Rimfire Scopes - Where to start?
- Thread starter Brendon292
- Start date
brendon - What's the Word ? Have you chosen yet - lots of ideas here in 40 posts. If, as you said, you plan to go to targets at 100 or more, I again suggest you getting the best scope you can afford, with at LEAST a 4-16 x 40 scope and MUST to have adjustable parallax. For a FIRST SCOPE the BASIC PREMISE is " AIM SMALL - HIT SMALL ". This means that the Better you can SEE your target (AIM SMALL) - the Better you can HIT your target ! If you can't see precisely the target you are Likely to MISS on the average.. I spent the afternoon with 4 'new shooters" - 3 Never Shot b4 - and they all had 3-9x40 scopes on 22LRs and at 25 yards were 'pleased' to have 1-2" groups. The 4th person had a 4-12 on a .223 and at 100 yds had 2" groups after about 20 shots.
Draw your own conclusions.
Draw your own conclusions.
Brendon, I think there's already a lot of great suggestions in this topic from the other members. Hopefully I won't overlap too much on what others have already said. It can be complicated, yes! I'll try to keep this concise:
Technical Bits of a Scope:
This is an excellent video explaining the mechanics of a scope by a canadaguns member:
I also wanted to add: I wouldn't worry too much about "rimfire scopes" vs "regular scopes". Often times it's just the difference in reticle. Don't let this limit you. (more info on this below)
Purpose of Scope (or Rifle):
When it comes to precision rifles, there's a big difference between "hitting something" and "chasing groups". If you're shooting a huge steel plate at 100 yards, even very low power scopes will get you there. But if you're looking to "chase groups" (i.e. 5 shots but only 1 hole at 50 yards), then you'll want high power scopes. If this is for hunting, weight is an important factor. Something like 2-7 or 3-9 will get you a pretty close image to "hit something", but not really for precision at longer distances. Whereas a 5-25x56 may not be suitable for hunting - those are more for competition shooting or specialized benchrest shooting. Don't be surprised to see 5-25 or 6-24 scopes on a lot of 22LR rifles. There's nothing that say "regular scopes" can't be used on rimfires, if the scope has a reticle you like (crosshair thing) and it fits the type of shooting you want to do, go for it. I do recommend, before buying, to have a look through the scope at a gun shop so you know what you're getting quality-wise. Because if you're not happy with it (it's too dim, blurry, poor quality, etc.), don't buy it!
Budget:
There are scopes for practically any and every budget out there - from the cheapest to the most expensive. It would be a good idea to set a personal budget and work with that. There's a huge quality difference between a $150 scope and a $700 scope. But the difference is much less when you compare a $700 scope vs a $900 scope.
Bare Minimum I Recommend:
Whichever scope you choose, I HIGHLY recommend you choose one with Parallax Adjustment. In my opinion, this is a 100% must have feature. It should be mandatory on all scopes. I stopped buying scopes that don't have Parallax. Second, I think picatinny rails for the rifle scope base is also 100% mandatory. A pic-rail will give you far more flexibility for mounting than rings-on-receiver. Different scopes have different dimensions and a pic-rail will give you A LOT more positional adjustments for eye relief, comfortable neck and cheek position, and sometimes it will be the difference between being able to mount a scope or not. There are a lot of manufacturers that make pic-rail scope bases for the CZ 457, I highly recommend the one from MDT (made in canada).
Gun Shop Sales People:
As some others have said, some folks that work at shops may point you to a particular product that they want to sell, but may not be in your best favour. Some sales people are fantastic. Most sales people will ask you the same questions I listed above (technical requirements, purpose, budget). It's important to do your homework so you know what they're selling you. Most gun shops (if they have such supplies and inventory available), will be happy to assist with offering recommendations for scope rings and compatibility (and some even help test-fit!). As I mentioned above, sales folks are usually more than happy to let you look through the scopes for you to get an idea of the quality and features before you buy. I almost never buy scopes without first having a try looking through them.
Others:
Some other members also mentioned fine tune adjustments like cheek risers, eye height, LOP, etc. If your CZ 457 is the factory wood or synthetic stock, you won't have any adjustability. Once you get more serious into rifle shooting, you can upgrade the chassis to make the gun fit you perfectly (when you do, the ring height will be less of a concern because of the added adjustments).
Back to Your Question:
2-7 and 3-9x will give you decent zoom for casual plinking. But if you want to get serious, you'll want something that stretches out to 14 or 16, or even more (past 20). Decide on a scope (with parallax), get a scope base (picatinny rail), then get the rings to fit. In short: there's no simple answer to this - it comes down to budget, technical requirements, purpose and type of shooting. Good luck!
Technical Bits of a Scope:
This is an excellent video explaining the mechanics of a scope by a canadaguns member:
Purpose of Scope (or Rifle):
When it comes to precision rifles, there's a big difference between "hitting something" and "chasing groups". If you're shooting a huge steel plate at 100 yards, even very low power scopes will get you there. But if you're looking to "chase groups" (i.e. 5 shots but only 1 hole at 50 yards), then you'll want high power scopes. If this is for hunting, weight is an important factor. Something like 2-7 or 3-9 will get you a pretty close image to "hit something", but not really for precision at longer distances. Whereas a 5-25x56 may not be suitable for hunting - those are more for competition shooting or specialized benchrest shooting. Don't be surprised to see 5-25 or 6-24 scopes on a lot of 22LR rifles. There's nothing that say "regular scopes" can't be used on rimfires, if the scope has a reticle you like (crosshair thing) and it fits the type of shooting you want to do, go for it. I do recommend, before buying, to have a look through the scope at a gun shop so you know what you're getting quality-wise. Because if you're not happy with it (it's too dim, blurry, poor quality, etc.), don't buy it!
Budget:
There are scopes for practically any and every budget out there - from the cheapest to the most expensive. It would be a good idea to set a personal budget and work with that. There's a huge quality difference between a $150 scope and a $700 scope. But the difference is much less when you compare a $700 scope vs a $900 scope.
Bare Minimum I Recommend:
Whichever scope you choose, I HIGHLY recommend you choose one with Parallax Adjustment. In my opinion, this is a 100% must have feature. It should be mandatory on all scopes. I stopped buying scopes that don't have Parallax. Second, I think picatinny rails for the rifle scope base is also 100% mandatory. A pic-rail will give you far more flexibility for mounting than rings-on-receiver. Different scopes have different dimensions and a pic-rail will give you A LOT more positional adjustments for eye relief, comfortable neck and cheek position, and sometimes it will be the difference between being able to mount a scope or not. There are a lot of manufacturers that make pic-rail scope bases for the CZ 457, I highly recommend the one from MDT (made in canada).
Gun Shop Sales People:
As some others have said, some folks that work at shops may point you to a particular product that they want to sell, but may not be in your best favour. Some sales people are fantastic. Most sales people will ask you the same questions I listed above (technical requirements, purpose, budget). It's important to do your homework so you know what they're selling you. Most gun shops (if they have such supplies and inventory available), will be happy to assist with offering recommendations for scope rings and compatibility (and some even help test-fit!). As I mentioned above, sales folks are usually more than happy to let you look through the scopes for you to get an idea of the quality and features before you buy. I almost never buy scopes without first having a try looking through them.
Others:
Some other members also mentioned fine tune adjustments like cheek risers, eye height, LOP, etc. If your CZ 457 is the factory wood or synthetic stock, you won't have any adjustability. Once you get more serious into rifle shooting, you can upgrade the chassis to make the gun fit you perfectly (when you do, the ring height will be less of a concern because of the added adjustments).
Back to Your Question:
2-7 and 3-9x will give you decent zoom for casual plinking. But if you want to get serious, you'll want something that stretches out to 14 or 16, or even more (past 20). Decide on a scope (with parallax), get a scope base (picatinny rail), then get the rings to fit. In short: there's no simple answer to this - it comes down to budget, technical requirements, purpose and type of shooting. Good luck!
- Location
- Nova Scotia
I still got one on my 10/22. It's about 20 years old. Looses clairity after 16x.
I think im gonna upgrade my 8-32x44 Tasco on my Anschutz to a fixed 24 Luepold or a Sightron.
I bought the same scope and agree about the adjustments. I guess that is where they are cutting corners to keep the cost down. My biggest complaint is the fact that the parallax is set to 60 yards. Crystal clear optics BUT past about 75 yards the image starts to get fuzzy making it a poor choice for longer range. It is now sitting in the box and replaced with a scope with parallax adjustment. My recommendation for a rimfire, buy a scope with parallax adjustment.
RE Post 48 - ". . . I also wanted to add: I wouldn't worry too much about "rimfire scopes" vs "regular scopes". Often times it's just the difference in reticle. Don't let this limit you. (more info on this below) . . . "
IMO - Scopes that SAY they are "Rimfire" Usually (most brands) have the parallax set for 25-yards, so there will be a bit of inaccuracy at 'other distances'. This is negligible until you shoot out past 50-yds. Scopes that are "Regular" usually have Parallax set for 100-yards since they are 'expected' to be used on 'Hunting Rifles' and that is a 'common distance' where the parallax error will Not be noticed until much further.
Scopes that are to be used for 'accurate target shooting' will benefit from a more 'detailed' reticle, ie some sort of Stadia marks as in a "Christmas Tree" arrangement. That will define the MOA or MIL per stadia mark. "Simple Crosshairs" will get you 'on target but defined stadia will allow more precision.
IMO - Scopes that SAY they are "Rimfire" Usually (most brands) have the parallax set for 25-yards, so there will be a bit of inaccuracy at 'other distances'. This is negligible until you shoot out past 50-yds. Scopes that are "Regular" usually have Parallax set for 100-yards since they are 'expected' to be used on 'Hunting Rifles' and that is a 'common distance' where the parallax error will Not be noticed until much further.
Scopes that are to be used for 'accurate target shooting' will benefit from a more 'detailed' reticle, ie some sort of Stadia marks as in a "Christmas Tree" arrangement. That will define the MOA or MIL per stadia mark. "Simple Crosshairs" will get you 'on target but defined stadia will allow more precision.
prairie lover
CGN Regular
- Location
- southern MB
Make sure you get something with adjustable parallax on any rimfire or airgun.
Brendon,
After reading this thread and your responses the best advice I can give you is to buy low powered variable scope in the 2 power to 7 power range, preferably with the ability to adjust for the exact distance you wish to shoot at. You can always shoot at longer distances, you may just need a larger target to sight on.
I would highly recommend this scope Hawke Airmax 2-7x32 AO AMX. You can view it at AirGunSource in Toronto.
This is the link,,, it needs https: in front of //www.airgunsource.ca/hawke-airmax-2-7x32-ao-amx-reticle.html
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Looks like ur going for lower power light weight scopes does not look like for PRS or I would recommend the Arken. Awesome scope for price lots of magnification awesome as starting scope for PRS. For what your looking at in the budget I have on one of my Cz is the athlon helos btr gen 2
2-12x42 awesome scope. Also Niko stirling diamond 34mm 4-16x44 big tube lots of light and both compact. Finally my favorite the discovery Ed gen1 or 2 3-15x50 the ed glass is awesome. All scopes are ffp as well. Plus all under 500.00.
2-12x42 awesome scope. Also Niko stirling diamond 34mm 4-16x44 big tube lots of light and both compact. Finally my favorite the discovery Ed gen1 or 2 3-15x50 the ed glass is awesome. All scopes are ffp as well. Plus all under 500.00.
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Best lower power variable I've ever had on a rimfire was a Shepherd 3-10. With the specific 22 rimfire ranging reticle in it, it's probably the best 22 hunting scope out there. My other Anschutz wore a Tasco 6-24 and now has a Burris of similar power range. Both worked well, Burris feels more substantial (and is certainly heavier). FWIW. - dan
Agreed completely. Phenomenal value for what you get. I went with the Hawke Airmax 4-12x40 AO AMX.
I do have one question though about Hawke second focal plane reticles though, that I haven’t found an answer to yet…. All of Hawke publications indicate that the mil reticle for the Airmax is accurate at 10x. Same for their SFP MilDot reticles. I was always curious if the the same glass etched reticles are used for the 2-7x annd 3-9x SFP scopes, and therefore would never be a true mil reticle regardless of the magnification set. I’ve owned four Hawke scopes to date, all second focal plane. All were absolutely phenomenal in fit form, and clarity, and all had the ability for 10x zoom. I tested each reticle on a posted mil ladder and they were all bang on at 10x zoom.
I love the Hawke glass etched AMX reticle you get for the price.
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- Location
- ON, North of GTA
I have the 2-7 and can confirm reticle is valid at 10x. Problem is with a 2-7 you don't have 10x
So set at 5x each Mildot is worth 2 Mil. Set at 2x each Mildot is 5Mil.
Having the 1/2Mil slashes on the AMX reticle gives 1Mil per slash or dot at 5x.
