Heavy pellets

[remrug]

I am just getting started with shooting an air gun besides the cheaper pump ones.I see that shooting air guns are hard on scopes. If I shoot heavy pellets,will that help a scope live longer? I googled that question and came up empty.

 

[John from MD]

I am just getting started with shooting an air gun besides the cheaper pump ones.I see that shooting air guns are hard on scopes. If I shoot heavy pellets,will that help a scope live longer? I googled that question and came up empty.

Only spring or gas strut powered air rifles are hard on scopes. The reason for this is that you have recoil forces in both directions when a springer is fired. Normally, if you buy a scope made for springers, they will work fine. There are some exceptions though.

Pump and PCP type air guns will not harm scopes.

 

[ohen cepel]

Need a scope for an air rifle if it is a spring/gas piston gun as John said.

Heavy pellets have not usually given me good results in my springers, most are made for very strong PCP guns. You can go a grain or 2 over "normal" but if you go up much performance tends to fall off in my experience.

 

[John from MD]

Need a scope for an air rifle if it is a spring/gas piston gun as John said.

Heavy pellets have not usually given me good results in my springers, most are made for very strong PCP guns. You can go a grain or 2 over "normal" but if you go up much performance tends to fall off in my experience.

Believe it or not, most .22 springers do just fine with the inexpensive Crosman Premier 14.3 grain pellets. I have tried pellets from 15 to 18 grains with mine and the difference from the premiers was not worth the effort.

 

[remrug]

Thanks for the replies
I thought a heavy pellet might work the same as a heavy arrow would dampen some vibration and keep it away from the scope.
BTW.....I am talking about scopes rated for air guns

 

[ohen cepel]

I have never heard of any gain for a heavy pellet as it relates to scope life. If airgun rated, it will be fine.

 

[bgoodsoil]

I had a scope on a springer that would shift to the right a quarter inch with every shot. Holding on center it would draw a horizontal line to the right the more I shot. That double-recoil-scope-destroying stuff is real!

 

[John from MD]

I had a scope on a springer that would shift to the right a quarter inch with every shot. Holding on center it would draw a horizontal line to the right the more I shot. That double-recoil-scope-destroying stuff is real!

It may be their lighter weight but I have found that red dot sights are unaffected by the recoil of a springer. So far I have tried a cheap Truglow, a Bushnell TRS25, a Burris Fast Fire III and a Vortex Crossfire. You won't be able to put all your pellets in one small hole as with a scope but I can keep them around a 3/4 inch group at 45 feet in the basement. In the front yard, leaning over my pick up bed cover, I can keep Crosman Premiers at about an inch or so at 25 yards.

 

[bgoodsoil]

I gave up on springers and went the PCP route. After a year, I have ZERO buyer's remorse on that decision. I sold a collection of Winchesters for the PCP and compressor and am so glad I did.

 

[Mark75H]

Springers are hard for many people to learn, you don't restrain them like a firearm.

 

[cobra]

Don’t think pellet weight has as much effect as does shooting style.
Search Artillery hold for shooting air guns.

 

[CraZ4GunZ]

Agree on artillery hold. Airgun shooting is a different style and you do need a reliable airgun specific scope.

 

[Bountied]

Check out the Hawke line of airgun scopes they are worth it. How you mount the scope has a lot to do with it holding zero also. Make sure the mount is solid. I like the one piece mounts with a recoil lug built in.