Scope recommendation for .22/.17

brianfrancis45

I've decided to buy .22 in the near future and would appreciate any recommendations for a suitable scope with good glass. As this will be my first rifle ( I've been shooting shotguns for donkeys years) I decided to start out with a .22 which will be used mainly for rabbits but once I get some experience behind me I'll most likely sub the .22 for a .17 hmr and swop the scope over , as some close range foxing is also on the agenda. So, what scope with decent glass would ye recommend with a budget of upto Euro 300 or so ?

rsole1

brianfrancis45 wrote: »

I've decided to buy .22 in the near future and would appreciate any recommendations for a suitable scope with good glass. As this will be my first rifle ( I've been shooting shotguns for donkeys years) I decided to start out with a .22 which will be used mainly for rabbits but once I get some experience behind me I'll most likely sub the .22 for a .17 hmr and swop the scope over , as some close range foxing is also on the agenda. So, what scope with decent glass would ye recommend with a budget of upto Euro 300 or so ?

Any of these would do .

https://www.opticsden.com/best-scopes-rimfire-22lr-rifle/

cavan shooter

I've a vortex ceasefire 2 on my 17hmr. It's a smashing scope.

photosmart

Hi there


I've a sightron SI on my .22. Its relatively cheap to buy (around 180) and is perfect for hunting rabbits etc. However if you are planning on switching to a longer range .17hmr later or printing paper you may want a bit more magnification.


I don't think you can go wrong with Sightron - check out some of these


https://www.optics-trade.eu/en/riflescopes/shopby/manufacturer-sightron.html?price=41-346


The SII is really good glass for the price and unless you want higher mag I would go for that one 3-9x42


Other good options are vortex (crossfire ore diamondback) but I think there's better value sub 300 in sightron

brianfrancis45

photosmart wrote: »

Hi there


I've a sightron SI on my .22. Its relatively cheap to buy (around 180) and is perfect for hunting rabbits etc. However if you are planning on switching to a longer range .17hmr later or printing paper you may want a bit more magnification.


I don't think you can go wrong with Sightron - check out some of these


https://www.optics-trade.eu/en/riflescopes/shopby/manufacturer-sightron.html?price=41-346


The SII is really good glass for the price and unless you want higher mag I would go for that one 3-9x42


Other good options are vortex (crossfire ore diamondback) but I think there's better value sub 300 in sightron

Thanks very much. I'll look into these Sightron scopes. Yesterday I got the opportunity to look through a Hawke 3-12 × 50 ao ir mil-dot on my friends .22 . It looked quite decent to me and I liked the higher magnification . Cheap price as well I understand as my friend told me they can be picked up for about Euro 130 -150. Any experience with
this scope or do you think the Sightron scope will be far superior ?

Cass

I've had Hawke Vantage, Nikko Sterling, Bushnell Banner, Tasco, ZOS, AGS, UTG/Leapers, Swift, etc. on a 22lr over the years. Some have been better than others for clarity, features, etc. but all of them worked fine and for the range of the 22lr each was up to spec.

Look for something in the 4-12 or 6-18 mag range, large objective lens (try not go below 44mm), and stick with a known brand. You're not guaranteed quality, but its a better chance you won't get the "milky" view on the higher magnification as you do with the cheap scopes like the ZOS i mentioned above.

sniperman

Have a hawke on my 22,4-16x50,perfect for me clear,good mag,robust

brianfrancis45

Cass wrote: »

I've had Hawke Vantage, Nikko Sterling, Bushnell Banner, Tasco, ZOS, AGS, UTG/Leapers, Swift, etc. on a 22lr over the years. Some have been better than others for clarity, features, etc. but all of them worked fine and for the range of the 22lr each was up to spec.

Look for something in the 4-12 or 6-18 mag range, large objective lens (try not go below 44mm), and stick with a known brand. You're not guaranteed quality, but its a better chance you won't get the "milky" view on the higher magnification as you do with the cheap scopes like the ZOS i mentioned above.

Cass, how did the Hawke Vantage stack up against the others you mentioned or which was the best quality glass of the bunch ?

Cass

The Vantage was nice however the only problem i had with it was light transmission.

The objective lens, at 44 mm, and the tube being 25mm reduced the light transmission which meant it was not great at distance. For anything under 250 yards it was fine, but if i wanted to use the scope to scope a field at distances any longer than that i was getting a slight haze/milky picture. It could have been a combination of the glass, the 25 mm tube and 44 mm objective lens. I'll never know which it was if it was only the one thing at fault.

However that aside 100% of my shooting was done at 120 yards or less so this was never an issue. Also the Vantage i had was one of the first out. That was some 6 years ago. Like the Sidewinder there have been a few new generations since i bought mine, and the glass and quality has improved a lot since. So try before buying.

Compared to the others is was better than some and worse than others. The Bushnell was better for clarity and light transmission. The ZOS, UTG, Swift, and AGS were all dirt. Steer clear. Between poor quality glass and just cheap, CHEAP overall quality i had either hazy sight picture, no tracking, loss of zero, etc.

The Nikko Stirling wasn't too bad at all. I'd rate the Vantage better than it, but the scope worked perfectly fine.

Lastly my Tasco. A whole other story. I bought it about 25 years ago from Watts on the Quays. It was my first scope. A 4-16x42. Its been on every caliber up to 223 and never let me down. However i've never tried the newer model stuff.


I'd stick or lean towards the Hawke brand. Their new scopes are god quality and any problems i had would be well sorted by now. Also they now do the Vantage and Endurance in 30 mm tubes with 50 or 56 mm objective lenses. That means much more light transmission and better target picture. They are also one of the few scopes i'd go with in terms of quality for money. They are up to €300 or so for some of the best in the range of Vantage/Endurance models so not going to break the bank.

In most other brands you either sacrifice mag range or quality for the same price scope.

Have a look at these for guides.

brianfrancis45

Cass wrote: »

I've had Hawke Vantage, Nikko Sterling, Bushnell Banner, Tasco, ZOS, AGS, UTG/Leapers, Swift, etc. on a 22lr over the years. Some have been better than others for clarity, features, etc. but all of them worked fine and for the range of the 22lr each was up to spec.

Look for something in the 4-12 or 6-18 mag range, large objective lens (try not go below 44mm), and stick with a known brand. You're not guaranteed quality, but its a better chance you won't get the "milky" view on the higher magnification as you do with the cheap scopes like the ZOS i mentioned above.

Thanks Cass, that's really helpful. I'm off to the game fair in UK 15th-16th September so hopefully I'll be able to see a good selection there. I'm leaning towards Hawke as seems value for money. From the two scopes I've looked through so far i.e. 3 - 9 × 40 and a 3- 12 x 50 Hawke , I preferred the latter even though the 3-9 × 40 was a more expensive /higher end scope. I think the larger objective lens suited me better.

Sorry if it's a silly question but can I legally buy a scope in the UK and bring it back to Ireland, if I am still waiting for the license for the rifle ?

Cass

brianfrancis45 wrote: »

From the two scopes I've looked through so far i.e. 3 - 9 × 40 and a 3- 12 x 50 Hawke , I preferred the latter even though the 3-9 × 40 was a more expensive /higher end scope. I think the larger objective lens suited me better.

As said Hawke are a good scope for the money. The larger mag and larger objective lens may be the better one to go for. If you get a chance to look through them do. It'll show you all you need to know better than any review by me or anyone else for that matter as reviews are based on opinion and opinions are like arseholes, everyone ha one.

Sorry if it's a silly question but can I legally buy a scope in the UK and bring it back to Ireland, if I am still waiting for the license for the rifle ?

Tricky one that.

Anything over 4 power needs an end user agreement, but this for importing. However if you're driving across and buying to bring back i doubt it, but cannot say with any certainty. I mean there is no license required to own a scope here or the UK and the end user agreement is designed to know who the RFD is shipping the scope to, but as you're not shipping it might not apply.

I don't want to say "go for it, sure what harm" in case it's wrong and lands you in the sh*t but i cannot see a problem.

Jackdaw89

I have a fixed 4x32 Simmons on mine and I haven’t a clue where I got it. I don’t push my .22 out far enough to need anything more. I had a hawke vantage on the hmr when I had it and it was a fine scope but left me wanting at dawn and dusk but most glass will unless you go high end. The bigger the objective the more light it should gather.

meathstevie

brianfrancis45 wrote: »

Thanks Cass, that's really helpful. I'm off to the game fair in UK 15th-16th September so hopefully I'll be able to see a good selection there. I'm leaning towards Hawke as seems value for money. From the two scopes I've looked through so far i.e. 3 - 9 × 40 and a 3- 12 x 50 Hawke , I preferred the latter even though the 3-9 × 40 was a more expensive /higher end scope. I think the larger objective lens suited me better.

Sorry if it's a silly question but can I legally buy a scope in the UK and bring it back to Ireland, if I am still waiting for the license for the rifle ?

As far as I know ordinary scopes ( not night vision or thermal or laser pointers ) are not classed as a firearm in both jurisdictions and possession does not require a licence of any sort. Until further notice the UK is still an EU member so there should be no customs issues either.

Walter Mittys Brother

meathstevie wrote: »

As far as I know ordinary scopes ( not night vision or thermal or laser pointers ) are not classed as a firearm in both jurisdictions and possession does not require a licence of any sort. Until further notice the UK is still an EU member so there should be no customs issues either.

UK adhere to ITAR reg.s same as US. There are export restrictions on some scopes (with ability to go over a certain magnification, x9 IIRC). People have been stopped at airport with scopes when flying out of UK.

https://www.tacticalscope.co.uk/non-uk-scope-export-orders-18-w.asp

Cass

meathstevie wrote: »

...........Until further notice the UK is still an EU member so there should be no customs issues either.

Walter Mittys Brother wrote: »

There are export restrictions on some scopes (with ability to go over a certain magnification, x9 IIRC).

I've imported about half a dozen scopes from the Uk in the last 5 years and i needed an end user agreement because all of the were over 4 power.

Cass wrote: »

Anything over 4 power needs an end user agreement, but this for importing. .

The joy of the end user agreement is while it takes two weeks to be processed it stays in effect for 2 years. So what i would do is apply for say 12 scopes i may want even if i had no intention of importing/buying them and apply for the end user agreement for all 12. Once its processed (the end user) i have two years to import any of those scopes with no need for a new end user agreement each time.

As i said above this all related to people importing them. IOW having them shipped over. As was said by WMB you may get stopped at the airport if you try to bring one across in your luggage. However i don't know the regulations for driving over, buying, and bringing across. As you're not importing, and as Meathstevie said they're not licensable items, i don't know if an end user agreement is needed. Might be, but cannot be sure.

I've attached a mocked up end user agreement i used last time. I changed my details to made up ones but it gives you an idea of whats needed.

fergus1001

I've a Niko sterling mountmaster 4-12x50 does the job for me cheap these days £100 from England

Captainaxiom

Cass wrote: »

I've imported about half a dozen scopes from the Uk in the last 5 years and i needed an end user agreement because all of the were over 4 power.

The joy of the end user agreement is while it takes two weeks to be processed it stays in effect for 2 years. So what i would do is apply for say 12 scopes i may want even if i had no intention of importing/buying them and apply for the end user agreement for all 12. Once its processed (the end user) i have two years to import any of those scopes with no need for a new end user agreement each time.

As i said above this all related to people importing them. IOW having them shipped over. As was said by WMB you may get stopped at the airport if you try to bring one across in your luggage. However i don't know the regulations for driving over, buying, and bringing across. As you're not importing, and as Meathstevie said they're not licensable items, i don't know if an end user agreement is needed. Might be, but cannot be sure.

I've attached a mocked up end user agreement i used last time. I changed my details to made up ones but it gives you an idea of whats needed.

Is that the same end user agreement you’d use for the states

Gorgeousgeorge

fergus1001 wrote: »

I've a Niko sterling mountmaster 4-12x50 does the job for me cheap these days £100 from England

Have the very same on a 10/22 i have. Zero once when i got it and its still perfect a year later

Cass

Not sure as i've never imported from the states but i'd imagine the template is the same.

cookimonster

Captainaxiom wrote: »

Is that the same end user agreement you’d use for the states

I bought a 3-12x56mm from the USA 5/6 years ago, I just had to agree via return email to conditions and it was shipped on straight away.

Remember to weigh off tax on this side, I had figured it in but did not reckon on them charging me on the cost of the shipping. Still worked out cheaper by a couple of hundred euros compared to European prices.

brianfrancis45

I bought a Browning T Bolt .22 - nice light rifle ! Now I have to get a scope for it and I have the chance to pick up a virtually new Hawke Vantage Scope IR+4-16x50 AO Mil Dot IR. for Euro 100. However, as my experience with rifles/scopes is limited I wonder if more experienced members here feel this is a suitable scope my .22 rifle ? It gets great reviews and its 388 mm long , weighs 620 grams and parallax is adjustable from 15 yards to infinity. Or is it possibly too long and heavy for a light .22 like the T Bolt ?

Cass

I had one like this and for the life of my i cannot remember then model name. It came with its own ballistic program as the reticle had a "Christmas" tree of adjustments. Great scope, clear picture and target image, easy to adjust AO, precise clicks and firm clicks, and i had it on my 223 at the time. It held up well under firing with no loss of zero or ability to track.

A pound in weight is not overly heavy and this scope should easily be up to spec for a .22lr. The only one caution i'd give is make sure you know and trust the source. If its private then make sure you see it before you buy. Check the scope works, tracks, clicks, and has no stiffness, damage or issues that would account for why it's going cheap.

If its online shop check it out well. My reason for saying this is only two days ago another member showed a warning from a UK supplier about how someone/group are pretending to be this supplier and selling good scopes cheaply, but once they get your money they "disappear".

IOW check out the source of the scope well, but the scope itself should suit you perfectly for what you need.

brianfrancis45

Thanks Cass. Unfortunately I can't see the scope as it's in the UK but the private Seller says he will post it to me registered mail. He says the scope is in immaculate and that he bought it brand new a couple of weeks ago, fitted it to a BSA R10se (air rifle I think ? ) but found it to be a bit big so he removed it and replaced it with a smaller Tactical Scope. I'm tempted to go for it....

Cass

I know its a chance, but i'm cagey as feck when it comes to things like that. You know the old saying about something being too good to be true. It's a €200 scope (allowing for exchange rate) so why is it half price? I'd sooner, and its just me, pay the extra money and get a dealer to order the same scope in for you, new. You have come back and guarantees whereas the one in the UK you don't.

It's your choice and chances are it might be fine, but if its a scam or damaged you're out over €100, and still have to go buy one anyway.

brianfrancis45

Cass wrote: »

I know its a chance, but i'm cagey as feck when it comes to things like that. You know the old saying about something being too good to be true. It's a €200 scope (allowing for exchange rate) so why is it half price? I'd sooner, and its just me, pay the extra money and get a dealer to order the same scope in for you, new. You have come back and guarantees whereas the one in the UK you don't.

It's your choice and chances are it might be fine, but if its a scam or damaged you're out over €100, and still have to go buy one anyway.

I hear you !

I'll have a think about it...

Meantime I can see from a photo of the scope box that in fact it weighs 735 g/ 29.5 oz (that's about 1.65 pounds) so somewhat heavier than what I initially found on Hawkes website but just noticed that was for a slightly different version of the scope. Is a scope of 1.65 pounds still within reason for a .22 ?

Cass

brianfrancis45 wrote: »

Meantime I can see from a photo of the scope box that in fact it weighs 735 g/ 29.5 oz (that's about 1.65 pounds) so somewhat heavier than what I initially found on Hawkes website but just noticed that was for a slightly different version of the scope. Is a scope of 1.65 pounds still within reason for a .22 ?

On Hawke's website there is only one model of 4-16x50 AO IR Mil-Dot and it weighs 21.9oz.

I've checked as many models as i can and the heaviest i've come across is 22oz.

So it's either an older model or the wrong model advertised.

Cass

Just checked a few different models such as the Sidewinder, and Endurance and the heaviest is 28.7 oz for the Sidewinder and 2o odd ounces for the Endurance.

Have you a link to the one you found?

brianfrancis45

Cass wrote: »

Just checked a few different models such as the Sidewinder, and Endurance and the heaviest is 28.7 oz for the Sidewinder and 2o odd ounces for the Endurance.

Have you a link to the one you found?

Cass,

My apologies ! I just looked again at the photo of the box for the scope and the label on it says 25.9 oz and not 29.5 oz . The scope also comes with mounts included , so I think the 25.9 oz possibly includes the mounts.