Rimfire Scopes - Where to start?
- Thread starter Brendon292
- Start date
The important question is which Kahles.
an old 6-24 (i wanted to make a precision model)
No you are not alone. I had a Kahles 328i on my Vudoo and switched it to a Zeiss LRP before going to Saskatchewan for a prairie dog shoot! I really like it but my other rimfires have Kahles 318i and 525i so your not alone!
Like your Kahles? Is the 328 an upgrade over the other 2 optically, or mostly FOV upgrade? Getting another gun, need a new scope
Honestly I haven’t used the 328i much because I don’t like the skmr4+ reticle. The field of view is much larger than the 525 and noticeable when searching for targets. I haven’t noticed a difference in glass quality but in fairness haven’t spent enough time behind it to really say. I have no complaints or regrets with anything Kahles. Expensive but all the higher end stuff is especially nowadays. S&B,TT,ZCO,Zeiss,Leica,Swaro and Hensoldt are all $5000-$9000 which is a considerable chunk of change.
I have a funny story about a Kahles scope... this was back about 1970 at Barotto Sports in Calgary. A friend of mine had odered a Kahles scope from somewhere in Eastern Canada and he had just received it in the mail. Happy as can be he was coming by the store to show it to us.
On the padded counter out of view from the customers side I had an old broken scope...
Eddie came in all smiles and handed me his new Kahles scope. I was looking at it and when Eddie looked away briefly, I hid his scope and dropped the broken scope on the concrete floor... it made a hell of a sound. I thought Eddies eyes were going to pop out of his head. I picked up the broken scope and handed it to him and then he realized what we had done. Everyone had a good laugh but I will never forget the look on his face when the scope took the first bounce...
On the padded counter out of view from the customers side I had an old broken scope...
Eddie came in all smiles and handed me his new Kahles scope. I was looking at it and when Eddie looked away briefly, I hid his scope and dropped the broken scope on the concrete floor... it made a hell of a sound. I thought Eddies eyes were going to pop out of his head. I picked up the broken scope and handed it to him and then he realized what we had done. Everyone had a good laugh but I will never forget the look on his face when the scope took the first bounce...
Well they don't go bad on a .22 and you can alway put it on something else at a later date.
Riton, I have two, one on my 6.5 x 55 and a 6-24 on my bench rest .22; clear, well made, perfect tracking and lots of other features. Best one is the price. I have compared it to other scopes and honestly, better scopes than Vortex at twice the money. First one I have had and used for 4 years.
Man...that is one whole hell of a lot of mathing and ciphering to do to arrive at a conclusion that can't be trusted! It doesn't take into consideration how high the top of the receiver rail is above the top of the barrel...or where and how high the rear sight is located on the barrel...or how much clearance is required at the rear of the scope to avoid bashing the eyepiece with the bolt handle. There are all these factors to consider, plus the individual shooter's build, which in turn determines where the scope must be placed to allow for proper eye relief for that person.
Then, or course, there's the joy of learning that some scope ring makers measure the height of the ring from the top of the rail to the bottom of the opening, i.e. the bottom of the scope tube...but others measure it to the middle of the opening. You can't go by vague descriptions as low, medium or high, because they are different for every maker.
After you've been at this for a few years or decades, you will have amassed some experience with many of the various types of rings and scopes, and that'll help you with making the decision. You'll learn that Leupold scopes tend to have shorter eyepieces that are also often thinner and less bulky than many other brands and will fit places that others won't; you'll know that the classic Weaver rings will rotate the scope as you tighten the clamp screws, driving you crazy as you try to get the crosshairs perfectly level; you may find that many scopes with variable magnification may bind up the power adjustment rings if you clamp the rear scope ring tightly around the body tube right next to the adjustment; and on and on...
By that point you'll also likely have a drawerful of assorted rings and bases that allow you to swap and experiment to find just the right mounting set-up for your latest gun purchase. I just recently sold off several "package deals" of scope rings, so now I only have about 45 or 50 spare sets to sort through.
So, here's the deal: I know it isn't what you want to hear, but your first foray into scope mounting and use will go much more smoothly if you take your rifle to the store with you and have it in hand while you choose the hardware. Settle on a scope you like...I agree with many above that a 2-7x or 3-9x is a great choice...and then hold it above the rifle while settling behind it in shooting position. Decide where you want the scope to sit for comfortable eye relief for you...find out how low it can sit and still clear the bolt handle and rear sight and barrel...and then find scope rings that look like they are about right for your application. This pretty much demands a real honest-to-goodness gun shop with a helpful, experienced sales guy to help; don't expect to do this in a Cabela's on a Saturday morning where you have to take a number and wait your turn. It will take a bit of time, but the results will be worth it.
This way, you won't be as likely to become one of those guys selling rings or even scopes on the EE because they bought the wrong stuff that won't work on their gun for them, and now need to move it down the road and try something else. Good luck!
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I have Hawke Airmax 3-9x40 and 4-12x40 AO AMX scopes on my CZ 452 .22LR, Tikka T1x .17HMR and other .22LRs as well as air rifles. They work well for my uses, which is pesting and plinking usually no more than 50-60 yards. I was unhappy with the Bushnell Banner and couple other cheap scopes. I have considered trying out a Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9x33 EFR Fine Duplex or finding a Weaver Grand Slam, etc. but honestly the Hawke scopes been working fine.
The funny thing is my wife loves it so much the first one became hers haha. I have an Anschutz(finally getting a LH) coming in the next couple days and need to decide what to put on that one. No deals have come up on a S3 lately, so there are decisions to be made. May try out a March.Some of us wish to stay married....haha. Nice glass!
Yep, "Rimfire" often seems to mean lower quality for some reason...
As long as the parallax goes close enough for your use, there is no reason to limit your options to a "Rimfire" scope.
I would say yes/no on that. Dedicated rimfire models tend to have dedicated 50-60 yard parallax setting, most 3-9Xs out there are 100 yards +. 100 yards is a bit of a reach for 22LR, I'd wager that most of us shoot inside that. My 22LR reticles are zeroed @ 50 yards. I don't limit the distance I shoot TO that, but I've never zeroed a 22 @ 100 yards either.
Not to say a 3-9X with the 100+ isn't going to work at all, parallax error can be reduced by running a scope like that @ a lower magnification. Figured that out anecdotally pre-internet. lol
Scopes well suited TO rimfire but not called that are often the AO or SF scopes, but always check the specs. Not sure I've seen an AO scope that won't focus down to at least 50 yards (=rimfire-type spec) but most of the ones I source/use are built to bring it in far closer if desired.
I see scopes like guns themselves-don't get too revved-up at the idea of one scope servicing multiple calibers/applications. There are scope types and caliber ranges where that can be the case-I don't see rimfire that way. The type of things I consider with rimfire scopes aren't often factors with CF scopes.
The way I see it anyway.
I would say yes/no on that. Dedicated rimfire models tend to have dedicated 50-60 yard parallax setting, most 3-9Xs out there are 100 yards +. 100 yards is a bit of a reach for 22LR, I'd wager that most of us shoot inside that. My 22LR reticles are zeroed @ 50 yards. I don't limit the distance I shoot TO that, but I've never zeroed a 22 @ 100 yards either.
Not to say a 3-9X with the 100+ isn't going to work at all, parallax error can be reduced by running a scope like that @ a lower magnification. Figured that out anecdotally pre-internet. lol
Scopes well suited TO rimfire but not called that are often the AO or SF scopes, but always check the specs. Not sure I've seen an AO scope that won't focus down to at least 50 yards (=rimfire-type spec) but most of the ones I source/use are built to bring it in far closer if desired.
I see scopes like guns themselves-don't get too revved-up at the idea of one scope servicing multiple calibers/applications. There are scope types and caliber ranges where that can be the case-I don't see rimfire that way. The type of things I consider with rimfire scopes aren't often factors with CF scopes.
The way I see it anyway.
I totally see your point but on my recent 9 - 12 crossfire with the combo of focus / parallax and magnification got me to the point of seeing paper at 50 yard with crisp image and decent field of view.
And Im not dismissing the idea that one day this scope will go to centerfire rifle
