Rimfire Scopes

[The Bongo]

After reading through a few posts on here regarding scopes for rimfires, I decided to share a test of limited value and scientific method, although I hope it may still be helpful. Coming up to dusk, I set up a zeroing target of ¼” black squares on a white background and placed it 25 yards away against a dark wooden wall. Also at 25 yards I placed a white, gray and brown silhouette target of a rabbit partially in deep shadow, and egg on top of a post in full day/moonlight and a shiny bottletop in full shade. There was some small amount of constant and consistent artificial light.

The times given are the point at which the black squares could not be aimed at reliably.

3-9x40 were set on 6x, the Falcon on 8x.

Scope Time
Nikko –Sterling Gold Crown 6x40 20:21
Weaver 4 x 38 20:10
Hawke Panorama I/R 3-9x40 20:16
Falcon Menace 4.5-18x56 20:22
Edgar Brothers Silver 3-9x40 20:20
Redfield 3-9x40 20:22

The times that the silhouette became unshootable.

Scope Time
Nikko –Sterling Gold Crown 6x40 20:35
Weaver 4 x 38 20:30
Hawke Panorama I/R 3-9x40 Some time after 20:45
Falcon Menace 4.5-18x56 20:30
Edgar Brothers 3-9x40 20:35
Redfield 3-9x40 20:35

As noted the results were almost reversed. The limit on shooting was down to the reticle disappearing, although the Weaver just blacked out in parts of the picture due to lack of light. The illuminated Hawke, was still usable right up until complete darkness on the egg and silhouette.

The Gold Crown, E-B and Weaver were all less than £30 secondhand.

The Menace was £140 very nearly new.

Hawke was £70 old stock, now £135 at Uttings.

Redfield Revolution £205.00.

All the above hold zero very well on rimfires and tuned springers, the Redfield and Weaver are just zero and forget even on centrefires.

All were capable of extending shooting time on the zeroing squares beyond the time that they could be seen with the naked eye. All were capable of showing the silhouette beyond the time that they could be seen with the naked eye.

I was wondering what to fit to my HMR, having become annoyed at the poor twilight hunting range of the Falcon being worse than the (broken) Hawke Varmint IR it replaced.

 

[bewsher500]

Nikko –Sterling Gold Crown 6x40

I grew up shooting a parker hale .270 with a 4x32 gold crown
still wearing the same scope to this day
regularly used at Ponteland 600yd ranges

I have 4 of them for my sako quad
one for each barrel
also have a scope mounted T35 torch......

 

[limulus]

Putting a 6x fixed night vision on my 22 has made me realise you need nothing more powerful.
So, I have the wpt NV and a snb 6x42.

 

[The Bongo]

I do a fair amount of lamping with a Ledray GL6, I still need good twilight performance from my scopes though.

 

[Shropshire Dan]

Redfield are great scopes I had one on my HMR and later on my .22-250 with the accu range reticle. It was a lovely crisp image and an awesome lamping scope

 

[Wulliewinky]

I have a s&b 8x56 on my hmr. Bought 2nd had, great scope for bunnys

 

[ejg]

I think Wullie made a good choice. I have a cheapisch mildot 3-9x40 on my 22 and a 4-12x44 minox on my223...both will be flogged and proper glas put on. As a simple point and shoot rifle for the 223 I have a 8x56 S&B on the way and for the 22 I think ideal would be a 6x42 with mildot S&B if I can get one or get an old one converted. I am so sick of cheap glas, life is too short.
edi

 

[2130martin]

I think Wullie made a good choice. I have a cheapisch mildot 3-9x40 on my 22 and a 4-12x44 minox on my223...both will be flogged and proper glas put on. As a simple point and shoot rifle for the 223 I have a 8x56 S&B on the way and for the 22 I think ideal would be a 6x42 with mildot S&B if I can get one or get an old one converted. I am so sick of cheap glas, life is too short.
edi

Gave up on cheap scope for rimfires years ago,they dont keep zero for starters!!!

Have a Swaro 6x42 on mine worth every penny of the £250........

 

[Conure]

Gave up on cheap scope for rimfires years ago,they dont keep zero for starters!!!

Have a Swaro 6x42 on mine worth every penny of the £250........

Am I correct in thinking that the "cheap" scopes you had issues with are of modern manufacture?

I ask as I had a cheap 4x40 scope on a 303 Enfield and it held up fine this one had a duplex crosshair and was bought to replace the 4x32 Nikko Stirling that was on the rifle when I bought it. The Nikko worked fine but had a plain fine cross hair and I liked the duplex better. The Nikko Stirling was of Japanese make and oddly enough the 4x40 was unbranded and of Chinese manufacture the 1st that I had come across. With it the old 303 would easily hold the black and was more often in the inner and bull at 600 yards at Bisley. Have read that modern Nikko Stirlings are not made as well as they used to be for all their bells and whistles. So if I do need to buy a new cheap scope I will look elsewhere but ti seems to be more of a minefield than it ever was!.

My air rifle has a old 4x32 ASI scope on it that I bought way back when the rifle was new and it has been fine ever since and being a spring powered air rifle is certainly must have give it a work out over the years. Have no idea who made the scope as ASI were only importers of course and they imported the rifle which is why it has the ASI fitted I am guessing. I did have to change the mounts as the ones on it were poor.

 

[2130martin]

Am I correct in thinking that the "cheap" scopes you had issues with are of modern manufacture?

I ask as I had a cheap 4x40 scope on a 303 Enfield and it held up fine this one had a duplex crosshair and was bought to replace the 4x32 Nikko Stirling that was on the rifle when I bought it. The Nikko worked fine but had a plain fine cross hair and I liked the duplex better. The Nikko Stirling was of Japanese make and oddly enough the 4x40 was unbranded and of Chinese manufacture the 1st that I had come across. With it the old 303 would easily hold the black and was more often in the inner and bull at 600 yards at Bisley. Have read that modern Nikko Stirlings are not made as well as they used to be for all their bells and whistles. So if I do need to buy a new cheap scope I will look elsewhere but ti seems to be more of a minefield than it ever was!.

My air rifle has a old 4x32 ASI scope on it that I bought way back when the rifle was new and it has been fine ever since and being a spring powered air rifle is certainly must have give it a work out over the years. Have no idea who made the scope as ASI were only importers of course and they imported the rifle which is why it has the ASI fitted I am guessing. I did have to change the mounts as the ones on it were poor.

It was a long time ago so cant remember but they were Hawkes etc which i still have on my sir rifle but i used my .22 for years with metal sights as they didnt lose zero between outings,then i got into stalking and learnt more about scopes and mounts. Now i have decent scopes and mounts and spend as much prorata as my stalking kit,makes life a whole lot more easier when you can grab and go with the confidence it is good to go.

 

[The Bongo]

The Nikko Gold Crown in the test was donkeys years old. I have an old 3-9x40 Silver Crown on a BSA that I fitted new in 1988; it still holds zero and has a very clear picture. My 1980's/70's Sterling 4x40 is still going strong too, although the turret rubbers have perished at the edges. Both are of Japanese origin and both, as per the test, outperformed newer more expensive scopes.

At the time of purchase I can remember that the Silver Crowns seemed rather expensive for rimfire use though.

 

[Conure]

It was a long time ago so cant remember but they were Hawkes etc which i still have on my sir rifle but i used my .22 for years with metal sights as they didnt lose zero between outings,then i got into stalking and learnt more about scopes and mounts. Now i have decent scopes and mounts and spend as much prorata as my stalking kit,makes life a whole lot more easier when you can grab and go with the confidence it is good to go.

That bit there may have been your problem. Those who only want very cheap scopes seem to rate them but there are enough posts with problems with haekes to make anyone wonder. Cheap scopes seem much more o a gamble today than they once were it is one of the joys of the modern world.

 

[Muir]

Not all inexpensive scopes are bad. I have a vintage. pricey, Leupold Rimfire Special 2-7X on my BRNO #2 and love it, but the best rimfire scope i have used are the Scheel's 4-12X Rimfire Scope. No plastic in it. Steel and bronze works. Ground glass lenses and very fine laser-etched reticle. Side parallax and sun shade included in the $179 price tag. Life time over the counter replacement warranty. I liked them so much I've purchased 4 of them for various rifles including the 5mm Remington Magnum pictured below and my CZ 527 Hornet. ~Muir

 

[A Guy Out West]

Muir, I think you just came through again. Wish I would have known about the Scheels before I bought the Vortex Diamondback.

 

[Marcher]

Muir; You mention "rimfire special", and parallax adjustment, on those scopes. I think this is important, as most "deer "scopes are built to be parallax free at 100 yds., unless they have parallax adjustment. A lot of rimfire shooting is at less than 100yds, and head movement can move the reticle on the target, which makes you think it doesn't hold zero ? What do others think ?
Marcher.

 

[2130martin]

Muir; You mention "rimfire special", and parallax adjustment, on those scopes. I think this is important, as most "deer "scopes are built to be parallax free at 100 yds., unless they have parallax adjustment. A lot of rimfire shooting is at less than 100yds, and head movement can move the reticle on the target, which makes you think it doesn't hold zero ? What do others think ?
Marcher.

I get what you are saying but there is a difference between out of Parallax(double reticle vision) and losing zero although,it could be mistaken if someone didn't know what was happening....

 

[2130martin]

Not all inexpensive scopes are bad. I have a vintage. pricey, Leupold Rimfire Special 2-7X on my BRNO #2 and love it, but the best rimfire scope i have used are the Scheel's 4-12X Rimfire Scope. No plastic in it. Steel and bronze works. Ground glass lenses and very fine laser-etched reticle. Side parallax and sun shade included in the $179 price tag. Life time over the counter replacement warranty. I liked them so much I've purchased 4 of them for various rifles including the 5mm Remington Magnum pictured below and my CZ 527 Hornet. ~Muir

Never heard of these scopes this side of the Pond Muir,they sound impressive though!!

 

[Muir]

Muir; You mention "rimfire special", and parallax adjustment, on those scopes. I think this is important, as most "deer "scopes are built to be parallax free at 100 yds., unless they have parallax adjustment. A lot of rimfire shooting is at less than 100yds, and head movement can move the reticle on the target, which makes you think it doesn't hold zero ? What do others think ?
Marcher.

I like parallax adjustment. This same company offers a straight 4X with parallax adjustment and adjustable ocular that is also a 'rimfire' model. If I was a woodland squirrel hunter I wouldn't worry about parallax.~Muir

 

[Muir]

Muir, I think you just came through again. Wish I would have known about the Scheels before I bought the Vortex Diamondback.

Definitely worth a look next time around.~Muir

 

[geordieh]

I have some cheapies which I have had for a long time now as well as some good glass I bought a 3-12x56 tasco about 25 years ago spent most of that on a 243 about now on my remy 597 WMR £100.I have a Hawke 3-9x50 which came on my Anschutz thumbhole about 12-13 years ago and never seen the need to change it.I bought a Zos 3-12x56 with illuminated dot ret for £12 delivered from Shanghai about 15 years ago while drunk on ebay that has been on 223, 243, 308 and has never let me down.So not all cheap scopes are rubbish