Ruger 10/22 scopes

[RangerJoe]

Hi all... I have a Ruger 10/22 I use primarily for target shooting, some occasional small critter hunting. I had an old compact 3x9 scope on there that I got real cheap on there a few years ago, but the cheap scope is now going where cheap scopes tend to go. Looking for a replacement, but I can't really break the bank on it.


I have an old Simmons 3x9 I *could* use, but the full-sized scopes always seemed a little horsey to me on such a small gun.

I saw an old thread with a couple suggestions, thought I'd post anyway and see if there were any more ideas out there.

[PowPow]

Agree about big scopes.
Had a Leupold FX-1 4x28 on mine but moved it to another gun.
Just got a Simmons 3-9x32 AO and it does not look too big.
The target turrets are kind of big, but I plan to use them.
Looks like low rings might haven worked, haven't tried them, but it would look better.

[james]

The bigger scopes with a fixed parallax are usually focused at 100 yards, whereas the rimfire scopes are set for about 50 yards.  When shooting sparrows at 10 yards I find things are fuzzy thru the cheap centerfire scopes for me.

[Goldstar225]

I chose to put a burris 3-9 compact scope on my 10/22.  It's size is perfect for the 10/22. While it's a centerfire scope thus a bit more expensive, I reasoned that I spent more time in the woods with a .22 than a deer rifle and was shooting at smaller targets.  12 years later the pain of the original price has been forgotten, it's given me pleasure all these years.

[facetious]

I put a simmons 3X9 .22 scope on my10-22 . It is short enough that it looks right and didn't cost a lot ,it was under $40.00 on sale.

[Bugflipper]

 I had a simmons 3-9x32 for years as my mainstay 10-22 squirrel hunting setup. The reticule ended up shifting in it. I loosened the scope and canted it 45 degrees or so tightened it down and it maintained the original zero. Eventually they discontinued the ammo it was sighted in for and I had to use shims of tinfoil under the mounts to get my elevation corrected. Finally the reticule broke loose and I had to trash it after 20 years or so.    I ended up putting a used leupold m8 on it. There are quite a few of the compact leupolds going on ebay used for a decent price.
Another option could be a vortex. They have a no fault lifetime warranty as well. I am pleased with the few I have. There may be some stores with the discontinued bushnell 3200 still in stock for another budget option. Really not sure on bushnells's warranty these days. Haven't heard good or bad.

[oldandslow]

I don't shoot a stock 10/22 but if I did I would use a 3x9x32 rimfire scope. 10/22s seem to be kind of hard on scopes and I credit it to the slam-bang bolt action against the steel buffer pin. I shoot a couple of very modified 10/22s and use AO scopes. I've had 2 low priced Bushnell scopes fail. Bushnell replaced one with an upgrade and I haven't bothered to contact them about the last one. Need to get that done.

[simplicity]

For the longest time I used a old lyman 10x target scope on my varmint 10/22 it has claimed lots of crows lives. In moving my range isn't so great so I went and try'd a Nikon Prostaff rimfire with the range reticle (3-9x40)  ($150) I have nothing but good things to say about it. If you go to the spot on site they have every rimfire ammo on the market and pick your range and it tells you what every mark hits and and I've try'd it with three different speeds of ammo and all were right on the money. They also make a small fixed 4x prostaff rimfire scope I wanna say for under $100. I don't know how much would e braking the bank. Me I don't like to buy things twice and I thought the Prostaff rimfire was well priced for what I have gottten. Hope this helped.

[Ladobe]

Starting sometime in the early 80's the Burris compacts became my standard on small rimfire rifles, 2-7, 3-9 and 4-12 depending on the primary use of the rifle.   Excellent little scopes perfect for a RF.  When the 17RF's came along they started to retire my 22RF's, and demanded "more" scope than even the 4-12 compact's, or so I thought.   So I sold the compacts off over time, last one a 2-7 that had resided on my 77/22 from the day I bought it mid 80's.   Decided it needed more scope when I made it a switch barrel by adding a GM 17HM2 barrel to it.   Bought a new Burris 4-12X32 Compact Matte AO with hunters knobs that is rated  R/A for rimfire, well over $300.   Never got around to mounting it though so it still resides in its box.   I had switched gears again while waiting it's arrival and put a Weaver KT-15 Target I had on instead for a little more pin point accuracy with the 17HM2.   It's way too big for a RF rifle, but they are great scopes.   Anyway, to suggest cheaper cost wise, a friend kept twisting my arm about a cheap scope he wanted me to try out.   I had never been a fan of cheap glass, but finally got tired enough of listening to him that I bought two Swift Premier 4-12's, one black, one silver, and both for something like $240.   To shut him up I put the silver on a Marlin 17VS 17HMR I had just got and was semi customizing.   Figured I'd run it for awhile on it until he forgot about it and then put a real scope on it.   Dang thing did so well for most uses that it still rides the 17VS 10 years later.   No idea what they cost now or if that model is still available, but they are pretty good scopes for the budget minded, and don't over power a RF that much in size.  FWIW
 

[Graybeard]

Mine isn't really a Ruger 10-22 but rather a clone made by Magnum Research called a 10-17 to avoid copy right issues. It is what many upgrade their Rugers to be. It wears a Leupold Rimfire 2-7 which can be had for about $220 new.

[drdougrx]

Using a Weaver 3x9 AO on mine!