Favorite muzzleloader scope?

Hello all,

I’m not sure this is the best forum for this question, but since it gets the most views, I’m hoping some of y’all can help me.

I’m looking to add a scope to my muzzleloader. I’d like to keep the price “reasonable” (a few hundred bucks, if possible, at most). Where I hunt, I don’t need to make shots more than 100 yards. Gun is as CVA Optima, if that matters.

I’ve used it with open sites for about five years, but I am thinking of using it in a shotgun zone during “regular” gun season, as well as after shotgun/rifle season closes, so it might get more use than it has been.

Thanks for any help!

leupold ultimate slam

Vortex makes a couple scopes that would work very well with the Diamondback being a dandy in either the 3-9-40 or the 4-12-40. Since you have a limited distance you can get by without the ballistic reticles found in so many of todays scopes. Nikon is another source for great optics. Bushnell makes a reasonably priced scopes that will also do well on that Optima.

I have a Simmons 4-12-40n a .45 cal muzzy and its a very decent scope. I also have a 3-9-40 Simmons on one of my .50s and its nothing but great too. Optics have cleaned up and cleared up a lot in the last 40 years and unless you’re into long distance shooting many of the less expensive scopes with the simple “4-plex” type crosshairs will work nicely, are very clear and stand up to an incredible amount of recoil.

As mentioned above any decent 3-9×40 will work don’t fall for the “muzzleloader” specific. I have a Barska 3-9×50 I just mounted on one of mine this year and so far so well with range visits.

Are non-muzzie scopes capable of handling the recoil? With 150 gr, mine kicks pretty good, and I’ve heard that it can cause problems for some scopes.

Scopes are like primers….some are marketed as “muzzle-loader specific”, but does not mean that a product outside of that market will not work. In most cases it what’s outside of that muzzle-loader specific market that works best. Regular 209 primers used in shot shell loading are considerably hotter than the “muzzle-loader” and ignite the 209 powder far more consistently. Regular rifle scopes work just fine and offer far more options than their muzzle-loader counterparts. Anything marketed as “muzzle-loader specific is just whoever selling whatever product thinks that labeling specific to muzzle-loaders will create a closed market for them. Total fallacy.

Gotcha. Thanks for the info .

Honestly, on an in-line muzzleloader my primary scope concern would be eye relief especially if one plans to be booting the loads up to near maximum.

You can often find the “cabelas” muzzleloader & shotgun 3×9’s for $49 on sale. I have one for my optima and it works as well as I need it to.

X2 on vortex diamondback have 1 on shotgun and 1 on muzzy bought at sheels

I love my Leopold Ultimate slam. I have it on a Savage 220 but it is designed for long range slug guns and Muzzleloaders. I love it!

tornadochaser wrote:

You can often find the “cabelas” muzzleloader & shotgun 3×9’s for $49 on sale. I have one for my optima and it works as well as I need it to.

Have one on my accura, very satisfied with it. I’m not long range expert though so I can’t speak to that part, I think I can count on one hand the deer I’ve shot past 50 yards in the 26 years I’ve hunted, most of those years in WI where I could and did use a centerfire rifle.

Have a Nikon prostaff on the T/C impact, also a very nice scope but I must admit I like the larger field of view on the Cabela’s one.

Nikon P3 Muzzleloader.

Is there a big difference between Nikon and Leupold? Leupold cost much more as I see

The glass in both brands is superb, but the eye relief in the Nikon models can be longer and when it comes to scopes on muzzies that eye relief is a biggie. A lot of today’s muzzleloaders are quite light and are capable of some serious charges so recoil is an issue. Short eye relief scopes with heavy charges and heavy bullets can equate to a head banger if you have to crowd the scope. Nikon would get my nod.

There are a ton of decent scopes out there that make the grade on a muzzleloader. After eye relief I’d look at the objective lens diameter. 32mm was once about the standard, but today the 40mm and 44 mm scopes let in so much light that even with so-so glass scopes offer vision that is so much clearer and cleaner. If you’re ok with a Nikon’s price range I see no reason to spend more unless you intend to do some serious long range [300-1000 yard] paper punching.

I bought this super cheap one at Menards last year for my muzzy and I ended up being very happy with it.
scope

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Is that a Barska scope sticker? 3X9 power?

Tom Sawvell wrote:

Is that a Barska scope sticker? 3X9 power?

Yep, click on the word scope it’s the link to it at Menards for $60

I looked at them a while ago, maybe a year. I went with a Simmons 4X12 for a .45 cal muzzy I got for a song. The Simmons is very accurate and very, very clear. I didn’t pay much more than what you did. Those Barskas were clear too but I wanted a couple more power levels so I went with the Simmons. Plus the 50mm bell in front would have called for a high ring and that would have tossed sighting out the window. Not much recoil with that .45 cal even at 110 grains of 209 powder and a 200 grain bullet. It gets right along though at around 2250 fps and really raises heck on deer. They drop right on the spot.