What is the difference between a rifle scope, shotgun scope, and muzzle loader scope? Is it just a marketing ploy to buy a specific type for each type gun?
Most of the times a rifle scope has parallex adjustments set for 100 yards, shotgun and ML are often set closer at 50 yards.
A shotgun scope also frequently has extended eye relief due to mounting restrictions.
They can all be interchanged, but there are noted differences in each.
I think it has to do more with optimum distance the glass is set up for, so a shotgun would have glass more geared towards shorter shots. I would also think the contruction of the scope would be more robust as far as recoil is concerned. I suppose in most cases it comes down to degrees of marketing as well. I would think a mil=spec quality glass in fixed power of 3 or 5x could handle a shotgun as well as cheaply constructed "shotgun" scope.
As was said, muzzle loader and shotgun scopes typically have more eye relief. I have Nikon ProStaff rifle scopes on my slug guns, and muzzle loaders because they hold up to the recoil and have plenty of eye relief.
Parallax is mostly the difference, especially when you are comparing the the same scope(brand and model). Eye relief was a big difference but now most rifle scopes are generous with this. The scopes with BDC reticles are set up for the general ballistics of the type of weapon they are set up for. I use rifle scopes on my slug guns. I have seen slug guns eat cheap made rifle and shot gun scopes. I ran across a good deal on Redfields made for ML and use one on a rifle works fine and the BDC is perfect when set at 7 power.