Pellet gun scope

Yooper

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I have a Gamo Hornet pellet gun that is wonderful for rodent control. The scope it came with no longer will hold its zero. These types of pellet guns are known scope killers due to the double recoil that they produce. I put on some regular sights but I sure miss having the scope. Anybody have any insights or suggestions?
 

bearbait

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I have a Gamo Hornet pellet gun that is wonderful for rodent control. The scope it came with no longer will hold its zero. These types of pellet guns are known scope killers due to the double recoil that they produce. I put on some regular sights but I sure miss having the scope. Anybody have any insights or suggestions?
A scope for a rimfire rifle works fine with them or at least it does with mine. I made a big mistake by using a Nikon center fire scope off my rifle on it and let's just say it didn't last long...didn't know better at the time but at least it was covered under warranty. I now have a Simmons rim fire scope on it now, cheap but it works.
 

PaulR

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Yep. Rimfire scope.
I have a Vortex red dot on mine, works well....oh wait that's on the airsoft rifle..
 

NCL4701

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I’ve found scopes designed for crossbows work well on higher powered air rifles that have significant double recoil. Crossbows have similar double recoil issues so they also tend to tear up standard rifle scopes, thus crossbow scopes are designed to handle the double recoil.
 
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DaveFromMi

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I threw away the scope that came with my Gamo 220; it was junk. I replaced it with a Winchester 3-9X air rifle scope and haven't had any problems with it.
 

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jimh406

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Centerpoint makes nice ones. I like Pyramidair for ordering air rifle accessories. They have other brands as well.
 
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anomad

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I have a couple of those on 177 springers. They work fine. An airgun rated fixed 4 power scope with adjustable objective is the way to go for my purposes on a cheap springer.

I also have this more premium version on a Weihrauch.
 

mcfarmall

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On a somewhat related note, I can't hit the broadside of a barn with my Gamo but can do ok with my old Crosman 760 Powermaster and iron sights. Any suggestions or just practice more and try one of the scopes mentioned above?
 

jimh406

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Try different pellets with different weights. There are all kinds of new ones of different styles.
 
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RCW

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Just my own curiosity, but what makes a scope air-rifle-rated?

Is it tap/mount issues or restrictions?

What is double-recoil?

Sorry for the tangent, Yooper. For someone that was a long-range varmint shooter, this kind of stuff interests me greatly.
 

DaveFromMi

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On a somewhat related note, I can't hit the broadside of a barn with my Gamo but can do ok with my old Crosman 760 Powermaster and iron sights. Any suggestions or just practice more and try one of the scopes mentioned above?
If you can accurately shoot a spring loaded pellet gun, you can accurately shoot anything. Keep the sights or crosshairs on the target for at least 1 sec after gun discharges. If you react to the piston release, you will be off target when the pellet leaves the barrel.
 
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bucktail

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Just my own curiosity, but what makes a scope air-rifle-rated?

Is it tap/mount issues or restrictions?

What is double-recoil?

Sorry for the tangent, Yooper. For someone that was a long-range varmint shooter, this kind of stuff interests me greatly.
Spring loaded air guns get the bulk of their recoil from the pistons hitting the end of travel. It's in the opposite direction of the recoil you get from a firearm.
 
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RCW

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Spring loaded air guns get the bulk of their recoil from the pistons hitting the end of travel. It's in the opposite direction of the recoil you get from a firearm.
Ahh, makes perfect sense. Thanks!
 

Yooper

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Just my own curiosity, but what makes a scope air-rifle-rated?

Is it tap/mount issues or restrictions?

What is double-recoil?

Sorry for the tangent, Yooper. For someone that was a long-range varmint shooter, this kind of stuff interests me greatly.
bucktail nailed it. Just curious. What type of long range hunting do you do? Just got into prairie dog hunting this year.
 

RCW

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bucktail nailed it. Just curious. What type of long range hunting do you do? Just got into prairie dog hunting this year.
Sorry for the temporary diversion.

I used to hunt woodchucks quite a bit. Longest was about 575 yards. .22-250 Rem was caliber of choice. Reloaded my own ammo.
 

lugbolt

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I feel the pain

traditional rimfire glass will fail over time and a lot of shots in a springer. The recoil is completely different in a springer than a rimfire. Over time the reticle will either become loose, break, or the adjustments will not hold-which has been my case with almost every brand I've used.

You will spend money for good glass on a springer! As much or more than the rifle itself.

Springers are hard on glass, more specifically hard on the reticles and mounts. Sometimes on mine I will find it shooting off center by a millimeter or two and reach down & tighten the mount screws, and it is back right where it was. That is, shooting through the same pellet hole over and over and over again. It gets boring after a while so I'll tape a piece of paper to a stick, and hang it over the top of my target box so it's facing me endways. Then I'll just cut pieces of the paper off starting at the bottom and working my way up. When I was younger I'd shoot the ends of .22 shells and make them go off. That was pretty stupid.

Look at UTG, I've had the best luck with them. But I also spent way more on it than I should have. Sightron ain't bad either. The thing to look out for is to make sure it's rated for use on a springer air rifle. If the packaging or advertising doesn't specify, it's probably not.
 

MSG H

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On a somewhat related note, I can't hit the broadside of a barn with my Gamo but can do ok with my old Crosman 760 Powermaster and iron sights. Any suggestions or just practice more and try one of the scopes mentioned above?
Try running a cleaning patch with bore cleaner down the barrel. If the rifle has never been cleaned it will help with accuracy. Most high end brands sell air rifle cleaning kits.
 

MSG H

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The wooden stocked Gamos I have came with BSA scopes, rifles are almost 20 years old though.
 

twomany

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Nothing but peep hole irons on any of my spring guns.

The PCPs and the CO2 powered rifles will carry any optic without issue.
My favorite pester is a .22, CO2 powered, Industry Brand, AR-10 China Doll, fitted with a cheap Barska 4X. Has been for over 10 years now ;-)

Pfft!

I did get out the "big Iron" Evanix PCP" after we had masked marauders (raccoon) on the porch the other morning. They have moved on it appears, but the Weaver scope fitted AR-6 "revolver action", that will send a 27 grain pellet out with a sonic crack, is still close to hand.