Scopes for Nitrogen Piston Air-Rifles

[jds holler]

I just picked up one of these Nitro-Piston rifles from a guy at work. (Crossman Shockwave .22)

Yeah, I know it's prolly considered a cheap budget gun compared to what I hear guys talking about these days, and the scope is REALLY low budget.

I was wondering if these nitro-piston types are as destructive on scopes as the conventional springers, or if I could mount one of the old Weaver K-4's I've got laying around on it. I hate to condemn one of these old scopes to certain death it it is a foregone conclusion.

This is the first five shots I banged out of this rifle with my elbows resting on our yard table at 25 yards. This is waaayy better than the other two springers that I've got. (and never use) jd

 

[JEFFPPC]

I shoot springers, a lot the last 2 years. One of them is a Diana 54 with a reputation as a scope killer. Between that and a TX200 over 20,000 shots. No scope problems. Shooting groups at 25 yards in the .1s and lower. A Sightron STAC 5x20 and a Hawke 6 x24. I think the newer scopes with etched reticles pretty much ended the problem. Your K4, might get beat up. Call any name scope company, I have, they tell you airguns are fine. Your K4 I would be a bit leary of. I have never read that the nitros guns are worse than springers.

 

[6MMsteve]

Hawke is a safe air rifle scope, I demolished a bushnell forge in 20 shots with a Benjamin Trailxp

 

[Fast14riot]

NP guns are springers. They just compress gas instead of a spring. Less moving mass, but still a reverse recoil, which is what kills scopes. Hawke makes some good scopes for AG.

 

[jds holler]

NP guns are springers. They just compress gas instead of a spring. Less moving mass, but still a reverse recoil, which is what kills scopes. Hawke makes some good scopes for AG.

I guess that my conception of the nitro's was that they might be more "cushy" in their recoil -- or reverse recoil. It's not uncommon for me to be wrong and optimistically so.

In my piles of stuff, I did find an older Centerpoint scope that came on a springer, and it is much better optically than the one that came on this rifle. I slapped it on, and things are working pretty good.

I also found a BSA 2X red dot sight. It's brand new, and now I'm wondering, hmmmm. jd

 

[Rocketvapor]

I have a Gamo Whisper Fusion Mach 1, 22 cal with what they call a Recoil Reducing Rail.
Came with a super cheap scope. I put a cheapo Bushnell or maybe a Simmons scope on it (don't remember) with a rail adapter.
They sell the RRR separately

Gamo Recoil Reducing Scope Rail for Gamo Air Rifles 11 mm

Gamo Recoil Reducing Scope Rail for Gamo Air Rifles 11 mm. Aluminum built and durable construction. Maximize your scope lifespan.

gamousa.com

Used it to trim rats. Baited, 50ft DRT and into a 2x6 board as a backstop.


Amazon has this, haven't tried one though,

Amazon.com

 

[jds holler]

Very interesting. Yours looks like it's got an expansion joint like ya might see in a bridge. My receiver isn't drilled and tapped for it though. The other one would work however. Price isn't crazy on either of them.

I could use a little more scope height, which that may provide.

Thanks for chiming in, everyone. And RV, I've always respected your opinion with this stuff. After all, you are a rocket scientist. jd

 

[Rocketvapor]

This air rifle is a break barrel and you'd better eat your Wheaties if you want to cock it while prone.
Here's my rat backstop. Got one and brother came up to investigate. Got him.

Even though the property looks like a jungle/swamp we live in the city limits. Suppressed subsonic 22 work work, but I ain't got a suppressor.

 

[Adam in WI]

Jeff, I don't think it's just the reticles that are vulnerable. I watched a guy walk into my FFL with a Springer and a cheap scope that literally flew apart. The ring holding the objective lens in stripped the threads and the lens come right out.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Jeff, I don't think it's just the reticles that are vulnerable. I watched a guy walk into my FFL with a Springer and a cheap scope that literally flew apart. The ring holding the objective lens in stripped the threads and the lens come right out.

Cheap scope, take your chance. I have a nitro piston gun I have had for about 10 years that came with a Crosspoint scope Walmart told for 49.95 at the time. It's still ok, take your chances. Buy cheap, don't cry.

 

[Pyscodog]

Center Point, which is made by Crossman, makes a decent cheap air rifle scope. They have an air rifle scope in their line up.

 

[jds holler]

Center Point, which is made by Crossman, makes a decent cheap air rifle scope. They have an air rifle scope in their line up.

Well, for better or worse, that's what I've got on there for now at least. The one I'm using came off of a Ruger Air Hawk .177 that I got about ten years ago. That rifle groups about 8" at twenty five yards. -- seriously.

This Crossman Shockwave looks to be easy 1" at that distance, so I'm tickled as a kid with a new BB gun. A guy where I work was gonna sell it to me for 60 bucks, but when I saw all the pellets he was giving with it, I jewed him up to 80.

Now I've got a couple 177's that shoot plenty good enough to wound a skunk at ten feet. jd

 

[Rocketvapor]

I ran the Gamo from 5yds to 25yds with open sights.
Then set the scope for 50ft (my blind to bait distance).
I get 820fps across the chrono @ 10' with 14.6gr pointed pellets.

 

[jds holler]

I just banged out a 25 yard, ten shot group of 1.75" (tape measure) with the 14.3 gr. HP Crossman pellets. -- then

Did the same thing with the Crossman pointed pellets resulting in a group of 4+ inches.

I'm not jazzed about a 4" group, but with my old 177's, I doubt that all ten would have landed on the paper plate.

My rest is simply a large pillow, (dog bed) on top of our yard table. I've heard that these rifles often don't respond well to sand bags. Trigger pull is smooth and LLLOOOOONNNNGGG.

jd

 

[Rocketvapor]

Fun being kids again

 

[jds holler]

Fun being kids again

My wife would tell ya that I never quit. There's been times in my life when I found myself behaving much too mature. Couple of times I almost took something seriously. I've tried to put that behind me. jd

 

[snert]

Any hard rest will make the gun jump in recoil and screw the group. A soft hold with the left hand and use the arm against the rest. Cmon JD, you can still shoot off two legs can't ya?!

Pellet choice makes a lot of difference. I used to shoot pointed pellets in my RWS45 (Win 450) but after a rebuild it wouldnt shoot them for crap. I went to round nose and flat nose and they shoot better. I put a cheap 3/4 inch bushnell on it as a kid. It lasted a while, then one day the rear lens blew up in my face.

It has a cheap air rifle rated $100 scope on it now and it seems to hold up. I can't recall the make, but it is a 2-7 variable and the finish on the scope melts in contact with heat, oil and cleaning juice (another gun dribbled) . Now the scope feels like a sticky candy bar.

Anyhow, welcome to continued childhood JD. It is a fun way to live.

 

[Rocketvapor]

Gonna have to try other pellets.

 

[jds holler]

Gonna have to try other pellets.

Got any good ideas?? This is a .22, and I've got a bazillion of these Crossman HP's, a tin of pointed, and a tin of Piranha's which I haven't tried yet.

I don't suppose that you'd recommend that I try my 45 gr. cast round nose's that I use for plinkers in my Bee??

 

[jds holler]

Anyhow, welcome to continued childhood JD. It is a fun way to live.

My childhood holds many fond memories. Except for that danged Peggy McCart, who could beat us guys asses until we were all teenagers. And then-- well I don't want to remember that either jd