10/22 Takedown Scope Options

[robotoid]

What are you using? Pics and spec's.
I've spent the last few hours trying to find something and I am overwhelmed by the possibilites.
I'm looking for something that will fit in the carrying case mounted and not protrude past the receiver half of the rifle, QD rings for attachment though in case it gets damaged, don't want anything that needs batteries or electronics, already got a see thru UTG scope base on the way, looking to spend less than $100, at least 4x power, but might prefer a variable up to 9x or so.

 

[Richbaker]

There's another post in this section for this, a bunch of members have posted what they have...

 

[NixieTube]

I've been looking since I bought my TD, and while there are a lot of compact scopes for AR platform rifles that are beautiful and would work with the right rings/bases, they're also waaaaay out of my price range to put on a gun that only cost $300. At this point I'm looking at used compact scopes and also realizing I'm probably going to mount a Barska 4x32, something like this, in the interim.

I think that scope will fill the bill the only thing I'm worried about is eye relief. I might need a slightly longer rail (toward the rear of the receiver) than the 10/22 TD rail that comes in the package. Why Ruger didn't make that rail 1/2 inch longer toward the rear of the receiver is a mystery to me. If anything, the rail is a smidge too small and mounts too close to the front of the receiver.

I really would prefer to leave the scope on the receiver. I don't need the SKS base and rings, but the size is right at 7.48 inches and the magnification is adequate for what I want the TD for at 4x.

The Bushnell Trophy XLT in 1.75-4x 32mm might also make it, and still fit in the pack on the scope base. It's 10.6 inches long. Really the 10/22TD needs a scope less than 10 inches long to go back in the pouch and stay mounted to the receiver, but I'm trying to find one of these to test-fit. It'll be close.

That scope is reasonably priced at around $115

It's proving a challenge to find a decent scope that can stay mounted and put back in the pack that doesn't cost more than the gun. I don't consider that to be a flaw with the gun or the Ruger packaging, necessarily - it's just a fact of life: compact scopes are expensive if you want a good one, positive reviews on $50 glued together optics from Red China notwithstanding. I want something I can see through that will last a while. I wish Ruger had thought a little more about the scope options, because they're scarce unless you don't want to use the case you bought or you want to remove the optic every time you put it back in the case you bought with the gun.

 

[wingman]

I also want a compact scope that will fit in the Ruger pack but for less than $100. I haven't found any locally and its hard to figure whether they would fit just seeing them online. You can't always trust that the photos are accurate online either. I see a lot of 4x scopes but I don't know if that would be good enough for my old eyes.

 

[NixieTube]

I also want a compact scope that will fit in the Ruger pack but for less than $100. I haven't found any locally and its hard to figure whether they would fit just seeing them online. You can't always trust that the photos are accurate online either. I see a lot of 4x scopes but I don't know if that would be good enough for my old eyes.

What I did this past weekend was to go online and find pictures of scopes that might fit based on their advertised dimensions and eye relief. I took those photographs, blew them up with Photoshop and resampled them, and then tried to make the best perspective corrections of them I could. Then I brought perspective-corrected images into Adobe Illustrator and printed them at the exact advertised length dimension of the scope. Illustrator or CorelDraw or some other program like that will let you take a photograph and print it on a sheet of paper at a known, exact dimension and draw guide lines to make sure you've got it right. (Actually Photoshop will too, saving you a step, but I did it the long way.)

Then I take the output from my laser printer, fold it, and hold it up to the 10/22 TD receiver/buttstock with the rail mounted to see how the scope might fit and what the eye relief would be, actual size.

Needless to say there aren't many that qualify in the sub-$100 range, and it's a lot of work. Neither of mine are under $100 but that's how I came up with the two I mention here. Over in this thread I talk about the Sharpblade7777's Leupold which looks great, and after doing that this weekend with five different scopes I found online.

Sadly some companies don't provide really good isometric drawings or photographs of their scopes. They should, because the dimensions are really important, and I would prefer not to have a Chinese-made scope on my 10/22 TD if I have other choices. Nothing personal, Premier Jiabao .

Frankly a couple of days at Ruger Engineering and they could have come up with a list of scope recommendations and that's why I'm ranting a bit about this. Rifle's great, concept is great, the manufacturing is good, the takedown mechanism is just a joy to behold and use, but they forgot the #@*#&@ scope choices!! They give you the rail (which is too short) and basically "yer on yer own" as far as finding a decent scope that will fit into the pack and not fall apart on you, or make you have to take out a second mortgage - which I'm *sure* nobody wants to do right now (heh.)

I'd like to buy a Redfield or a Leupold to go along with the "American Made" theme here. Ruger? Leupold? Redfield? Are you listening? You have a customer...

 

[CraigC]

Cheap American made scopes are a pipe dream. Buy your scope according to your needs, your budget and your application. Buy the best you can, money is never wasted on good optics. Forget about what the rifle cost.

As far as including one in the package, that's almost always a losing proposition. It tough enough to satisfy everybody's firearm needs without trying to include a scope that pleases everybody.

The cheapest scopes I can recommend in good conscience are the rimfire models from Weaver and Nikon. Mueller is also very good. Step up from that and you have the wonderful rimfire line from Leupold but those are $300. The Burris Compact 4x would've been perfect but sadly it's been discontinued.

 

[DB30]

Mine with older Burris 4X compact and Z rings. Changed trigger housing and barrel band.

DB

 

[CraigC]

The little Burris perfect!

 

[JebNY]

I bought a NcStar Mark III Tactical thinking it would fit in the pouch attached fine. It mounts and is short enough but the extra knob on the left to turn on the illuminated reticle and or the laser makes it to thick to go in the pouch.

This was unexpected. So I'm glad it has a quick release.

 

[mishtub]

I put one of these:
http://www.aimsportsinc.com/catalog/index.php?l=product_detail&p=2
on mine, and the front of it sits similar to the burris in a post above this one and the problem I have is the eye relief is so short . It does fit into the case well.

 

[snoopandpoop]

I wound up picking up a Nikon 4x fixed off Amazon for like $90, along with the 1" rings that let you still use the irons while mounted. Seemed like the best compromise of size/quality/cost.