Looking for my first scope

[IceWater]

I finally got my first Ruger 10/22 TD, now I am looking for a viable option for 5-75 yards. Was looking into a 1-4, 1-6, or 2-7. Which would be suitable for the PNW backcountry?
Any scope recommendations under $200 w/mount are appreciated

Read More

 

[Member 34319]

I've got this on one of my 22s and absolutely love it. Remarkable glass clarity for the price and very easy to use reticle. And the fixed power is surprisingly easy to use.

Primary Arms 6X SFP Rifle Scope - ACSS 22LR Reticle PA6X32-22LR

They make a 1-6 with the same reticle as well.

Primary Arms 1-6X24mm SFP Rifle Scope GEN III - Illuminated ACSS 22LR Reticle PA1-6X24SFP-ACSS-22LR

Other than that you cannot go wrong with a 2-7 or 3-9 by Leupold for a 22.

VX-Freedom Rimfire 2-7x33 | Leupold

VX-Freedom Rimfire 3-9x40 | Leupold

 

[IceWater]

I've got this on one of my 22s and absolutely love it. Remarkable glass clarity for the price and very easy to use reticle. And the fixed power is surprisingly easy to use.

Primary Arms 6X SFP Rifle Scope - ACSS 22LR Reticle PA6X32-22LR

They make a 1-6 with the same reticle as well.

Primary Arms 1-6X24mm SFP Rifle Scope GEN III - Illuminated ACSS 22LR Reticle PA1-6X24SFP-ACSS-22LR

Other than that you cannot go wrong with a 2-7 or 3-9 by Leupold for a 22.

VX-Freedom Rimfire 2-7x33 | Leupold

VX-Freedom Rimfire 3-9x40 | Leupold

Those all look pretty good, I'll definitely keep an eye out for the 1-6 from primary arms.Thanks for the info, I just watched a review by 22plinkster on it.
But would 2-7 be ok with shots under 15yards? Or should I just look for the 1-6?

 

[Andy54Hawken]

You will be just fine with a 2x7 at 15 or under yards...'course it will work at longer ranges as well...
2x7 is my pick for a variable power .22Rimfire scope.
Andy

 

[IceWater]

Alright sounds good, I've never gotten a scope before so I don't know much about the view on a 2 power. Only have had experience with red dots.

 

[Member 34319]

Those all look pretty good, I'll definitely keep an eye out for the 1-6 from primary arms.Thanks for the info, I just watched a review by 22plinkster on it.
But would 2-7 be ok with shots under 15yards? Or should I just look for the 1-6?

Mine is fixed at 6 power and I can get shots at under 15 yards just fine. 2-7 power is going to be just fine.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Your first scope should be a fixed 4x power mildot scope.
Vari power scopes take a knack to use, and the learning curve at distance may be trying.

In Nam we used 4x fixed on top of the carry handle. Since jungle school Ive used 4x mildot on 22s rimfire and centerfire. My grandson at 10 could shoot the one inch circle out of a target at 75 yards.
Soon my granddaughter will be using that same scope and old 1979 Model 60 to learn.

 

[bsa1917hunter]

Your first scope should be a fixed 4x power mildot scope.
Vari power scopes take a knack to use, and the learning curve at distance may be trying.

In Nam we used 4x fixed on top of the carry handle. Since jungle school Ive used 4x mildot on 22s rimfire and centerfire. My grandson at 10 could shoot the one inch circle out of a target at 75 yards.
Soon my granddaughter will be using that same scope and old 1979 Model 60 to learn.

Damn. Now i feel stupid. Starting out with a 30-06 with a 3-9x40 when i was 12 years old. I never knew you had to start out with a 4 power.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Fixed power scopes are nice as well , nothing wrong with them at all...Just remember that if you have a variable power scope , then is no rule that says you need to switch the "power"...

The only scope I have is a Leupold 3x9 on my JC Higgins Model 50 in .30-06...I very seldom use more than 4x on my 3x9 power scope...but its nice to have options.

Like anything there are many choices out there...for a .22 rifle its nice to keep the scope size and weight down...but as I said there are lots of choices and everyone has a opinion / reason why they like what they like...
Andy

 

[KKG]

You can never go wrong with a Leupold 2-7X Scope.

 

[2ndtimer]

This might fit your budget better, and still meet your needs. I have one on a S&W M&P 15-22, and it works really well. Bright and clear optics, and nice wide field of view for close range targets when set at 3X. Leaves plenty of cash left over for scope mount of your choice.
https://www.amazon.com/Nikon-PROSTAFF-RIMFIRE-3-9X40-BDC150/dp/B00SMX95IA

 

[IceWater]

At this point I've narrowed it down between the Leupold vx-freedom , Nikon prostaff, or the vortex crossfire 2
If anyone has any experience with them on a rimfire, please let me know which one is the best

 

[daved20319]

Some good suggestions here, I have both the Prostaff and the Primary Arms 6x, the latter on a single shot .22, the Nikon is on an air rifle. The only drawback to the Nikon is the 40 mm objective, makes the whole scope much bigger, it can look out of place on a lot of .22's. Both are excellent scopes for the price.

One thing no one mentioned, if you're going to be shooting at very short ranges, parallax will rear its ugly head. This is where an adjustable objective can be really important, at 10-15 yards, even a 50 yard parallax scope can be fuzzy, especially at much over 2-3x, and a scope with parallax fixed at 100 yards (typical for centerfire scopes) is even worse. Parallax adjustment is usually either on the front objective, or can be on the side, opposite the windage knob. Most prefer side "focus", but they tend to be slightly more expensive. They can also be used for ranging, as the adjustment is generally marked for range, but most are an approximation, at best, and seldom a close approximation, especially with lower power and smaller objectives. This is the reason why air gun Field Target competitors favor 8-32 x 56 scopes, even though the max range is only 50 yards.

All that said, most of it really only applies to target shooting, trying to change power or focus during a hunt is probably not gonna happen. I tend to leave my variable power scopes at the middle of their range, with parallax at a range I expect to be shooting at the most. If I have time to adjust focus, I will, but I can live with some fuzz, as long as I can still be confident of making a clean shot. Good luck.

Dave

 

[IceWater]

I appreciate the insight, was pretty clueless about the parallax on a scope. There's lots of research that needs to be down to get me up to speed on scopes. For weight savings I'd probably be best getting one under 32-33mm

 

[bsa1917hunter]

I like having the versatility of a variable power scope. My first 10-22 had a simmons 3-9x40 on it and it worked great. I used the rifle on varmints and small game hunting. Keep in mind, the rimfire labled scopes are better suited because the parallax is set up for shorter distances. Such as 50 yards. This is a non issue with a rifle scope that has an adjustable parallax. Youll see that on scopes with higher magnification. At my club, youll find a lot of 10-22 rifles with this type of scope. We shoot different types of competition with our rimfire rifles, not just paper targets. One such shoot is our golf ball shoot, where you are hitting a small target. A higher power scope just works better for me in this situation. Kind of like shooting sage rats, I like having a higher magnification scope on my 10-22 or similar rifle that is going to be shot off the bench, more than carried in the field. For straight up hunting, I'd look for the most versatility and go with a 3-9x40. There's a reason that power range has been so popular over the years.

 

[IceWater]

Thanks for the info, the 2-7 and 3-9 seem like the most ideal candidate for the hunting I plan to be doing. Golf ball precision is what I am looking for since headshots are what is needed for me personally.

 

[bsa1917hunter]

Thanks for the info, the 2-7 and 3-9 seem like the most ideal candidate for the hunting I plan to be doing. Golf ball precision is what I am looking for since headshots are what is needing for me personally.

IceWater, this is how my new golf ball rifle shoots:


However, it's a 17HMR. My target 10-22 had a hard time keeping up with this A17, so I got rid of it. I do love 10-22 rifles though. The A17 that shot the above group is wearing a cheap bushnell rimfire 6-18x40 with 2 turrets (1 for 22lr and the other for 17HMR). The turrets work surprisingly well for a cheap rifle scope. I actually bought 3 of these to put on some of my rimfires. My bolt action 17HMR wears a Burris ff E1 4.5-14X42 and that glass is very nice. Almost too nice for a 17HMR. Sorry I'm talking 17HMR when you were wanting to know what a good scope would be for a 10-22. It seems like a lump most rimfire rifles into one group, no matter if it is a 22lr, 22 mag, or 17. Going back to your needs and wanting to see a little better for some good head shots on sage rats or other vermin, don't be afraid of looking at a 3-9x40. It will prepare you for your big game hunting as well. I don't know if you hunt big game, but learning to use a variable power scope on a 10-22 early on, will transfer right over to big game hunting with a good variable power rifle scope. For my hunting rifles, that's just about all I ever use anymore. I guess old habits are hard to break....

 

[IceWater]

Yeah I plan to work my way up to bigger game, figured I'd start out with small game before deer and elk. If the 40mm would help with the training and transition needed, I'd be inclined to go with it. I figure to eventually get a .22mag and .17 since it shoots so much flatter and further.

 

[daved20319]

Golf balls are for wimps ! My proving target of choice with my air rifles has always been paint balls set up at 30-50 yards, depending on rifle. Consistently hitting 8 out of 10 is my minimum qualifier, and no, I don't do that with a fixed 4x scope . I either set them on golf tees, or they can be hot glued to a backer of some sort. BTW, I do NOT shoot at golf balls, at least not with an air rifle, they can literally send a pellet back at you with nearly undiminished velocity, something I had to learn the hard way. Don't know if it could happen with a rimfire, but I have no desire to find out, either. Just something to keep in mind, later.

Dave