Need a scope for 10/22. Need some learnin' about scopes...

[ruggedruger]

Hi,

I'm looking to add a scope to my 10/22. I currently do not even have a scope rail on the gun. It is a 'stainless' model, with wood stock. I don't know for sure, but I imagine that a 'stainless' scope would look best, vs. black. (Opinions?)

I know nothing about scopes, rings, rails, etc. I know it can all get expensive.

I was considering something like a Simmons Simmons 22MAG 3-9x 32mm Scope in Silver. It seems it can be had for about 50 bucks. Is this thing overkill? It seems to me that @ 9x magnification, that the 32mm opening on the far end is a little small for adequate light. When buying binocs, I always kept in a mind a rule of a 5:1 ratio (opening to magnification ratio).

My intended use is plinking and varmint control.

I was hoping to keep this around 50 bucks, but I'm wondering what rings/rail I need, and what that's going to start costing me. I've been searching on this forum, and looking at links provided, but I'm not sure if 50 bucks for rings is high or not.

I would sincerely appreciate your help on this subject. Thank you.

 

[ruggedruger]

Dang, it appears the Simmons comes with rings...http://www.rmtactical.com/product_p/SM511037.htm

 

[BlkHawk73]

The Simmons will be just fine unless you're quite serious and are looking at upgrading a lot on your new acquisition. They're a pretty good bang for the buck scope. The mount itself...any will do but be careful...the rings supplied with this scope you link to are the tip-off rimfire style, not so great but they can work. Best to get a Weaver style separately. Again, be sure the diameter is correct, 1" usually. can get a mount from Ruger's site (ShopRuger.com) or about any gunshop.

 

[ranger1]

This short video may be of some interest to you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpLi064e_JI

 

[wwb]

A base that is compatible with Weaver-style rings should have come with the rifle... if not, it's easy to come by from Ruger. Then, any Weaver-style ring will work - far better than the rimfire dovetail type rings.

I agree with your concern about the objective lens diameter... at 9X, a 40mm lens is the minimum I'd consider, and 44mm is even better. The problem here is that the larger objective lens requires taller rings (otherwise, the objective bell and the barrel will interfere)... and the stock on the 10/22 doesn't have a high comb. An aftermarket stock with a high comb or an adjustable comb will solve the problem, or there are adhesive add-ons or lace-on comb pads to add to the factory stock.

 

[Snake45]

Simmons 22MAG is a fine little scope, and an outstanding VALUE for the money, but I'd strongly urge you to pop the extra $25-30 and move up to the AO (Adjustable Objective) version--also an outstanding value for the price. This will let you shoot parallax-free at all practical .22LR ranges.

Since learning/realizing/seeing for myself that parallax can introduce an inch or more of "inaccuracy" in short-range shooting, I have been replacing all my .22 scopes with AO versions and will never again buy a non-AO scope for a .22.

32mm is plenty for normal daylight shooting. Unless you're planning to do a lot of your varminting right at dusk, this simply won't be an issue for you.

Also, a 32mm AO scope will have an objective bell about the size of a non-AO 40mm. A 40mm AO scope's objective bell is even bigger, just HUGE on a 10/22.

 

[Gumby]

Midwayusa is a great source for opinions on scopes.

Here is a list of the rimfire scopes that they carry.

http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/BrowseProducts.aspx?tabId=10&categoryId=11397&categoryString=657***11392***


And here is a list of the mounts that they offer.


http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/BrowseProducts.aspx?pageNum=1&tabId=10&categoryId=14131&categoryString=657***8705***11686***14105***

I purchased the Leupold 1 piece rifleman mount for one of my 10/22s and it has held up well.

http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/BrowseProducts.aspx?pageNum=1&tabId=10&categoryId=14131&categoryString=657***8705***11686***14105***

Great price at $7.99

Gumby

 

[ruggedruger]

Thanks everybody,

Snake45: I'm not sure what you mean by AO (by objective, you mean the far end of the scope right?) I'll look into it, but I'm not sure what the term Adj. Obj. is referring to. Oh, and "objective bell" - not sure about that either.

 

[ruggedruger]

Snake - here is a Simmons with AO.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=263510

 

[CraigC]

For general purpose rifles, I like the rimfire scopes from Weaver, Nikon and Leupold in 4x and 2-7x varieties. I also prefer black scopes on everything and simply don't care for the look of silver finished optics.

 

[Highstandardguy]

I use matte black scopes on stainless because silver scopes almost never match the gun anyway so why not have a nice looking contrast.

 

[Anonymous]

I have a 3-7X20 Tasco rimfire scope on mine, was $15 on sale. The cheapest scope on the planet, probably, and I was really surprised. I get a good picture on cloudy days, and in dim light like when the sun is half below the horizon. I can even remove it, when I clean my 10/22. and it holds zero re-installed.

You should do a better scope, my Tasco was just for plinking, and doesn't come in silver. I'm just using it as an example of how good an inexpensive scope can be. If mine is adequate, a forty or fifty buck one should do real well.

 

[Snake45]

Snake - here is a Simmons with AO.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=263510

Yep, that's the one. I think I paid $75 for mine and thought it was a great price. THIS price is EVEN BETTER!

Without AO, you have what's called "parallax" and at any range other than the range it's set at, the crosshairs can "wander" around unless you have your eye in EXACTLY the same place every time, which is difficult to achieve. (It's hard to explain but I could demonstrate it to you in minutes or seconds at a range.) With AO, you can dial in the exact (or even approximate) range and minimize or even eliminate the parallax effect.

If you will be doing ALL your shooting at ONE range, be it 50 yards or 100 or whatever, you can manually set the parallax on a non-AO scope and leave it alone. I shoot at ranges from 20 yards out to 125, so the AO is a must.

This isn't so big a deal in fullsize rifles, because if parallax is set to maybe 150 yards, it's a non-factor beyond that point--the parallax is at "infinity."

 

[ruggedruger]

http://www.amazon.com/Simmons-Riflescope-Truplex-Adjustable-Objective/dp/B000INAEWS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1301273178&sr=8-3

And here seems to be the same scope for less yet.

However, the photo shows the rings. Someone on one review mentioned they are tip-off. I'm lookniig at buying a Weaver rail, and hope they are Weavers.

 

[BlkHawk73]

They're tip-off rimfire rings not Weaver style. While it might be nice to pay less, it's also a good idea to buy smart. Buy from a reputable seller not just whomever has the lowest price. Besides, if you gotta buy the mount and rings but them at once and pay a single shipping amount rather than multiple shipping charges.

 

[Snake45]

However, the photo shows the rings. Someone on one review mentioned they are tip-off. I'm lookniig at buying a Weaver rail, and hope they are Weavers.

If you buy Weaver's own scope mount for 10/22, it will take both Weaver rings or common .22 tip-off mounts. You can use the tip-offs that come with the Simmons, if you want, until you come across a good deal on Weaver rings.

BTW, you can get perfectly servicable Weaver-type rings at Walmart for about $10. Dunno I'd use them on a high-buck precision centerfire but I have them on several of my .22s and even ARs they've worked just fine.

 

[ruggedruger]

True. I guess I'd have to figure out what rings will work best (a la that video earlier in this thread, and some websites I've seen...) ?

 

[alkpon]

Go to WalMart, etc.....find a scope you like. I have a Wallymart Bushnell 4x12x40AO (cheap) on Marlin 880SQ. It is a dinger. I don't think it would look "cool" or serve your purpose on your rifle. Get a cheap a#$ scope with reticles you like. You'll be happy.
I was in position as sales rep to "look thru" some high end stuff, some, not even available for civilian use. Nice, fancy....
Don't worry about parallax in cheap scopes. For your shooting, a rimfire scope. My 2 cents.

 

[Uncle Howie]

I use matte black scopes on stainless because silver scopes almost never match the gun anyway so why not have a nice looking contrast.

+1.

I prefer matte scopes for the same reason. My preference is for matte rings to match the scope, as well. That said, I've seen some matte scopes done up with silver rings that looked kind of cool, too.

Looks really sharp (IMHO) on a stainless rifle with black laminate or black synthetic stock.

I've got a matte scope/rings on my 10/22T w/brown laminate stock, and it looks fine. I'd prefer it if the stock were black/grey, but it looks fine as is.

 

[Snake45]

Don't worry about parallax in cheap scopes. For your shooting, a rimfire scope. My 2 cents.

I could not possibly disagree more.

 

[Aggie01]

SWFA is closing out the objective focused BSA sweet 22's. (the new models are target turret parallax adjustable)
http://swfa.com/BSA-3-9x40-Sweet-22-Riflescope-P42505.aspx
I bought one @ $39 plus shipping. This was a months ago, I'm surprised they still have inventory of them.
my 10/22 project is stilll in a box on top of the safe, but i figured I should get one at that price.

 

[Tommy Kelly]

It's hard to beat a cheap bushnell 1" scope in a 22 rifle. The main thing is to get a set of mounts that take the regular weaver style rings for your 22. Not the normal 22 tip off base with the small groove. The weaver style base has notches cut across the top for the screw to sit in on weaver style rings. This type is far supperior to the 22 style base. It allows you to tighten the base properly and get a secure fit. I usually buy the 3x9x40mm scope and a set of low rings to mount the scope as close to the bore as possible without tutching. Yes the high dollar scopes are a little better but with the # of guns I have with scopes To put high quality scopes on them would cost me over $40.000.00 to scope them. The cheaper scopes work fine and for around $40.00 each they are great scopes. I have returned more leupolds than cheap scopes with problems.

 

[Snake45]

It's hard to beat a cheap bushnell 1" scope in a 22 rifle.

I thought the same thing for many years, and bought quite a few of them in 3x-9x--and some Tascos, too--used at guns shows for $20 or $25. Then I learned about parallax and the mess it causes. Now I will only put AO scopes on .22 rifles. The difference in performance is easily worth the price.

 

[Gumby]

I use matte black scopes on stainless because silver scopes almost never match the gun anyway so why not have a nice looking contrast.

I once read that the problem with silver rifles with silver scopes and rings is that they never seem to match, and when used together look like a pile of scrape metals. Since reading that, I've noticed quite a few like that at the local range. I will say that when everything matches it is impressive, but more often than not, that is not the case.

With regard to parallax. Rimfire scopes are usually set at 50 yards so that should not be a problem for most shots, especially when hunting. Now if you are target shooting, an AO scope is probably your best path to the tightest groups at various distances.

The doen side of Adjustable Objectives while hunting is that it can be a problem if the AO is set at 15 yards and you see a squirrel or rabbit at 40 or 50 yards. Do You take the shot without adjusting the AO, or should you risk taking the time to adjust as the target runs away?

Having more than one 22 rimfire rifle, I use the ones with AO scopes mostly at the range shooting paper targets. I tend to use a rimfire 4X scope for most small quarry.

Gumby

 

[Snake45]

The doen side of Adjustable Objectives while hunting is that it can be a problem if the AO is set at 15 yards and you see a squirrel or rabbit at 40 or 50 yards. Do You take the shot without adjusting the AO, or should you risk taking the time to adjust as the target runs away?

Gumby

The obvious solution, of course, is you set the AO for the approximate range where you expect most of your shots are most likely to come. If presented with a shot far inside or far outside of that range, if you take it, you're no worse off than if you had a non-AO scope. If you happen to have the time to adjust the AO ring, then that's a bonus. It's a win-win situation.

 

[looney2ns]

What is "eye relief"?

 

[Snake45]

What is "eye relief"?

The distance between your eyeball and the scope's lens when the image fills the tube. Since .22s have negligable recoil, it is not critical in .22s, but becomes more and more important the farther up the recoil scale you go.

 

[APEXDUCK]

With scopes the more you spend the more you get PERIOD. If you can afford more scope buy it. Long term you will find a $50 scope is not a very high quality optical device. Sure it works but they cut corners some where. Plastic tube, plastic lenses, fogging.

If I could afford it I would place Swarovski scopes on all my rifles, but I can not. I owned a Swarovski scope 5-25x and was STUNNED at how crisp and clear the scope was even compared to Leupold's. Crystal clear edge to edge, sharp great contrast, and absolutely perfect at 25x power setting. But I could not justify a $1600 scope and sold it.

When I can afford them I put Leupolds or Burris on my rifles. When I can't I purchase Leupolds or Burris, I go with the highest quality Bushnell or a Mueller. For 22 rifles I have found a Mueller APV 4.5-14x a great value. Cross hairs are a bit heavy but fine for plinking and vermin. $130 shipped with lens shade and Butler Creek covers. ( http://www.mizzoumuleguns.com/id12.html ). Mueller scopes are one of the best values I have found for optics. I have a Mueller APV on my 10/22 and my CZ 452 Varmint and they both work great.

APEXDUCK

 

[Snake45]

For 22 rifles I have found a Mueller APV 4.5-14x a great value. Cross hairs are a bit heavy but fine for plinking and vermin. $130 shipped with lens shade and Butler Creek covers. ( http://www.mizzoumuleguns.com/id12.html ). Mueller scopes are one of the best values I have found for optics. I have a Mueller APV on my 10/22 and my CZ 452 Varmint and they both work great.

APEXDUCK

Have heard many, many very good reviews of this scope on Rimfirecentral.com. Everyone who has one likes and recommends it. Seems to be the next step up from the Simmons 22MAG series, but at about twice the price. (The Simmons works fine for me and is a great value.)

Some over there also like and speak well of the BSA Sweet 17 and Sweet 22 scopes, too.

 

[APEXDUCK]

Snake45, I can only tell you my experience with BSA scopes was less then good. Everyone I have looked through was optically poor at best edges you could see significant distortion. Only worst brand is NC-star and not by much.

If I'm on a budget for a scope I tend to rely on Bushnell Banner scopes. Not great but far better then any BSA scope I have ever seen.

APEXDUCK