22 scope on a bigger game rifle

[jdime]

I am new to deer hunting as well as guns.

I bought a used scope last night and after some research I came to find it's a scope for a 22. I went to Gander Mtn and got rings so that it'd mount on my rifle. The ones it came with were too small. I will be using 30-30 on the opener.

Is a "22 scope" not to be used with larger guns? Might the scope break from the extra recoil?

[BobT]

No. The problem is that the scope probably has shorter eye relief and there's a good chance you'll drill yourself in the forehead when the high powered rifle gun recoils.

My ex-wife's father used to do a lot of competition shooting and he had a 25x scope for his .22. Occasionally when he'd get into a high-powered competition, he'd mount that same scope on his 30-06. To this day I have no idea how he managed to continue to shoot so accurately without flinching knowing that he was going to drill his forehead with the scope. I'm not kidding, he actually cut deep enough to bleed.

[leech~~]

Also their not made for the same impact and you may just blow the cross hairs and lenses out of it! Not a good idea. But, on the other hand maybe you only need one good shot!

[grate8]

cut head. lol

[jdime]

Well, thanks for the feedback. I mounted it just right so my eye is back a ways. I'll know more at the range over lunch today!

[Deep]

It might work for awhile but it will break the scope internally. Just when that wall hanger steps out.

Don't get me wrong I know money is tight some times but I see people spend money on a gun then they will put a cheap scope on the gun. I would rather have them buy a cheap gun and invest more in their scope.

[grate8]

don't bust the scope!

[BobT]

How you mount the scope has nothing to do with eye relief. Eye relief is the distance you have to be from the rear of the scope to visually get a whole view through it. That distance on your scope is too close and when you fire that high-powered rifle, the recoil will very likely drive that scope into your forehead, leaving you a nasty bruise. You'll be lucky if that's all it does. After a few hits, you could also learn to flinch terribly and that is a very difficult habit to break and certainly not a good habit to get into.

I know what you mean about cheap optics.

My first scope was a cheap 3-9 variable from Tasco. I used it for a few years and one day I had a buck come running past me and then stop within about 30 yards of my stand. I shot at it and he took off. Within a few seconds there was another one and it stopped in almost the same spot. I shot at it and missed. I walked back to our hunting shack where we had a shooting bench set up and shot at a target from 25 yards. I was hitting 9" low!!! Couldn't believe it since I had checked the zero on that same rifle just a week before at 50 yards. I also discovered that the zero point changed as I zoomed in our out. That scope went into the trash.

[jdime]

The guy will take the scope back. I'll be using an older scope that was intended for the rifle I'll be using. I'll sight it in tomorrow. Thanks all.

[LakeDocktor]

With the price of ammo, and to shorten your sighting in time, I would recommend bringing the gun in somewhere to get it boresighted first before you really dial it in. It is fairly inexpensive and being you are just getting started, it could potentially save you a lot of time and headache.

[BobT]

If you have a shooting bench and a solid rest you can sight in a rifle scope with just a few rounds.

Set up your target, support your rifle on the bench using pads or something soft and firm to rest the rifle on, and gently squeeze off a round. NOTE: DO NOT grip the forearm of the rifle. Let it just rest on the padding. You'll want your target close enough so you can see the point of impact through the scope.

After taking the shot, rest your rifle on the pads again and line up the cross hairs on the center of the target. Now, without moving the rifle or taking your eye off the scope, adjust the scope until the crosshairs line up with actual point of impact. Your next round should be very close to dead on unless you moved the rifle while adjusting or you flinched during one of the shots.

[jdime]

Welll I got to the range this morning and after a few shots at 25 yards I realized I was about 18 inches high. The scope may not have been used in 15 years.

Of course once I used the iron sights to line up and then peered through the scope, I could easily see that the scope was off.

The kicker is that the top adjuster knob used to lower the scope won't bugde and the screw is stripping. I think this scope may be done. I can try a drop of liquid wrench....

[harvey lee]

I agree that the scope will break internally in time. I will not even use the less expensive scope anymore due to the higher caliber ruining the insides of a less spendy scope.

Been there and won't do it again.

[harvey lee]

If you have a shooting bench and a solid rest you can sight in a rifle scope with just a few rounds.

Set up your target, support your rifle on the bench using pads or something soft and firm to rest the rifle on, and gently squeeze off a round. NOTE: DO NOT grip the forearm of the rifle. Let it just rest on the padding. You'll want your target close enough so you can see the point of impact through the scope.

After taking the shot, rest your rifle on the pads again and line up the cross hairs on the center of the target. Now, without moving the rifle or taking your eye off the scope, adjust the scope until the crosshairs line up with actual point of impact. Your next round should be very close to dead on unless you moved the rifle while adjusting or you flinched during one of the shots.

I have had great luck using this method omly I use a gun vise. Not many shots and you are dead on.

[i'majigger]

I have been shooting Tascoe scopes on my rifles for most of my life. Every thing from 22Mag. all the way to 300Mag. Have not had one go bad yet. I now shoot a 700 Rem, 243 for deer and this past weekend I shot two does both in the head, one at 142 yds, and the other at 155 yds, I don't do this to be a bragger but I am color blind in red and cannot see blood so it is either a clean kill or miss. I think for the money Tascoe makes a good scope and from reports I have heard if you do have one go bad they will stand behind it and repair or replace. I know there are much better scopes out there, would love to have a Leupold on my rifle but money constraints forbid it.

[BobT]

I wasn't trying to knock Tasco. I probably should have just said a cheap scope because the brand name had nothing to do with it. Put it this way. It was a 3x-9x variable and I only paid $25 for it. Yeah, it was in 1976 but even then an average quality scope cost a minimum of $150. When I said cheap I wasn't talking about it being a Tasco, I was talking about the quality product I bought. When it comes to optics, you do get what you pay for.