Scope magnification for precision .22LR

[tommer]

I'm pricing out gear to get into precision .22LR shooting. 30'06 is too expensive any more. I'll be shooting at ranges of 50 to 200 yds.

Hitting quarters at 100 yds consistently sounds like a lot of fun. What magnification do you need in order to do this? At what point does the next level of magnifaction become just a waste of money and a needless tradeoff of brightness?

This has probably been covered before, but it's difficult to word a search without coming up with far too many bad matches.

 

[birdbustr]

.22LR drops like a stone past 100 yards. I use a 3-9X40mm Sightron with the mil-dot reticle on my 10/22Target. Does fine up to 100 yards and the first dot is right on at 100yds.

If you really want to shoot past 100yds I would say you want to look into the 17HMR, 22 Hornet, or 22magnum. Then again you will see a significant increase in the price of rounds. Nothing is as cheap like a 22LR.

 

[ArmedBear]

Look at ARA, the American Rimfire Association.

Competitors don't use spotting scopes, because their rifle scopes have more magnification. And they use every bit of it. The scope images are bright; they have large objectives, and they're good scopes.

Download their competition target just for grins.

 

[Rembrandt]

It's up to your personal preference, but a lot of small bore silhouette shooters I know use scopes with a maximum power of 24X-to-36X.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

100 yard? 4-12 or 5-15, maybe a 6-18.

200 yards? That's very unusual for a .22, but I'd want a top end of 20x at least, but preferably 24x or more. That is a long ways, and you said precision - to be precise, you need to see where on your target you want to hit.

 

[Wildfire]

More is better.

Hey There:
I always like over kill. I shoot a Ruger 77/22 VBZ . The scope is a Weaver 4 X 16 AO. target turrets . it has served me very well. I only shoot CCI Green Tags. I've done all the others and this is what the gun likes. 1/4" at 50.
1" at 100 meters. Yes , There is a lot of drop. but those turrets get used a lot.
There is no trade off as far as I am concerned . With a Variable power scope you control the power ring. Want more you got it. Want less You got it.
3 X 9 ? well ? 9 X is all you get. I can't see a .22 hole at 100 meters with 9 power un less everything is just right.
So I like more. With the higher power you can also see if you are steady or not. I prefer a small Dot to cross hairs ,But that is me. All my target and varmint scope are DOTs 1/8"
Scopes do not make brightness. They can only deal with ambiant light.
Good luck with this and have fun.

 

[Sunray]

"...30-06 is too expensive any more..." Look into reloading. It won't necessarily cut your costs, but you won't have to hunt for the best price for ammo either. You'll be shooting better ammo too.
"...What magnification do you need in order to do this?..." None. Good adjustable peep/target sights on a .22 rifle capable of doing it, using ammo the rifle will shoot can easily hit a quarter at 100.
High magnification scopes have a small field of view(the area you can see at a given distance). They tend to be large and heavy. You will be able to see how steady you are though. You can watch the wobble caused by your heart beat too. In any case, it depends on what kind of shooting you're doing, the rifle you have and how much money you want to spend on a .22.
"...you need to see where on your target you want to hit...." That is all any scope lets you do.

 

[ArmedBear]

Hitting a quarter is one thing. Hitting the middle of the quarter is another.

 

[EShell]

I've got a Leupold 4.5-14x40AO on my precision 10/22 and it seems to be a good compromise between up close parallax/focus, longer range visibility and overall bulk.

FWIW, I use 22 moa to get on at 200 from a 75 yard zero. . .

 

[Gator]

I use 20Xs at 50 yards. I like to be able to see the staples holding the target...it makes it easier to hit them.

 

[rangerruck]

for precision shooting i use nothing under 18x, for 200 yd shooting, nothing under 24. One of mine sports a 32x, and if I had my druthers, my 17 would wear a 36x fixed power weaver. One superfine scope.

 

[rangerruck]

magnification becomes more important at 100 yds and beyond, than light transfer, especially since you are going to be shooting under better circumstances, than dawn/dusk , or field shooting.

 

[mr.trooper]

4-12 for practical purposes.

 

[Buzztail]

I think someone did a piece on just this topic awhile ago. 22 at long range, in high wind, etc. Great read!
I like my Mueller Eraticator for this purpose
Link

 

[alexanderplatz]

wow a lot of you are using a lot higher power than i would have thought. thinking about scoping my .22 as well, mostly shooting 100-125 yards, maximum range at the most convenient place to shoot. I was thinking maybe fixed 6x scope but now i am thinking maybe more.

 

[Jim Watson]

Benchrest? The more power the better. Of course you must have a good quality scope, a cheap high power scope is not much good. There are several folks here shooting BR50 and even that close they are using 20X and up, some WAY up.

Prone? Friend of mine won the 200 yard stage of a match here with 24X.

Economy? 6-18s are not too bad.

 

[ArmedBear]

wow a lot of you are using a lot higher power than i would have thought. thinking about scoping my .22 as well, mostly shooting 100-125 yards, maximum range at the most convenient place to shoot. I was thinking maybe fixed 6x scope but now i am thinking maybe more[/QUOTE

Depends what you are shooting at, and what with

Shooting with Mini-Mags at an NRA smallbore target with a decent production rifle, 6X will be plenty. Shooting Eleys at ARA competition targets with a $3000 benchrest rifle that can shoot one-hole groups all day long at 50 yards, 24X-36X scopes are typical.

The scope's purpose is essentially just to allow you to see as well as your rifle will shoot. That's how I think about it, anyway. Cuts both ways, too.

 

[Funderb]

3-9x40

 

[bhk]

For precision .22 shooting I use a Leupold 6.5-20 AO on a Sako Finnfire Heavy barrel (Lija stainless barrel and Jewell 2 oz. trigger). For me, it is the perfect backyard bench gun, without selling the truck and buying a full-blown benchrest outfit. Be sure you get a scope with a paralax adjustable objective lens - makes a real difference with tiny targets.

 

[Wildfire]

This is cool.

Hey There:
By sugesting higher power we drew out that crowd. Good to see that I do not stand alone on the higher mag or X issue with scopes even on .22 rim fires. My .223s carry 24 and 32X scopes and on a good day you can watch the paper tear at 100 meters. That is cool. And when Varmint hunting I can tell if that woodchuck heard my safety come off by the look in his eye.
Have fun with this. Go big........

 

[Don't Tread On Me]

I'm not the type that likes putting spotting scopes with crosshairs on a .22LR.

I'm better served by superior optical glass and a fine crosshair than a ton of magnification. Zooming up the blurr and distortion does nothing to help you.

 

[JohnBT]

I have 2 Weaver T-36's and a Leupold 6x-20 EFR. Most of my .22 target shooting is done at 50 yards.

I also have some 4x and 2x-7 rimfire scopes, but don't use them on the bench very often. Oh, and some Leupold 3x-9 EFR's.

John

 

[aka108]

Think we need to know what this tread originator defines as precision shooting. Benchrest, small game, metallic, etc.

 

[cpttango30]

Are you wanting to just shoot for fun or are you wanting to compete?

For compatition I would go with no less that a 6-24x40mm. For plinking I like a 6-18x40mm.

I have 2 22lr rifles one is topped with a BSA 6-18x40 and the other has a Weaver KT-15 15x40mm. The weaver is a muh better scope. For normal everyday plinking a 3-9 or a 4-12 would be plenty or power for a 22lr at 50 to 100 yards. I am a power hungry shooter so I like high power scopes. my 308 target rifle wears a 6-24x40 Bushnell elite 4200.