need advice for optics and rilfe setup

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Surplus1

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So i took my oldest girl shooting she is 15 years old. We took my brothers old lakefield .22 with a cheap chinese scope. The lakefield has been tossed around for years as a farm .22 and never really looked after. She is right handed and had to use her left eye to sight with because her right eye has very poor vision.
I set her up on the 25yard range and after some safety training she shot her first set of 10 and i was going to be happy if she got them on paper. I was shocked to see about a 5 inch group and she scored on all of them. She went through 6 more sets and shrunk her group down to about 3 inches. I thought it was funny that she was about 2.5 inches low from center so i did a set with the rifle and i found it was shooting low. I got her to aim at the top of the target for her last set and she put 4 in the center. We couldnt adjust the scope because we needed a screwdriver and we didnt have one.
We broke the feed ramp on the lakefield on her last set so we couldnt continue. On our way back to the car we talked to the range owner and showed him her targets and he said "its just not right" he was amazed she did so well. I didnt even want to shoot after her because she made me feel bad. Lol.
So here is the question. For now i would like to see her continue shooting and get better with a rimfire before we put her up to a centerfire. We would be shooting at 25 to 50 yards for now. She wants to pay her own way for everything so we have to keep a budget in mind. She needs a nice light rimfire either .17 or .22 that gives decent accuracy, is a semi auto, can be upgraded on a budget and is relatively light. She also needs some better optics keeping in mind poor eyesight and a budget.
I know the ruger 10/22 is a good platform to go with and fits most of the criteria, i was wondering if there was another platform we should be looking at? What would be some good choices for optics (she needs them for her left eye too)?
 
Personally I'd stay with .22. I know .17 are all the rage, but if you are looking at a budget, .17 is more expensive to shoot.

There is a lot of controversy right now with 10/22 magazines, but your description of upgradeable pretty much limits you to the 10/22, or the Reminton 597. Both have a large selection of aftermarket parts available. There is also a company called Rock Island Armory (RIA) that makes a 10/22 clone that you can usually find new for around $200.

I grew up with the Cooey/Savage 64B series, and found them to be a good solid rifle. They now make a 64 TR-SR that looks promising. Improved trigger, fluted threaded barrel, nicer stock. For learning, and your purpose any of these will make a good starter rifle, that will give acceptable accuracy, and years of service

Now, I'm sure somebody will be along shortly to tell you that none of these rifles are accurate enough, and that a bolt-action is the only way to go. That you are all wrong in your criteria. That you need a CZ on an Anschutz. The important thing is to find a .22 that both you and your daughter like, and that you're comfortable with. Optics? On a .22 I've used a Bushnell from Walmart for years. It isn't top-of-the-line, but it works on a budget, and holds zero. Like the 10/22, optics can be upgraded as time/money allows.
 
The 22 should be regarded as the basis of learning shooting skills.
Cheap by any standards but accuracy may be a test of finding the ammo the rifle favors.
If you and your daughter are content with the level of accuracy you describe then pop cans and clay targets will add to the enjoyment.
Finding someone who can demonstrate what they have without pushing brands and actions will give you insight for a direction she will take you.
The 22's that have found a way into my wallet over time could have used more research but like many I started with my dad's Cooey but my first rifle was a Marlin lever action.
I have moved through bolt actions and single shots. 10-22's can probably be found in the $500 range with a scope. Scoping a CZ will cost a little more and a lever action might be more yet.
That being said, what I have spent on CZ's would finance a 1712 Anschutz. I currently have more scopes that rifles but the search goes on and I am still of the mind that for the cost you can not find more fun in a brick of 22's. While a CZ will last long enough to go to a "will", so will a Cooey, Marlin and Anschutz.
 
I'm partial to going with a 10/22. She is almost legally blind in her right eye and left isn't great. She can't even see the crosshair with her right eye. What would be a good scope for her to use at 25-50 yards?
 
Given the sight issues I would go with a simple duplex reticle, that way it's a single crosshair, and not cluttered with extraneous line/dots. A wide duplex might be even better. A 3-9 X would be lots for the distance, as you can crank it up to 9X and make the target larger. (Or seem larger/closer). They have a generous eye relief for easier focus as well.
 
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