Rifle scope on a 223 Encore Pistol???

[Yel95]

Have any of you guys use a rifle scope on your lower recoil encores?  I have a new Nikon buckmaster in the box and was going to try it out next weekend on my 223 pistol barrel.  Waiting on a 17mhr barrel to use hte nikon on just wanted to try something new until it gets here.

[Tom W.]

I don't think that you'd like the results....

[OLDMAN]

I use a 2x rifle scope on my .223 Contender.  No problems.  Takes a little getting use to but after a few rounds I had no problems and no worry about getting hit in the head.  I use 35 and 40 grain bullets

[Reed1911]

I use a Rifle scope on just about all my contender barrels. .223 is no problem, I have a 10" with a 4x (can't say) works great I've never been ringed by it. I do not scope my .357 Max, .35 Rem etc..

[jpred1]

seems like it would be ok for target shooting,but for hunting,there will be that one day when your in an akward position trying to make the shot and wham,blood runs down your cheek.But Im shooting an 7mm-08 which has never really seemed like much recoil until that last deer I shot.Must have been holding it weak or something,made my darn wrist hurt 3 days.100 shots no promblems,until then.

[predator_huntin]

i found that the .222 in a Super 14 factory barrel was a little to much for a rifle scope for me.  i got a good thumping over my right eye with it.  i dont try to control the gun when it fires though, just let it recoil and ride it out and i get much better groups that way.  i have heard of people shooting the 7-30 and .357's with rifle scopes, but i cant do it.  at least i cant do it on unbraked barrels, now put a good working muzzlebrake on there and anything is possible....

[Bullseye]

Not sure about the recoil, the biggest I ever put a rifle scope on was a 22lr.  THe noise would be a problem for me.  That 22lr that close to your ear was loud even with muffs on, I can't imagine how loud a 223 would be that close to your ear.

[Racepres]

Tried it years ago... not good results.   tried again just last year... not good. The noise was not a factor.. [however, I am pretty much deaf] the recoil will startle you , even if the gun/scope, does not contact you. I truly dislike long eye relief... prefering what they [the "they" meaning the scope manufacturers] call intermediate eye relief, w/ light recoil rounds. With boomers, I like the piece a bit away from me  ... just my $0.02, and hope it makes sense.    MV

[OLDMAN]

You must also take in to account the barrel length when answering this question.  The weight of the barrel should also be taken into consideration.  A scope used on a 16 inch .223 barrel may work fine but might not be fine on a 10 inch barrel.

[Racepres]

Very good point old man!!!! Cool Handle!! I only use 10" bbls so that is a consideration. I have no experience w/ others.    MV

[xphunter]

If you want to see a full FOV then a higher magnification rifle scope should not be in your future with light pistols.
On the other hand, if you can be content using a partial FOV you can use a rifle scope on about all bottleneck cartridges (I'm assuming 14 inch or longer barrels and yes, some really horsey ones would need to be braked).

[haroldclark]

I have witnessed a friend trying to get into the Taco Hold with a 7mm TCU 14" and a "Handgun Scope".  It got away from him and went off prematurely.

You might not like the cut above your eye.  I also, saw a friend get a worse cut when a rifle butt slipped off during recoil.  I could see the skull for a few seconds before the blood squirted out.

That ruins your whole day.  It takes a day or two to get rid of the flinch after that too.

Harold

[Madmark]

For my .223 14" Contender I use a 8-32x44 Simmons rifle scope. It is fine for target work. I use the same scope on a 12" 7-30 with light loads, I have yet to ring myself. I was using a 6-24x44 scope on my 14"30-30, but after shooting a 60 round match, my nose was getting pretty sore! :oops:
If you are shooting heavy loads, you may get contact. Try it and see what you think. If you are shooting long range and want power above 12x you will have to go with a rifle scope.

[doncisler]

just try mounting it and looking through it.....you won't like it

[xphunter]

I'm enjoying rifle scpoes more and more on SP's.
I have 3 rear-grip SPs and the rest are center-grip. I will also list bullet weights.
I have used high magnification rifle scopes on SP's in these cartridges:
260 Rem  120 gr. (rear grip)., 6mm-284 115 grain (center), 6.5-284 140& 142 grain ( 2 rear grip and one center), 284 Winchester 140 grain (center grip), 7mm Dakota 200 grains (center--get it next week), and I have shot someone else's rear grip 338 Lapua Improved w/300 grain SMK's.  Some of these are braked while others are not.
With caution you can use a rifle scope on about anything safely.
You do have to change the way you set-up at the bench and in the field.
My 6-284 XP has never had a LER scope on it yet, but has had a 6-24 and a 8-25 on it the whole time (one or the other).
I have been lightly kissed I would say less than 10 times , but nothing close to a cut out of 500+ rounds.
These are not light loads either. but the ones I use to hunt with.

[Madmark]

I tend to load on the light side, with just enough power to topple the IHMSA rams at 200 meters. The only real painful experience was with a doublecharge/detonation mishap with my 30-30 and the 6-24 Prohunter. If the pistol wouldn't have twisted as much as it did, it might have hit me square enough to draw blood. Better than half of the 4400 rounds I fired last year were with the rifle scoped big bore pistols. It isn't for everyone, but using the rifle scopes has taught me a lot about steady hold/ trigger control/breathing, etc... I didn't break sub moa with any of my barrels till I went with the rifle scopes. A super light trigger is also necesarry for using high power optics on the pistol.

[Madmark]

I tend to load on the light side, with just enough power to topple the IHMSA rams at 200 meters. The only real painful experience was with a doublecharge/detonation mishap with my 30-30 and the 6-24 Prohunter. If the pistol wouldn't have twisted as much as it did, it might have hit me square enough to draw blood. Better than half of the 4400 rounds I fired last year were with the rifle scoped big bore pistols. It isn't for everyone, but using the rifle scopes has taught me a lot about steady hold/ trigger control/breathing, etc... I didn't break sub moa with any of my barrels till I went with the rifle scopes. A super light trigger is also necesarry for using high power optics on the pistol.