the best rimfire scope
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rangerruck
Member
I don't know about rimfire scopes, they usually suck, the ones made for just rimfires supposedly. So lets talk about air rifle scopes, or centerfire type scopes. I am going to assume, that this will be for target work/paper/benchrest type shooting only. for those parameters, there is only 1 fixed power;
Weaver fixed, 36x. You can see the butthair on a fly with this one,
and that is without trying. All kinds of good centerfire type scopes that are variable, you can start with nikon and burris, for 200 to 400 dollar range. I wouldn't kick a pentax out of bed either. a couple of very underrated scopes are the Nikko Sterlings, and the Japanese made Hakko line of scopes; very , very good.
Weaver fixed, 36x. You can see the butthair on a fly with this one,
and that is without trying. All kinds of good centerfire type scopes that are variable, you can start with nikon and burris, for 200 to 400 dollar range. I wouldn't kick a pentax out of bed either. a couple of very underrated scopes are the Nikko Sterlings, and the Japanese made Hakko line of scopes; very , very good.
P.B.Walsh
Member
What about a Leupold 4x32mm Rimfire?
P.B.Walsh
Member
Whatever you buy, make sure you don't buy BSA, their not worth the money, especially since you'll realize (like me) that their is better out there. All IMHO of course
For general hunting use I have a Weaver 4X that I really like. I also have a Leupold 2-7X that works well, and I just bought a 3-12X40AO Cabela's Pine Ridge that was only $150, and appears to be a great bargain. It's mounted, but I haven't sighted it in yet. It's on a Weatherby MK XXII bolt I just bought. Beautiful setup. I like the AO, and the scope has 5 different range caps on it for different calibers. Should be great for picking off groundhogs or squirrels from a distance.
Normally I like a fixed power cause it's simple. Less to go wrong, and less to mess with for general hunting. The advantage to a rimfire scope is the parallax being set at 50-60 yards as opposed to 100+ for a centerfire scope. That can make it tough to shoot accurately at normal rimfire distances.
Normally I like a fixed power cause it's simple. Less to go wrong, and less to mess with for general hunting. The advantage to a rimfire scope is the parallax being set at 50-60 yards as opposed to 100+ for a centerfire scope. That can make it tough to shoot accurately at normal rimfire distances.
rangerruck
Member
any of the bigboy scopes, that are prllax adjusted down to 50 yds, would be okay. if you are not sure, just get a centerfire scope, that has an AO on it, and this should take care of the guesswork.
Allthough I am sure a Leupy rimfire scope would be great.
Allthough I am sure a Leupy rimfire scope would be great.
I've got a couple of these:
http://www.natchezss.com/brand.cfm?...ire 3-9X32 AO Riflescope Dual-X Reticle Matte
Excellent, bright, sharp Japanese scopes. Because they are air rifle rated they are pretty rugged. When they are on sale they usually go for less than $200.
http://www.natchezss.com/brand.cfm?...ire 3-9X32 AO Riflescope Dual-X Reticle Matte
Excellent, bright, sharp Japanese scopes. Because they are air rifle rated they are pretty rugged. When they are on sale they usually go for less than $200.
I'd say that Weaver 3-9x32 AO looks like a great choice for a general rimfire hunting scope in your price range. http://www.opticsplanet.net/weaver-rifle-scopes-v10-10x50.html
I have the Leupold VX-II 3-9x EFR on my CZ453 and its a great scope, but above your budget.
I have the Leupold VX-II 3-9x EFR on my CZ453 and its a great scope, but above your budget.
Dave Markowitz
Member
For under $200 the Nikon ProStaff 4x32mm rimfire scope is the way to go. They have good, clear glass, and solid adjustments.
I have 3 or 4 of them, all bought from Natchez Shooters Supply. A couple of them are factory refurbs, which are sometimes available for about $70 or $80. If the refurbs aren't available the new scopes run about $115.
I have 3 or 4 of them, all bought from Natchez Shooters Supply. A couple of them are factory refurbs, which are sometimes available for about $70 or $80. If the refurbs aren't available the new scopes run about $115.
22-rimfire
Member
I also like the 4x Weaver rimfire scope for general purposes. The Weaver 2.5-7x rimfire also is a very good choice within your budget.
IMHO for the best performance on a 22lr you need parallax correction (adjustable objective usually). With an uncorrected scope parallax can be more than +-1" between 20 and 60yds. You can work around it by being careful to keep your eye centered but it is a real problem.
rangerruck
Member
totally agree with the above; that is why, unless a rimfire scope is prllax adjusted down to at least 25yds, it has no purpose for me. get a centerfire or a rimfire scope with an AO on it. or get a supertough ,break bbl ., springpiston rated air rifle scope; air rifle scopes are usually prllax adjusted down to 10 meters or even less, because, well.... it is for air rifles!!!!
ScottG1911
Member
Well I have a 4 power BSA on my 22. I paid $18 for it at walmart on sale. with rings i have $30 in the whole thing. I was highly surprised in the quallity of light transmition it gave too. I like this scope because a: you dont need more than 4 power, b: it is cheap as all get out, and c; it has the 30/30 reticle on it, allowing me to sight in at 50 yards and use where the reticle goes from thincker to thin as a 175 yard aim point. it's even finger adjustable. what more could you want from a scope. this non sense about parallax is just that. if you can't hit a squirrel at 50 yards cause your parallax is off, then you had better quit crying and learn how to knit. I regularly shoot softball sized targets from 25 yards to 200 yards with no problems. all with a Savage MKII and BSA 4 power, go figure.
A softball is about 16 MOA at 25 yds, about 8 MOA at 50 yds , 4MOA at 100yds, 2 MOA at 200yds.
My Model 52 Winchester Heavy Barrel with a target scope and good target ammo will do <.5" at 50 yds, <1" at 100 yds and 1-2" at 200 yds (depends on wind).
The target scope has parallax adjustment.
A good shooter can overcome parallax but usually not as well as dialing it out.
My Model 52 Winchester Heavy Barrel with a target scope and good target ammo will do <.5" at 50 yds, <1" at 100 yds and 1-2" at 200 yds (depends on wind).
The target scope has parallax adjustment.
A good shooter can overcome parallax but usually not as well as dialing it out.
tjj
Member
I use the Leupold 2-7 and Nikon 2-7 Monarch scopes. Both work great and cost about $210.00 street price. Fixed scopes would be a bit cheaper and are normally a bit brighter if you are a hunter.
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
For general hunting use, a fixed 4X set at 50 yards will probably do: Nikon ProStaff, or Weaver 4x. Just make sure you get a 50 yard focus. My personal preference is an intermediate power variable with adjustable objective. I've been quite happy with a Meuller 4.5-14X APV. About half of your budget ... and a great scope for the money. First learned about them over at rimfirecentral.com. And I'm a die-hard Leupold fan for centerfires.
Runningman
Member
Darn good RF scope for the money. Midway sells them for about $130. I got a few of them now. I come to prefer the 3 -9 X scopes over straight 4X scopes on 22s myself because they are much more versatile. Not excessively big on 22. They hold zero very well. Parallax is set at 50 yards from the factory. Excellent warranty. They are also manufactured in Japan.
Hesenwine
Member
I bought a Bushnell 3X9 largely because it has silver finish & my Mdl. 60 is SS.
The scope works very well and is clear and bright.
Then again, I have a couple Tasco's and a dreaded BSA so undoubtedly, there's something wrong with me. :>)
I'm also not a 1,000 yd competitor-just a some time hunter and often time paper puncher. Somehow, I never understood the logic of putting a Swarvoski on a H&R single shot.
The scope works very well and is clear and bright.
Then again, I have a couple Tasco's and a dreaded BSA so undoubtedly, there's something wrong with me. :>)
I'm also not a 1,000 yd competitor-just a some time hunter and often time paper puncher. Somehow, I never understood the logic of putting a Swarvoski on a H&R single shot.
teetertotter
Member
I like my new Weaver 44 Mag. which is 6.5-20 for quality and money. Next would be Nikon Pro Staff, which was my previous scope 3-9. Everyone has their preferences. For general purpose, 3-9. IMO
SwampWolf
Member
My choice too. Personally, when buying and fitting a scope for any rifle I insist on getting one that is compatible with the size of the rifle. Imo, nothing is more ungainly handling nor as odd looking as a huge scope mounted on a diminutive sized rifle.
This has been a great thread.
I agree with Swampwolf's size comment. I think that a 40mm scope looks silly on a small .22 rifle. Unless it is a dedicated benchrest or target rifle, a scope that large makes the gun feel "top heavy". This is only my humble opinion, of course.
For a .22LR, here is what I would look for:
medium power range: either fixed x4 or a x2-7 or a x3-9
parallax setting at 50 yards, or an adjustable objective
lense size of 28-35mm
I am just about to put this scope on my .22:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=147249
Running a close second was this
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=734016
If I didn't want the higher magnification, I would choose the Nikon 4x32mm Prostaff rimfire in a heartbeat.
For a .22WMR or .17HMR, here is what I would look for:
medium to high power range: x2-7 and higher
parallax setting at 75 yards (many "muzzleloader" and "shotgun" scopes have this), or an adjustable objective is very attractive
lense size of 28-35mm, although some rifles may be ok with a 40mm
I would like to get a nice bolt action .22WMR with this scope
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=771270
although as someone else pointed out, this one is a great value
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=119797
I agree with Swampwolf's size comment. I think that a 40mm scope looks silly on a small .22 rifle. Unless it is a dedicated benchrest or target rifle, a scope that large makes the gun feel "top heavy". This is only my humble opinion, of course.
For a .22LR, here is what I would look for:
medium power range: either fixed x4 or a x2-7 or a x3-9
parallax setting at 50 yards, or an adjustable objective
lense size of 28-35mm
I am just about to put this scope on my .22:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=147249
Running a close second was this
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=734016
If I didn't want the higher magnification, I would choose the Nikon 4x32mm Prostaff rimfire in a heartbeat.
For a .22WMR or .17HMR, here is what I would look for:
medium to high power range: x2-7 and higher
parallax setting at 75 yards (many "muzzleloader" and "shotgun" scopes have this), or an adjustable objective is very attractive
lense size of 28-35mm, although some rifles may be ok with a 40mm
I would like to get a nice bolt action .22WMR with this scope
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=771270
although as someone else pointed out, this one is a great value
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=119797
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