't have lasted 20 shots.

 

[LoonWulf]

Nope, I buy cheap scopes, so for airguns i buy cheap airgun rated scopes....those hold up surprisingly well.
Course ive been out of springers for the last 10years, and use cheap centerfire or rim fire scopes on my Co2 and pump guns.

 

[readyeddy]

I've also given up putting expensive scopes on powerful springers. A Hawke AO scope in the $150 range is now my scope of choice for springers.

 

[Sav .250]

One way to find out.............

 

[Skylerbone]

I purchased my first pellet rifle recently, a nitro piston "springer" combo with a Center Point (cheap) scope. Crosman claims 1,200 fps, something I'll confirm or refute in the near future with the chronograph. Disappointed in the optic, I grabbed an old Tasco 3-9 of Japanese origin and fired 100 rounds or so.

I was happy enough with the rifle to chance the purchase of a Leupold as they claim their entire line is approved for airgun use. Had no problems with the Tasco, just wanted less magnification and no problems as yet with the Leupold (Mark AR) after 200 or so rounds. I like it enough to have purchased a second for a lever action .357. Bushnell and Burris also certify their full line-ups for air gun use.

I have also read that beyond wire reticles breaking that bracing of the lenses for most rifle scopes is designed around traditional rear-impulse recoil. If you've ever seen the Big Lebowski, there is a scene where the protagonist nails a 2 x 4 in front of his apartment door. As he finishes, a pair of thugs arrive and open the door which swings outward, away from the new "doorstop". Kinda thinking it's the same principle.

 

[Chevota]

My favorite scope is a Nikon 3-9x40 that is not airgun rated but work fine. I've also used several other non rated scopes and have never broke one. The Nikon has been on a FWB 124D for decades, and the 124 is/was known as a scope breaker. Imo many of today's guns are much worse. The problem is when fired the piston slams against the end of the compression tube generating a lot of G's, basically like hitting the gun with a hammer and since the scope is securely attached it's like hitting it with that hammer. As you can imagine a scope is not all that tough with it's delicate glass and reticle etc.
I believe the reason my scopes survive is b/c I tune the guns to minimize that piston impact. It is common belief that the piston does not impact, but instead stops on a cushion of air, then settles gently down, but this is bs and if so we wouldn't have scope issues.
So, in a nut shell you want to make sure there is no air getting past the main or breech seal, pellets are heavier and ideally you need to mod the main seal to increase compression. Reason is it helps slow the piston down before impact. For 177 I suggest 8.4-10.5gr, for 22 14.3gr min. This varies for diff guns but basically try to stay away from lighter pellets. Modding the main seal is a bit involved but I have details if anyone wants; chevota at hotmail and tell me the gun you have and what you want to do and I'll send the info.

 

[444]

I have never personally done it. But I have personally seen "regular" scopes ruined in short order from someone else putting one on a springer airgun.

As was mentioned, I shoot a PCP gun and it isn't an issue.