Optics - Am I over thinking this?

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RobHL

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Ok gang, I need some advice.

I recently purchased a Ruger American Rimfire to use as a gopher rifle. I have a Ruger Precision Rimfire for competition but it's a little bit heavy for use as a field rifle.

I HAD a nice Bushnell Rimfire 3-9x40 with adjustable parallax, but I was an idiot and sold it last year... it was perfect and I regret ever getting rid of it.

Anyways, I am looking for an optic. We are probably talking targets from 25 to 100 yards. I've been looking at the Bushnell DZ22 but am concerned about the lack of parallax adjustment. Do I really need to be THAT worried about it, given the application? Or am I over thinking it? Anyone have any alternate optic suggestions? Preferably around the $300 mark as this isn't going to be anything fancy.
 
I think parallax on any hunting rifle is unnecessary and that includes gopher guns. Many billions of gophers were slaughtered with a plain old fixed 4x. Who has time to turn the dial when they're running everywhere?
 
That's kinda what I figured. I guess just from having the adjustable parallax before, aswell as having it on my big rig, I am getting caught up in whether it'll be a problem.

The DZ22 is fixed 50 and 3-9x, so I image it'll be fine both closer and further than that.
 
I shoot gophers every year. I can’t think of a time when I’ve ever adjusted the power on a scope, after I’ve got it reasonably sighted in. I don’t think any of my gopher guns even have parallax adjustment. I guess I just don’t worry about such things.:p .
 
Leupold 2-7x33 on top the 69A
Weaver Classic. 6-18ao on the 452

I prefer the 69A
Lighter and more agile for a days walk thru the fields.
 
I shoot a lot of airguns at well under 50 yards so at close distances I find paralax to be an issue. Beyond 50 not so much. I use a Hawke SF scope on the air rifle and and can dial in at 12x at 10 yards. I also have an older simmons rimfire scope on my 10/22 which for close shooting I just lower the magnification. I have not seen too much about the scope you mentioned but if you are looking for other options Hawke does have a couple in your price range.
 
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If you want precision accuracy at closer ranges then parallax is definitely an issue. The easiest way around this and have an accurate gopher killer from 10 to 100 yards with no fuss and messing with adjustments is to mount a Leupold Freedom Rimfire 3-9x40 with tri MOA reticle. Parallax is set at 60 yards and once you confirm the reticle hash marks with the ammo you are using, head shots from 10 to 100 yards are made fairly easy. The parallax issue is most prevalent at closer ranges and higher magnification.
 
Many that I have talked with have no idea how to check for parallax sighting error - the scope reticle can only be perfectly correct at one precise distance - will be parallax error at shorter or longer ranges.

So set scope on something firm - not so that you are holding it. Wiggle it around so it is aimed at something, at some distance. Move your head up/down or side to side - if you have parallax sighting error, at that distance, it will appear to you as if the cross hair moves on that target. If you can mount the rifle perfectly identically each time - that your eye is in precisely the same position each time, you will not experience parallax sighting error - if there is error, it will be the same error as when you sighted in.

A year or two ago, I received a new Leupold FX Freedom Rimfire 4 power scope. The booklet said it is set to be parallax error free at 60 yards. I set the scope on sandbags on a large tool box - aimed out the garage doors at a knot on a tree perhaps 10 yards from the scope - that knot was perhaps the size of a golf ball. By moving my eye to left or to right - to the extent that I started to see a partial ring of "black" on the opposite side, I could move those cross hairs at least the diameter of the knot - to either side of that knot. That is what is parallax sighting error. The cross hairs will be in different place in the image - depending where you have your eye in relation to the scope. I no longer have the eye-sight to see, but I understand there will be as much parallax sighting error at far distance past the "set point", as there is at close distance.

There will be no parallax error at the "set point" - move your eye as much as you want and the cross hairs will stay precisely at the same point on the target. Checking that lets you find out how much error you get with your scope - at 5 yards, at 25 yards, at 100 yards, at 200 yards. May or may not be enough error to matter to you for the type of shooting that you intend to do. For some people, 1/4" error at 25 yards is nothing. For other needs, 1/4" error at 100 yards is a BIG DEAL.
 
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If you mount your scope so that when you sight through it there is a slight shadow all the way around the lens (scope vignette) you can then use this scope shadow to confirm that you are looking through the center of the scope. Center the scope shadow in the scope tube and you know you are looking through the center of the scope. This will eliminate your need for adjustable scope parallax, particularly for shooting "minute of gopher" at ranges under 100 yards.
 
IanC said:
I shoot a lot of airguns at well under 50 yards so at close distances I find paralax to be an issue. Beyond 50 not so much. I use a Hawke SF scope on the air rifle and and can dial in at 12x at 10 yards.
Click to expand...

I like my Hawke scope on my TX200 airarms for the same reason. Well made scopes and for the money you can’t go wrong.
 
Find a 2-7 rimfire scope (brand of choice) and go have fun.
Doesnt have to be a $900 one either...it will work fine on a Cooey as equally as well on a Kimber or Yonkers NY .22 where it would look fine.
Or find a $300 Leupold MX8 in a 4 or 6 power or as mentioned along by another 2-7 rimfire scope that has the parallax factored in.
Rob
 
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There is a Leupold VX-1 2-7x28 on EE right now - $180 plus shipping. I paid about $336 for a new one in 2021, mailed to me from a retailer in Quebec. If you got to have a variable power, is a decent scope for a 22. Somehow I get by fine with a fixed 4 power on a .22, but not as easy to come by rimfire 4X these days.

Is not uncommon around here for people to have 1" centre fire scopes installed on 22 rifles - so like older Weaver, etc. Is MUCH brighter view, etc. to have 1" scope with decent eye relief, compared to 1960's 3/4" and 7/8" body "22 scopes" - that had next to nothing for eye relief. If you do not know or care about parallax sighting error, might be okay for you. And, has been described above how to deal with that parallax error, or I understand scopes can be "re-set" to whatever distance that you want - but likely for a price to do so.

Edit 09-Apr-2023 - I see that Leupold VX-1 is now marked as "Sold" ...
 
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kamlooky said:
Leupold 2-7x33 on top the 69A
Weaver Classic. 6-18ao on the 452

I prefer the 69A
Lighter and more agile for a days walk thru the fields.
Click to expand...

I have to make time for walking through fields. Get back to what's important

Edit and not behind a baler lol
 
Maybe look at the Bushnell AR scope, side parallax to 10 yds, good reticle, 3 turrets for 223, 308 and mils
good reticle for hold overs as well as a turret for dialling
no zero stop, but not a deal breaker

Bushnell Engage is another if it came in mils
 
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