Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Rimfire scopes

A great scope for open fields, can be challenging in darker woods.

Since we're only allowed one scope I would go for clarity and versatility in conditions and magnification while sacrificing light weight.
https://www.opticsplanet.com/nightforce-nx8-2-5-20x50mm-rifle-scope.html?_iv_code=NF-RS-NX8RS1-C622

That’s one hell of an expensive scope right there. I probably speak for a lot of us here, when I say a typical rimfire 22lr, just doesn’t need that kind of a beast on top. A scope that is reliable, clear enough to see well enough at the distances most of us shoot rimfires is sufficient. Like a lot of these guys suggesting straight 6x, 2-7, 3-9x40, and 4.5-14x42 or even 6-18x40. They are all acceptable, even the modest priced ones, like Tasco, weaver, Nikon, Burris, and Bushnell have worked flawlessly over the years. Anything over 10x should have an adjustable objective, anything with less magnification doesn’t really need it. I’ve shot a schidt load of rimfire to know what works, what doesn’t, and also what isn’t necessary.

All of my scoped 22s wear a 12 power. If you're going to shoot at dime sized targets, it never hurts to make it a little bigger when shooting at it.
Come to think, they are all mid priced Bushnells. They don't have to take the punishment that larger calibers would give them so they work quite well on a 22.

@BSA1917 That is true. The OP didn't ask about need or typical, it was choice of one to do all. 1-6x makes a good critter stopper, 36x makes a good target puncher, the compromise is 2.5-20 with a quick throw. Illumination for night use. Personal preference, I'll use side parallax instead of AO. 11yd to infinity will cover any rimfire range. Add up the cost of all your rimfire scopes, I'll bet you could easily afford the one Nightforce.

I wouldn't mind a B14r as well, I like the idea of the 700 SA footprint as a trainer. The only reason I actually bought the BMR is I received $150 gift card to Brownell's unexpectedly. I also wanted a threaded barrel to use with my suppressor. This little rifle is proving to be a shooter.

I think I'd need more consistent ammunition to participate in the St Pats challenge. The most consistent I have right now is the Aquila Super Extra standard velocity in this rifle. However, what I have is consistent enough for small varmints and steel targets.

If I could just choose one, the SWFA 6x42 would be hard to beat. I also like the Burris Fullfields with adjustable objectives and the Droptine 3-9 with a set 50 yard parallax.

I have Nightforce, on my precision rifles, and love them. No need for one on a 22lr. My 7-35x56 Atacr would look funny on top of any of my 22lr's. However, I remember one time putting my NXS 5.5-22x56 on my 10/22 to shoot a KYL match. My buddies laughed at me and asked if I really needed a "$2,000.00" scope on my 10/22 to kick their azz. I said to my friend Dave, Ok, I guess I'll get my Savage MK1 FVT with the $100.00 Bushnell on it. Now, that was funny!!! It wasn't surprising who won the KYL matches that day..


I wish I had taken a picture of the 10/22 with the huge NF on top. It was kind of ridiculous looking..


After that, I pulled the NF off and put the Burris AR scope back on it. That's how it has stayed since. It does well enough with that rifle scope. Those are discontinued now, but all of my AR's wear them. They also work damn well on just about anything else I put them on.

The way I see it, is you have guys saying you need this or that, when in all reality, you DON'T. Sometimes that may intimidate new shooters. I like proving things work, by showing examples, and as we should all know, there are multitudes of scopes that will work on a rimfire. Or at least I'm assuming guys have tried most, if not all, much as I have. I've been shooting since before I was in kindergarten, and playing around with different scopes on rimfires, since I was about 12. The first ones are just like some of the ones that have been mentioned. Simmons, Nikon, Burris, Bushnell, Tasco, Leupold, Redfield and Weaver. I'm not a scope snob, when it comes to what goes on my rimfires. Why? Because I know what works..

The Compact 6X AO was a near perfect match for early Kimber 82’s. I had one on my lefty Clackamas Custom Classic. The other compacts were a little too small. A really nice match for a squirrel rifle.

For just shooting and hunting I have a few 4x and some 2-7’s. The one I shoot in our local usbr matches has a 6-24 on it and mine is one of the lower powered scopes there. Max power of 32x-60x scopes are becoming the norm with 40x-45x being the most common top end.

I wish some people in sales and marketing would wake up on fixed parallax scopes for rimfires and up the parallax to 100 yards instead of 50 yds.

With all the mentions of Burris scopes, I went exploring on their website and found a neat little tool for using their Ballistic Plex or any other reticle. I'm sure many of you have already seen this but I hadn't poked around their website in quite a while.

https://www.burrisoptics.com/ballistic-tools

Choose Reticle Analysis from the menu at the bottom of the page and you can enter your exact scope, reticle, specific ammo and environmental conditions and it will show you the path of the bullet at each hash mark on the reticle. You can play around with zero range to find the most useful intersections.

E.g., I used a Fullfield II 3-9x40 with Ballistic Plex reticle - the one Amazon is selling for $135 - and 40 grain Federal Automatch (UM22). Zeroed at 60 yards the bullet path crosses the first hash mark at 74 yards and the second one at 97 yards, close enough to 75 and 100 for field work.




Obviously twisting knobs or a more detailed reticle, i.e. busier, will be more precise but for a simple hunting scope that's pretty useful dope.

Why would you not buy a standard rifle scope if you want parallax set at 100?

I believe most non rimfire fixed objective rifle scopes have the parallax set at 150 yards. I know Leupold does.

@Timbo
I've been using Burris, the rimfire is set to 50yd and the standard model is set to 100yd.

https://www.burrisoptics.com/riflescopes/droptine-riflescope-3-9x40mm

I have a huge assortment of scopes. I have a LOT of older Bushnell's, many different models. Also have some Nikons I like. I have several Leapers/UTG scopes that have worked well. My best are my Burris Compacts. I have several and really love them. Forgot there are some old Weavers, Redfields, Simmons, Tascos, and many other oddballs. I have a lot of old guns and I often use what came on the guns. Some of those optics are not great, but useable. Un-useable scopes go in the trash bin as I don't want to unload problems onto someone else.

Is the Burris a FFP or a SFP?

Good post H. i know a lot of my buddies at the club in WA, have all but switched to higher magnification on their rifles to shoot the fun shoots and targets we shoot there. Here's a good video on a high magnification rifle scope, that costs about $250.00.


The Arken's are starting to get a good following too. Like I said, you don't have to spend a ton of money, to scope a rimfire. There are so many good choices out there right now. Decide what you want to do with the rifle, and go from there. Pretty simple.

Good post Jim. That is a fun reticle to mess with. It works with a lot of different cartridges. Back in the old days, Burris just supplied a chart for different cartridges, and that worked well. They were actually stickers, so you could put them on the scope, if you wanted. Takes a lot of guesswork out of it..

One step further. Some of my Burris scopes came with a coupon. Fill in the pet load data and mail it in. Burris shipped back custom yard marked turret matched to the load for free.

Really no wrong answer for a 22. It really depends on the need of the 22. I have a Leupold 6x compact on my CZ 452. It is absolutely perfect for grey squirrels. Not shooting past 50 yards for them.

GreggH