Scopes For Rimfire Rifles

timbeech

Well-Known Member
I'm after two scopes for my rimfires (22lr & 17HMR) .

I've got a Hawke Sport HD 4-16x50 AO currently on the HMR but its *****, milks out a higher mags, this has slightly put me off Hawke scopes. I only got it because the one on my air rifle is good (3-9x50 Sport HD AO IR)

How do the higher end Hawke scopes perform, I was looking at the Eclipse 30 side focus 4-16x50, I'd expect it to be better glass than the Sport HD range.

The other scope I was looking at is the MTC Viper 4-16x50, but this is about £50 more expensive.

What do you guys think? Looking for variable scope min x3 mag, max x16. 50mm objective lens with focus either pref side focus. About the £200-250 price range, as I need two.
 
i had a variable on my 22 but replaced it with a 6x42 and wont be changing it back. you will get a good 2nd hand one for 200-250. on the hmr a variable higher mag is useful but for the 22 i would stick with a fixed.
 
This might not be the answer you want but presuming you are using it for lamping you would be better going for a high end scope with fixed magnification, say and 8 with a fine reticle. Judging range and aiming off can be simpler to calculate through a fixed magnification as well. Certainly on a rimfire thats all the magnification you will need. You might pick up a used meopta or Kahles scope for 250 or if you are really lucky an old swarovski nova.
 
It's for daytime use and with night vision (NS200). I don't like fixed mag, anyway you can always leave a variable fixed on one mag if you want.

I'd love a meopta them both, but can't find a second hand MeoPro or MeoStar. I've got an Artemis 2000 on my 308 for stalking and its amazing.
 
I had a Leupold V1 3-9x50 which you should be able to pick up for that cash
did the job

tend to agree on the fixed mag aspect for night work though
moved all my variables on and bought 6x42, 7x50 and 8x50's
no regrets

only variable I am interested in now is one that will wind up to 20x for targets past 600yds and down to 6x for deer
 
I got a Hawke scope recently and I'm quite pleased with it (see link below to what I think is the best priced seller).
As others have said, it depends what you want it for as my model isn't great in low light
I use it on my cz452 .22 rimfire and reckon to take rabbits reliably out to 100 yards.
The rabbits are for the pot so I don't want a lot of meat damage.
The ladder reticle works pretty well coupled with the Hawke ballistic program (very easy to use), and the turrets too.
Still getting the hang of it but it's fun and the ammo is cheap.

http://www.grahamsonline.co.uk/product/sidewinder-30-sf-3-12x50-riflescope-with-mil-dot-10x-reticle
 
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''ramsbottoms'' has a cheep deals on scopes , I would say any half decent clarity scope will do a rim fire, for 150metres.
 
Meoptas wont work great with NV. unfortunately. I happen to be a big fan of them myself. I have found that the Hawke isn't great with NV, there is worse and there is better. MTCs are a discussion in themselves, I wouldn't get a viper for the NV but a lot swear by the connect. Haven't tried it myself. They can be head fussy so you need to be able to get into the same position each time.
The problem is that good scopes are not as good with NV as Cheap scopes and the problem is that a cheap scope is not going to be good at dusk.
Options I would suggest for the HMR would be a Leupold VXIII 4-14x50 or a bushnell elite. both are a good compromise. day and night. I currently have a leupold on my HMR but as 95% of my HMR work is at night I am going to change it to an OLD AGS 4-16x50. again not so good during the dusk period but fine in the day and at night. And I checked mine at different mags and it didn't shift poi which surprised me.
I managed a rabbit at 163 yards with the Leupold at night.
The problem with a lot of high end scopes as well is that thay are parallaxed at 100 yards so if you get a bunny at 60 yards or under it can be a bit difficult to shoot as the eyes are glazed because you cannot get it properly focused in, another reason why I am sticking the AGS on my HMR. Oh and I will be selling a spare AGS as well soon and possibly a leupold. Too many scope and starting to clears the surplus out. lol
 
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I have a centerpoint 3-9x40 with target turrets and a mill dot ret, yours for £35 or a bushnel 3-9x40 with a plex ret, yours for £70.. both came off air rifles.
 
On that budget look at the high end air rifle scopes and keep the change. Not high end but I've had a Tasco World Class on mine for years and it's still going strong.
 
Try and get a 10 year old AGS Swat scope if you can. Fantastically clear and work very well with NV. I put the MTC Viper in the bin as it was not worth giving away and I gave away a Hawke. Have a Zeiss Diatal 6x42 on my .22
 
[QUOTE=Options I would suggest for the HMR would be a Leupold VXIII 4-14x50 or a bushnell elite. both are a good compromise. day and night.

If you can't run to a Bushnell Elite the Legend 5-15x40 with AO is a very good scope for the money. I've seen them new for about £200.
 
Have a look at the info on this site.
It isn't an advert for Zeiss or Swarovski, instead a lot of sensible advise about good value products.
I like this article in particular - I have certainly followed their advise about 'sensible' scopes and now hunt deer happily with a fixed power 6x42 which does the job fine, saving myself a large contribution to the marketing budget of some of the big names.
Plenty of good advise about rimfire scopes is to be found here as well.
 
I dont agree with going for a fixed mag on hmr personally. For shooting rabbits at hmr ranges i want to see the rabbits head....not just blot out the body with the crosshairs.
I too use the ns200....i use a nikko stirling gold crown 4-16x50 and most rabbits are shot at 10+ mag....probably more in fact....with virtually no loss in image quality. Parralax adj is fairly essential with the ns200 if shoot right through the mag ranges. Dont really use it during daylight hours at all
 
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