Good scope for a good .22lr?

[kerank]

I took the plunge and bought my first nice (for me) sporter bolt action .22lr.... Anschutz 1416 HB Classic. It's quite a step up from my Marlin and Ruger semis, but not a "top of the line" Anschutz.

Anyway, I'm looking for a good scope. I've always been very cheap with scopes (Bushnell Banner is my best right now), and I'm ready to step up to something that "fits" the quality of this rifle. I'd like to stay in the $300 range (obviously, cheaper is better). Mostly for target, but would like to be able to hunt with it also.

Any suggestions? Since it's a rimfire, do I need to have AO? Do I really need to spend that much to get quality optics. Ignorance is bliss...I don't know what I'm missing right now.

Thanks!

 

[rangerruck]

boy, i tell you, scopes are about as much as ' triumph of the subjective' as any topic you will ever get about guns. so you really need to curb to your shooting desires. I like a target scope. I cannot stand anything that won't let me shoot moa or smaller, at 100 yds. It just drives me crazy! So I have these 22's , with monster scopes on them. I have two Tasco Varmints, and two clones by Barska. they are 6.24 power, so i can read the fine print at 100 yds on my target paper. These are not good field scopes, they are big, heavy, upset the balance of the rifle in your hands, and you will here comments like, ' hey , I like that scope, with the teeny rifle mounted under it.' if you wanna go in the field with it, a scope with an obj bell no bigger than 32mm is best. if you are going to really have a nice symetrical appeal, get a 4 or 6 x fixed power. Otherwise, you should get something with an ao, especially if squirrel hunting, as most your shots will be close.
i am not worried about ruggedness with a 22 field scope, they are usually cheaper, and recoil is just not an issue.

 

[hksw]

I've been slowly converting the scope atop my Aschützes to Sightron SIII as they seem to be of very good quality in optics and build for the price. Otherwise, I'd be putting more expensive stuff on them.

I plan on getting another rimfire CZ today and am thinking of giving the Sightron SII series a try (side focus).

The rest of my lower priced rimfires have Nikon Buckmasters on them which also seem to perform well for the price. Optically in much lower light, though, it is very slightly noticably less bright than the Sightrons and Leupolds. In bright sunlight, however, there is no noticable difference, at least to me.

If you have the oportunity to go to a shop and view some scopes side-by-side, you may notice the optical difference between the low end scopes as compared to the mid and high end ones. If not, you probably won't know the difference and will feel, if you buy a low end scope, that the sight picture is 'good enough'. After you go through a few scopes over time, you'll get to know what to look for and usually, at least for me, gravitate towards better optical quality.

Not trying to knock on low end scope users but I've had my fair share of Chinese built scopes over the years and, although they've made big steps to improve their quality, they are still well short in optics and build quality, even compared to the ones made in the Philippines and Korea.

 

[Ol` Joe]

Weaver 3x9 Rimfire with ajustable AO. This is likely all the power you need for rimfire hunting and is enough for target work at normal rimfire ranges. (100 yd or under)The glass is very good for the price, as good IMO as in some scopes costing quite a bit more, and the tracking and other ajustments are very precise. The price is well under the $300 you are budgeting, a plus also in my book.

 

[Sniper4Life]

Why not try the bsa sweet .22 it is a good scope and you can get it in 6-18x40. I had the 3-9x and it was the best .22 scope I had ever shot and it will save about $200. Use the money go save and GO BUY ANOTHER GUN

 

[rocketfish]

Good suggestions on the Weaver Rimfire, Nikon (go Monarch series), and Sightron so far. I have a Leupold 3-9x32 EFR Rimfire scope on my CZ-452. EFR stands for "extended focal range" and is their way of saying "adjustable objective that can focus down to 10 yards". I would get AO on your scope for sure. You might want to make sure than it can be dialed down to 10 yards - I think some of the Nikon AO's cannot go that low. 32-33 mm is a good objective size for a rimfire rifle - any more is a bit much.

 

[Brian Williams]

I would go with a scope that is built for a Rimfire and that has the parallax set at the distance a 22 will be used. I really like a Leupold and the 2x7 is a great one for hunting.

 

[kerank]

Thanks

Thanks for all the suggestions, keep 'um coming!

I am drueling over the Leupold 3-9X33, how does it and the Weaver 3-9x32 compare. Can't find good tech info on Weaver's web site. Is the Leupold $150 better?

 

[BsChoy]

I am not a scope snob but the leupold 2-7 rimfire I have on my CZ527 American is the greatest. Great sight picture, eye relief, and clarity. Worth the whole 224.00 I paid for it 13 years ago

 

[BT100]

The Weaver has a standard duplex which is pretty thick. I have a Sightron in a straight 6X with fine crosshairs on a Rem 504 and the Weaver on the custom Ruger 10-22 and the Sightron is by far a better choice. I had a Leupold 2-7 rimfire a while back but would opt for an adjustable objective 3-9. You can not go wrong with a Leupold for sure.

 

[jlmurphy]

You might consider a scope made for air rifles, they can be focused to less than 10 yds, and are extremely rugged when made for use on spring piston rifles. Leupold, Burris, Nikon, Simmons, and older Sightron scopes would all work.

 

[Chuck Dye]

I can certainly recommend the Leupold Rimfire Special 2-7x28 though I would quickly opt for a lower magnification range, say 1.5-5x. The loss of utility from 7x down to 5x is nothing compared to that gained from 2x down to 1.5x.

Leupold's new VX-1 1-4x20 shotgun/muzzle loader has a parallax setting of 75 yards. That, combined with the relatively low top magnification, makes that choice a bit more personal. I doubt most shooters would ever become aware of the difference in parallax setting and the utility of the low top magnification will depend on how you shoot. The combination of your Anschutz, its favorite high quality ammo, and long range might make 4x too low.

 

[bhk]

I really like the two Leupolds I use on my .22s. One has an adjustable objective, but the other is an over-the-counter vari-3 2.5 - 8 high power rifle scope (superb optics). I simply sent it to the factory and asked them to set the parallax for 50 yards. Pretty simple and, at that time, free. I believe they charge a small fee for this now, but it still allows you to pick any Leupold of your liking and get it custom adjusted for your purposes.

 

[rangerruck]

kerank, mmm.... those are both two very fine 22 scopes. Usually the weavers will have a very fine target reticle, especially the older ones that are all stee, and el paso made. but make sure you look through them first, to check it. also the nikon is a fine scope, lastly yes japanese old or new, is fine. I would run from the Chinese... err.... stuff.

 

[hksw]

I have a Leupold 3-9x32 EFR Rimfire scope on my CZ-452.

Another excellent suggestion. I forgot about this one as mine is also on a CZ and all I was thinking about was Anschütz. The biggest benefit of this scope as conpared to most other fimfire scopes is the adjustable objective.

I have an older Valdada IOR 6X42-1" that I used a few times on top of rimfires. This scope has very good optics and is very well built but no adjustable objective. On a CZ 452 Scout shot at 50 yds at USBR targets, the parallax was excessive. Moving from one side of the image to the other moved the crosshairs the entire diameter of one outer ring bullseye, ~2". It was not wonder I couldn't get good groups with the Scout.

 

[Legionnaire]

Another vote for EFR scopes. While I'm a Leupold fan, Burris also makes fine scopes for the money, and there are probably others that will work as well. But for a .22, I think an adjustable objective that will bring you down to 50 feet or less (i.e., extended focus range or EFR) is the only way to go. Best solution to the parallax problem for a gun that might be shot indoors at 50 feet and outdoors to 100 yards or more. In my opinion, EFR is a "must have" feature for a good .22 rifle scope.

 

[Socrates]

Elite 3200, Bushnell? Put the same scope on 3 of my rifles, so, if I need to fudge stuff, the controls are the same on all three.
S

 

[Remander]

I love my old Bushnell Scopechief. They stopped making it for a while and now make one by that name that sells for under $100 , but it is not the same scope. It is their cheapie.

To get similar quality today, I think you'd need to go with the Bushnell Elite 3200. Good price. Check www.natchezss.com

As said above, get a scope with an adjustable objective (listed as "AO" in the catalogs if you intend to shoot any at less than 100 yds. Otherwise, the parallax will likely be off at those shorter distances.

I shoot my .22 at 50 yds, so I always get AO scopes. Without it, you often face a situation of choosing between fuzzy target and clear crosshairs or vice versa. AO will cure that issue and make it all clear.