Rimfire scopes

[Balrog]

Why use a rimfire scope on a rimfire rifle (22LR or 22Mag in my case), as opposed to a regular rifle scope? Seems like the glass quality and view I get through the scope is much better with regular rifle scopes than rimfire scopes.

 

[DM~]

Biggest reason is, rimfire scopes are set Paralex free, at the shorter ranges rimfires are used at.

BTW, there are some very high quality rimfire scopes that are just as good as center fire scopes.

DM

 

[nettlle]

Some of the rim fire scopes are smaller and look better on rim fires.

This is a 39 year old Leupold 2 x 7 x 28MM on my 22 bolt action. It's still crystal clear and has always done what I needed it to do.

 

[Demi-human]

It isn’t that the rimfire scopes are parallax free, it’s that they are set to a closer range. Not many center fire scopes will focus under fifty-ish yards.

However, “big rifle” scopes and better rimfire scopes have adjustable parallax. Being able to adjust the focal length is paramount to consistent precision in any distance shooting.
It’s not so important in short distance vermin eradication.

Verily, the nicest rimfire scopes have a large wheel for setting the focal length very easily. When the ranges are short and the bullet slow, and the targets measured in thousandths, an excellent knowledge of the distances and a solid scope view is needed, in my opinion.

I find it amusing my longest range scope, a Vortex Golden Eagle, also focuses the closest of all my rifle scopes…
Save for a Simmons Rimfire, bought at Tractor Supply.

 

[Hookeye]

I adjusted the fixed parallax on my Leupold vx1 3-9x for rimfire, but put it back. Had to remove front lock ring and turn carrier. Process is explained elsewhere.

All my varmint/ target rifles have adj parallax Leupolds.

 

[jmr40]

Big game scopes have parallax set at 100-150 yards. Rimfire and shotgun scopes are set at 50-75 yards. I've always used a big game scope and shoot my 22's from 25 to 250 yards with no problems.

I think parallax is one of those things we worry way too much about. As long as you mount the rifle properly and have your eye directly behind the scope it is a non-issue. The only time parallax is an issue is if you look through the scope from an angle and are not directly behind the scope.

Some people confuse focus, with parallax. They are not the same. Parallax is when the bullet impacts somewhere other than where your crosshairs are pointed when you look through the scope at an angle. And even at that it won't be off by more than about 1/4" at 100 yards. Most 22 rifles and shooters aren't accurate enough for that to even be noticed. If you are shooting at the ranges where the parallax is set the bullet will still impact where the crosshairs are pointed even if you're not directly behind the scope.

Most big game scopes are designed so that they can be focused from 50 yards to infinity. SOME of them may not focus at 25 yards. I have a 4-12X scope that will not focus at 25 yards if the magnification was set at over 7X. IMO 7X was plenty at only 25 yards and it will focus at longer range on any magnification. I never considered that a problem. If you're using a scope with very high magnification at ranges inside 50 yards I could see you having issues getting it to focus. But this is a focus issue, not parallax.

I do prefer a scope with a fast focus ring. Leupold and others require you to turn the focus ring multiple turns to change the focus. Most newer designs only require a partial rotation of the focus ring to get things focused as the range changes.

 

[Nasty Canasta]

My 1st dedicated rimfire scope was a Nikon Prostaff 3-9x40 that instantly sold me on the concept. I found the BDC reticle accurate & useful.

 

[Walkalong]

With NRL-22 getting so popular, more and more really nice target scopes can adjust parallax down below 50 yards, some as low as 10 yards.

 

[Hookeye]

In the old days, on Leupold AO scopes, you could screw on a 50 ft adapter.

They then went to EFR models.

 

[Walkalong]

Midway used to sell a Simmons 6.5-24x50 (iirc) on sale all the time for around $100, and it had good glass and would adjust down to 25 yards. I still have mine sitting in rings/riser for AR 15s. I used to use it on my.22LR AR all the time

Edit: Added pic of scope on .22 LR AR

 

[Hookeye]

I slapped a Freedom VX 6-18X on my Savage TR
Ugly on ugly, but shoots kinda pretty LOL

Oddly, my Yote AR has a 3-9X EFR Freedom VX.
Found a used one at good price and it just fit the Leupold cantilever mount.

Hopefully my buddy figures out how to call yotes this yr.
We haven't got one since upgrading his electric caller.
I went and bought my own to try and break the curse.

 

[dranrab]

Using a scope with adjustable parallax eliminates the need for a rimfire specific scope. I have some fixed parallax rifle scopes on my rimfires and get them to do what I need them to do just fine. If I was trying to eek out the very best match level accuracy out of my rimfires I'd go with a rimfire specific scope or adjustable parallax. To determine if parallax error is more than you are willing to deal with, you can piddle with this easy to use parallax calculator. https://www.lelandwest.com/parallax-error-calculator.cfm

 

[Gordon]

Just put a $299 Meopta 1" 2-10 Rimfire (50meter set paralax) on my Anschutz 1422 and it looked right and works a huge upgrade for any current domestic scope I can find. I liked the old Nikon 2-7x32 P22 BDC to 150 yard scope, sadly no longer made . https://www.midwayusa.com/product/100964708?pid=694106

 

[Hookeye]

Leupold used to change your big game scope parallax to rimfire for 25 bucks.

Read up on it and did my own. But then i put it back where it was originally as that scope moved to a diff rifle LOL

 

[DM~]

I had this Nikon RF scope on my favorite 22,

but I liked the Leupold RF scope so much better I took the Nikon off and put a Leupold RF scope on it.

It's been GREAT.

DM

 

[CraigC]

Parallax is the biggest factor and I disagree that we worry about it too much. I don't think "we" worry about it enough. I've seen major parallax issues on the range, mostly with centerfire variables with the magnification set higher than about 4x. Up to 4x, it doesn't 'seem' to be a problem. Over 4x, I've seen measurable shifts in POI at 50-75yds. Right now, I'm dealing with a Ruger 77/17 .17HM2 that I bought used this year. It came with a very nice Leupold VXII 3-9x already mounted. Bench testing at 50yds with the scope set at 9x, I see significant POI shifts due to parallax. Same for variables mounted on centerfire revolvers, which tend to be used at similar ranges under 100yds. Big time parallax with a Burris 2-7x, to the point that I discourage people from putting a 2-7x Burris or 2.5-8x Leupold on a revolver every chance I get.

Sometimes the solution is an adjustable objective.

Sometimes a compact rimfire scope is more appropriate.

 

[Slamfire]

I installed a Luepold 4X rimfire scope on my Ruger 10/22. I recall something to the affect it was "adjusted" for parallax, but I never saw anything that indicated there was a benefit.

Something I learned shooting small bore prone

If you don't line up exactly the same, and look through the scope exactly the same, the bullet will impact someplace different. So, given enough shots down range, you learn a consistent position and sight picture.

I will also bet, a lot of the problems claimed to "parallax" are actually due to wind changes. The .22lr bullet is extremely sensitive to wind. Many times, in what appeared to be a dead calm, I have seen a flag flip immediately after I broke the trigger. And then scoping the target, found the bullet was displaced well out of center. I don't know how wind can only flip one flag, and then go away. Poof! But it will move the bullet.

 

[Walkalong]

Parallax is the biggest factor and I disagree that we worry about it too much. I don't think "we" worry about it enough.

Some of us do, but some ignore it completely.

 

[Walkalong]

If you don't line up exactly the same, and look through the scope exactly the same, the bullet will impact someplace different. So, given enough shots down range, you learn a consistent position and sight picture.

I will also bet, a lot of the problems claimed to "parallax" are actually due to wind changes. The .22lr bullet is extremely sensitive to wind. Many times, in what appeared to be a dead calm, I have seen a flag flip immediately after I broke the trigger. And then scoping the target, found the bullet was displaced well out of center. I don't know how wind can only flip one flag, and then go away. Poof! But it will move the bullet.

Yep, exactly correct.

I've shot in registered Benchrest matches on mornings when the flags all hung still, but there were Gremlins out there.......mean ugly ones.

 

[CraigC]

I installed a Luepold 4X rimfire scope on my Ruger 10/22. I recall something to the affect it was "adjusted" for parallax, but I never saw anything that indicated there was a benefit.

Something I learned shooting small bore prone

If you don't line up exactly the same, and look through the scope exactly the same, the bullet will impact someplace different. So, given enough shots down range, you learn a consistent position and sight picture.

I will also bet, a lot of the problems claimed to "parallax" are actually due to wind changes. The .22lr bullet is extremely sensitive to wind. Many times, in what appeared to be a dead calm, I have seen a flag flip immediately after I broke the trigger. And then scoping the target, found the bullet was displaced well out of center. I don't know how wind can only flip one flag, and then go away. Poof! But it will move the bullet.

There's really not much benefit with a 4x. Over that, absolutely.

I'm sure it's possible to work around it shooting a benchrest rifle setup to have perfect cheek weld and time to get in the same position every time. What if you have morethan one rifle? What if you have dozens? In the field, it's a little different. Shots may be taken in haste under less than perfect conditions with less than perfect head position.

Sorry but you're not going to convince me that something I see with my own eyes is the wind. I'm not talking about throwing blame for flyers. I'm talking about visually seeing it. Easy to test. Put your target at 50yds, set your scope to 9x, get on target and move your head just a little bit. Doesn't take much.

 

[Slamfire]

get on target and move your head just a little bit. Doesn't take much.

Repeatable positioning of the head, and eyeball alignment is critical for consistency when ever an individual uses a scope, or irons. I have seen that.

Something that is also worth considering as a variable, is the condition of your retina. The back of your eyeball is not perfectly curved, may in fact, be distorted by macular edma, and you won't know that unless your retinas are scanned. Unless the image is projected exactly to the same spot on your retina, it is reasonable to assume, the image will be shifted. Your eyes may have more distortion than the lenses in your scope.

 

[CraigC]

Repeatable positioning of the head, and eyeball alignment is critical for consistency when ever an individual uses a scope, or irons. I have seen that.

Something that is also worth considering as a variable, is the condition of your retina. The back of your eyeball is not perfectly curved, may in fact, be distorted by macular edma, and you won't know that unless your retinas are scanned. Unless the image is projected exactly to the same spot on your retina, it is reasonable to assume, the image will be shifted. Your eyes may have more distortion than the lenses in your scope.

Or maybe parallax is a real issue with a real solution. Manufacturers don't make rimfire-specific scopes and shooters don't use adjustable objectives for no reason whatsoever.

If it was my friggin' eyeballs, it wouldn't get incrementally worse with magnification, like parallax does. Or go away with parallax adjustment.

It's parallax.

 

[CraigC]

And we're talking about slight movement within the eyebox. Alignment is important but shouldn't be so critical as to eliminate parallax.

I have 27 rimfire rifles, a dozen rimfire pistols with optics, half a dozen centerfire pistols with optics. Seems to me it makes more sense to ensure parallax is a non-issue, depending on application, before I pick one up, rather than having to remember before I mash the trigger to take extra steps to ensure I eliminate parallax error in my sight picture. Which may or may not even be possible. In the case of a handgun with a variable, it isn't possible. This logic makes no sense.

 

[Walkalong]

Or maybe parallax is a real issue with a real solution.

It is, but @Slamfire is also correct when we’re trying to shoot small.

 

[CraigC]

It is, but @Slamfire is also correct when we’re trying to shoot small.

It is but how many people are trying to shoot small at 50yds with centerfire scopes that are not parallax adjustable? None. Why? Parallax. Are people arguing with me because they use centerfire scopes at rimfire ranges or is this all based on theory or unfounded opinion?