Thread: Scopes for rimfire hunting rifles

Chris, I have a two month old Leupold VX-2 4-12x40 AO, duplex reticle that is a great rimfire scope. Bought it for metallic silhouette and have decided I needed more power for that so have replaced it with a Leupold FX-3 25x40.

You're welcome to have a look at it when we shoot the Delamore Cup, hopefully next month.

I went through a similar thought process a little while ago. In the end, I decided that any scope with AO would be fine for rimfire, assuming that the quality/other features were good enough. I bought the Leupold Rimfire EFR.

Fellas

This thread came up in a google search for “best rimfire scope” which was handy. Had a go at gongs today at double the distance I’ve ever shot .22LR (CCI subs) and was amazed how simple it was. 230m and 170m, CZ 455. Helps to have a good tutor eh.

So this brings me to scopes. Where I shoot bunnies, I have time to range and dial and am used to it with centrefire varminting. I hold over when I need to be quick, and use tactical reticles. That’s what I’m used too, I find reticles like the Vortex type EBR-2C mrad or Bushnell G2DMR much better for a big elevation hold with windage, compared to mildot. I also only use FFP for dialing scopes and got a lesson today in using SFP.

So now to the question. If I go with a new to me .22LR like the 455, the intention is to master the long range rimfire. I see since tis thread was started Vortex has released its Diamondback Tactical range with FFP. Anyone got one? Which one? Also keen to hear if any of you fellas have gone with similar scopes from other brands for longer range rimfire recently.

I have been using this https://www.swarovskioptik.com/hunting/x5i-c200507 and have yet to find anything I dont like about it

I should hope you haven’t at that kind of money @res...

Originally Posted by Flyblown

Fellas

This thread came up in a google search for “best rimfire scope” which was handy. Had a go at gongs today at double the distance I’ve ever shot .22LR (CCI subs) and was amazed how simple it was. 230m and 170m, CZ 455. Helps to have a good tutor eh.

So this brings me to scopes. Where I shoot bunnies, I have time to range and dial and am used to it with centrefire varminting. I hold over when I need to be quick, and use tactical reticles. That’s what I’m used too, I find reticles like the Vortex type EBR-2C mrad or Bushnell G2DMR much better for a big elevation hold with windage, compared to mildot. I also only use FFP for dialing scopes and got a lesson today in using SFP.

So now to the question. If I go with a new to me .22LR like the 455, the intention is to master the long range rimfire. I see since tis thread was started Vortex has released its Diamondback Tactical range with FFP. Anyone got one? Which one? Also keen to hear if any of you fellas have gone with similar scopes from other brands for longer range rimfire recently.

Depends on how much you want to spend.

I've heard good things about the Nikon pro staff Rim fire

Sent from my TA-1024 using Tapatalk

I’ll spend more than I’ll tell the wife put it that way. The FFP Vortex scopes at $600ish are hard to ignore.

Always had the view that if you spend the same on scope as the rifle you’re in about the right place. So 6, 7, 8 hundred maybe.

There are some much cheaper and quite impressive options out there too.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

I’ll spend more than I’ll tell the wife put it that way. The FFP Vortex scopes at $600ish are hard to ignore.

Always had the view that if you spend the same on scope as the rifle you’re in about the right place. So 6, 7, 8 hundred maybe.

There are some much cheaper and quite impressive options out there too.

I am not much help I'm afraid. Never spent that much on a scope or rifle in one go so never looked.

Sent from my TA-1024 using Tapatalk

Bushnell RIMFIRE 3-9X40MM MULTI-X

Description:
Multi-X reticle
Side Focus Parallax
Specifications:
Finish: Matte
Power/Obj Lens: 3-9x 40mm
Lens Coating: Multi-Coated
RainGuard HD: No
Tube Diameter: 1in
Field of View: 3X - 31ft@100yds/10.5m@100m / 9X - 9.4ft@100yds/3.2m@100m
Weight: 20.4oz/580gr
Length: 12.2in/310mm
Eye Relief: 3.9in/100mm
Exit Pupil: 13mm@3x/4.4mm@9x
Click Value: .25in@100yds/7mm@100m
Adj Range: 80in@100yds/2mm@100m
Mounting Length: 4.8in/124mm
Focal Plane:Second

Bushnell RIMFIRE 6-18X40MM MULTI-X

Description:
Multi-X reticle
Side Focsu Parallax
Specifications:
Finish: Matte
Power/Obj Lens: 6-18x 40mm
Lens Coating: Multi-Coated
RainGuard HD: No
Tube Diameter: 1in
Field of View: 6X - 18ft@100yds/6m@100m / 18X - 5.5@100yds/1.8m@100m
Weight: 20.3oz/577gr
Length: 12.4in/315mm
Eye Relief: 3.9in/100mm
Exit Pupil: 6.6mm@6x/2.2mm@18x
Click Value: .25in@100yds/7mm@100m
Adj Range: 80in@100yds/2mm@100m
Mounting Length: 5in/127mm
Focal Plane: Second

On the right track @California, but wrong reticle, need to have ability to holdover precisely as well as dial.

Thanks for the suggestions fellas, I’ll have a bit of time on my hands soon so will search through all the brands and see what I can come up with in NZ. Haven’t really find anything that suits what I wanna do more than that Diamondback Tactical 4-16 so far.

im using a bushnell ar 22rimfire scope on one 22 and a sightron on the annie

After using many .22 LR rifles for over 50 years and having had many different scope configurations from junk, to Zeiss Diatal, I've finally settled on a Leupold FXII 6x34 to use on my Anschutz 54 (1422). It's not inexpensive at around $600 but is light and doesn't give any trouble. I changed the fixed parallax from 150m to 50m and can easily head shoot rabbits up to 100m or more with a rest, good ammo and reasonably calm conditions.

Gave up on the Xmas tree reticles and vari-power scopes and also the adjustable objective scopes. Too much weight and mucking around.

Originally Posted by 10-Ring

Gave up on the Xmas tree reticles and vari-power scopes and also the adjustable objective scopes. Too much weight and mucking around.

I hear what you’re saying. Thing is this new-to-us rifle I’m hoping to get will be used for double the range and more. Was using one yesterday to replicate what @rossi.45 was doing - 230m with subs. Was heaps easier than I ever imagined. But the amount of hold over at that range is quite something. So if I’m dialling I’m going to need plenty of elevation and if I hold I need a reticle that will give me the info.

I don’t much like big elevation holds where I can’t also hold for wind accurately on the same hash line.

But I do hear whay you’re saying, some of you fellas have lifetime’s more experience with the rimfire than me. I started with them obviously in the 80s but didn’t have one for probably over 20 years. Wasn’t much use for them where I was.

This might be worth considering, similar to the Vortex Diamondback Tactical but with illumination

Athlon Talos BTR 4-14x44 FFP
$789.99

Features:

Fully multicoated optics reduce reflected light and increase light transmission for bright, clear images
Heat treated, aircraft grade aluminium, one piece tube for extra strength and durability
Waterproof and fog proof thanks to Nitrogen purging
Shockproof mechanical system gives the ultimate recoil resistance to withstand 1000G recoil for 1000 times
Illuminated reticle with 11 brightness settings for greater visibility in low light
Etched glass reticle provides excellent backing support for complex reticle design and offers great durability and much higher shock resistance to recoil
First focal plain reticle changes size with your magnification
Side focus parallax

Specifications:

Magnification - 4-14x
Objective lens diameter - 44mm
Lens coating - Fully multicoated
Tube material - Aircraft grade aluminium
Tube diameter - 30mm
Exit pupil - 11.2-3.3mm Side Focus – 10 yards to infinity
Eye relief - 3.23-3.15 inches
Field of view @100 yards - 27.2-7.9 feet
Waterproof - Yes
Purging material - Nitrogen
Length - 12.9”
Weight - 669g / 23.6NZ
Click value - 0.1 MIL
Adjustment range per rotation - 5 MIL
Total elevation adjustment - 20 MIL
Total windage adjustment - 20 MIL
Turret style - Exposed
Parallax adjustment - Side focus – 10 yards to infinity

Originally Posted by 10-Ring

After using many .22 LR rifles for over 50 years and having had many different scope configurations from junk, to Zeiss Diatal, I've finally settled on a Leupold FXII 6x34 to use on my Anschutz 54 (1422). It's not inexpensive at around $600 but is light and doesn't give any trouble. I changed the fixed parallax from 150m to 50m and can easily head shoot rabbits up to 100m or more with a rest, good ammo and reasonably calm conditions.

Gave up on the Xmas tree reticles and vari-power scopes and also the adjustable objective scopes. Too much weight and mucking around.

well i got this one really wrong . . when i read in the other thread that your getting .2MOA in your Annie 54 i wondered what scope you would have on top to wring every ounce of performance from it . . . wouldnt have guessed a straight 6 power . . . would be a very nice traditional rifle setup to use tho.