Scope for 10/22

[patriot07]

Just tricked out my 10/22 for me and my daughter to shoot, and bought a Nikon Prostaff 3-9x40 on Black Friday for $99. However, it's going to be shot at 50 yards 95% of the time, and I'm wondering if I should have gotten something with parallax adjustment?

If so, what do you guys suggest? Would like to stay at or around the $100 mark.

 

[FrankInDerby]

A couple years ago I put the same scope but with the rimfire BDC on my 10/22, Cabelas had a sweet deal at the time. I've never taken it beyond 125 yards but it's worked perfectly and parallax has not been an issue, and I doubt it will be for the ranges a 22lr is typically used.

 

[Tnshoot]

Factory set parallax on that scope is 100 yards. Will it matter if you’re on 5x shooting steel at 50 yds, no. It will make it more difficult, though not impossible, to shoot little groups or very small targets consistently at 50 yards even if rifle/ammo combination is capable of doing so. You don’t necessarily need AO or parallax if you’re going to shoot at 50yrds, just find one with 50yd parallax. May also consider 2-7 mag range. Honestly, for $100 I’d just go with what you got until you can tell you need more.

 

[patriot07]

Thanks for the responses. This will be a rifle that me and my 7 year old daughter will be shooting. So I really want to eliminate as many variables as I can while she's learning to shoot. 95%+ of the shooting will be at 50 yards on paper targets.

What got me to considering this was the fact that I set up a target at 50 yards in my backyard and started moving my head around with the rifle still, and the reticle was definitely moving around on the target. Not a ton, but easily enough to turn a .5" group into a 1.5" group.

I can still return the Nikon to Academy since it was just bought on black Friday. And I found a Vortex Diamondback 4-12x40 AO on local craigslist for $150 that has adjustable objective. I think I'll probably return the Nikon and buy that. It's a 4-12 magnification, which will help if we do run it out to 100 yards.

 

[shooter65]

Sightron STac 4-20 moa

 

[Rolltide]

Leupold makes a couple of EFR scopes, 3-9x33 and 6.5-20x40. These will focus down to around 10 yards and are very good scopes. I have several of each on various rimfires, from sporter squirrel rifles to Sako's, Coopers and Anchutz.

 

[Nodakplowboy]

Kudos to you for getting your little girl shooting. Dad/daughter range time will never be forgotten by either of you.

Weaver makes a line of Classic rim fire scopes. The 3x9x32 I've mounted on a .17 HMR has A.O. down to 10 yds. Have never tested the parallax at the range, but it appears to be very accurate shooting pests around the farmyard. Nice compact design, good glass for the $250 range. May be out of your current price range, but something to consider for the future. There's lots of good R.F. scopes out there.

I've always found the yardage marking on a A.O. scope to be suggestions, rather than hard fact.

 

[patriot07]

Thanks for the post. I checked those out too. They're a bit pricey for what they are IMHO. And I'm just not a big Leupold fan, although I have no issue picking whatever the best tool is for the job. Where is the EFR made?

If I'm spending more than $100-$150, I'd like to have something I could take out to >100 yards either with reliable turrets or more preferably, a tree reticle or maybe even a BDC reticle if I had to live with it. Unfortunately, the EFR gets me the parallax adjustment and the build quality I want, but not the longer distance elevation compensation capability. And it's tough for me to justify the expense of an EFR with not having that capability.

Considering an Athlon Talos BTR 4-14. I know the optical and build quality will be a dropoff from the Leupold, but as long as it will hold zero and not shift POI with parallax adjustment, then I think I'll be ok since the reticle will offer all the elevation adjustment I need.

 

[Snuby642]

Bushnell 3x9 on sale at academy 102$
Its an ar scope but has everything you
want .

Sorry cut paste not working again.

Missed your thred somehow wouldn't have started another.

 

[Marinevet1]

I bought a 10/22 from Cabelas quite a few years ago........came with a scope, don't remember what it is, or the power. The intention was to have something for the grandkids to shoot. I think it has been to the range one time to be sighted in, and that is it. My point being a 10/22 is not a precision rifle, your daughter won't know, or care about the adjustments at 50 yards, if she can see, and hit the target. At her age, basic skills, and safety should be the first priority, followed by having fun learning how to shoot. Enjoy your time with her while she is young, they grow up fast, and the time shared now will be a fond memory,

 

[patriot07]

That Bushnell AR scope at Academy might just be the ticket! Wish it was Mils, but I don't care enough to not buy a $100 scope that has everything I want.

I bought a 10/22 from Cabelas quite a few years ago........came with a scope, don't remember what it is, or the power. The intention was to have something for the grandkids to shoot. I think it has been to the range one time to be sighted in, and that is it. My point being a 10/22 is not a precision rifle, your daughter won't know, or care about the adjustments at 50 yards, if she can see, and hit the target. At her age, basic skills, and safety should be the first priority, followed by having fun learning how to shoot. Enjoy your time with her while she is young, they grow up fast, and the time shared now will be a fond memory,

It's something that we're both shooting. You're right that she doesn't care one way or another. But I want the gun to be something that I enjoy too, so I put a Green Mountain barrel on it and that thing is a stinking tack driver now.

 

[NewsShooter]

I put the BSA 4-14 mil mil midway special on the 10/22's that I built for my nephews, but that is over your limit. They have held up well dialing to 300 meters and back. These days I'd look at offerings from Athlon. Neither had shot a rifle before I built them. Now they mostly shoot from 100 - 225 yds, as it got boring for them shooting inside 100, prone on a bipod, as they hardly ever miss on rimfire sized steel targets.

 

[patriot07]

I put the BSA 4-14 mil mil midway special on the 10/22's that I built for my nephews, but that is over your limit. They have held up well dialing to 300 meters and back. These days I'd look at offerings from Athlon. Neither had shot a rifle before I built them. Now they mostly shoot from 100 - 225 yds, as it got boring for them shooting inside 100, prone on a bipod, as they hardly ever miss on rimfire sized steel targets.

The Athlon Talos BTR 4-14 has literally everything I want. But I have never seen an Athlon in person and I hate buying it online having fairly mixed reviews on places like amazon. I can get it for around $250, but I don't know if the tracking is good, if the glass is decent, etc.

In my experience, I've never found any noticeable optical improvement going from the $100 range to the $300 range. And I also have had only one sub-$500 scope that tracked true (SWFA 16x42) and many that haven't. So while I know it's probably the right choice, I'm just having a hard time convincing myself to do it when there are $100 options like the Bushnell.

 

[Snuby642]

I also have a 3x9 prostaff its ok for a set and forget with a flat shooting deer rifle.
​​​​It will hold deer moa, but mine stopped tracking recently.

I like shooting standard velocity so shooting from 50 feet to 100 yards required lots of adjustment, set and forget wont cut it
When it was said a 10/22 won't shoot,.? Try a barrel and some match ammo then reconsider possibly.

A child with proper training will outshoot poor equipment faster than you can get out your credit card!

Workable 0 to 100yd is not asking much, not trying to compete at crazy demanding long range events.

I say all the holdover reticles ar a pain unless it's a timed event or you are on a two way range!
The pile of custom turrets i own suck as well, keep changing ammo!

Learn your holdovers and make a range card for each ammo you wish costs nothing just dial it up!
I'm not knocking moa or milrad ranging scopes very usefull but all the rest of the holdover reticles end up useless.
Teach the child moa and mils if you can and they won't waste money on the rest of that junk ever again.

 

[Snuby642]

Ps one of those 10/22 scopes from cabelas is what needed replacing, pure junk.

 

[patriot07]

I picked up the Bushnell from Academy. We'll see how it goes.

It's not that I don't want to twist turrets. My main rifle is a Tikka 6.5 creedmoor with an SWFA HD 5-20 - I twist those turrets with my eyes closed. I just don't trust to get good tracking in this price point. So we'll see how the BDC reticle on the Bushnell does and I'll try the adjustment also. I'm sure it'll be fine for my needs.

 

[Snuby642]

The 3x9 bushnell I got on sale had a holdover reticle for 223 .
Even in the right caliber the load has to match.
I had planed to go the opisit rout from you and ignor the reticle.

I'm making a range card from my balistic calculator and then make corrections to that
So i can dial in my range .
You can do the same for a drop reticle but end up with odd yard zeros.
Splitting hash marks gets difficult with my old eyes. Lol

My next buiild will be a 6.5 creed and the scope will be moa/moa or mil/mil.
No more caliber load specific reticle or turrets ever again!
One more thing i have had good luck with is one piece rail mounts for every scope and rifle from now on.
Can swap without leveling in most cases and i haven't had to boresight ither to be on paper.

 

[patriot07]

The 3x9 bushnell I got on sale had a holdover reticle for 223 .
Even in the right caliber the load has to match.
I had planed to go the opisit rout from you and ignor the reticle.

I'm making a range card from my balistic calculator and then make corrections to that
So i can dial in my range .
You can do the same for a drop reticle but end up with odd yard zeros.
Splitting hash marks gets difficult with my old eyes. Lol

My next buiild will be a 6.5 creed and the scope will be moa/moa or mil/mil.
No more caliber load specific reticle or turrets ever again!
One more thing i have had good luck with is one piece rail mounts for every scope and rifle from now on.
Can swap without leveling in most cases and i haven't had to boresight ither to be on paper.

Yeah I'm well aware that the BDC marks are unlikely to be accurate at normal yardages (150, 200, etc.). But it'll at least give me something to go off of. I wouldn't have bought it if it wasn't $102. I would've got the Athlon Talos BTR in all likelihood. And if I don't like the Bushnell, that may end up being what I do anyway.

 

[Snuby642]

So I got to the range with the Bushnell 3 x 9.
Shot 16.6, 25 and 50yds.
The scope tracked and returned to zero at those short yardages.
The side focus preformed well and lined up with factory hash marks for distance.
The reticle focus came in clear.

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• Snuby642
• Jan 20, 2018

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• Snuby642
• Jan 20, 2018

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• Snuby642
• Jan 20, 2018

The low wide well marked turrets are easy to see.

Small mounting hassle, I had to use a high scope ring to clear the base there is a ?spring housing on the bottom.
That put center at 2 inches.
Setting the turrets zeros is stiff and takes some hand strength to lift them up, new!
Precision shooters with good eyes may want thinner reticle and 1/8 clicks.

I have not got past 50yds yet, if it continues to preform I will be getting more of these!
Big bore boys set up next to me so I stopped at 50 for the day.
100$ class win win so far.
Here's a couple of cherry picked groups from the day.

 

[patriot07]

Wanted to update this thread. I've had the Bushnell for a few months now. Wish I could buy another at $102 for my Ruger AR. I've been very happy with it. Good optics for the money. Adjustments have been mostly repeatable. I've shot some excellent groups with my 10/22. Daughter loves it as well. Only issue was having to replace the factory base & rings with a DNZ one-piece due to some inconsistency issues that I determined were not scope-related. Once I got the DNZ on there, it's been easy shooting.

Thanks again to the Hide for coming through with an A+ suggestion!