Which rim fire scope?

[32icon]

Hi Guys,

Newbie here! I'm getting the second generation M&P 15-22 (my first rifle) for Christmas and I'm currently researching rim fire scopes SPECIFICALLY for this rifle, as I heard it's important to make sure I mount the correct type of scope on the appropriate rifle. I'm looking for something decent under $80 and I plan on using it at the outdoor range (50 yards). I think I want something that is parallax ready and with appropriate zoom magnification for 50 yards or more, if possible. Also, I'm not sure if I want the "long type" scopes on the rifle unless necessary. I prefer the smaller/shorter scopes, but I don't have much experience with scopes so I could be wrong. If you guys can point me in the right direction then I will start reading and watching reviews based on your recommendations. Thanks for your help!

 

[patrickd]

There are no decent scopes under $80.... Scopes, like everything else, "You get what you pay for" and in the world of optics $80 doesn't buy any value at all these days.

 

[32icon]

There are no decent scopes under $80.... Scopes, like everything else, "You get what you pay for" and in the world of optics $80 doesn't buy any value at all these days.

Gotcha. I have other upgrades I want to do and I don't want to spend $200 on a $350 rifle. Doesn't make sense to me. If I had other rifles or I did a lot of hunting then it would be justified. Even a $100 is fine. Thanks for the input.

 

[Drm50]

Try Natchez and look at their refurbished Nikon & Burris scopes.
Factory guarantee and should be some in $100 range.

 

[32icon]

Try Natchez and look at their refurbished Nikon & Burris scopes.
Factory guarantee and should be some in $100 range.

I'll take a look now. Thank you.

 

[Blackstuff]

Simmons Whitetail Classic 1.5-5 x 28mm These go for around £120 new, £75 S/H in the UK so i'd imagine they're well under $80 in the US.

All the scope you need for 50 yards Just make sure you get one of the ones made in the Phillipines, rather than the Chinese version

 

[gmiller0737]

Take A Look @ The UTG 3x9 Bug Buster It's Around Your Price Range,I Just Purchased 1 (eBay) Haven't got To The Range With it Yet But I couldn't find any negative Reviews on it except from Folks that didn't own 1

 

[32icon]

Simmons Whitetail Classic 1.5-5 x 28mm These go for around £120 new, £75 S/H in the UK so i'd imagine they're well under $80 in the US.

All the scope you need for 50 yards Just make sure you get one of the ones made in the Phillipines, rather than the Chinese version

Awesome. It looks good. I'll definitely check it out. Thanks for letting me know.

 

[32icon]

Simmons Whitetail Classic 1.5-5 x 28mm These go for around £120 new, £75 S/H in the UK so i'd imagine they're well under $80 in the US.

All the scope you need for 50 yards Just make sure you get one of the ones made in the Phillipines, rather than the Chinese version

Do you somehow have a red dot mounted on top of your scope?

 

[32icon]

Never heard of it, but I'm on Amazon checking it out. Thanks.

 

[32icon]

If you want the parallax set for your shooting distance MAKE SURE you get a scope for .22, not just a cheap hunting scope. .22 scopes should be parallax free at 75 yds or so. For me, the Leupold .22 scope in 4X is plenty for a .22 plinker (it also is available in 2x-7x variable).

Thank you. I'm checking it out now.

 

[ky wonder]

I mounted an old Burris 4x28 on mine with a cantilever mount, and zeroed at 50 yds., and it has worked fine, no problem hitting soda cans at 100yds,

I gave 10 bucks for the old Burris, at my LGS, bought it off of an old Winchester 190 that someone had painted black that he was trying to sell me, I told him I would give 10 bucks for the scope and he sold it off the rifle.

I am an old soldier that went through the sniper training that used to be held in panama back in the 1970's before all the super scopes of today.

so I am satisfied with what a lot of people would call inferior product, remember the marine sniper scope of the late Vietnam era was a 3x9x40 Redfield

by you a scope you can afford,

spend more money on ammo finding what your rifle likes, "mine loves cci standard velocity"

and then shoot it at varying ranges until you learn, where to hold at those various ranges to hit your target.

it really is that simple,

because the 15-22 rifle is not a target grade system, it is accurate and a fun rifle to plink with, but a tricked out 10-22 it is not

the scope will not make you a better shot, only practice will deliver that

 

[32icon]

and then shoot it at varying ranges until you learn, where to hold at those various ranges to hit your target.

Hi there. Thank you for the information. This is really insightful. When you say spend time shooting at various ranges to see where it holds. What exactly does that mean? Do I shoot at 25, 50, and 75 yards then zero it accordingly? Can you explain this please? I'm really curious. Thank you.

 

[ky wonder]

and then shoot it at varying ranges until you learn, where to hold at those various ranges to hit your target.

Hi there. Thank you for the information. This is really insightful. When you say spend time shooting at various ranges to see where it holds. What exactly does that mean? Do I shoot at 25, 50, and 75 yards then zero it accordingly? Can you explain this please? I'm really curious. Thank you.

zero your scope at a set distance , say 50 yds., then once you have it zeroed at 50, don't make any farther scope adjustments.

then move your shooting position to say 25 yds. and see where your round is impacting at 25yds, for sake of conversation lets say it is now shooting 1 inch high at 25 yds,

now move the shooting position to 75 yards, where lets say it is shooting 1 inch low.

now move to the 100 yd. mark , lets say it is now shooting 4 inches low.

now you know where your gun is impacting at various ranges using the same sight picture, with out messing with your scope settings

so if you are shooting at a ground hog head at a range of 100 yds you know you will need to hold 4 inches over the head ( a ground hog head is about 4 inches in diameter) so your point of aim will be one head high at 100 yds. to get desired impact results,

if making a head shot ( about 1 inch diameter) on a squirrel at 25 yds, you
will need to hold one squirrel head low to get the desired impact since the rifle is shooting 1 inch high at 25yds.

marksmanship is knowing where your round is at, during the bullets flight, since bullets do not shoot in a straight line but have an arch in its flight pattern

if you are only shooting at a range, from the same distance, all the time set your scope for that range,

but if you are going to shoot it at critters that vary in distance, learn how to judge distance and where to hold on the target at the various ranges in the guns effective range,

which with a 22 is about 100 yds. is at the extreme edge of its effective range

some people call this KY windage but it works

 

[AQBill]

More like "KY elevation," don't you think? Windage is the side-to-side variation.

 

[ky wonder]

yes this would be elevation but the term ky windage was a derogatory term I first heard in basic training many years ago,

so if your gun is shooting high right aim low left, it has worked for centuries hear in the bluegrass state and I was dong this back before I got to shoot one of them fancy guns with factory sights in the military

I started hunting squirrels and frogs, turtles and groundhogs by the time I was 8

I remember riding a old pony back in the 1960's with a old single shot marlin that had a wooden match as a sight elevator, the front sight bead was missing from the thing with a hole where the old front sight bead use to be,

I killed a truck load of game with that old gun, by knowing where to hold on a target

 

[GhostMutt]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdRLfO9CU2U[/ame]

 

[Tinhack]

I think I was 9 or 10 when I got my Marlin .22 single shot rifle for Christmas. I still have it! Still shoots good too but I got trained quick by my grandpa about shooting something I'm not going to eat. I shot a black bird out of a tree at about 50yds. He made go find it and had my grandma cook it. I had to eat it for dinner.

Shot only targets after that unit I was about 14 on my first dear hunt.

 

[CSRACER]

Another option

Hi 32icon, glad to see you chose the 15-22. I bought mine a couple months ago when decided to add a rifle to my competition guns (up to now have only shot pistols). I shoot in the Steel Challenge matches and never shoot beyond 35 yards so this may not be right for your application. These matches are not for driving nails but hitting steel plates at different distances up to 35 yards as fast as you can shoot. Because of quick target acquisition, I decided to try a red/green reflex scope. Not knowing if I would like a reflex I didn't want to put a lot into it being used to barrel red dot scopes. I found a lot on eBay for less than $20. I paid $16 for mine. I was very surprised how well it works to be so cheap. Just an option.

 

[VaTom]

I have a Nikon P-22 rimfire scope (2-7 X 32) on My M&P15-22. I believe they changed the name of it to P-Rimfire. It is specifically designed for 22 rimfire AR platforms. Have the BDC reticle and sighted in at 50 yards. Very nice scope - clear optics. The Nikon cantilever mounts are extra and are a little pricey.

I reccommend however you will pay around $175+ for the scope and mounts.

Walmart used to carry a Bushnell Rimfire scope (4x - not variable power) for under $40. I have one mounted on a Marlin Model 60 . Great scope for the money and very accurate at 50 yards.