Recoil spring for scope

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Mike V. if you are reading this thread perhaps you could answer my question. I just read your article in the Rifle about aging eyes needing scopes for BPCS. I noticed the scopes you were using had no recoil springs. Is there any chance that the heavy recoil from the 500 grain slugs might break the crosshairs? I have five of the scopes with outside adjustment mounts and only one has a recoil spring . I have been reluctant to use these scopes on anyrifle large than a 22 rimfire for that reason. I have one that had a broken cross hair and it cost a hundred dollars to get it replaced. Ouch.

[gunplumber]

if i remember correctly my mva scope has the crossahair etched in a lens in the scope and the mounts are desighned so the scope slides foreward in the mounts during recoil. you have to pull the scope back to the stop before the next shot. i only remember ever seeing one scope with a spring on it and it was just for pulling the scope back to the stop after firing so the shooter didnt have to. I dont know if it worked well or not
hope that helps a little

[GOPHER SLAYER]

gunplumber, you may be right. I have used both Lyman and Unertal scopes for decades but never on heavy recioling rifles. I did aquire a one inch Uertal several years ago and it had a broken cross hair. It is also equipped with a spring. I just assumned it was broken by recoil, I don't really know. If it was the spring didn't help. Looking at the pictures of the new replica scopes, it looks to me that the scope is locked in place and doesn't move at all. I have never seen one myself. I would also like to point out that the mounts, in the pictures at least, look really cheezy. On reading the article, that is what the buyers seem to think of them.

[gunplumber]

i have the mva 3000 series 28 inch scope with the centerless mil dot reticle with the silhouette mounts. in the front mount the stop you set the eye relief with has a keyway on the bottom that orients the scope and keeps it straight, in the mount there is a ball under spring pressure that applies resistance so the scope doesnt slide around. the back mount has a ball and spring setup also that keeps the scope centered in the mount. the sight settings are very repeatable and the mounts seem pretty durable, i worry more about bumping the center of the scope tube and damaging the scope more than the mounts. its mounted on a 45/70 shiloh and i shoot 65 to 70 gr of 1.5 swiss with 540 gr, 520 gr and 410 gr cast boolits

[RMulhern]

Leave the friggin springs OFF!! The scope WILL NOT be hurt! If it's a Unertl.....pull scope to the rear to stop...and give a slight twist to the right....very lightly!!

[Hip's Ax]

The old shooters always told me the high power shooters did not use a spring due to the combination of short eye relief and high recoil could get you a black eye. It is better to have the scope move forward or at least have the ability to move forward under these circumstances.

All admit that using no spring and pulling the scope back and giving it a gentle twist the same way after every shot is the most repeatable condition that you can get.

Smallbore (.22 rimfire) shooters mostly use the spring. You still see many, many Unertl's and Lyman's at any smallbore match especially prone, it is quite rare to see one at a high power shoot anymore but I do occasionally see one.

I have seen all types of scopes lose a cross hair every now and then and it does not seem to be any more prevalent in high power than smallbore.

Strangely enough the worst offenders are pneumatic air rifles. Due to the inner workings of the pellet moving in the barrel and the piston moving in the opposite direction a "moment" is applied to the cross hair (a twisting force) which is why air rifle scopes are specially made for air rifles.

Hope this helps.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Hip's Ax, I can certainly agree with the fact that air rifles are hard on scopes. I gave my nephew a .22cal. air rifle and it kept knocking out cross hairs untill I mounted an old Weaver steel tube intended for . 22 rimfires. So far it is still hoding.

[flounderman]

I used a couple of litcherts for years shooting smallbore. both had the springs but I was told not to tighten them. I used the scope on a 22-250 with about the same tension. you could adjust the scopes position for eye relief. if you are worried about the scope sliding ahead too far, wrap a rubber band around it for a cushion stop.

[Hip's Ax]

Gopher, it caught me by surprise when i was told about this. An air rifle, well you figure anything would last forever on it, it shocked me but when the problem was explained it made sense. I guess pre compressed air rifles would not have this problem. Anyway, there is no shortage of companies making air rifle specific scopes out there in all price ranges so one just needs to be aware.