For many outdoor enthusiasts who have toggled about shooting a crossbow and an air rifle, there is much in common between the two. One noticeable feature is that both may need a scope for accurate shot placement by the shooter. So, can you use a crossbow scope on an air rifle?
Generally, you can use a crossbow scope on an air rifle as it is designed for the rapid reverse recoil of spring-powered air rifles. Crossbows and air rifles (spring-piston air rifles) have the same recoil dynamics and their action is almost similar. Both have a sudden forward movement.
When it comes to the action dynamics, the crossbows and spring air rifles copy each other picture-perfect. Impressively so, crossbows can be much more imposing thanks to the violent flexing of the under-pressure limbs as they snap back into their original position.
If you are giving it a thought to try a crossbow scope on your air rifle, keep on reading and get more information regarding the same.
Can You Use a Crossbow Scope on an Air Rifle?
Precharged pneumatic, pump-action, and CO2 air rifles all produce recoil but only in the rearward direction. This one-way recoil is normally fine for most regular scopes as it’s not always intense.
For spring piston-powered air rifles, the recoil generated is a bit different. On top of the backward recoil we already know, there’s an additional forward recoil.
Let’s talk a bit about how this recoil comes about in these air rifles.
The moment the sear is released, the under-pressure spring and piston pull back into their original positions to relax. The forward movement is extremely fast making the gun recoil backward.
When the piston reaches the end of the compression chamber, it strikes it violently and stops creating some significant force to cause the air rifle to bounce in the forward direction.
Now the crossbows also work almost in a similar fashion. When the bowstring is drawn and an arrow released, there is a backward recoil which is not very significant.
But after the arrow is released already, the limbs and bowstring were going in the same forward direction as the arrow until they hit a stop. With the sudden stop, the crossbow moves forward with some force.
As you can see, the two weapons have the same recoil dynamics. The sudden reverse recoil is very destructive to scopes if you had mounted some low-quality types.
Because of the double recoil dynamics, crossbow and air rifle scopes are constructed with special features to withstand these forces. In other words, it also means you can have a crossbow scope mounted on an air rifle and there will be no problem.
Notably, though, crossbow scopes can only enable you to shoot at short range. Yet, most air rifles are designed for both short-range and long-range shooting. (Also Read: Will a Crossbow Scope Work on an Air Rifle?)
What Is the Difference Between a Crossbow Scope and an Air Rifle Scope?
As much as a crossbow scope and an air rifle scope are designed to resist the double recoil dynamics, there are significant differences they do exhibit. Let’s have a look into the differences between the two scopes.
| Crossbow Scope | Air Rifle Scope |
| 1. Offers low magnification. It’s limited to a magnification power of 4x which is normally fixed. | 1. Offers variable magnification. You can zoom in on your object as many times as you depending on the level of magnification. |
| 2. Used for short-range shooting. The effective range is about 20-50 yards. | 2. Versatile and can be used for short-range and long-range shooting. The effective range is 100 yards, but you can zero it at 10 yards. |
| 3. Small in size with a smaller objective lens. This means it won’t bring in more light. | 3. Usually large-sized and the objective lens is also big for more light collection. |
| 4. Features vertical reticle with descending range marks | 4. Features crosshair reticles with multiple reference points |
Will an Air Rifle Scope Work on a Crossbow?
Bar the fact that a crossbow scope is a short-ranger, other things about it are just as good. Crossbow scopes are solidly built to hold on to the aggressive recoil forces in either direction.
But what happens when you mount an air rifle scope to a crossbow? Will an air rifle scope work on a crossbow in the same way?
As a whole, it’s not a guarantee that an air rifle scope would work on a crossbow. This is due to the different types of air rifles. Regular scopes meant for use on precharged pneumatic and CO2 air rifles may not stand the test of time on a crossbow producing some serious forward recoil. The shooting conditions of crossbow may not allow for the survival of the scope meant for these air rifles.
On the other side, a scope designed for use on a spring-powered air rifle will work just fine on a crossbow given the ruggedness it offers. Since the springers display the same mode of action as crossbows, their scopes can be mounted on crossbows.
An air rifle scope offers more resistance to reverse recoil. It also comes with a better effective range. This means you will be able to launch arrows on short ranges and long ranges.
Will Any Scope Fit Any Air Rifle?
We know that scopes are great for improving your vision by making targets look even clearer. But it’s important to invest a lot of time in finding the best scope for your air rifle – it’s as good as the air rifle itself.
Will any scope fit any rifle for that matter? Well, any scope from anywhere will not fit on any air rifle. However, a high-quality telescopic scope can be fitted on the air rifle as long as you have the right scope mounts and it can resist the intense recoil of high-powered springers.
The regular riflescopes may not be ideal for all air rifles out there. The main reason is that they are designed to stand tall against backward recoils of a firearm but not the impending forward recoil that comes after especially in springers.
It’s also important to consider how far the scope you are planning to install on your air rifle can help capture the target for accurate shooting. An air rifle scope should not only allow for long-range shooting but also for short-range shooting.
Who Makes the Best Crossbow Scopes?
There are several crossbow-making companies on the market. The most common ones that make not only high-quality but also affordable scopes include Vortex Optics, Garmin, Garmin, and UTG among others.
These manufacturers have put forward some of the most used crossbow scopes in the world of archery. Their scopes boast excellent optical quality and provide extremely clear pictures which are good for shooters.
Best of all, scopes from these manufacturers come with great features and a solid build. Some of the best crossbow scopes you want to try out include this Garmin Xero X1i Crossbow Scope
. (View on Amazon)!
This is a hunting scope that allows you to shoot the game accurately having set it up at over 80 yards. It comes with a 3.5x magnification which gives the kind of space to have a go at your object in focus.
Another option is the Ravin R170 100-Yard Illuminated Red/Green Crossbow Scope (View on Amazon). This comes as a great crossbow for low-light situations in the outdoors.
It gathers light fast hence giving the shooter clearer images. You will love the fact that you get to try out the 20-100 dots calibrated on it.
Alternatively, the UTG OP3 1.5-6X36 Crossbow Scope (View on Amazon) is going to be a decent choice for many enthusiasts. Archers are able to send arrows over 100 yards with this scope.
How Far Can You Shoot a Crossbow with a Scope?
If you have a scope on your crossbow, the chances of hitting the target are extremely high. In general, scopes are your go-to accessories when it comes to close-range shooting.
But how far can you shoot a crossbow with a scope on it? Ordinarily, you will be able to shoot accurately up to 50 yards if you tried your best while the scope is on.
This purely depends on what model of scope you are using and its overall qualities. Again, the type of shooting you are trying to achieve will determine how far you shoot.
Some experts can send arrows downrange to up to a distance of 80-100 yards without missing out on the target. When it gets there, it becomes a matter of how much experience you have gathered.
The lucky thing about crossbow scopes is that they are used to only shooting at shorter distances, unlike the air rifles that do both.
Final Thoughts: Can You Use a Crossbow Scope on an Air Rifle?
You can definitely use a crossbow scope on your air rifle especially if you want to engage in some close-range shooting activity. If you want to do the hunting, a crossbow scope may limit you depending on the nature of the kills.
On the basis of its integrity on a double-recoiling air rifle, there is no doubt a crossbow scope can get through the most intense of pressures.
