My 45/70 handi-rifle would destroy a shotgun scope?

Alex_Zues

Alex_Zues

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I was at the range today shooting the sh!t (not literally) with some other members, and mentioned that I was going to scope my 45-70 handi-rifle. I'd seen a nikon prostaff shotgun scope, and I figured if it can handle shotgun recoil, a 45-70 shouldn't be an issue. One of the other members said NO, and that the scopes were designed to handle different types of recoil, so it could ruin the scope.

So is it true? Would shotgun or muzzle loader scopes not last on a 45-70 handi-rifle? I don't plan to make any demon loads since I like my shoulder's too much, but will regular 45-70 loads be too hot for such scopes?

Thanks for any wisdom,
Al
 
Alex_Zues said:
I was at the range today shooting the sh!t (not literally) with some other members, and mentioned that I was going to scope my 45-70 handi-rifle. I'd seen a nikon prostaff shotgun scope, and I figured if it can handle shotgun recoil, a 45-70 shouldn't be an issue. One of the other members said NO, and that the scopes were designed to handle different types of recoil, so it could ruin the scope.

So is it true? Would shotgun or muzzle loader scopes not last on a 45-70 handi-rifle? I don't plan to make any demon loads since I like my shoulder's too much, but will regular 45-70 loads be too hot for such scopes?

Thanks for any wisdom,
Al
Click to expand...

A 3" slug and a 400 grain .458" bullet going about as fast as your can push it in a handi-rifle will have very similair recoil. Both will be around 30-35 ft/lbs of recoil energy. I wouldn't worry about it much.
 
People are as likely to be sure of themselves when they are wrong as they are when they are right.

I agree with cam1936. I would trust a shotgun scope from a reputable maker like Nikon to stand up tn a .45-70's recoil.
 
The designation as a shotgun scope, has nothing to do with what recoil it can handle. It means that the scope is set to be parallax free at 75 or 50 m instead of the typical 100m that a normal hunting scope would be.

Just spend the money and buy a quality scope, not some cheapy like a Bushnell Banner that says shotgun. Even though it says it's for shotguns doesn't mean it will hold up. Your better off buying a quality scope over a cheap one made for shotguns.
 
A lot of scopes that are marketed for shotgun use also have a bit more eye relief than a typical rifle scope, often around 5 or 6 inches. These work really well on a Handi-rifle, because they let you mount the scope far enough forward that you don't have to use high rings in order to clear the hammer. Instead, the scope sits just forward of the hammer, and can be mounted nice and low. The recoil will be absolutely no problem for these scopes.
 
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