Whats the nicest scope you would put on a .22lr?

M

mellow_c

New member
I've got a nice Zeiss conquest 6.5-20x50 that I have for sale here on the forum. I haven't had much interest in it yet, and I'm starting to consider using it on a .22lr target rifle.
I feel like it might be a little overkill to put a highly adjustable $900+ scope on a $400 .22lr target rifle, but it could also be a lot of fun!

I've had a hard time getting good groups with my .22lr target rifle. It's a Savage Mark 2 with the target barrel and thumbhole stock. I've never tried anything other than ammo bought from local stores... I've had a hard time getting ahold of any serious match grade .22lr ammo. But my hope is that I'll find some ammo it really likes, and then paired up with such a great scope I could be drilling quarters at 100 yards no problem.

Whats the nicest scope you would ever consider putting on a .22lr ???:)
 
I would. No doubt.

22s are a blast and if you have a nice one great glass can make it that much more fun. I know my 10/22 is limited by its scope. I'll be putting a nice Vortex on it when I have the extra money.
 
I would give more weight to the eye behind the scope than to the rifle, especially for a scope you already own. 6.5-20 seems a bit much for .22LR but, again, the scope you own, etc., and long range .22 work can be a lot of fun. As a bonus, you have eliminated the need for a spotting scope.;)

That being said, I put a Leupold 2-7x20 Rimfire Special on my own .22 rifle and on the two .22s I have given to kids. They suit the plinker/small game hunter intent of the rifles and fit my budget at the times of their purchase.

The question is "good enough?" not "too good?"
 
I have 2 Leupolds on 22s, one is a 4X, the other a 2-7X, both were "expensive" as far as 22 scopes go, and I don't regret either one. A good scope is a great addition to a good 22LR rifle.
 
I had a Zeiss Conquest on my Weatherby MK XXII for a while. Good squirrel setup. It's been a while since I put together a nice target setup- sold off most of my heavy barrels. But if I did, I wouldn't hesitate to drop money on a quality scope, although with the rifles I tend towards a Unertl or Litschert would be more appropriate.

As for ammo, my guns seem to all like Wolf MT. It's one of the more common match ammos. The ME is also great. One round that surprised me as well is the Federal Auto Match in the bulk pack. It shoots almost as well for me as the Wolf and it seems to do well across the board in all my rifles.
 
I have a 6-24 x 56 on mine. I shoot with another guy that has a 10-40 x 56 on his. You can not over power the rifle. It will not make the rifle shoot farther ,but will help with your groups. You have no use for it right now, so put it on and enjoy till some one bites on your sale offer.
 
The Leupold 2-7 variable scope that I put on my Marlin model 60 cost four times as much as the rifle did.

No regrets.
 
I regularly shoot 36x fixed power scopes with my most accurate .22 LR rifles.

I have Weaver T-36s on 4 of them. I shoot mostly from the bench and am a stickler for accuracy. You can still see the bullet holes at 100 and 200 yards. You can get one for just over $ 400 if you look around online. I would recommend that you get one with the 1/8th MOA target dot instead of the hairline reticles. You can see them best in low light.
The Sightron II 36X fixed power is also a very nice scope and is about the same price. I have several of them on my center fire rifles that I shoot for accuracy.

Expecting to shoot all your rounds inside a quarter at 100 yards is a bit of a stretch. I have 5 rifles that average under 1 inch at 100 yards with the best 22LR ammo. I have 2 that don't quite make it.
First you need an accurate rifle, then you need really good ammo - Lapua Midas + or Center-X, Eley Tenex or Match or maybe RWS-50. Be prepared to spend some $ to get good ammo if you want to get accuracy at 100 yards.
Then you will need to learn to read the wind or shoot on calm days. Then you have a chance to average under 1 inch at 100 yards. Even then, not all your groups will be under 1 inch but some will be in the 0.6 to 0.8 range.
The long term average center to center would have to be under 0.950 +/- 0.005 to be equal to the diameter of a quarter. If you want to be just touching a quarter, you could get away with 1.175 inches. All 5 of my best rifles can make that number.

The five that do break the 1 inch average under 0.4 inches at 50 yards with only 6 to 10 ammos depending upon the rifle. The other 2 only manage that with one or two ammos. So you need to start with a very accurate rifle with good ammo then get a good high power scope and a very solid front and rear rest. After all that investment, you then need to tune your shooting technique and wind reading skills so you can get the most out of your rifle.

Good luck and good shooting.
 
@9x19: Thanks for the laugh this morning. Without a doubt, your idea is the best so far.

For rimfires, I try to estimate the power I need, and then pick a size which aesthetically matches the diminutive .22 rifles. For me, the leupold rimfire, 2-7 X usually fits the criteria. Although I do know there is a trend for bigger and bigger scopes on .22's.

One of the best fits for function and size on the smaller rifles, is the old redfield, fixed 4X with a 3/4 inch tube. It looks great and works great on my 9422.
 
I have Leupold 2-7's on my 22 rifles. But...if I was going to buy a new scope today for a 22, I'd go with one (probably a 2-7, but maybe a 3-9) that was specifically for a 22LR and had the BDC lines or dots for 75 and 100 yards. The BDC would come in handy for varmint shots in the front pasture.

Like HiBC, I once had a 513T with a 4-12 variable on it. Most accurate rifle I've ever shot. Was so accurate that it was boring and I finally sold it. There was nothing to do to improve it, so it couldn't be a project gun. Too heavy for squirrel hunting.
 
I shoot smallbore silhouette(I shoot at them anyway). My standard rifle is an Anschutz 54MS and it has a Leupold FX3 25X. My hunter is an Anschutz 1710 and it has a Weaver T24. Both have half minute dots.

Drue
 
For a serious competition rifle a scope with parallax adjustment is wanted.

Here is a my Unertl 15X on my 40X.

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I don't see any reason to differentiate between a .22 rimfire and a center-fire rifle when it comes to "nice" scopes. A good .22 is just as deserving of a good scope as any center-fire rifle is, in my estimation.
 
Depends on your needs, purpose, wants or desires.
I have a $65 scope on one that fits the bill as well as a $455 scope on another that serves my purpose.
There is a third in the mix with a $200 scope on it.
Not certain what "nice" means. All are "nice" and they are all different brands and at different price levels.
 
4runnerman said:
...You have no use for it right now, so put it on and enjoy till some one bites on your sale offer.
Click to expand...
I definitely agree with 4runnerman. The good thing about scopes is that you can take them off & on with only a minimum of work. I had a 6.5x20 Leupold "spare" laying around for a while, so I switched it out temporarily on all my rifles that had the appropriate mounts & clearances. It was fun to double check my pet loads & see how much the big glass helped my hold. I say, if you can, use it & keep it as a spare.

FWIW...

..bug
 
Keep your scope - you may find yourself with a more accurate .22 one day. Until then, if you do target work the higher power will be of benefit, if only because it can eliminate the need for a spotting scope at typical .22 LR distances (the fewer separate items you have to lug about at the range, the better IMO).

For rabbit hunting, I bought myself a 2-7X scope because I found the FOV in my 6-24X too narrow for what I was doing. If I'd regularly been operating at greater distances (closer to 50 than < 25 yards all the time) I might have stayed with the original. I still have it, waiting to go on the next target-grade rifle I own, and I'm glad I never sold or traded it off. I'd advise you to do the same.
 
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