Any favorite scopes for general rimfire jackassery? Paper, ground squirrels, etc....

On the budget side of the spectrum!

3-9 Weaver Rimfire is great, as is a compact 4x

I have used the Nikon 4X rimfires with good luck. Also hard to beat the Leupold rimfire line. I have shot many, many ground squirrels with my Remmy 121 pump equipped with a 4X nikon scope.

Nikon Rimfire Prostaff 3-9x40 with BDC.

You’re welcome.

MadMooner: The answer to your question (if you are talking 22 L.R. "rimfires") is - the wonderful and unsurpassed Leupold 3x9 Rimfires or Ultra-Lights with adjustable objective.
Forget any "budget" considerations - if you want a budget toy (Bushnell Simmons etc) buy it - if you want superb performance get one (or more, like I have!) of the above scopes.
The Leupolds are an investment in top quality and top performance on 22 rimfires.
You won't lose any money if you shop carefully (used market) for these scopes.
PLUS... these scopes that I have mentioned, just look great on a quality rimfire Rifle.
I bought my first "rimfire scope" back in 1959 and have "tried them all" over the interim 59 years or so - go with the Leupold, is my strong recommendation.
Leupold & Stevens Corporation - a fine American Company.
Best of luck to you with whichever you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

It was last year that The Field & Stream firearms staff writer David Petzal published what he thought was the best of the best in the scope and firearms categories. His pick for the best of the best rimfire scope is the Leupold VX-2 Ultralight Rimfire EFR 3-9x33 fine duplex reticle matte. I figured that David gets to finger way more of these things than I do, so I put one on my newly drilled and tapped Winchester M61. The fine duplex was a little hard to get use to, but that EFR front objective really cured any parallax issue that I'd ever had putting a big game non-EFR scope on a rimfire rifle. My red squirrel range is typically about 10-15 yards, not 50. $354.99 at Midway USA.

I like that Nikon. Also was looking at these:

https://us.hawkeoptics.com/vantage-side-focus-3-12x44-mil-dot.html

These can be found for around $100 or sometimes less, I have one on my CZ 452 American and if there is a better scope for the price I have not found it. I am not a real big fan of the BDC but it does give a fairly good holdover reference.

Good positive clicks, clear sight picture - a lot to like about them.

drover

Yep.

I've used mils and turrets but liked the Nikon BDC more than anything.

I'm strictly talking about gophers and small game hunting though. For reference.

The Leupold EFR is a beauty, no doubt about it. Still regret selling mine.

Hawke makes models with BDC reticles for all the rimfire rounds: SV, HV, .22 mag, the Hummer, even Mach 2 in the Vantage line. Not dirt cheap, but reasonable. Go to their website for details as Camera Land's info is a bit sparse. No experience with the Vantage line, but I've got four Endurance models that I like pretty well so far. I put an Endurance LER 2-7 with illuminated crosshairs on my 77/22 RSI and it's dandy. $80!

Was gonna go that Leupold route last year when I got my CZ-455 but the shop where I got it had me check out some Vortex stuff they had although they had some Leupolds in stock also. Took a Vortex outside to play with it under real world conditions and it impressed me enough to buy it. So now the CZ has a 2-7x Vortex on it and I'm real happy with it. 2-7x is what I have on my 10-22 and it's a good fit for what I do with a rimfire, ( small game and informal plinking, mostly). It's a lot more "budget friendly" than the Leupold and while I'm basically a Leupold guy I gotta admit that the Vortex is a real good deal for the money.

Leupold for me. For informal shooting and Squirrel hunting the Leupold FX II 6X36 with their fine duplex and the parallax set at 40yds. works perfect for me. If it just has to be a variable then Leupold again, but the Clearidge 3-9X32 is a very good choice.

He's really gonna be thanking you when his bolt hits that big ole eye piece and he has to order high rings.

I have the Nikon Prostaff Rimfire 3-9x40 on my CZ 452 American, I use Weaver 22 rings ($8.99 at Walmart) and they give adequate clearance for the bolt handle.

The OP stated "on the budget side of the spectrum" to me that leaves the Leupold out of my idea of "budget priced". I have only around $100 total for the Nikon Prostaff and rings on my CZ, more in line with my thoughts on "budget priced".

drover

Leupold EFR

Here's something I doubt many of you have seen yet. Nikon's new for 2018 P-Tactical Rimfire 2-7x32 MOA reticle, also available with BDC reticle but you guys have been asking for the MOA for a long time and here it is. $179.95 is retail. New design but same price. Both reticle's can be dialed in using Nikon's Spot On Ballistic Program to take the guesswork out of holdovers.

It wouldnt clear on my 455 with jp adapters and burris medium rings. It barely works on my 77/22 but will hit the scope if I'm not careful. Don't know why nikon started making those huge eye pieces. But it is a nice scope for the money.

Sure wish leupold still made the old vx-1 2-7 rimfire. I should have bought a few before they went out of production. I picked up a freedom, but can't stand the look of it on walnut/blued rifle...its too tactical lookin.

Out of curiousity I did some comparison between my 452 with the Nikon and my wife's 452 with a Leupold VX-2 3-9x40, both scopes mounted with identical Weaver medium height dovetail rings.

Nikon Prostaff Rimfire 3-9x40 -
eyepiece objective measures 1.515 with .250 clearance between the bolt handle and the objective.

Leupold VX 2, 3-9x40 -
eyepiece objective measures 1.55 with .325 clearance between the bolt handle and the objective, this is due to the Leupold having more taper from the threaded portion towards the back of the eyepiece.

While more clearance would be welcome I do not have an issue of the bolt contacting the scope with either of them, perhaps you have a different variation of the Prostaff Rimfire than I do.

drover

I safely assume MadMooner knows what he’s doing.

Risky assumption.

I ain’t ever mounted one backwards, but..........

I bought my first one a couple of years ago.

They're a little pricey but worth every penny and nothing's too good for my CZ 452.

The fine cross hair is better for Rimfires if you can live with mat finish. I couldn't but I'll get it swapped eventually.

Leupold's tried and true 4X is another good choice.

Some nice guns there Field!!!

Thanks friend.

Finger's crossed...

Ruger 77/22 & the CZ 455:

yeah, I have the first series prostaff rimfires with prostaff embossed lettering on the front bell and the rubber covered focus ring. I think the prostaff II have a smaller eyepiece

Those Prostaff scope have 1/2 moa adjustments. Won't that translate to near one inch at 50,or do they measure their 1/2 at 50 yards?

Guess I was thinking about it backward. I suppose the 1/2 would translate to 1/4 at 50 but I have rimfires more accurate than that. I would hate to be 1/4" off at 50 every time.

I looked at mine and they just say ProStaff. I'm not sure if the II's are marked different or not.

WTF you shootin' at? Gnats?

Gnats in a vacuum (no wind).

Seriously, I think 1/2" adjustments would put you within 1/4 MOA (within ~1/8" at 50 yards).

Found a Leupy VXII 3x9 in storage, so mounted that to the 455 Lux last night. It has the LR reticle, so we'll see how it lines up with distance.

Frog___OUT!

Agreed. The adjustments are perfectly adequate.

Get the Clearidge - Duplex or mildot. The fine crosshair is too thin. Pretty close to the EFR without the extra coin.

Looks like the Petstore Massacre. Snowshoes?

I like the Luepold vx 2’s. Either 4x12 or 6x18. They will do all you need to do with a 22. Target shooting or hunting they are hard to beat.
Second choice for me is a Nikon buckmaster. I bought one and liked it so much I had to have another. Hasbeen

Think I was wearing Keens.

Might have been Irish Setters.

Rimshot! LOL

Nikon Prostaff Target EFR's on my .22's and Pellet rifle. AO's will sometimes make what you thought was an ok shooter into a tack driver.

A good 3x9 with a fine duplex or Nikon's BDC like Flave says is a good choice.
I've got a BSA (yep, that's BUDGET, baby) 4x12x40 AO on my 10/22, it sees as well as that particular rifle shoots. I sighted it in for 50 yards at the fat top part of the duplex, 75 yards is the crosshair and 100 is the bottom joint. Anything further is centerfire, honestly.
I'm hoping to get a side-focus in similar power sometime pretty soon, but for now, the BSA does what I need.

Finally sighted in the Leupold on the CZ yesterday. I had two different types of ammunition with me to see what it liked. The Federal bulk pack 36 gr plated hollow point shot minute of squirrel head at 50 yards in a puffy wind, however the Federal "Auto Match" shot minute of dime sized groups at the same yardage. I'm sure if I had a more stable platform than the hood of my truck to fire from, and without a strong breeze blowing, they would have been one ragged hole! Plan on ordering more of it!

Is that a Leupold gold ring on that scope?

Mother of God! Those look like the size of some of the yotes I shoot

My CZ 455 Tacticool will be wearing a Mueller.

Sure is, M8 4x Compact

Yes, for me it is a Zeiss 10x C series, it fits Brno well enough and as they are an older scope they can be had at a reasonable price.

Oh man, I love that setup JSTUART. Very nice.

tag

More fun than p-dogs,

"Looks like a pet store massacre" was a great line. When the poplar slashings filled up with snow, still hunting snowshoe hares with a scoped .22 and a couple of buddies was about as much fun as I was allowed to have here. We did that hopper hunt every year with some guys from work and I sure miss those days. Not the work, the hopper hunt with the guys.

A scope's SOLE purpose,is to steer boolits.

Nothing begins to connect as many of them dots,as a 6x MQ Fixed Fhuqker.

Hint.................

Bought one today for RAR predator. Will actually get it after Santa brings it on Christmas. Looks like good advise. Tnkx

I took the Leupold 4X compact off my CZ455 and slapped a 2-7X on it.
My 3-9X EFR went bye bye on a Rem 600 .243 win.
Wish I had that scope now! LOL

I like the 3/4" Redfield 4X, too bad they're discontinued. I also have a couple of Leupold 4X Compact scopes, on my vintage RF Sporters I have Lyman Alaskans with LEE dot.

I've got a couple of the post 2012 mfg Leupold VX 1 2-7x33s on a 77-22 and a 10-22. I got them used for around $150 each. They're a centerfire scope but IMO don't seem too big for a 22 RF. For my eyes, old, they're a lot easier to get the right eye relief and on target faster. I've set the parallax on one for rimfire distance and left the other one alone as they both seem to be equally accurate.

any body compared a older leupold vx-2 3-9x33 efr ot the new vx-freedom 3-9x33 efr? I'd love an older one still nib but they tuff to find.
thanks,
Big Ed

The forums on rimfirecentral suggest they are very much as good as the older ones, just not as sleek looking because of the box turrets. All the purchasers seem to be happy with them.

let us know how the "shoot out",pun intended,goes between those 2 please. my money is always on the CZ.
BIg Ed