Looking for a cheapish scope for 22 LR for squirrel hunting and general pinking. My friend has one of these cheap (50-60 off Amazon) scopes and recommended it to me. For actual marksmanship training I plan on using the scope off my 700 (10x SWFA SS) but I don't really want to do hunting and plinking with a 10x scope. What do you guys think of this scope and what would you recommend as an alternative?
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Talk me out of BSA Sweet 22
- Thread starter nuclear_shooter
- Start date
Friends don't let friends buy BSA.
I have a BSA scope a few years back with the same intended purpose as yours. The scope was terrible and I learned the age old "you get what you pay for." Get a used higher quality scope and you will be much happier with the same money spent.
I have a BSA scope a few years back with the same intended purpose as yours. The scope was terrible and I learned the age old "you get what you pay for." Get a used higher quality scope and you will be much happier with the same money spent.
I've got a Savage 93R17 with a first-gen BSA Sweet 17 that is about a decade old.
That scope is the biggest pile of dogshit I've ever used...a blister pack Simmons from Wal-Mart is clearer and works better.
That being said, the reviews here lead me to recently purchase the BSA Tactical 4-14x44 FFP special from MidwayUSA for my 22LR trainer...and I must admit I was surprised at the absence of suck. Below 10x its maybe a short/curly below my Weaver GS Tactical 3-10x40 mil/mil in clarity, and from 10-14x it gets a little bit cloudy but is still very usable. Biggest complaints are that the turret clicks are very weak (both tactile & audible) and its heavy. Haven't shot it yet to confirm it tracks & subtends properly, but if it does as advertised it should represent a very good value at the price point.
That scope is the biggest pile of dogshit I've ever used...a blister pack Simmons from Wal-Mart is clearer and works better.
That being said, the reviews here lead me to recently purchase the BSA Tactical 4-14x44 FFP special from MidwayUSA for my 22LR trainer...and I must admit I was surprised at the absence of suck. Below 10x its maybe a short/curly below my Weaver GS Tactical 3-10x40 mil/mil in clarity, and from 10-14x it gets a little bit cloudy but is still very usable. Biggest complaints are that the turret clicks are very weak (both tactile & audible) and its heavy. Haven't shot it yet to confirm it tracks & subtends properly, but if it does as advertised it should represent a very good value at the price point.
"When he sights through his scope, he doesn't adjust for windage - the wind adjusts for him."
What do you guys recommend as an alternative? I was looking at a Nikon Prostaff Rimfire Amazon.com: Nikon ProStaff Rimfire 3-9 x 40 Black Matte Riflescope (BDC 150): Sports & Outdoors but it is 3x the price. I like the BDC reticle, but it doesn't have parallax adjustment (its set for 50 yards I believe, which probably should work for anything between 25 and 100, not that I would have time to adjust it when hunting anyway).
How much did you spend on your rifle? That is the least I would spend on a scope. A really good 4x scope is perfect for squirrel hunting in almost any condition. I list BSA in the disposable scopes category. They are not a lifetime investment. You will eventually get tired of sending scopes back to the factory if you buy cheap. I got tired of "sighting in" a scope every year as well. If your scope won't hold zero from one season to the next, frankly, it is junk.
The rifle I got is a Savage Mark II BV. I paid about 350 for it. I'd *probably* like to pay a bit less than that on the scope, but I will entertain anything under $300 if you really think its worth the $. I was considering the BSA just to get me hunting, but if I buy once cry once, I can put that 60 towards a better scope.
Leupold FX-I 4x28mm Rimfire Rifle Scope FREE S&H 58680, 58670. Leupold Rifle Scopes.
All you need. Likely to last a lifetime with no troubles. Parralax set to 50yds. Made for hunting. If I didn't already have very high end scopes on my rifles and my intention was simply hunting this would be what I would buy, ad to say I have owned enough to have a well informed opinion is an understatement. In my opinion buying a scope to cover several applications often leaves one spending too much, or not enough, if you get my meaning. If you need a hunting scope that is what you should buy.
All you need. Likely to last a lifetime with no troubles. Parralax set to 50yds. Made for hunting. If I didn't already have very high end scopes on my rifles and my intention was simply hunting this would be what I would buy, ad to say I have owned enough to have a well informed opinion is an understatement. In my opinion buying a scope to cover several applications often leaves one spending too much, or not enough, if you get my meaning. If you need a hunting scope that is what you should buy.
Weaver Grandslam Tac 3x10x40. Mildot,good glass for the money, good review by Lowlight. I got one on my MKII. LOve it!!
I paid $275 from someone on the Hide. You can get them for $300 from Midway.
I paid $275 from someone on the Hide. You can get them for $300 from Midway.
Sound advice, as always
. One final question... how would you compare this to the VX-1? I will try to head to my local Sportsmans Warehouse and see if they'll let me take a peek though both. Ideally, I'd borrow a friends and try it out, but sadly my friend has a BSA .Edit: Here's a URL to the scope: http://www.opticsplanet.com/leupold-vari-x-2-7x28mm-compact-rifle-scope.html
If you need a variable it is a great choice. I have done a lot of hunting over the years, I rarely ever found a need to use a variable at its max power, though I often did. The fixed power scopes, in my opinion are much clearer, If you ever set them side by side and you have good eyes you can see the difference I am talking about. I deer hunted for 2 seasons with a 4X Tasco World Class on an A-Bolt in 280Rem. Used in soybean and peanut country I never felt the need for more power even out past 300yds. Killed my limit(6 in eastern NC) both years. Only Tasco I never had to send back by the way. If I was going to hunt with a 22 rifle for squirrels, I would definitely have a rimfire scope(specifically tuned parallax) or a scope that would adjust down to less than 50yds.
The only downside I can see with the FX/VX-1 is the smaller objective... but I think the coating on the optics should help make up for some of that.
I don't want to highjack your thread, and it really isn't the subject, but since you bring it up....
You are closer to the mark than you might imagine with regards to the coating comment. If the glass is high enough quality it really doesn't matter about the objective diameter. I bought my FIL a scope last year, Leupold 2.5-8 x 36mm VXIII, to replace his old Bushnell that never held zero from season to season. The entire story around our exchange is quite an illuminating one but I will be brief and not relate the whole story. His first comment when I presented it to him was that the objective was awful small and his Bushnell had a huge objective thus it was great at evening. I told him if he didn't like it after one season I would buy him anything he wanted from Wal-Mart, where he bought the Bushnell. Long story short we spent almost every evening hunting our blind together. The first evening about dark as I looked at my watch about "dark thirty" I had him look at the back of the field about every 5 minutes. I told him to let me know when he couldn't pick out the details of a deer. When he told me he was pretty sure he could no longer pick out the details of appreciable antlers it was 10 minutes AFTER legal shooting time. He said he was still sure he could shoot on doe day even later than that. I am supposed to get his other rifle up and running with a Leupold before November. He was sold.
I use my FIL as an example because in my opinion he represents a large demographic among hunters. He thinks he knows what it takes to make a great hunting scope, in reality he knows what everyone at the local hunting club and gunstore talk about.
Unless you have phenominal night vision, and have a larger pupil than 5mm(and few people do) you are not likely to benefit from owning anything with a larger objective than 40mm. If your glass is average to mediocre quality it doesn't matter if the objective is 100mm. I have never had a Leupold that wouldn't get me in trouble with the game warden, for that matter a lot of high end scopes will get you in trouble. I can tell you an awful lot of scopes that will keep you quite safe from shooting past legal shooting time.
spot on JL, Quality glass beats objective dia, any day
for tree rats i now use a 3x9 nikion,an a 2x7 leupold. for my son i am setting him up with a straight 4x rimfire scope
Dont have any thing to do with this thread. But a few fellow hiders know my love of yote hunting, trying out new leupold 3x9 VXR 30mm tube,50dia adj. for night hunting, all i can say is that scope, will for sure have old rabbit sherrif. looking for u after you pull the trigger on a deer stand,because you could still see well after legal time
for tree rats i now use a 3x9 nikion,an a 2x7 leupold. for my son i am setting him up with a straight 4x rimfire scope
Dont have any thing to do with this thread. But a few fellow hiders know my love of yote hunting, trying out new leupold 3x9 VXR 30mm tube,50dia adj. for night hunting, all i can say is that scope, will for sure have old rabbit sherrif. looking for u after you pull the trigger on a deer stand,because you could still see well after legal time
The best you can afford. Leupold PRW, Burris XTR, Burris Signature with inserts. Make sure you put them on a picatinny rail, good one, EGW minimum. If you get the XTRs you will likely need to lap them, I will be glad to loan you a lapping rig for 1" rings, don't have the 30mm though. The MK4s and PRWs that I own were spot on and did not need lapping, YMMV though. The PRWs and XTRs run about the same price, and of course the Signatures with inserts do not require lapping due to design. I am simply giving you information based on what I have used. I can certainly tell you what I won't use ever again. anything you can buy at Dick's or Wal-Mart are usually junk. I have a drawer full of Tascos, Weavers, Millets, and various off brands, quite simply most of them are shit.
I already have a EGW base on there. Its pretty nice, but not as nice as the Seekins on my 700
. It was a perfect fit as far as I could tell. I liI already have a EGW base on there. Its pretty nice, but not as nice as the Seekins on my 700 . It was a perfect fit as far as I could tell. The only other manufacturer of rails for the Mark II I could find was DIP. I went with EGW because a) I was already ordering from Midway and b) it seemed to be the most popular one online. I like the look of those Burris Signatures, they look light and not as built up as the XTR's (which would be good for hunting).
Vortex Diamond back 2x7 rim fire put one on my sons Mark II then a wek layer had to add to my gopher gun 10/22. Great scope for the money. 50 Yrd. parallax.
another one to consider, I've got a Mueller APT on my Remington 504. Turrets are trackable. Mil-dot's are good. optics are good. $168 shipped. For a rimfire they're great. I've got mine in burris signature rings and it's a solid combo. Seriously look at them, and the folks at Rimfire central like them as well.
Nimrod
Nimrod
This is what I have on my 22 trainer. Weaver Tactical Grand Slam Rifle Scope 3-10x 40mm 1/10 Mil Adjustments Works great, and glass is better than I expected.
