Do I NEED a "muzzleloader" scope?

[Furner]

Im looking for a good scope for my Genesis. Do I need a scope specifically marketed for muzzleloaders, or can I take any riflescope?

 

[cayuga]

The only thing I suggest is keep in mind the eye relief. Muzzleloaders can be known to catch us with a recoil. One of my favorite muzzleloader scopes are the Nikon Pro Staff 2-7x32mm which is a shotgun/muzzleloader scope. It has good eye relief and excellent glass. If you have a rifle scope, they will work. Also the length of the scope can be important if you do not want to remove the rear sights. I like 3.5-4 inches of eye relief and not longer then 12 inches in length. This of course is my opinion.

 

[old/new]

My opinion (which can be considered fact ) is any good quality scope will suffice. MZ & shotgun scopes are set to be parallax free at a shorter distance (75 yds) which will make little difference to you in the field and even less at a bench. I think most MZ shooters on this forum use the scope they want regardless of whether it is called a MZ scope or not.

That being said I really like Leupold's 2-7 shotgun scope with the heavy duplex reticle.

 

[g.g.]

I shoot a leupy vxIII 2.5x10x50 on my encore and have for years. no issues with eye relief, skull busting, or losing center.

you will be fine as long as its a quality scope and mounted correctly

 

[Redeye171]

Nikon Omega (BDC or not) is hard to beat. It's not very long, has very good eye relief and the optics are great. Works excellent for me on my TC Triumph. I can leave the factory sights on the gun and with the Warne QD base and rings it makes cleaning that much easier being able to take the scope of the gun.

 

[Lee 9]

The only thing I suggest is keep in mind the eye relief. Muzzleloaders can be known to catch us with a recoil. One of my favorite muzzleloader scopes are the Nikon Pro Staff 2-7x32mm which is a shotgun/muzzleloader scope. It has good eye relief and excellent glass. If you have a rifle scope, they will work. Also the length of the scope can be important if you do not want to remove the rear sights. I like 3.5-4 inches of eye relief and not longer then 12 inches in length. This of course is my opinion.

I agree and would add that while a lot of the regular scopes have worked well I have had a few that the different type of recoil that these inlines produce has torn up the insides of several for me so I have gone to Bushnell and Nikon I also have a couple of weaver and Tasco that have held up for many years while the Redfield and Leopold have gone to pieces on me. Lee

 

[DPH]

The only thing I suggest is keep in mind the eye relief. Muzzleloaders can be known to catch us with a recoil. One of my favorite muzzleloader scopes are the Nikon Pro Staff 2-7x32mm which is a shotgun/muzzleloader scope. It has good eye relief and excellent glass. If you have a rifle scope, they will work. Also the length of the scope can be important if you do not want to remove the rear sights. I like 3.5-4 inches of eye relief and not longer then 12 inches in length. This of course is my opinion.

I agree and would add that while a lot of the regular scopes have worked well I have had a few that the different type of recoil that these inlines produce has torn up the insides of several for me so I have gone to Bushnell and Nikon I also have a couple of weaver and Tasco that have held up for many years while the Redfield and Leopold have gone to pieces on me. Lee

Are you saying that you have had Redfield and leupold scopes go bad internally from the recoil of an in-line muzzleloader? I have read that the recoil from an airgun can tear up a scope, but I've never heard of a muzzleloader ruining a good quality scope.

 

[Furner]

Ok, thanks. Good to know. I know that my break-action air rifles need special scopes, so I was just wanted to check if muzzleloaders are the same way.

 

[taylorhaught]

i threw on a cheapie BSA scope on my tirumph and i like it.

 

[Anonymous]

Not for long you won't.... 8)

 

[taylorhaught]

i have had it on for two years now and taken two deer with it. sure it doesnt have all the fancy coatings on it, but i dont care. sure i would love to have a leupold or nikon, but it was given to me and thought i would throw it on the triumph. i have had great succes on the range and in the field. if its not broke dont fix it right

 

[Lee 9]

DPH
Yes I am. I never had a problem with those scopes on my cartridge guns but they never last more than 8 months on my inlines,I do like and shoot max loads and that may have something to do with it so might the fact that I often shoot 2 or 3 times a week for 1/2 to all day, all in all I would say that buying a scope that is designed for the use you are going to put it to is a good idea but not a necessity. Lee

 

[DPH]

DPH
Yes I am. I never had a problem with those scopes on my cartridge guns but they never last more than 8 months on my inlines,I do like and shoot max loads and that may have something to do with it so might the fact that I often shoot 2 or 3 times a week for 1/2 to all day, all in all I would say that buying a scope that is designed for the use you are going to put it to is a good idea but not a necessity. Lee

Lee,
Did Leupold and Redfield repair or replace the scopes that went bad? This should be something they should know so that they can design their scopes better.

I personally use a 4x Redfield (that I bought new in about 1980) on my Remington 700ML. I've never shot more than 90 grains of T7 in it, and have never had a problem. If I went to 150 gr. loads, perhaps that would be too much for the scope?

I don't shoot my muzzleloaders near what you do, so I expect no problems from my scope. If it does go bad, I don't know if the current Redfield company would honor the lifetime warranty. Hopefully I'll not have an occasion to find out.

 

[Swampman]

I really like the Bushnell Banner 1.5-4.5X32. You can get one online for a littl over $60.00.

 

[SWThomas]

Nikon ProStaff 3-9X40 on my Genesis. Fits great with the iron sights still installed and has plenty of eye relief.

 

[Lee 9]

DPH
Yes I am. I never had a problem with those scopes on my cartridge guns but they never last more than 8 months on my inlines,I do like and shoot max loads and that may have something to do with it so might the fact that I often shoot 2 or 3 times a week for 1/2 to all day, all in all I would say that buying a scope that is designed for the use you are going to put it to is a good idea but not a necessity. Lee

Lee,
Did Leupold and Redfield repair or replace the scopes that went bad? This should be something they should know so that they can design their scopes better.

I personally use a 4x Redfield (that I bought new in about 1980) on my Remington 700ML. I've never shot more than 90 grains of T7 in it, and have never had a problem. If I went to 150 gr. loads, perhaps that would be too much for the scope?

I don't shoot my muzzleloaders near what you do, so I expect no problems from my scope. If it does go bad, I don't know if the current Redfield company would honor the lifetime warranty. Hopefully I'll not have an occasion to find out.

The Leupold was replaced and all i had to pay was the postage, I put it on a model 70 Winchester rifle; I never got any satisfaction on the Redfield. Lee

 

[Hammerspur]

I like Weaver V-3's and Leupold 1-4 x 20's.