Pellet gun scope

[pointingdogsrule]

So I bought this Chinese pellet gun at a local gun swap. .22 caliber for $30.00. I would like to put a scope on the gun for some pigeon shooting. I see 8X20 scopes... but I am thinking that 8x would be way to much for shooting pigeons in the local barns at say 10 yards. Maybe a 4x would be better and more practical. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

good luck to all
the dog

 

[2rocky]

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNqIq439XbEIeJhFJca2J-g


this guy seems to know his stuff....

 

[Redwood]

It's reverse recoil so you can't/shouldn't put a center fire scope on it.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

It's reverse recoil so you can't/shouldn't put a center fire scope on it.

Thanks..... so are there "special scopes" designed for "reverse recoil" guns???

good luck to all
the dog

 

[MKotur325]

Thanks..... so are there "special scopes" designed for "reverse recoil" guns???

Yes, Scopes advertised as Airgun scopes are designed to handle the reverse recoil impulse from airguns. Most of your major optics brands, and major Airgun brands produce good Airgun scopes.

 

[MTpubliclander]

What about something easy like a red dot if all your going to do is shoot pigeons that close?

 

[EODRay]

MK, please explain how air rifles are reverse recoil. I'm not saying it's not true. I have just never heard of it. Seems to me like the air pushes against the pellet the same way the explosion/deflagration from powder does a bullet. I have a regular 3-9X cheap-o scope on my sons air rifle. There is almost zero kick/recoil so I don't see why any old scope wouldn't work. I need an education on this.

 

[roadhunter]

MK, please explain how air rifles are reverse recoil. I'm not saying it's not true. I have just never heard of it. Seems to me like the air pushes against the pellet the same way the explosion/deflagration from powder does a bullet. I have a regular 3-9X cheap-o scope on my sons air rifle. There is almost zero kick/recoil so I don't see why any old scope wouldn't work. I need an education on this.

I thought the same thing when I read that bit about reverse recoil. Probably just more than my pea size brain can comprehend.

 

[MKotur325]

How I understand it...

When the spring and piston travel forward, to insure proper compression and velocity the piston actually strikes the front of the air chamber with significant enough force to push the rifle forward. This more than offsets any recoil generated by the pellet and air exiting the barrel. The spring and piston are the heaviest internal parts of the pellet gun. the energy transferred by them striking the front of the air chamber is quite significant, and the recoil velocity is quite high. Which can create issues for traditional rifle scopes. Which are designed that the fast jolt of recoil only travels backward.

 

[sbhooper]

Now THAT is interesting. You can learn something new every day by being on forums!!!!

 

[schmalts]

I find it hard to believe that any pellet gun needs a special scope because what tiny recoil there is in any direction. I agree with the explaination that MKotur325 gave but still find it hard to believe a centerfire scope cannot handle any pellet gun much less one that is not one of the new power monsters they are making.

 

[noharleyyet]

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080427095802AAsMorR

 

[schmalts]

I am actually at the gun club right now and the indoor pellet league gun guys are setting up so I asked a few about this. They did not seem to have any trouble with the centerfire scopes they are using but they also spend pretty good money on these guns.

 

[Redwood]

Over the years I've returned numerous quality scopes over this.

 

[A-con]

I don't know anything about air gun scopes, but I'll bet these guys do.

http://www.pyramydair.com/a/Accessories/Scopes/92

 

[EODRay]

Thanks for the reply MK

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080427095802AAsMorR

This does not apply if you are shooting a rifle that uses carbon dioxide cartridges because they don't have a forward recoil. They have essentially no recoil at all. It is okay to use a regular rifle scope on a carbon dioxide rifle.
/QUOTE]

My sons rifle has the Carbon Dioxide bottles but can also be used in a pump configuration. He usually fires it with the Co2 bottles, so maybe that's why we haven't had any issues with the regular scope. Even in the pump mode, I'm pretty sure that it compresses the air and then releases it……working the same. I could see how the reverse recoil could apply to the spring actuated kind of rifles where the piston drives foreword.