Is either a good magnification for a .22? I'd like to keep the objective 33mm or even below. Right now I'd use it for 100yrd targets but will probably get into 50-80yrd tennis or golf balls or other small "reactive" targets.
2-7 or 3-9 good for a .22?
- Thread starter 41 Colt
- Start date
Sure, nothing wrong with either of those. I tend more towards higher power and adjustable objective, but those options can be a pain in the rear when shooting gophers up close and far. With higher magnification and AO, the close gophers can be terribly out of focus and hard to see. Lower magnification tends not to have so much of a problem, although you may find if the scope was made for a high power rifle, it might be out of focus up really close, like 10-20 yards.
- Location
- Niagara Region, Ontario. For now
For target shooting always more magnification.
If I was you I would even go with a 4-12 if your shooting out to 100m.
If I was you I would even go with a 4-12 if your shooting out to 100m.
how come you guys are running centerfire scopes on your rimfire? im going through the scope buying process right now for my ISSC MK22 and have been told to get a rimfire scope with parallax set at 50 yards, or buy a AO scope.. any info would be appreciated..
I run focus-able scopes on all my .22rf's, I like high magnification.
A pair of 6x24x's (one an AO, the other a side focus) and a 4x-16x side focus. And I did have an 8x-32x AO on one; but that really was too much of a good thing.
Even at 6x it can be a bit too much for gophers when I'm shooting offhand, I'm just not quite steady enough if I've even done 2 minutes of brisk walking.
I think the 4x-16x side focus with the big wheel is about the best compromise. I can manipulate the focus wheel from any normal firing position, and it has the side beneift of being a sort of rangefinder, in that I can focus and then look at the wheel, and see if it's closer to 50m or to 75m, and hold off accordingly.
A pair of 6x24x's (one an AO, the other a side focus) and a 4x-16x side focus. And I did have an 8x-32x AO on one; but that really was too much of a good thing.
Even at 6x it can be a bit too much for gophers when I'm shooting offhand, I'm just not quite steady enough if I've even done 2 minutes of brisk walking.
I think the 4x-16x side focus with the big wheel is about the best compromise. I can manipulate the focus wheel from any normal firing position, and it has the side beneift of being a sort of rangefinder, in that I can focus and then look at the wheel, and see if it's closer to 50m or to 75m, and hold off accordingly.
The 2-7 offers more advantages than the 3-9, especially if you're blasting fur balls. Having run 2-7, 3-9, 2.5-10, and 1-4 I can say that I rarely used more than 6 or 7 power. For sport I would try 200 yard shots on gophers from the prone with the glass maxed out. The reality is that the cartridge is far from adequate for such work. Either of the optics above are fine, but the gain of one less power on the bottom trumps the 2 power gain at the top for your kind of work.
TDC
TDC
a rimfire or parallax adjusted scope would be ideal, but i happened to have the 2-7x33 vx-I sitting on the shelf excess to my needs, plus my B&C anschutz style stock gives a nice solid, repeatable eye placement so i get very little reticule shift.
I think a 3-9x is a perfect .22lr scope, I've never been tempted to go any higher. I just bought a 4.5-14x for my .22WMR (assuming I may keep it in the 10-12x power range) but found 12x lacking a little in my HMR when I had it.
3-9x with AO would be my choice for .22lr, good for target and hunting.
3-9x with AO would be my choice for .22lr, good for target and hunting.
I'm with you - I've been looking around for a decent 2-7 or 3-9 by 32 to 36mm scope, with an adjustable AO for my rimfires for a LONG time. They're pretty dang scarce.
I've used a bunch of various 4-12x40's (the smallest size commonly available with an AO), and 12x is WAY more magnification than I need for gopher shooting out to about 100 yards; usually I'm dialled in around 6.
Simmons makes a 3-9x32AO scope, but it's pretty cheap, and I worry about quality. I may buy one regardless, just to try; there's a lot less glass in a scope that small, so it doesn't automatically need to be expensive to be decent. Smaller lenses are much cheaper to manufacture, after all.
I've used a bunch of various 4-12x40's (the smallest size commonly available with an AO), and 12x is WAY more magnification than I need for gopher shooting out to about 100 yards; usually I'm dialled in around 6.
Simmons makes a 3-9x32AO scope, but it's pretty cheap, and I worry about quality. I may buy one regardless, just to try; there's a lot less glass in a scope that small, so it doesn't automatically need to be expensive to be decent. Smaller lenses are much cheaper to manufacture, after all.
sillymike
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
If you're only shooting of a bench, you'll most likely be wanting more magnification...
If you're shooting off-hand, 2-7 or 3-9 are great options.
I'm kind of partial to the Leupold VX-I 2x7
Quite a few people also like the Weaver Rimfire 2.5-7X28...
If you're shooting off-hand, 2-7 or 3-9 are great options.
I'm kind of partial to the Leupold VX-I 2x7
Quite a few people also like the Weaver Rimfire 2.5-7X28...
I was looking at the Leupold as well. The rimfire scope is parallax free at 60 yrds, the non rimfire VX-I I think is set to 100 or 150 yrds, and I was also looking at the VX-II but is the extra cost worth it? I'm going today to look at them in person.
Another thing I came across is the parallax formula:
0.5 X Objective Diameter X (Target Distance - Parallax Setting) / Parallax Setting = Parallax Error in mm
The Leupold Rimfire VX-I 2-7x28 set at 60yrds would give a parallax error of 9.3mm @ 100yrds and 21mm @ 150yrds. The centerfire VX-I 2-7x33, assuming it's set at 150yrds, would give an error of 9.9mm @ 60yrds and 5.5mm @ 100 yrds.
0.5 X Objective Diameter X (Target Distance - Parallax Setting) / Parallax Setting = Parallax Error in mm
The Leupold Rimfire VX-I 2-7x28 set at 60yrds would give a parallax error of 9.3mm @ 100yrds and 21mm @ 150yrds. The centerfire VX-I 2-7x33, assuming it's set at 150yrds, would give an error of 9.9mm @ 60yrds and 5.5mm @ 100 yrds.
Keep in mind this formula give you the maximum potential for parallex error. Not the error that will occur. Parallax error requires a change in position of the eye on the ocular lense. There may be no error at all, if you keep your eye position consistent.
Parallax isn't as worrisome to me for the error it can cause - if you have good technique and a consistent, centered eye on the scope, you won't get any parallax error. You will find, though, the the reticle isn't in nice sharp focus at the same range as your target. And that's what drives me nuts.
