Scope for .22 question

[22-rimfire]

Sometimes things break. Get a new scope.

As far as price and so forth. I don't know how long you have been at this game, but I started out with lower priced scopes. Never what I would consider a BB gun scope however. There really is a difference in terms of repeatable adjustments, lens clarity, consistent adjustments, and so forth. But I understand because I was where you are now too. I would get a Simmons and take it from there.

[ARSG12]

Sometimes things break. Get a new scope.

As far as price and so forth. I don't know how long you have been at this game, but I started out with lower priced scopes. Never what I would consider a BB gun scope however. There really is a difference in terms of repeatable adjustments, lens clarity, consistent adjustments, and so forth. But I understand because I was where you are now too. I would get a Simmons and take it from there.

I'm actually not far into it at all. I currently have 8 guns, with 1 being an AR15 (no scope and don't plan on getting one. Already spent more than double on the rifle compared to any other gun, so not interested in sinking another $150 into a scope for it when I don't even hunt) and a 10/22. 4 are handguns and 2 others are shotguns. I'm not a hunter and really only have guns for fun and defense. Long range shooting isn't something I really do. I live in town and the range is 20 miles away and is restrictive. But it's still fun to shoot the .22 with a scope of some kind. As for the number of guns I have, I could easily get by with 4 altogether. Just hate to sell knowing I'd take losses. Been through that enough times in the past.

Back to the scope issue: I can see how someone who lives in a rural area and can shoot out in their backyard would be more inclined to spend more on their guns and accessories for them. I could see myself doing that if I lived that way. It seems much harder to justify when I live in town and hardly ever visit a range.

[geetarman]

One of the first scopes I ever had was a no name scope that I put on a 10-22.

It did not take long and the scope broke. I saved my money and bought a Weaver K4 and never looked back. I have had the rifle and scope for over 40 years and it is as clear now as it was then.

As I began shooting more and farther, my choice of rifles and scopes went up in price and in power. Sometimes I find that more power yields more clarity and ruggedness.

I have gotten into .22 target rifles in a pretty big way and my choice of scopes has taken a big leap in cost. My Anschutz MPR64 has a Vortex 6-24 FFP scope that cost me close to a grand. For that rifle, it is just about perfect and I have shot the best groups of my life with that rifle and scope. I also have a pretty good shooting 22-250 that has an 8-32 Nightforce scope on it. I spent more on the scope than I did on the rifle. Was it worth it? I think so. It really gets down to what you want to do with the rifle.

Your 10-22 will do just fine with an inexpensive 4X scope. If at some point you decide to really get into target shooting, you will probably want to upgrade equipment. Buy what you need when you need it and enjoy the ride. A whole new world begins to open up when you get a new rifle and you find it shoots pretty good and you start to wonder. . .what if I added this or that. . . .could I get the rifle to shoot better. Then there are lots of new options all geared to help you on your quest and they all cost money.

Good luck on your journey!

[P-990]

Originally Posted by ARSG12

What would you expect would cause it to stop functioning, other than it being a defective scope in the first place?

The repeated shock of the bolt running back and forth in the 10/22 will likely shake *something* loose in the cheap scopes. A rifle scope is a precision instrument that needs to be properly built. It is also subject to a lot of forces from recoil, actions operating, bumps and bruises that have the potential to break internal components free.

Don't think of it as the cheap scope being "defective" causing it to break. Consider that you're playing roulette with how well the various parts were made and assembled together. Part of what you're paying for with more expensive scopes is the time and care that's required to make sure the delicate parts will stand up to long-term use. (Also glass quality, tube quality, air purging, sealing, lens coatings, repeatability of adjustments, etc.)

This is why the two scopes I have that are anticipated to see the most use are my most expensive ones. I want to know when I take those two rifles out they will just work, without any fanfare or drama. (For reference they're an Aimpoint PRO on top of a Colt M4gery in 5.56mm and a Leupold VX-2 3-9x33 EFR on a CZ 452 .22LR.)

[Hawg]

I've had a $25.00 fixed 4X Bushnell on my Marlin model 60 for three years. It's plenty clear enough and has never lost zero or fogged up. It may go out tomorrow but if it does I'll go buy another one just like it.

[22-rimfire]

Back to the scope issue: I can see how someone who lives in a rural area and can shoot out in their backyard would be more inclined to spend more on their guns and accessories for them. I could see myself doing that if I lived that way. It seems much harder to justify when I live in town and hardly ever visit a range.

I grew up in a rural area and we in fact did shoot in our back yard..... front yard, back yard, out windows, in the woods.... didn't matter, we just loved to shoot and the majority of the shooting with 22's was always plinking. That is where you really burn up ammo. It's fun.

My problem was never a place to shoot then, rather having enough money to buy even 22 ammo to blast away at my leisure.

One day I was at the range and set up six clay pigeons at about 100 yds with the intent of chipping away at them with my Remington 541-S 22 rifle. At that point, I really hadn't shot 22 rifles much at ranges beyond 50 yds. It had a 4x scope on the rifle. 6 shots and no more clay pigeons which meant another walk up to the target area. Decided to use soda cans or choose something a bit more challenging to hit if I want to bang away at something for fun.

I have had so much fun plinking with 22 rifles over the years that a 22 rifle would probably be the last rifle I would sell if I was purging my firearm accumulation. For me, it was the first and likely the last. The problem of course is... which one?

The stock Marlin M63 or Ruger 10/22 are wonderful modestly priced 22 rifles that provide for years and years of plinking fun. They are hard to beat really unless than if you are choosing for pure shooting precision/accuracy.

It is fun to hit what you are shooting at plinking too and scopes help for that a lot. You can still rattle off a gun load for the fun of it if you want.

[weaselfire]

Always expect to pay about the same for a scope as you pay for the rifle. Good construction and stability don't just help under recoil, they add to repeatable accuracy, which is why you buy a scope anyway.

But an unmodified 10/22 deserves iron sights. With proper discipline, it won't outshoot iron sights so you don't need a scope.

Night vision goggles and a suppressor, yes.

Jeff

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[ARSG12]

Don't think of it as the cheap scope being "defective" causing it to break. Consider that you're playing roulette with how well the various parts were made and assembled together.

But a "cheap scope" should still function properly for the purpose it was designed for. If I buy a scope that costs $30-$40 and put it on a 10/22, and then it breaks, then I'd say that it was defective--as in not being properly made for the purpose it was intended for. If a rifle scope breaks after being used on a rifle (especially a light recoiling one), then it wasn't made properly. Same logic goes for a firearm that only fires several rounds and then stops functioning.

Think about this: If a $30-$40 scope breaks because it was too fragile to be used on a 10/22, then what wouldn't break it? What could it possibly be designed to be used on if not a .22? Airguns still have as much vibration as a .22, so if it breaks on a .22, it would break on an airgun. So what would not break it?

[Hawg]

Always expect to pay about the same for a scope as you pay for the rifle.

Been there, done that and it was a waste of money because a much cheaper scope would have been just as good. If you're going for groups at 1000 yards, yeah spend the money but just because a rifle costs 2,600 bucks doesn't mean you need to put a $2,600 scope on it when a $300.00 dollar scope is more than enough.

[lefteye]

Always expect to pay about the same for a scope as you pay for the rifle.

Maybe - but you can buy a Nightforce scope for under $5,000 to put on your $10,000 bench rest rifle.

[druryj]

Originally Posted by aarondhgraham

I've had good performance from Simmons scopes,,,

In fact I recently put a 3 x 9 x 32 on a Savage Mk-II F.



It retails for $39.95 at Academy Sports,,,

I got mine on sale for 40% off.



They also have a Simmons 4x scope for $24.95,,,

In case you just want a fixed magnification.



I have a Leupold scope that retailed for around $200.00.



I have to admit, at longer ranges, the glass is noticeably clearer,,,

But the image truly isn't all that different under 100 yards,,,

At least, I can't tell any difference close up.



Aarond



.

I have a Simmons 3x9x40 on my Marlin XT-22tr and it is just fine. Shooting at an indoor range today, at only 25 yds. It keeps all the shots nice and tight if I do my part. Would I like a better scope? Maybe, just don't know if it would improve my .22 shooting that much though.


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[Pathfinder45]

Cheap scopes, and for that matter, cheap anything's, are is designed to sell to those that want something for less than what the best costs. You can almost always find something cheaper somewhere. But excellence is never cheap. On the cheapest end of the scale, you can't really expect it to be any good, for any purpose at all. Unless you were born yesterday.

[Targa]

I decided to get the Marlin out today. I took it to just under a hundred yards with the Simmons and some 40 grain Federals and it more than did its part. You want to spend more than $40 or so on a rimfire scope? To each their own. As for me? I have no intention of taking a .22lr past a 100 yards and the Simmons does that without a problem. There is nothing fancy about it, just a plain old crosshair reticle with no markings to compensate for drop or anything like that but it is solid and the glass is clear enough.
I went with a Leapers Accushot one piece scope mount over the garbage rings that came with the Simmons and it has held the scope perfectly.
In a nutshell, I agree that most of the time you get what you pay for but every now and then you get a bit more, this would be one of those every now and thens. Well at least for me it has been.

[ARSG12]

Cheap scopes, and for that matter, cheap anything's, are is designed to sell to those that want something for less than what the best costs. You can almost always find something cheaper somewhere. But excellence is never cheap. On the cheapest end of the scale, you can't really expect it to be any good, for any purpose at all. Unless you were born yesterday.

As I said back in the first post, I had a scope that was on the cheapest end of the scale, and it was just fine for my purpose. I was able to make hits far more accurately than with iron sites. In fact, I was able to shoot groups that people brag about while using scopes that cost 20x as much. The only problem I had with it is that it suddenly lost it's zero and the ability to be adjusted for no discernible reason. In other words, it did all I asked of it, which is to allow me to see better at a distance to place my shots accurately.

[Pathfinder45]

So for the cost of that cheapo scope you should have learned a few things:
1) Scopes can offer advantages over iron sights, like having a full, unobstructed field of view around your target, along with magnification for very precise aiming, etc.

2) Really cheap scopes can only be expected to fail, and fail quickly.

3) You need to buy a much better scope. Expect to pay at least $39.95 to get satisfactory results. A bit more would be better.

Sometimes, people have to repeat things a few times before they really learn something. This could be why some folks have a drawer full of cheapo scopes that they should just throw away. So, you could just keep buying the cheapest scopes you can find until you learn the lesson and learn it well. Or, since life is short, you could save yourself some time and money, by spending more money just once, to get a better outcome. I would suggest setting yourself a budget of probably $100.00 to buy the best scope and mounts that your budget can buy, and I would be looking at second-hand scopes for likely candidates if I were you.

[P-990]

Originally Posted by ARSG12

...
Think about this: If a $30-$40 scope breaks because it was too fragile to be used on a 10/22, then what wouldn't break it? What could it possibly be designed to be used on if not a .22? Airguns still have as much vibration as a .22, so if it breaks on a .22, it would break on an airgun. So what would not break it?

Nothing would not break it. That's the thing with cheap scopes. Sometimes they're good and hang in for a while, sometimes they go bad. I've seen a Tasco that broke on a .44 Magnum single-shot rifle, it went out of focus and the internal pieces physically rattled. I've also seen cheap scopes that wouldn't zero and had the cross-hairs break. My 10/22 currently has a cheap scope of indeterminate origin that is shaky and dim, no matter what power it's set on. It also shifts zero when moved across the magnification range.

Contrast that to the VX-2 on my newest CZ. It's bright and clear across the power range, the adjustment clicks are accurate and repeatable and the POI doesn't move when going from 3x to 9x.

[bamaranger]

I think we're swimming against the current here.

Go buy a $50 scope, .....or 5 of the the BB gun scopes. Seems the OP is intent on that.

[K_Mac]

But even a BB gun has more "recoil" (maybe more accurately called "vibration")than a 10/22, due to the internal mechanics a BB gun has. Since my 10/22 has no recoil to speak of, why would a scope--cheap or not--not only lose its zero, but even lose its ability to be adjusted?

ARSG12, the reason very cheap products fail is quality of materials. All of the components and construction is of such low quality that failure is guaranteed. You may get one that lasts a while, but probably not. A $10 scope is like a $5 charger for your smartphone; it may work in a pinch, but don't count on it.

[Pathfinder45]

Exactly:

All of the components and construction is of such low quality that failure is guaranteed.

[thibaultfelix40]

I like to just check things out, buy them and see how they work. The " you get what you pay for" crowd are often a bunch of elitest. My Rossi and Taurus revolvers always worked but I had to send two Smith and Wessons back to the factory one of them twice. Stuff happens. Find a scope that you like and buy it. Some people figure if they pay a lot for something it has to be good and stick with it, recommend it, and criticize other brands because that is what they do. I parked my 2001 Honda CRV next to some kind of new Cadillac SUV about the same size. I bought mine second hand for $14,000 with 50 k miles on it, kept up the maintenance, get 28 mpg. I just turned over 300,000 miles on it. Odds are they payed a lot more for that Caddy.

[ARSG12]

I like to just check things out, buy them and see how they work. The " you get what you pay for" crowd are often a bunch of elitest. My Rossi and Taurus revolvers always worked but I had to send two Smith and Wessons back to the factory one of them twice. Stuff happens. Find a scope that you like and buy it. Some people figure if they pay a lot for something it has to be good and stick with it, recommend it, and criticize other brands because that is what they do. I parked my 2001 Honda CRV next to some kind of new Cadillac SUV about the same size. I bought mine second hand for $14,000 with 50 k miles on it, kept up the maintenance, get 28 mpg. I just turned over 300,000 miles on it. Odds are they payed a lot more for that Caddy.

Problem is, I could like just about any scope. I liked my $10 one well enough, but then it totally lost its zero and the ability to readjust for seemingly no reason. I guess I could spend $50 or so to try to be safe, but it's a bit frustrating to hear that even those can disappoint. But here's a list I've found and I was hoping to get some opinions about it. These are supposedly the "best". What does everyone else think? Any experience with them? The first 2 in the list are what I'm interested in. The first scope is $39 and the second one is $50. http://www.goodgamehunting.com/best-22lr-scope/

Specifically, they are a BARSKA 3-9x32 Plinker-22 Riflescope and a BSA Sweet .22 3-9 x 40mm Rifle Scope. They're both in my price range. I'm just hoping they made the list of "Best of .22LR Scopes" for good reason. Has anyone had good/bad experiences with either of these?

[ShootistPRS]

I have a 3-9 x 40 on my 22 but I wish I would have gotten the 50 mm objective instead of the 40. I shoot small bore silhouette with it and lighting conditions are not always ideal. The range that I shoot at has a south facing range and the shoots are at 9am and 7pm so the sun can make targets hard to see or lower the contrast between the targets and the back drop. It is a fine scope and more than most shooters have but maybe I could find a polarized filter for it?

[g.willikers]

Many scope manufacturers make them for different markets.
The one for $10 might have the same name as their more expensive models, but nothing else in common.
I have a Tasco 4-12 from over twenty years ago that retailed for $150 even back then.
Actually got it on sale for half that.
Never a problem on either rimfires or centerfires.
Ya' gets what ya' pay for.
Unless it's on sale.

[Pathfinder45]

If you can't afford a new Leupold or Weaver, look for the best used Weaver K4 scope that $50.00 will buy. There are a lot of them out there that are more rugged and reliable than any new scope in the $50.00 price range. Don't buy flimsy mounts either.

[tenja]

lots of cheap scopes will work. I have two 10-22s and a couple years ago hit a sale at BPS or Cabelas, and now both are wearing Leupold VX-II 3-9s. I simply have a lot more faith in them over the Tascos of the world. That being said, both have KIDD Barrels, Triggers, etc. So they are not standard $300 22s.