what scope for 22 rimfire target

[Odd Job]

I have two R55 Benchmark rifles in .22LR and I have tried four different scopes on these.
Hands down the winner for me is the Bushnell Elite Tactical 6-24 x 50 as seen here:

http://www.opticsplanet.com/bushnell-elite-tactical-6-24x50-matte-mil-dot-argon-rifle-scope.html

Here it is on the rifle:



I use Burris signature Z 30mm rings to mount that on the R55.
Yep, it is probably overkill for the .22 rifle but I have to tell you the clarity of the glass and the quality of the scope is really good. I view it as an investment, it was worth every penny.

My other R55 has a Weaver scope on it, a V-series 6-24 x 42 as seen here:

http://www.opticsplanet.com/weaver-rifle-scopes-v24-24x42.html

This is also a very respectable scope, but it is not as good as the Bushnell (well the Weaver is cheaper so I can't complain).
I bought the Weaver first unfortunately. If I had known the Bushnell was going to be as good as that, I would have bitten the bullet and bought two of them!

 

[Esoxchaser]

Mueller APV is one heck of a lot of scope for the money.

 

[tuj]

dime-sized groups are inadequate in benchrest, you'd be shooting all 7's. The OP asked about small groups. The way to shoot them is benchrest. I'm just telling him what we use for this, along with other specialized equipment like tuners and wind flags.

its a fun game. But a 3-9x scope is completely inadequate for it.

 

[rodregier]

FWIW, I'm running a Sightron SII 3-12x42 AO on a CZ452 Varmint. 1/4 MOA adjustments, target knobs.

http://shootingoptics.com/pro443550.html

I use a comb raising setup to get a proper cheekweld/eye alignment with the optic centreline.

I'm not claiming tiny groups, but I can see and align with the target much better than *I* could do with irons.

 

[StrutStopper]

I'm happy with my Mueller APV too. 4.5-14x40 AO. Whatever you get, AO is a nice feature for a .22.

 

[solman]

Well I made the decision to go with the Mueller APV 4.5 14 ao. This scope comes up again and again in different forums as a good choice and the price doesn't break the bank. If I get to a point where I feel the scope is holding me back in my shooting I can always upgrade if need be.
Thanks to all for the valuable input.

 

[teetertotter]

Sounds like the fellow is going to use his 452 for hunting, but wants small groups at 50 and 100. Look for a higher end scope than a cheap one. You will want fine optics and more so.....repeatability.

 

[Picher]

If your rifle/ammo can't group tighter than 3/8" at 50 yards and you don't compete in Rimfire Benchrest, a scope that has greater power than 14X won't do much for you, except to make it easier to see your target. A 4.5-14X, AO scope like the Mueller is all that is really needed. I use one on my .223 Rem, Tikka that consistently shoots 1/4" groups at 100 yards (with handloads) and don't feel under-scoped.

I also have a couple of 4.5-14 AO scopes on my favorite 10-22 that has shot 10 consecutive 5-shot groups on the same sheet of paper at 50 yards, averaging .37". There's another on my accurized Rem 504 that shoots lights-out!

It's probably more important to have targets that easily frame the crosshairs/dot at a desired distance than it is to have more scope power. (The POI shouldn't be at the aiming point when shooting groups.)

 

[Slamfire]

I shoot small bore prone. This is a different game from benchrest as you shoot prone with a sling, therefore the shooter, not the equipment, is the limiting factor.

I have been using a 16X scope, occasionally I shoot something like this at 50 yards:



Occasionally I shoot something like this at 100 yards:



Last week I took out my Ruger 10/22 with a Volquartsen barrel and a 4X leupold scope. I shot at ten round string, using a bench rest, at 50 yards, and the whole group would fit inside the 10 ring of the 50 yard target. You can shoot very well with lower powered scopes, but I am of the opinion the higher magnification helps.

Given that I am often beaten by guys with 12X scopes, I guess 12X could be a lower limit. I have 20X and 24X scopes and most competitors use a 20X scope. While the 24X scope certainly lets you see the 100 yard ten ring better, your field of view at 50 yards is limited. This is why I am favoring the 16X scope, I see a goodly amount of mirage, grass, around the target at 50 yards and that helps me in adjusting for conditions. At 100 yards, I cannot pick out individual shots once they cluster, but I use my big spotting scope to see what is going on, but then, sometimes you still can’t pick them out, even with a 18X-55X zoom, due to atmospheric conditions.

I don’t know anyone using a 36X power scope from a slung rifle, so maybe that is too much power for a hand held scope. Bench shooters don’t have to worry about the pulse beat transmission down a sling. I have seen sophisticated bench rests that the shooter aims the rifle through rest adjustments, then sits back and watches wind conditions. I have heard of shooters who used some sort of bulb mechanism to release the trigger, so they were not looking through the scope at ignition. This is entirely different from the needs of small bore prone.

 

[d2wing]

I am amused by posters that say a CZ is not accurate enough for a high power scope.

 

[Skylerbone]

I believe what was said was true; that the 452 is not a benchrest rifle and will never be competitive in that discipline. Some confuse shooting from the bench using a rest with the specific activity and so it was clarified that what a guy like me considers "one ragged hole" which is everything touching for 5-10 shots is not the same as one ragged hole that is measured at under .2"

I consider the CZs to be very well appointed accurate rifles for an assembly line build, enough so that I've put money down, but I do not subscribe to the notion that they are the holy grail of accuracy.

 

[husbandofaromanian]

I shoot 22lr out to 300-yards with my Contender Pistol... I chose the SS 16x32 scope from SWFA... It is a fixed 16X... I chose this scope because it has 100-minutes of verticle adjustment and the adjustment clicks are very accurate... I have about 11-feet of drop at 300-yards...

 

[d2wing]

This topic got me to set up my neglected range and do some shooting. I tried some new chi target ammo in my rare Daisy .22 and 2 CZ's. I had very good results with the American CZ getting a one hole group with 5 rounds at 25 yards. My Lux is usually better but not today. Both use 3-9 scopes, but the lux is a little better scope. At longer range with my old eyes I would need amore powerful and better quality scope to get the most accuracy either of those rifles can shoot. I have shot 2 inch groups at 100 yards with the Lux and I think with a better scope and at a good range and quality ammo it can do better. It depends on if you are plinking, hunting or trying to get the tiniest groups you can. The guy I bought my American from says his Anshutz out shoots it but not by a lot. I would like to step up but I am not sure what that step would be.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Step up and still factory?....Anschutz 54 Match, Winchester 52D, Remington 40x, or Remington Model 37 would be good places to start looking.

 

[Cee Zee]

We use the Weaver T36 for smallbore benchrest.

I have a T-36 on my 453. And with the right ammo you most certainly can shoot tight groups consistently wiith a CZ. Will they shoot like an Anschutz? No. But Anschutz rifles generally won't shoot with custom built 40-X based rifles either.

The OP asked about shooting tight groups with his rifle, a 452. The T-36 is seen as a starting point for a top quality BR scope by people who shoot those really exceptional targets on a consistent basis. You want the thin reticle too. You can't shoot what you can't see and anything but the thin reticle will block out the target at that distance when your target is as small as they are on an ARA target where the outside ring is 1". I've shot groups under 1/8" many times with my 453. I certainly can't do that every time. If I could I'd be winning BR contests on a national level. But 1/2" targets are the norm. And BTW the better trigger on the 453 does help.

I know the 452 is not made as a target rifle. That doesn't mean you can't shoot them as target rifles. They do pretty well IMO. If that's what you have and you want to get the best results from it start with a T-36 or better. The old axiom is you should spend as much on your scope as you did the rifle. And that puts the T-36 right in that category for that CZ.