Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Rimfire scope hunting

Looking for the best Rimfire squirrel hunting scope. What do you got? I don't mind spending for the best.

I don't know what the best is but I've got an old 4x Bushnell Banner rimfire and a 2-7x32 Nikon Pro-Staff on my two favorite squirrel rigs. Given the fact that I've averaged 80-100 squirrels a season with those rifles for many years I'd have to say they're good enough.

Which rimfire? At what ranges? AO or not? What light conditions (illuminated or not)?

I do a lot of squirrel hunting, but it's all with dogs so that affects my gear choices.

I've been very happy with a Leupold VX-R 2-7x33 that I had the custom shop bring the parallax down to 50 yards and put a CDS dial on the elevation. Before that scope I used a VX-2 2-7x28 ultralite, also modified by the custom shop in the same way. The rifle gets carried a lot, not mistreated but not babied either. Both scopes held zero just fine through all kinds of adventure.

I've got a Clearidge 3-9x32 RM that I'm messing with. It's got turrets that have tracked consistently, but the optics aren't as clear as the Leupolds.

I'm really interested in Leupold's T-MOA reticle and Rimfire MOA reticles. I think those would be great with an AO scope that tops out around 12 or 14 power.

I'd like to know more about the Leupold Rimfire MOA reticle. I presume its on their website?

The past several years I've been using a 6x42 SWFA on my favorite 22 rf. It's a larger scope but I really like it for squirrels and targets. A 25 yard zero, a range finder, and good dope can make things really interesting on squirrels. It's excellent practice dialing drops (yardages that would be considered short for big game), setting up the shots, and hitting the small game. Not that everyone wants to hunt squirrels that way, and it's easy enough to stalk a bit more and not dial, but it gives options.

I need to try to get a couple of trips in before the season ends......

Weaver rv7

The Leupold 2-7x33 rimfire is pretty decent for the money. I've had 4-5 of them and no problems with them loosing zero, great for a squirrel gun.

I have a VXII 2-7 with CDS on mine.

By far the best Ive found for a .22 Rimfire is a Burris FFII 3x9 with Ballistic plex.


By far...

Hmmm... I just got one of those for something else. What velocity ammo do you use and how do the hash marks correspond to your bullet drops?

I've used one of those too and I agree it's a good scope. But the 2-7x33 was noticeably brighter to my eyes and I prefer the regular duplex for hunting.

Ive been using the Nikon rimfire for about 5-6 years now and I like it just fine. I’m not a big fan of the BDC, but it does work.

I have a Leupold rimfire 4x with the turkey plex and it's perfect for me. I zero at 35 yards.

The best AP scope I've used on a .22 was the Leupold Rimfire 3-9 EFR, but I can see where one with a reticle featuring hash marks would be very useful. The .22 I have in the pipe will get a SWFA 6x42. I suspect it will serve very well for most purposes.

For closer ranges, a 4x or 2-7 would be just fine too, and easy to carry around.

CCI mini mag hollow points.... it'll tell you how the dots line up in the manual but IIRC its spot on at 50 yds, then 75, then 100, then 125...didnt matter after that point.

Worked like a charm...

I like the Leupold 3-9x33 EFR. Magnification for small targets. EFR for parallax free, again for small targets. Smaller diameter ocular (eyepiece) allows the lowest rings Ruger makes to be used on M77/22 and still clear the bolt. Smaller diameter ocular may help with CZ bolt clearance, but I have no experience with that.

All that said, I'm putting together a 10/22 heavy barrel with a target stock for playing at longer ranges. It will get a SWFA 10x mil-quad. But for a lighter, more general purpose .22, I like the Leupold.

I've used several different scopes on rimfires, and the favorite has been the Leupold 2-7x 33mm. Woods can be thick here in Alabama, so 2-3 power on the low end can be helpful, and 7 on the top is adequate for most of longer opportunities. Hunting in more open spaces would like more magnification.

The Weaver V16 on a heavy contour barreled rifle like my Anschutz 1502.

The Leupold 3-9x33AO EFR on a light contour barreled rifle like my Remington 504.

This seems to work fine for head shooting rabbits.







Easy enough to pick up on ebay and are axcellent optics.