by RBDMTJager » Mon Sep 12, 2022 11:50 am
I do not understand how 450BM can be killing scopes, IF they are of good quality. By good quality I mean at a minimum be in the class of a Leupold VariX-II (LOOOOOOONG discontinued) or a Bushnell 3200 or 4200 let alone above.
I have the fallowing scopes sitting atop theses very heavy recoiling rifles and will include a very accurate estimate of rounds they have been exposed to.
Leupold VariX-II 4-12x40mm M700 SST/SYN 338WM +/- 500 reloads average velocity 2870fps/mv
Weaver Grand Slam 4.5-14x40mm Savage 116 SST/SYN 7mm STW +/- 300 reloads average velocity of 3000fps+/mv
Weaver GS 4.5x14-40mm M700 SST/SYN 300wm about 120 reloads average velocity if 3100fps/mv
Trijicon Credo HX 2.5-14x42mm Tikka T3 Light 300WSM +/- 300 reloads average velocity 2970 FPS/mv
Leupold VariX-II 4-12x40mm Savage 10ML-II smokeless inline muzzleloader 1500+ loads whos recoil is equal to that of a 300 H&H magnum
Leupold VariX-II 2-7x32mm 12ga Marlin 512 Slugmaster 500++ 12ga 2.75" and 3" sabot slug rounds firing from a 300 gain projectile to 600 grain
Bushnell 4200 4-12x40mm 12ga Browning A-Bolt Slug hunter 350+ 12ga 2.75" and 3" sabot slug rounds again from 300 grain to 600 grain slugs from a MV of 1400fps up to1900fps
Leupold VariX-II 3-9x40mm T/C Encore 209x50 magnum inline Muzzleloader 1600+ Max loads of pelletized Pyrodex BP sub, 300+ of 3F-777 BP sub and 200+ max loads of BH209 BP sub all 300 or 325 grain projectiles
Bushnell 4200 on a Knight Elite .50 cal inline ML about 125 max loads of BH209 BP sub and 250 grain Barnes T-MZ's
Two Leupold VariX-II 2-7x32mm on two 12ga 3.5" Remington 870 Express Supermags 100+ 12ga 3.5" Winchester 2 and 2.125oz turkey loads each
One Leupold VariX-II 2-7x32 on a 12ga 3.5" Mossberg 835 +/- about 70 12ga 3.5" Winchester turkey loads
Save for the T/C Encore and Knight Elite, all of the above IMO kick harder than a 450 Bushmaster.
Scopes on lesser but still reasonably hard recoiling rifles:
Two Bushnell 4200 4-12x40mm on Marlin 336c's in 35 Remington each about 350 +/- 180 grain bullets at 2370pfs/mv
One Bushnell 3200 3-9x40mm on a 3rd 336c in 35 Remington same load as the other two 336's
Trijicon Credo HX 2.5-15x42mm on a Savage 10FP 308 Win about 300 reloads of 168 SMK at 2750 and about 60 of 175 SMK at 2600.
KNOCK on wood and silent prayer to God, I've never had a single scope issue to date with any of my above 15 rifle scopes.
And I will not even BEGIN to allow myself to add up what all these scopes, rings, bases and reloads combined have cost me.
Yes I did have one set of rings come loose and left awful ring marks on a scope but that scope is still going strong.
I will also add all the 12ga slug rifles, Marlin 336's, all the inline ML's both the 338wm and 300wm have seen hard use hunting. In the case of the slug rifles and inline ML's decades of hard hunting use.
All I can say is if peoples 450BM's are killing scopes my best guess is they are not using a high enough quality of scope or are mounting them incorrectly. And to be honest at their highest prices save for the Trijicon and WGS scopes none of the Leupolds, or Bushnells cost me at or above $275. And my two WGS's only cost me IIRC under $350 I have so many of the VariX-II's and 3200's and 4200's because when they were discontinued by their manufacturer, I bought a BUTT load of them at prices all under $200 each. In the case of the 4200 and 3200 well under $200 each. I will also add every last one of the above scopes were manufactured and or assembled in either America or Japan. None are made in Communist China. And save for the Trijicon scopes all of them are set it and forget it scopes so they are of the most durable of scope designs.
Tactical scopes like my Trijicon Credo HX's are designed to be dialed for drop and wind deflection and of a much more complicated design must be manufactured to a much higher level of durability then all my other set it and forget it scopes.
One other other possible cause for scope failure that comes to mind is if people are using a recoil absorbing rest like a Leadsled which transmits much more recoil to the scope than if shot from a bench using traditional bench form.
But in my opinion based on owning well over 20 rifle scopes all in use on long guns and 30 years of hunting and shooting, if you're scope is from a well known and trusted manufacturer, made/assembled in America, Japan, even now the PI was advertised as being recoil proof and not intended for rimfire rifles and properly mounted it should have no issues handling the recoil of the 450BM.
FWIW I always felt for the price the made in Japan Bushnell 4200 rifle scopes were the best under $200 (when on close out) rifle scope ever made. Wish I had bought at least five more than I did.
