Ruger American Rimfire Optic

[kbm6893]

I just got the Ruger American Rimfire Compact. I want to teach my son to shoot and want to start him out in a bolt action. The trigger is very light and can be adjusted to about 1.5 pounds but I don't see myself doing that anytime soon. I like how it uses the same mags as the 10/22 I have.

So I let him hold the 10/22 before I bought the American. I have a collapsible stock on the 10/22 so I figure it is better for him (he's 9). He is having difficulty looking through a standard scope. First of all, he can't close one eye, but that's not that big of a deal. He also appears to be left eye dominant.

So I take the gun to the range yesterday with just the iron sights. I'm shooting at paper plates at 50 yards, but without a scope I really can't see where the shots are hitting. I know I can bring a spotter scope, but the rifle is gonna get an optic soon, so why bother.

So I have 2 older scopes before I put a Nikon on the 10/22, a BSA and a Simmons. I'm thinking of getting a red dot for the 10/22 and putting the Nikon on the American. But I think my son would find it easier to aim with a red dot, but I like to be able to zoom in on my targets. Plus, if I was gonna red dot anything, it would seem a red dot on a fast firing semi auto with a tactical stock would be a better fit.

So should I out one of the cheap scopes I have on the new rifle, or just take the Nikon off the 10/22 and put that on the American?

 

[bigwheelzip]

So should I out one of the cheap scopes I have on the new rifle, or just take the Nikon off the 10/22 and put that on the American?

When I got the Standard version of that rifle, I also couldn't see the long range hits, so I had Academy mount a $30 scope, and then I became boringly accurate. Silver dollar sized groups at 100 yards is nice but not fun for target shooting. So I pulled off the scope, and just use the stock sights at close range (25 yds).

 

[Brian in Oregon]

Get some shoot-n-see style targets to see your bullet impacts.

Also, go to the cheap market and get a big rack of eggs. They react well to being hit by a .22, and kids love to shoot them. You definitely know if you hit them or not.

Used golf balls make good targets too, and if used only with .22's, last quite a while.

Kids also like to shoot the paper critter targets. But they're harder to see bullet holes in. Gives them incentive to want to take a hunters safety course.

 

[H Richard]

With kids the reactive type targets will hold their attention much longer than punching holes in paper. I used to use old tennis balls suspended by a string. Follow-up shots on a bobbing ball are really fun and challenging at 25 yards.

 

[BAM-BAM]

With kids the reactive type targets will hold their attention much longer than punching holes in paper. I used to use old tennis balls suspended by a string. Follow-up shots on a bobbing ball are really fun and challenging at 25 yards.

Just bought myself a RAR compact in .22 magnum..............


My boys loved shooting "Clays" ...... as they got better they would shoot the Clay and then the pieces...... then the pieces of the pieces at 50yds.

One of my favorite utility/beginner's scope is the Weaver 1-3x20 shotgun scope..........

My walking in Penn's Woods guns all wear 1-4x20 Leupold's.....including my new Ruger .22 magCompact.

 

[Rock185]

I suspect that 9 year old might enjoy a red dot type sight more than the potential for smaller groups possible with a scope. I have a 1.5X4.5 scope on my Ruger American Compact 22 Mag. but have used an inexpensive red dot on other firearms, a Ruger 10-22 rifle and 22-45 pistol, a Marlin 9MM Camp Carbine, etc. Perhaps not as precise as a scope beyond 50 yards, but still fun and easy to use. Like those Shoot-N-See targets too.........ymmv