Scope for a Marlin .22LR bolt-action

[CAnnoneer]

I recently gave myself a new Marlin .22LR bolt-action rifle and have been wondering ever since what would be a good scope for it. I am mostly a pistols guy, so this would be the first scope I'd purchase. The intended purpose would be target practice.

What should I be looking for? Which companies produce decent and/or affordable scopes? What features are critical? What would be good coatings? What type of cross-hair is your favorite and why?

Many thanks in advance!

 

[Magnuumpwr]

Not sure if this helps, but I have several rifles 22LR & 22MAG. Majority have bushnell 3-9x32 and 2 with tasco 3-9x32 all have standard reticles and do well for squirrels and rabbits. So I guess it all depends on what you plan on doing with your rifle.

 

[kart racer]

Depends on what you want to spend.I have a weaver 2x7 on my cz that is nice.I have a 3x9 on a winchester wildcat that is better.I also have a simmons 3x9 22mag on a stock 10/22 which brings up the rear.They cost from 49.99 to 199.00.

You can get a nice rimfire scope from mueller 4.5x14 for 115.00.That will be my next purchase.

The clearidge is pretty much the equal of the leupold rimfire scope in my opinion and a lot less.

 

[ArmedBear]

I have a Simmons 4X 22 Mag Compact on my Marlin 60. It's a surprisingly nice scope, and, with that scope, the stock rifle shoots one-hole groups at my local indoor range. That's one reason I sold my Ruger; the basic Marlin 60 outshot it by a LOT. The bolt gun should be even better.

I was really impressed with the Simmons' bright, sharp picture and solid zero. (I had a BSA that wouldn't hold zero, and I'll never get one again. I gave it to a guy with a lot of spare time, and he never could get it to work, either, and tossed it.)

That said, the Marlin boltie is a very accurate rifle, much more than people recognize. It wouldn't be excessive to put a Leupold on it; they have a couple rimfire-specific models for about 200 bucks at Cabela's. But if you want a scope for $50, I sure like the Simmons.

 

[Magnuumpwr]

Goes to show that I don't know my guns as well as I thought I did. 1 does have a simmons deerfield 3-9x32 on one of my 22mags. Good scope, nice optics with good clarity, and very accurate.

 

[toivo]

You can get a nice rimfire scope from mueller 4.5x14 for 115.00.That will be my next purchase.

That's the APV. I have one of those on my Biathlon Basic and I'm very satisfied with it.

 

[rangerruck]

I do not like to spend a bunch of money on scopes, especially on 22's. That said , you can get some fine glass reasonably priced. Swift, Mueller, Nikon(which makes their own glass), Tasco Varmint series, burris with ballistic plex, all make some fine glass for under 200 bucks. what you want to be sure of, is you get some good rock solid mounts. I like kwik site weaver tip off blocks , and mounts, And BKL's make some fine mounts as well.

 

[CB900F]

CAnnoneer;

What range(s) do you plan to shoot at? A .22 specific scope usually has the parallax set at 50 or 60 yards, depending on whose you get. An adjustable objective scope, A/O, will allow you to set the parallax to whatever range you need within the capabilities of the scope. A/O scopes tend to cost more of course.

I do a lot of ground squirrel shooting in open terrain. Therefore, most of my .22's have an A/O scope on them. If you're going to do most of your shooting on an indoor range, then you want to also be sure that your scope will focus down to 50 feet. That's the standard NRA indoor distance for rimfire competition. However if you're going to be outdoors, or want to try 100 yard or more shooting, then an A/O scope is going to be a real asset.

I have a Sightron 3-9X rimfire on a 10/22 that I'm happy with. These days that can be had on special for right around a hundred bucks I think. My primary gopher gun wears a Nikon Monarch 3.5-10X A/O mil-dot. That particular scope is no longer made, but even so, it's replacement is still a reasonably expensive item. Several places have a Simmons 6.5-20X A/O on close-out at a hundred bucks also. But you better be sure you want 6.5X as your low end before you buy. It's a big scope too. Bushnell makes the 5-15X mil-dot A/O Legend for under $200.00. The Weaver V16 is a 4-16X A/O & usually sells in the mid to high 200's.

And sometimes you can run into a helluva deal on e-bay. Other times you can get stung there too.

900F

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Nikon ProStaff 4x32mm rimfire scope. Hands down the best in the $110 and under class. Natchez Shooters Supply currently has factory refurbished units for $69.95. I have one and can't tell that it wasn't brand-new.

Linky.

 

[birdbustr]

Sightron S1 3-9X40mm. $110-130. Mil-dot or plex reticle available. Very clear optics. 1st Mil-dot down is dead-on at 100 yds with American Eagle 38gr HP @1280fps.

 

[JonB]

I went with a BSA 'Sweet 22' for my Marlin 60. price was around 75 but i believe that was on sale. Anyway, its 3x9 and works like a champ for the 22. Cheap and does the job.

 

[Legionnaire]

One of the most popular rimfire scopes over at rimfirecentral.com is the Mueller APV. I have one on a CZ. IMHO, it's probably one of the best combinations of features, including adjustable objective, for the price.