Rifle scope for Shotgun?
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The diff. I'm aware of are shotgun scopes are parallax adjusted for 50 yards and have 1/2 min. clicks. Rifle scopes are usually par. for 100 yards and 1/4 min. I don't think there will be an issue as long as the scope fits.
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It should be fine. I stongly considered putting a Nikon Omega (marketed as a muzzle loader/shotgun scope) on a .308 for my sons / GF simply because of the 5" eye relief.
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Good Luck with the scope. Several years ago was at public range a few weeks before start of Texas deer season. Gent next to me had a scoped Mossberg 12 gauge rifled barrel pump shotgun. He was checking the zero on his scope and fired about 4 rounds at 100 yard target, blowing the center out of the target. Satisfied with scope, he put it back case. I spoke briefly with him. Guy hunted in a brushy area with typical shots at deer around 50yards, sometimes a 100 yard one. He commented, one shot and I knock a deer down.....no worry about it running into brush and me having to look for it.
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Shotgun scopes generally have a longer eye relief and are parallax adjusted at 50 or 75 yards. Also they are supposed to be built stronger for the recoil of the slugs.
Several years ago, I had a along talk with Leupold people about putting a strong heavy reticule scope on a couple of my big bore African rifles. They suggested the Leupold "shotgun" scope. So I purchased 2 of these scopes and mounted them to a .458 Win mag and .416 Remington mag. both where model 70 Winchester Safari type rifles. So now it has been some 1,500 rounds down the tube of both rifles and several years and all is well with NO complaints, scopes held up great to the heavy recoiling.
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I have no fewer than four Leupold SG scopes in 1-4x20 and 2-7x33 flavors mounted on rifles I use. All are "incident free" and among the favorites of all my "woods rifles" scopes. I am a huge fan of that HD (heavy duplex) reticle. I'm glad to see similar satisfaction from someone with a lot of use on that same type scope on a rifle.Several years ago, I had a along talk with Leupold people about putting a strong heavy reticule scope on a couple of my big bore African rifles. They suggested the Leupold "shotgun" scope. So I purchased 2 of these scopes and mounted them to a .458 Win mag and .416 Remington mag. both where model 70 Winchester Safari type rifles. So now it has been some 1,500 rounds down the tube of both rifles and several years and all is well with NO complaints, scopes held up great to the heavy recoiling.
Yes, 4+ eye relief is a must. Also, slug recoil can be tough on inferior quality scopes. 4x magnification is sufficient for slug guns IMO.
I purchased a burris fast fire for my slug gun and love it! Quick target acquisition, and no bloody eyebrows. Both eyes open on running shots. Some people feel more comfortable looking through scopes though........
I purchased a burris fast fire for my slug gun and love it! Quick target acquisition, and no bloody eyebrows. Both eyes open on running shots. Some people feel more comfortable looking through scopes though........
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Well, I hate to burst anyone's bubble here, but if you feel that a scope "called" a SG model is built better than it's rifle counterpart, I'm afraid I think that just is not so. Many scopes are marketed as SG models, but they do not have any better build quality. They do not. There are some very good SG scopes, such as the VXI and Nikon Prostaff & Monarch models, but they are simply rifle scopes with a shorter range parallax setting.
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I agree with TnHunter. I have a lot of big bore rifles and also shoot a lot of shotgun with slugs. The only difference I can tell between a Leupold shotgun scope and a Leupold rifle scope is parallax. And if you put a shotgun scope with a parallax of 40-50 yards on a rifle and put a rifle scope on a shotgun with a parallax of 100-150 yards, then check the parallax misalignment of both scopes at 50 yards and 200 yards, you will find the shotgun scope has a huge amount of shift at 200 yards and the rifle scope has very little shift at 50 or 200 yards. The closer the parallax is set to the shooter the greater the error as the range increases. So, that shotgun scope on your .375 H&H works great at 75 yards and under but if you take a 300 yard shot at an elk you may very well muff the shot because of parallax and head alignment error.
I see no problem using shotgun scopes, but use them on shotguns. Don't fool yourself thinking they will hold up better on a big bore rifle though. Use the same quality scope on the rifle and it will hold up just as well and will have less parallax error at long range. I know from years of experience that a 12 gr. 3.5 inch super mag does not have anywhere near the recoil as does a .416 Rigby with a 325 gr. bullet zipping out at almost 3000 fps or a 500 gr. solid leaving a .458 Win mag at 2100 fps.
I see no problem using shotgun scopes, but use them on shotguns. Don't fool yourself thinking they will hold up better on a big bore rifle though. Use the same quality scope on the rifle and it will hold up just as well and will have less parallax error at long range. I know from years of experience that a 12 gr. 3.5 inch super mag does not have anywhere near the recoil as does a .416 Rigby with a 325 gr. bullet zipping out at almost 3000 fps or a 500 gr. solid leaving a .458 Win mag at 2100 fps.
The Tasco 2.5x Shotgun scope is a viable alternative for the budget-conscious (I can't believe I just wrote that)....
My brother and I have, over several years and several guns, tried to break one. We'd use it to check accuracy & work up loads for rifles & shotguns, then switch to open sights / "quality glass" once we were sure the rifle got to stay. Most rifles got to stay. Here's what that little Tasco has survived so far:
No.1 in .416Rigby, .416RemMag, .470Nitro
M77MkII .416Rigby, .375H&H
M77 .458
M70 .375H&H, THREE 300winmags
700 .416RemMag, TWO 8mmRemMags
1300 12ga
Currently on a lightweight 9.3x74R double; also survived a previous 9.3x74R
And I can't tell the difference between a 5.5lb slug gun and a 9lb rifle in a heavy caliber as far as recoil is concerned - I just never shoot them sitting down! Also I was taught to shoot w/both eyes open at all times. Still do. I can see the game as the weapon recoils that way. FWIW....
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My shoulder got sore, just reading that!
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