Scope advice...

[Ex-MA Hole]

I need scope advice...I know NOTHING about scopes...I have a .22 bolt action....it's nothing special...it sat in someone's closet for a bit over a million years...they went to move, found it, gave it to someone else...they had it for about a million and a half years...they forgot they had it...I ended up with it...I use it at about 50 yards in my backyard to hit a torso sized steel plate.  I can pretty much do it with my eyes closed at this point...

I took it out to the 100 yards range at my club...it has a cheapo Walmart scope that my Dad paid $14.94 for on it...I had a softball sized grouping at 100....I'm looking to tighten it up a bit....It's strickly for fun...

What to get?  I found this on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009FU0CO/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Coupled with the fact that I have a gift card to Amazon for $25.00....hmmmm.....

I will be bench shooting this, so weight is not a huge issue....any other ideas?

Down the road I am thinking of getting something bolt action in .223, so I'd like to get something that I can move to that gun when I get it.  It is not mandatory, but I'd like to have that option...


What say ye?

[Sergeant Bob]

I would normally be suspect of any scope at that price, especially a 6.5-20 but, the reviews are pretty good and the price is right. However, that would be a bit too much scope for a .22 for anything other than bench shooting.

[Manedwolf]

I'm also trying to figure out the mystery of all the X-something numbers involved with scopes. I have a PSOP-4 and a PK-A, but for sport scopes, I'm lost.

Trying to pick one to put on a K-31, which has ballistics nearly identical to a .308. Lit reticles seem nice, that's all I've seen.

[roo_ster]

You might want to consider one of the old (as in decades) Weaver K-series (k-4 is the commonest, IIRC) scopes off ebay.  Can't be beat for the price range.

I have no faith in cheap new optics, anymore.  I went with an aperture sight in my CZ550 in .375H&H because I couldn't afford a Leupold VX-III to top it off.

[Manedwolf]

Maine Vue optics seem to be popular here, with reviews of being very clear, but it's more the what X what I'm confused about.

(The K-31 can reach out hundreds of yards with incredible accuracy, so I want something long range for that.)

[Tallpine]

Maine Vue optics seem to be popular here, with reviews of being very clear, but it's more the what X what I'm confused about.

X is magnification.  The other number is size of the objective lense.
Bigger number --> more light.

Some scopes are variable - as in 3x - 9x.

4x fixed should be plenty for .22 rimfire, or for any other rifle IMO.

I think I paid about $30 for my .22 scope.  Simmons or something.   Really doesn't matter because most any scope will be all right for .22 (virtually no recoil).

I would just buy a rimfire scope and leave in on the rifle.  Get another (good!) scope later for a centerfire rifle.  $30 ain't worth the trouble of moving it and re-sighting.

[Manedwolf]

As regards .22s, my Marlin 66 stainless has a Simmons 4x32 in matching silver that I got from CDNN for $19. It seems to work.

[Scout26]

I don't think a scope will help much....

.it sat in someone's closet for a bit over a million years...they went to move, found it, gave it to someone else...they had it for about a million and a half years...they forgot they had it...I ended up with it...

I've got a cheapie scope, also from Walmart, that I put on an old shot-out remington .22 pump that key-holed at 25 yards.  I took the scope off when I got a $100 bucks for the gun at one of Mayor Daleys/Fr. Pfleger's gun "buybacks".

I put the scope on a Marlin 60.  If I do my job, it makes nice tight groups.

Sounds to me like the problem is with the rifle, (or mayhaps the shooter  ), any scope should work, since there's little to no recoil.

[Tallpine]

The problem I have with most scopes is that the crosshairs wiggle

I sure would like to find a scope that doesn't have that problem

[HankB]

Perhaps the best 'scope for precision shooting with a .22 is the Leupold VX-III 6.5-20 EFR. At around $640 or so (plus mounts), the price is a bit more than the $45 Barska you're looking at.

It's hard to get a decent riflescope for under $200 . . . if you're looking in the under-$100 range, Bushnell, Simmons, BSA and Trashco Tasco might be worth a look. Keep your expectations low . . .

You mentioned that you were getting "softball sized" groups at 100 yards . . . a bolt action .22 of uncertain pedigree may not do much better no matter what 'scope it's wearing.

Down the road I am thinking of getting something bolt action in .223, so I'd like to get something that I can move to that gun when I get it.

If you're looking for a 'scope that will move to a bolt action varmint rifle, you will regret getting something too cheap today.

[Manedwolf]

It's hard to get a decent riflescope for under $200 . . .

I think my PSOP-4 is certainly decent, with the illuminated rangefinding reticle, plus it could likely survive a nuclear blast...but that's not exactly a sport scope.

[Finch]

Scope doesn't seem to do the job, I find Listerine makes my mouth feel cleaner....bad da bum....



Sorry....the Jameson got a hold on me...

[bedlamite]

The brand isn't as important as where it's made. IMO, Chinese scopes aren't worth recycling the aluminum tubes, Philippines and Korean scopes are cheap but usable, and Japanese, European and US made scopes are the best.

[charby]

I used to have an old Weaver 4x scope on a stock Ruger 10/22. At 50 yards I could shoot the staples off of targets.

I would start scouring Ebay for one of those.

-Charby

[Ex-MA Hole]

Thanks Guys....I'm going to skip the one that I found at Amazon, and now have a better idea of what to look for....

[Ex-MA Hole]

Seems I happened across a Savage Mark 2 BV...scope hunting again...want something goodish...Leopold? 

[Boomhauer]

Seems I happened across a Savage Mark 2 BV...scope hunting again...want something goodish...Leopold? 

Nikon is where its at for affordable optics.

Or Mueller.

The Russian military optics are also pretty good...

There are a couple of other decent brands for the price, but I can't think of them for now.

[Gewehr98]

I'm usually a Leupold/Sightron/Nightforce kind of guy...

But danged if I haven't had a lot of fun with a BSA 6-24 Contender on my heavy-barreled FrankenRuger 10/22.

I know it's a cheap scope, but the combination work.  Golfballs on tees at 100 yards are a piece of cake, even for the first-time shooter: