Springers, including Gas-Piston Air Rifles, are unique in the shooting world. They operate by releasing a spring that is capped with a piston and seal. This assembly instantly compresses the volume of air that is resting in the piston cylinder. This whole process happens very quickly but with a little practice you can become aware of the distinctive two-way impulse. The first impulse comes from the release of the spring and piston assembly. The second impulse occurs when the piston assembly comes to a stop at the end of the cylinder. The first impulse is not all that significant and if that was all that occurred, this question wouldn’t exist.
However, the second impulse is going in the opposite direction of the first recoil impulse. It is this impulse that can cause damage to your optic. The best way to look at a scope used on a spring or gas piston air rifle is that it is consumable. Eventually, the scope will fail. However, some scopes are designed to be used on spring-type air guns. This means the glass elements in the scope are braced on both sides. Check out the Axeon 4-16X44 SF that is airgun recoil-rated, has a mil-dot reticle, and is very affordable.