Thoughts on a 3.5-18 Optic for a Rimfire

[MDof2]

Wanting to upgrade an optic on a 22RF in a chassis setup for PRS style shooting/matches.
Curious about running an 18x max magnification on their rimfire comp gun and if the slightly lower magnification has been an issue? (versus something that runs up to 25, 27, 30, etc.)

I haven't shot a ton of rimfire matches, so looking for input from those who have more experience in this specific scenario.

 

[littlepod]

Wanting to upgrade an optic on a 22RF in a chassis setup for PRS style shooting/matches.
Curious about running an 18x max magnification on their rimfire comp gun and if the slightly lower magnification has been an issue? (versus something that runs up to 25, 27, 30, etc.)

I haven't shot a ton of rimfire matches, so looking for input from those who have more experience in this specific scenario.

I generally run at 12-15x. Some people say that the power you primarily run out should be like the mid point of the scope's capabilities and not always at the high end.

I mean your 3.5-18 is going to work fine, but if the cost is the same, why not do a 5-25, or a 6-24. But yeh a 3-18 should be fine.

 

[camocorvette]

I've only got a 12x on mine. More mag is normally never a bad thing. I'm running out of hold and dial in elevation at 500 yards though. That's the only reason I'm justifying an upgrade.

3-18 will be plenty. It just depends on the quality of the glass and the construction of the scope. I'd rather have a well made scope of lower power then a shitty optic of higher power.

 

[MDof2]

I'd rather have a well made scope of lower power then a shitty optic of higher power.

Likewise, and again on Sundays.

 

[BuckeyePrecision]

I ran a 3-15 Viper Gen II for years and honestly never felt that it held me back. While my rifle was down and waiting for parts I borrowed a friends that had a 4.5-27 Razor on it for a few matches. The extra power was nice on a few longer shots but not necessary. To back up the previous statement, I got way more from the nicer glass than I did from the extra power.

 

[TurboTrout]

What’s a parallax go down to?

The viper PSTII 3-15 goes down to 25yrds, great option IMHO

 

[camocorvette]

What’s a parallax go down to?

The viper PSTII 3-15 goes down to 25yrds, great option IMHO

Good point I forgot about parallax. Definitely something to consider with a rimfire.

 

[Strykervet]

I don't like lots of magnification in general, and don't shoot competitions. That said, I like the 1-4x Viper PST I have on an integrally suppressed Kidd 10.22 and find it sufficient for what I do.

However, if you do like lots of mag and shoot competitions with one, want FFP, I'd say give the 4-20x ATACR a gander. Parallax goes down to 11 yards for one.

.1 adj. value and SFP might be more appealing though for that application, something else I'd consider.

 

[J-Hon]

I run a XTRIII 3-18 on my vudoo and shoot a fair bit of PRS/NRL22.

No issues with me. Those scopes, in particular, have a really high FoV which is particularly nice. I can run 18x on that scope and 'see' more than I can on other scopes where I would typically be down in the 12-15x range. This helps with watching wind/trace/etc, and even more importantly... finding and shooting the right target.