Like the title says. I have had a few cheaper scopes go bad when I put them on my 308 with a MB.
Rifle Scopes Why do muzzle breaks eat scopes?
- Thread starter tomme boy
- Start date
Re: Why do muzzle breaks eat scopes?
I'd say it's your cheap scope eating itself, instead of the muzzle brake.
I'd say it's your cheap scope eating itself, instead of the muzzle brake.
Re: Why do muzzle breaks eat scopes?
They just speed up the process, that's all.
The physics at work is the same behavior you feel in the car when you slam on the brakes.
You're moving forward in the car (where the rifle system is moving backwards). The impulse of the shot moves the rifle, which translates load into the rail, rings and finally the scope body. It is accelerated just like the car accelerates your body.
Then you slam on the brakes, the bullet similarly exits the bore and the muzzle gasses hit that brake. The rifle has effectively slammed on the brakes and accelerated the rifle system in the opposite direction.
Again, the acceleration is transmitted to everything in contact with the rifle itself. The scope is jerked back in the opposite direction.
It doesn't make the recoil "less" or jerk on the scope any more than just firing it, but it changes the way the scope sees those acceleration generated forces (also known as Body Forces).
It pulls backwards, then it gets slowed down abruptly from the brake instead of by your shoulder.
Good scopes aren't damaged by this because they are designed and built in more robust ways. The cheap scopes aren't destroyed by the brake so much as their life cycle is cut shorter than normal, they are still junk.
They just speed up the process, that's all.
The physics at work is the same behavior you feel in the car when you slam on the brakes.
You're moving forward in the car (where the rifle system is moving backwards). The impulse of the shot moves the rifle, which translates load into the rail, rings and finally the scope body. It is accelerated just like the car accelerates your body.
Then you slam on the brakes, the bullet similarly exits the bore and the muzzle gasses hit that brake. The rifle has effectively slammed on the brakes and accelerated the rifle system in the opposite direction.
Again, the acceleration is transmitted to everything in contact with the rifle itself. The scope is jerked back in the opposite direction.
It doesn't make the recoil "less" or jerk on the scope any more than just firing it, but it changes the way the scope sees those acceleration generated forces (also known as Body Forces).
It pulls backwards, then it gets slowed down abruptly from the brake instead of by your shoulder.
Good scopes aren't damaged by this because they are designed and built in more robust ways. The cheap scopes aren't destroyed by the brake so much as their life cycle is cut shorter than normal, they are still junk.
Re: Why do muzzle breaks eat scopes?
You think those rifles with your muzzle brakes are hard on cheap scopes, stick those cheap or sometimes even lower mid-level scopes on one of our LR bolt action handguns and all kinds of things start happening fast. Totally different type of recoil even with a brake with twist and movement much more violent than most rifles. Give credit to Vortex and their line of scopes though, after an early model being sent back due to a reticle rotating and their remedying the problem they are holding up very well. Cheap scopes are OK for light recoiling guns that don't see daily or heavy use but if you want quality you need to spend a certain amount to step above hobby or low end hunting scopes.
If you have the cash to waste and want to experiment stick a higher end rifle scope on a good quality spring powered pellet rifle. Those things will eat up even a high quality scope.
Topstrap
You think those rifles with your muzzle brakes are hard on cheap scopes, stick those cheap or sometimes even lower mid-level scopes on one of our LR bolt action handguns and all kinds of things start happening fast. Totally different type of recoil even with a brake with twist and movement much more violent than most rifles. Give credit to Vortex and their line of scopes though, after an early model being sent back due to a reticle rotating and their remedying the problem they are holding up very well. Cheap scopes are OK for light recoiling guns that don't see daily or heavy use but if you want quality you need to spend a certain amount to step above hobby or low end hunting scopes.
If you have the cash to waste and want to experiment stick a higher end rifle scope on a good quality spring powered pellet rifle. Those things will eat up even a high quality scope.
Topstrap
Re: Why do muzzle breaks eat scopes?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Topstrap</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You think those rifles with your muzzle brakes are hard on cheap scopes, stick those cheap or sometimes even lower mid-level scopes on one of our LR bolt action handguns and all kinds of things start happening fast. Totally different type of recoil even with a brake with twist and movement much more violent than most rifles. Give credit to Vortex and their line of scopes though, after an early model being sent back due to a reticle rotating and their remedying the problem they are holding up very well. Cheap scopes are OK for light recoiling guns that don't see daily or heavy use but if you want quality you need to spend a certain amount to step above hobby or low end hunting scopes.
If you have the cash to waste and want to experiment stick a higher end rifle scope on a good quality spring powered pellet rifle. Those things will eat up even a high quality scope.
Topstrap
</div></div>
Agreed. I've seen a very nice scope chewed up by a pellet rifle. It lasted all of about a dozen shots before it wouldn't hold zero anymore.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Topstrap</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You think those rifles with your muzzle brakes are hard on cheap scopes, stick those cheap or sometimes even lower mid-level scopes on one of our LR bolt action handguns and all kinds of things start happening fast. Totally different type of recoil even with a brake with twist and movement much more violent than most rifles. Give credit to Vortex and their line of scopes though, after an early model being sent back due to a reticle rotating and their remedying the problem they are holding up very well. Cheap scopes are OK for light recoiling guns that don't see daily or heavy use but if you want quality you need to spend a certain amount to step above hobby or low end hunting scopes.
If you have the cash to waste and want to experiment stick a higher end rifle scope on a good quality spring powered pellet rifle. Those things will eat up even a high quality scope.
Topstrap
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Agreed. I've seen a very nice scope chewed up by a pellet rifle. It lasted all of about a dozen shots before it wouldn't hold zero anymore.
Re: Why do muzzle breaks eat scopes?
I have to agree, it lies more with the cheap scope. I have had a Nightforce on every gun possible including a spring loaded pellet to a 338 with MB. The scope just continues to work. At tactical shoots you see tons of MB and more quality scopes. The optic is possibly more important than the gun.
I have to agree, it lies more with the cheap scope. I have had a Nightforce on every gun possible including a spring loaded pellet to a 338 with MB. The scope just continues to work. At tactical shoots you see tons of MB and more quality scopes. The optic is possibly more important than the gun.
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