Scope challenge: .22 at 200 for $250?

If the main concern is being able to see where shots land, what about getting a spotting scope for that? Lots out there with the ability to spot what you need at a reasonable price.

Outside of that, I don't have a 200 yard range so can't recommend a scope for the purpose.

Gotcha. I like my Bushnell AR Optics 4.5-18, impressive clarity for the price. No 200 yard ranges around here though, so can't say for sure if you can see the holes at 200. Reading around, most people online seem to say you need around 20x magnification for the purpose.

If you like Mueller, their Eraticator line is 8.5-25, can't imagine you wouldn't be able to see them with that kind of power.

The two lower cost scopes I think might work well would be the Athlon Argos 4-20 or 6-30s or the Bushnell legend UltraHD 4.5-14x44.

I've never used the more powerful crossfire2s but comparing my Athlon to a Viper HS showed little enough difference at 100yds that I couldn't tell.

Ive not had an issue seeing 7mm and .257 holes at 200 yds, I doubt .22 would be much harder.

I didn't think about that much, but I shoot at white paper with small black or orange shoot n C's if there were Lines or other dark stuff it would be harder to see holes.

Most any decent 3-9X40 in that price range. I like the Burris FF-II but there are others. I shoot quite a bit at 200 with a Leupold VX-2 with dials. I have it zeroed at 50 yards and used the trial and error method to find where to spin the dials at 100 and 200. This is a $350 scope, but you could do it with a $200 scope.

The Burris, and many others have long range dots, but none of them will get you to 200 with a 22. I can use a 50 yard zero and make the dots work for 100 yards. But between 100 and 200 requires a full spin of the dials + a few more clicks. You can do the same with most any scope, you just have to remove the scope caps when twisting the dials.

On 9X I rarely see a single hole in the target at 200. But I can usually pick out the general area of a 5 shot group through the scope. It depends on the time of day and angle of the light at the range where I shoot. If the light is from the wrong angle, or on overcast days it is a lot harder, if not impossible. No problems at 100 yards though.

More magnification won't hurt, but won't make a huge difference either. Except it might be easier to pick up bullet holes. But going up to more magnification means about $100 more for the scope. Or if at the same price as a 3-9X40, a lower quality scope.

In my experience, spotting .22 caliber holes in a paper target at 200 yards isn't always a sure thing, unless you have some very clear glass, good light and a background and target that are very obliging. It was hard enough with a decent spotting scope on a scope stand, I'm not sure your friend will have much luck with a rifle-mounted optic, especially in the $250 range. (Though I admit, those Zeiss Terra's might be able to pull it off.)

I have a VX-2 3-9x33mm EFR on a CZ452 American. It's nice, clear glass, capable of resolving house flies at 50 yards. But no way could I resolve .22" holes at 200 yards, unless you're using one of the Shoot-N-See or similar kind of targets. Fortunately, Leupold has announced they're bringing this scope out in the VX-Freedom line. Ugly scopes, but I'm hoping the price-point will be lower than the VX-2s went for. If I recall correctly, mine was about a $400 scope 2 years ago.

Again. and I repeat this a lot to friends and family: with glass you need resolution, resolution and resolution! An inexpensive high-powered scope might be beat by a slightly more expensive, less powerful scope in clarity on days when the light isn't perfectly bright and shiny.

Those Ziess scopes are a great deal. Weaver make a cheap line that is very good, but 200 yards is a long way to see 22 holes without a spotting scope.

Walkalong said:

Zeiss Terra 3-9x42 - RZ6 or

Zeiss Terra 4-12x42 - Plex

$259 on sale

https://www.sportoptics.com/zeiss-terra-3-9x42-rz6-reticle.aspx

https://www.sportoptics.com/zeiss-terra-4-12x42-plex-reticle.aspx

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The 4X12 is sold out. Has anyone dealt with this company before?

You will find you really need above 20x to see .22 holes clearly at 200 yards. Any thing above 15x can get wavy with heat waves , but you will be looking for a little higher. Don't forget to get an oadjustable paralax to get down to close .22lr ranges too. IMHO the Bushnell Trophy 6-18 would be your best buy
https://www.amazon.com/Bushnell-756185-6-18x50mm-Multi-X-Reticle/dp/B01BU1U9AI

Gordon said:

You will find you really need above 20x to see .22 holes clearly at 200 yards.

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I'll bet this is right. I can squeak out spotting .22 holes with decent budget 8x glass at 100 yards, but quality is exponentially more critical as magnification rises. The same quality glass at 16x would be painful to use.

You need better glass, and higher magnification.

Two hundred yard ranges I shoot at, they are so soupy with mirage, even with contrasting backing targets, bullet holes get to be invisible. The mirage will flicker, maybe you will see them, maybe not. And I am talking about 30 caliber rounds. Camp Perry had particularly good visibility, I could always see my 200 yard rapid fire holes, sometimes my 300 yard, through a spotting scope, so what you can see depends on the location. A guy brought out a Russian ship spotting scope,you used both eyes to look through the front lens. It was a huge front lens, about 24" in diameter. Everything was so clear, I was looking at Rodriquez and Vaile range targets from where we were at, and that mirage was so clear, so visible, and it washed out everything behind it.

I have purchased a number of $200 scopes recently, optics today are all good, much clearer than they used to be. But even the best lens can't see through mirage.

Walkalong said:

People like instant gratification.

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Like cheeseburgers!...steel gong are like cheeseburgers.....mmmmmmm gong....
Yes im an idiot, leave me alone....

Im hoping to go try the 10" 200yd challenge sometime next week, Ill take along a few of my different rifles and scopes and see if i can see .22 holes out that far.

I guess I have bad eyes. There isn’t a scope made that would allow me to see .22 holes at 200 yards that cost $250.00. Higher magnification isn’t always the key either. There are scopes I can see through better on 6X at 200 yards than I can see on 14X with other scopes. It’s all about glass quality.