Rifle Scopes Question about scopes and muzzle brakes

[Cicilia]

I have a question about my favorite rifle. Or one of my favorites.

;-) It's about my 700P 20" Bull fluted. I just ordered a bolt on recoil eliminator for her from Witt Machine. I am trying to reduce recoil on my rifles to protect from the cheek bone surgery and from breast tissue bruising (I have large breasts that touch the side of the buttstock when I shoot). But now that the Witt Machine unit is on it's way I remembered that not all scopes can handle recoil eliminators. So now I am concerned. I don't think the company has a warranty because they don't sell scopes anymore. Can someone tell me if the Springfield Armory Government Gen III riflescopes can hold up to a recoil eliminator. Thanks in advance - I love this scope and would be so sad if I broke it.

 

[Eoddave27]

I don’t see why it would be an issue. You are basically reducing the amount of recoil the scope will be subjected to which is a good thing. I have muzzle brakes on all my rifles and have never had one cause an issue with any of my optics. The only real drawback to muzzle brakes is the noise. Especially to the people to the right and left of you. Depending on the kind of break you use some can be pretty brutal.

 

[Cicilia]

I don’t see why it would be an issue. You are basically reducing the amount of recoil the scope will be subjected to which is a good thing. I have muzzle brakes on all my rifles and have never had one cause an issue with any of my optics. The only real drawback to muzzle brakes is the noise. Especially to the people to the right and left of you. Depending on the kind of break you use some can be pretty brutal.

Hi Dave;

I have heard that scopes were designed to take shock moving from objective to eye. But the recoil is equivalent to moving eye to objective. I was told some scopes can't deal with that direction of recoil. That was my concern. I called Springfield Armory; and they said "We wouldn't recommend it because we cannot repair those because we don't do business with Hakko / Japan Optics. If you break this scope, we will be sending you a Vortex and it will not have that custom reticle or the internal bubble level"

 

[Eoddave27]

A muzzle brake isn’t going to completely eliminate recoil. It will just reduce it. All the forces on the scope will be the same just reduced. If you go to any PRS match you will be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t have a break on their rifle. Honestly if a scope is that delicate then I don’t know if I would want to use it anyway. Many years ago I had a Springfied Armory scope on an Accuracy international rifle I had in 308. I used that one with a muzzle break and a suppressor. I shot it enough to shoot out the barrel and when I sold the rifle the scope still tracked perfectly. Honestly after I sold the rifle I wished I had not sold the scope with it as I was not able to find another. Now though, I would trade the SA scope in a heartbeat for a Vortex Razor. It may not have the same reticle or internal level but it I would say the Razor is a far superior scope, at least compared to the SA I had.

 

[Cicilia]

A muzzle brake isn’t going to completely eliminate recoil. It will just reduce it. All the forces on the scope will be the same just reduced. If you go to any PRS match you will be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t have a break on their rifle. Honestly if a scope is that delicate then I don’t know if I would want to use it anyway. Many years ago I had a Springfied Armory scope on an Accuracy international rifle I had in 308. I used that one with a muzzle break and a suppressor. I shot it enough to shoot out the barrel and when I sold the rifle the scope still tracked perfectly. Honestly after I sold the rifle I wished I had not sold the scope with it as I was not able to find another. Now though, I would trade the SA scope in a heartbeat for a Vortex Razor. It may not have the same reticle or internal level but it I would say the Razor is a far superior scope, at least compared to the SA I had.

Thanks Dave! <3 Yeah - we can't get that reticle ever again. Springfield Armory moved on from Hakko Japan Optics to Vortex some years back and they never asked Vortex to make a custom scope reticle. I'll take your advice and shoot it, and if it breaks I guess I get to own another Vortex. I have a Viper Gen II and so far I am happy with it on my 6.5CM. Thanks again for responding to my conundrum!

 

[patriot07]

From an engineering standpoint, I have to think that a scope will undergo less force in the same direction on a rifle with a brake compared to a rifle without a brake.

 

[Shankin]

Typically, when people talk about scopes being made to take forces from the objective to the eye, and not the other way around, they are talking more about the gun Than they are the scope. Springer air rifles and FN FALs are notorious scope eaters because they do exert a lot of force forward. If I remember correctly, there have been reports of objective lenses just popping out of the scope because the FAL runs the way it runs, and ate the scope up.

If you were running an FAL or something similar, I’d say go to a SWFA S.S. (fixed power), but on a bolt gun, with or without a brake, I wouldn’t worry about it too much.

 

[Powdermonkey4]

There is definitely different recoil forces at work on a rifle with muzzle brake vs rifle without. I had mount/rings that were a well known reputable brand on my 280AI and no matter what I did I could not stop the scope moving forward whilst the brake was fitted - Take the brakeoff and no issues whatsoever.

If you search on longrange hunting forum there is some threads on exactly this subject which explain it in detail.