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Can a centerfire rifle scope be used on a air rifle? If not why? I have heard that an air rifle will shatter the glass of a centerfire scope when it is shot. I find that rather hard to believe but as anyone actually SEEN this happen?

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Might not shatter the glass, but a big springer will absolutely eat most cf scopes in short order. Different two stage recoil is what gets them.

CF scopes need to be airgun rated to be worth putting on a springer.

Bushnell 3200's and up are airgun rated, not sure about the lower end versions, and I've read that most leupolds are also airgun rated, but I've never put one on any of my springers.


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Yep what KodiakHntr said. Double whammy gets the insides.


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Depends on the scope, but it's true that the double recoil of a springer will kill a scope not designed for recoil in both forward and reward directions. Same reason the ruger 10/22 can eat scopes with the bolt slamming forward.

I did contact leupold before putting a 6X36 on a springer and they said it was fine.

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A hard lesson learned by newbies, including me back in the day.
Now for the past 8 years, I only use Hawke scopes which are all magnum springer rated. Never had one crap out on me yet, even on my gas rams, solid since the day they were all mounted.

A acquaintance shooter I know put on a spanking brand new Leupold EFR on his R9(an a R9 isn't a hard recoiling gun) and it died within 100 shots. So even if a scope is AG rated, it doesn't mean that it'll last, everything breaks if it has moving parts. Especially AG rated scopes.


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There can be variables on this, I got away with a Simmons low end centerfire rifle scope years ago on my RWS 52 side springer, but it did not last long after that when I put it on my CZ 527 rifle, I don't shoot my pellet guns as much as some people. I have read of people only getting 100 shots out of a conventional scope on their springers, I can imagine that is expensive!

I had a Leapers 4X on my last RWS 52 before I sold it, and it held up fine, but the Leapers airgun scopes are made for the pounding. I recently bought a new RWS 34 barrel pump springer, took it to the range and my bench position was on the awkward side, so the but of the rifle was riding on my collar bone, I kept feeling pain after the recoil of the gun, could feel the double affect, when I got home I had a nasty bruise on my shoulder, a real reminder of how hard the double kick is on these springers.

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Originally Posted by HE112
There can be variables on this, I got away with a Simmons low end centerfire rifle scope years ago on my RWS 52 side springer, but it did not last long after that when I put it on my CZ 527 rifle, I don't shoot my pellet guns as much as some people. I have read of people only getting 100 shots out of a conventional scope on their springers, I can imagine that is expensive!

I had a Leapers 4X on my last RWS 52 before I sold it, and it held up fine, but the Leapers airgun scopes are made for the pounding. I recently bought a new RWS 34 barrel pump springer, took it to the range and my bench position was on the awkward side, so the but of the rifle was riding on my collar bone, I kept feeling pain after the recoil of the gun, could feel the double affect, when I got home I had a nasty bruise on my shoulder, a real reminder of how hard the double kick is on these springers.


Yes they can be variables, but it's kinda like playing Russian Roulette, you have zero clue as to when it's going to die on you. I put a Bushnell Sport View on my stock model 48 and it held POI with no shifts or breaking until I took it off when I sold the gun. But then again, I also put a spanking brand new Bushnell Legend (AG rated) on my Weihrauch 80,(Beeman R1) and it died within 100 shots. I gave up on Bushnell and went with Hawke Optics, zero failure on any of my guns since day 1. And my original scope, a Air Max is still holding zero on my gas rammed Webley Stingray since it was mounted 8 years ago. And Hawkes are A LOT cheaper than Bushnells and offer more value for your money. Hawke also has 2 computer programs that can be downloaded for free and works with the Hawke reticules, both will put you on target. They're called Hawke BRC and Chairgun.


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xposo...good points. I did not know there were any centerfire scopes rated for airguns until recently, progress. I may give the Hawke brand a try next time.

I also forgot to mention the limit I had with the Leapers 4X, I went with it because I felt the 4 power would hold up over a variable, but at close range-like in my house, I could not get it to focus properly. It was suitable for longer ranges, so did well at my rifle/pistol range from 50' to 50 yards. It is intended for hunting/distance shots. Next time I will go with a variable to allow more adjustment for distances.

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Originally Posted by HE112
xposo...good points. I did not know there were any centerfire scopes rated for airguns until recently, progress. I may give the Hawke brand a try next time.

I also forgot to mention the limit I had with the Leapers 4X, I went with it because I felt the 4 power would hold up over a variable, but at close range-like in my house, I could not get it to focus properly. It was suitable for longer ranges, so did well at my rifle/pistol range from 50' to 50 yards. It is intended for hunting/distance shots. Next time I will go with a variable to allow more adjustment for distances.


Did you adjust the ocular piece(eye end) when you adjusted the power and objective lens?
Lots of guys just turn the power, and or the objective without adjusting the ocular lens
and then can't see anything or is just way to blurry. Then again, some scopes can't even focus down to air gun ranges like 10 yards. All of my scopes that have a fixed objective lens go on my longer range guns just for that fact.


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For an inexpensive air gun scope I always used the Bushnell Sportview Airgun/.22 scope. After Bushnell bought Simmons and Tasco they moved that scope over to the Simmons 22 Magnum line and is now the 3-9x32AO.

I've had one on a Beeman R9 for about three years with no problems... Focuses close even on 9 power...about $75.00...

One of the few scopes out there that you actually get more than what you paid for...

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Originally Posted by RJM
For an inexpensive air gun scope I always used the Bushnell Sportview Airgun/.22 scope. After Bushnell bought Simmons and Tasco they moved that scope over to the Simmons 22 Magnum line and is now the 3-9x32AO.

I've had one on a Beeman R9 for about three years with no problems... Focuses close even on 9 power...about $75.00...

One of the few scopes out there that you actually get more than what you paid for...

Bob


I agree, the Bushnell Sport View (original Bushnell Sport View) is a cheap, tough, scope. That's the one
that was on my RWS Model 48 and could take some major recoil and never missed a beat. The Bushy Legend couldn't even come close to what the Sport View could take as far as recoil. Some times cheaper is better.


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It did have multple adjustments, read the owners manual too. I should say I could see the target at 20' in my living room, but it was a bit fuzzy. I had it sighted to point of aim at my pistol range, around 50' to be able to hit pest birds. And also shot it at 50 yards too, compensating for the pellet drop.

One thing I also had to take into account is at 20' the scope was sighted around 1.25" high as it rode well above the barrel, sighted to point of aim at the pistol range. I have read that this is a problem with the traditional AR-15s with the carry handle sight when using a scope mounted way up there, it is so high up that the rifle will shoot low at very close range.

I don't forsee getting a scope for my RWS 34 as the barrel is separate and the RWS 52 I had had the barrel fixed to the receiver, much better for a scope. Yet, lots of people seem to want to mount a scope on their barrel breaks.

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Having break barrel rifles with scopes (Beeman Crow Mag.20,RWS34.177) has been no problem for me.
As long as the scope is designed to handle the recoil in two directions of gas-rams/spring rifles as well as the recoil level of said rifle.
Bushnell Trophy 4-12X40 AO
Hawke 3-9X40 AO
Bushnell 4x AO on an RWS 52
The AO kills the fuzzy at close range.


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Originally Posted by xposo
A hard lesson learned by newbies, including me back in the day.
Now for the past 8 years, I only use Hawke scopes which are all magnum springer rated. Never had one crap out on me yet, even on my gas rams, solid since the day they were all mounted.

A acquaintance shooter I know put on a spanking brand new Leupold EFR on his R9(an a R9 isn't a hard recoiling gun) and it died within 100 shots. So even if a scope is AG rated, it doesn't mean that it'll last, everything breaks if it has moving parts. Especially AG rated scopes.


My R9 SE ate a Bushnell Trophy 4-16x, Bushnell will not back it with airgun use. I put a Swift Premier 6-20x airgun scope ($220 online) on it and it's great. The Elite series is also rated by the factory for airgun use.

The point of aim starts going wacky, you adjust the scope and get a few shots on and then it will jump again.

Last edited by 243WSSM; 04/07/12.

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Ditto: Will turn an expensive Leupold, etc. to junk in a day. Can't take the two way spring recoil. Seen it happen.


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