Here's the backstory: I recently purchased a new Savage model 93 .17 HMR. I took a Leupold VX-R off another rifle and slapped it on the new .17. I was at Cabela's earlier today and got to talking with a guy behind the gun counter about scopes and mounts. He asked what glass I had on the .17 and was shocked when I told him a VX-R. He started saying something about how the harmonics have bad effects on a scope not made for a rimfire rifle. His opinion was that if you're shooting a rimfire rifle you gotta have a rimfire scope or you'll damage the scope with repeated use. Sounded weird to me so I called Leupold when I left...no dice. According to tech support this is an urban legend.

Just thought I'd share this because those guys up there are convinced that rimfire rifles damage non-rimfire optics. Kinda funny

Sounds like a sales pitch

I have had the guys at Cabelas tell me that too.

I know a guy well who works behind the gun counter at Cabelas. He couldn't tell you the difference between a .45 ACP and a 45/70. They are not the sharpest knives in the drawer.

yeah it is legend....I have had a cheap tasco on mine until this past fall when I broke down and got the BSA Sweet .17 for mine. my tasco would hit inside of a dime 10 out of 10 times at 50 yards though. she was a good scope even after 7 years of abuse.

Sounds like a load of BS.

I have full size scopes on two 22's and one 22 mag. Full sized rifle scopes will enhance the shooting of 22's. You will like it better. The sales guy is full of frijoles.

On another note I've heard of std rifle scopes basically coming apart when used repeatedly on high power air rifles... Any air rifle folks here that can confirm this?

I have heard that a lot too, the spring action ones

Already love that VX-R on it. I'd take one of those scopes on just about anything though

The spring ones that is true, have seen it before. 17 HMR is not spring loaded so as you know not a problem. The biggest problem with typical rifle scopes for rimfires is parallax which depending on the manufacture is set typically at 100 or 150 yards for most scopes while most rimfires are used at shorter distances.


Too bad about such sales guys but see it all the time. Saw one salesman at a gun store not one of the big box ones trying to talk a guy out of buying ammo loaded with Nosler Partitions since they come apart when hitting something and he would experience bullet failures, better buy these Remington Corelocts for his 300 Win Mag on an elk hunt since they are a better bullet.

I have a leupold mark ar scope on my .17 and have no probs w it. I think the sales dude is trying to get u to buy something. It's kind of obvious that a rifle scope will take much more abuse and recoil than a rimfire scope

Night eagle

I think that stems from using scopes on air rifles. Air rifles will wreck a scope....any scope, in my experience.

+1

the harmonics are invading that guys brain, he needs a tinfoil hat.

Use whatever scope you like on the .17, but use scopes made for air rifles on your spring piston pellet gun.

X2. Have a 3-9x40 Banner on our old Marlin .22. Shoots dead on.

He just wanted more of your money....

what is with that "air rifle will ruin any scope" story?
Bought cheap 3-9x centerfire rifle scope, installed on break barrel 1000fps air rifle - two years later still no problem.
Another fairy tale ? Scope, designed to withstand recoil of high power round cannot handle puny vibration from piston spring?

Spring piston air guns are changing, as are scopes. The pistons fly forward creating a recoil reversed from powder guns. Put your air gun on a table and see if it moves forward under recoil. It's harder to keep rings from creeping on a standard dove tail rail also.
Rimfires are only problems because of parallax. This "harmonics" argument would say that scopes would have to be matched to caliber and action. BS.

The spring type air rifle is similar to a slide hammer. When fired, it recoils into your shoulder just like any powder charged weapon. This is caused by the inertia on the piston accelerating forward (towards the muzzle). The difference is when it reaches the end of the power stroke. It now has to decelerate from it's maximum velocity in a VERY short distance. Now, the air rifle recoils in the opposite direction. This is what makes keeping scopes and mounts to stay put difficult. It's a very high spike at the reversal. Not much energy, just a high amplitude. This is how a slide hammer works as well. Small weight, get it sliding and stop it real quick at the end or the stroke.

So, if you have a scope that has a weak spot opposite in direction to what the primary recoil intended, it will probably fail.

+1

The "reverse recoil" of a springer air rifle can wreck the internals of a scope not specifically designed to withstand the physics involved. Funny thing, you can have a $100.00 scope designed for springer air rifles hold up better on such rifle than a $2,000.00 Leupold that has no issue holding zero mounted atop a .338 Lapua Magnum. Totally different recoil dynamics at play with each rifle, and it can be an expensive lesson to learn...