• If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership  The benefits pay for the membership many times over.

Rim fire scope recommendation

1903Collector

NES Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2007
Messages
6,170
Likes
4,369
Location
Armpit region
Feedback: 85 / 0 / 0
So after a six month wait I am the proud owner of a shiny new CZ455 varminter in .22WMR. It needs glass, My budget is $300-400. Any suggestions? I am leaning toward a Leupold but the rimfire scope from Vortex caught my eye but I have no experience with that brand.

Tx
 
i've got this cheapie simmons scope on my savage mark II and i'm shocked how well it works. best $40 i've ever spent. tight groups at 100 yards all day long. holds zero nicely and easily adjustable.

http://www.amazon.com/Simmons-TruPl...d=1407417987&sr=1-3&keywords=simmons+22+scope

if you're looking for fancier glass then of course there are many nicer options....just figured i would throw this cheap idea out there.
 
I've got no complaints about the two Vortex's I've got - one Crossfire, the other's a Diamondback. Nothing wrong with Leupold, either.

I'd also look at the Mueller APV (or APT if you want a mildot reticle). Good scopes for the money, my default scope for rimfires. If I were scoping a hunting rimfire I'd spring for better glass than the APV, but for a plinker or range rifle the Mueller is excellent.

Sticking with your budget, I'd go with the Vortex Diamondback 4-12x40AO for that rifle. I prefer AO scopes for rimfires.
 
Midway has a Ziess on sale for $399, has great reviews but it's not AO. to many damn choices..lol! Right now the leading contender is the Vortex that KMM recommended with a set of Talley rings. In poking around the internet it seems quite a few people prefer the AO in rimfire scopes, most of the scopes I have looked at so far the parallax is set at 50.

Thanks for the recommendations so far everyone. keep em coming.
 
I've got a Nikon Prostaff Rimfire 3-9x40 on my 10/22, awesome scope for the money. Way below $300-$400.
 
Congrats. Huge CZ rimfire fan myself.

Depends entirely on use but I am highly satisfied with the Leupold glass, fine duplex reticle and AO on my 455 American in 17 HMR. It's a VX2 6-18. And to be honest the Leupold's looks and guarantee speak loudly to me.

The Leupold VX2 4-12 AO would also be excellent on the varmint and can be had for $400 out the door with 10% discount from optics planet- just call and ask for it any time. I have one on a 527 a American in .223 and it's an outstanding scope for the price. You can shoot at 100 yards+ and see the .22 holes perfectly. I skipped the CDS upgrade as I felt it does not help much when you know your ballistics and how to use the dials and/or reticle.

The VX2 3-9's are $50-100 less but you lose the AO and high end of magnification that I like for a dedicated varmint rifle like yours. Had one of these VX2's as well - best clarity of the the bunch but really missed the AO and added magnification.

I had the Leupold 2-7 rimfire too, also with fine duplex reticle, on a 452 and while perfect for shorter range uses like squirrel hunting and very affordable, it was not as well suited for the target work I enjoy most. The knobs were also subpar on the VX1 series; too small and the clicks not positive enough.

No personal experience with the Vortex to compare, but hear good things. A lot of the rimfirecentral CZ guys speak (write) highly of Mueller and Sightron so check those out too.

Good luck with the decision.

My 455 with the Leupold VX2 6-18x40 AO

 
Last edited:
I have become a HAWKE brand scope fan.
I have the airmax on a few pellet guns and on my 513t. Love this scope. The software is pretty darn cool also.
I also have a hawke sidewinder. If I learned one the side AO adjustment is easier to use. Its axlong reach for my on the traditional bell adjustment.
Then there is my favorite scope....vx III 2.5X8 . For hunting I like the 3x9 range. For target the big 50 mm AO scopes are fun...
I find the mil dot to busy. The map 6 reticle on the hawke gives you a few hold points. The software gets you real close on the hold points yardage vs your zero.
 
The bottom line is any scope will work fine IMHO. Chances are you will have much more variation in your ammo.

I like the Weaver rimfire scope. 2.5-7 variable has been very good to me. Bigger 4-16 AO is super for seeing little holes and details.

YMMV.
 
Finally got this complete, I ended up going with a Weaver Classic rimfire 3-9x32 AO. It had a lot of good reviews and the price point was good for me. For rings I went with something new that I have never tried, TPS 1" steel rings, a little pricey but seem to be very well made and high quality. To finish it off I got a DIP Products dovetail to picatinny adapater for the receiver dovetail so I wasn't locked into 11mm rings. All in all it's a nice set up, I will post a picture of it when I get a chance.
 
DIP makes good stuff - I've been using them on a lefty 452 I picked up recently. Interested to hear how you like the Weaver rimfire, too. Have fun with your rifle!
 
DIP makes good stuff - I've been using them on a lefty 452 I picked up recently. Interested to hear how you like the Weaver rimfire, too. Have fun with your rifle!

Sighted it in yesterday with some CCI 40gr HPs, clear glass, turret adjustments are a little squishy but not terrible, 1/4" clicks. Paralax and magnification adjustments are nice and smooth so I would say not a bad scope for the money. This is probably what....a 150 yard gun at best so I couldn't justify putting a $500.00 scope on it. With the mount, scope, rings and caps I'm under $500.00 for the whole set up not including the gun of course. I did pick up an extra mag for it, they are a little pricey for a plastic magazine, like $35.00 or so.
 
Sorry for asking my dumb noob scope questions here, but I need a target scope (variable magnification) for a Sig 522.

1. Can you use the same scope for .22 and 5.56, or do you really need a rimfire scope for .22?
2. The Sig has fixed front and rear iron sights, will the scope be raised high enough so it's above the iron sights? What height rings would you need for that?

I foresee myself getting rid of the Sig and getting a bolt action .22 eventually, just couldn't pass up the deal on the 522.
 
Sorry for asking my dumb noob scope questions here, but I need a target scope (variable magnification) for a Sig 522.

1. Can you use the same scope for .22 and 5.56, or do you really need a rimfire scope for .22?

You can stick any scope you want on it I would think, bear in mind that some scopes intended for 5.56 have BDCs calibrated for that round so I think that feature would be useless on a .22
2. The Sig has fixed front and rear iron sights, will the scope be raised high enough so it's above the iron sights? What height rings would you need for that?
I have no experience with the Sig but you may have to get high rings or a riser to clear the sights depending on how much they get in the way...if at all
I foresee myself getting rid of the Sig and getting a bolt action .22 eventually, just couldn't pass up the deal on the 522.

.
 
Cool thanks 1903. I'll get a scope and hold it up to see how high it needs to be to clear the sights, or maybe at 3-9x it doesn't need to clear the sights.

I was curious why some scopes don't have BDCs but are labeled "rimfire" - what makes them set up for .22?
 
Sorry for asking my dumb noob scope questions here, but I need a target scope (variable magnification) for a Sig 522.

1. Can you use the same scope for .22 and 5.56, or do you really need a rimfire scope for .22?
2. The Sig has fixed front and rear iron sights, will the scope be raised high enough so it's above the iron sights? What height rings would you need for that?

I foresee myself getting rid of the Sig and getting a bolt action .22 eventually, just couldn't pass up the deal on the 522.

I would hold off dumping any money into rings and optics for the sig and save it for the bolt gun.

If your going to scope the 552 why not just remove the rear sight. Use rings with a hieght that gives you a decent cheek weld on the stock.

Rimfire scopes in simplest terms are set to parrelax free at close ranges say 50 yards or less or have adjustable objective or parrelax settings for example 10 yards to infinity vs centerfire are set @ 100 yards.
some "rimfire" scopes might not be built tough enough to take centerfire recoil. Only issue useing a "center fire" scope on a 22 is parrelax. if its set @ 100 yds when you aim at something @ 25 yds the crosshairs will move around if you change your eye position behind the scope.

again if you think your getting a bolt action wait to spend the money on optics for that.....
what type of accuracy do you get with the 522?

there's a ton of reading out there on scopes. http://www.eabco.com/Reports/report01.html
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom