Month: August 2014

One of the most important accessories for anyone that owns a .22lr rifle is that of a scope. A scope can do wonders in assisting you when you’re out hunting or at the shooting range. No matter which type of .22 you’ve purchased, a scope heavily increases the chances of hitting your target. However, there are a myriad of aspects that you need to consider before buying one, factors that will allow you to purchase the perfect scope to match your rifle. As such, here’s an in-depth guide on what to look for when buying a scope and what common mistakes to avoid, as well as the best .22 rifle scopes on the market.

What to Look for When Purchasing a .22lr Rifle Scope

As with buying a rifle, the first thing you’re going to want to keep in mind when you’re in the market for a scope is that the higher the quality, the better it will perform. On that front, it’s recommended that you only consider a scope that is designed by one of the more mainstay brands and make sure that the build quality is excellent and won’t break at the first sign of tension. Since a .22 LR is used primarily as a means to hunt smaller game, such as grounds hogs, rabbits and squirrels, you will want a scope that will allow you to more readily hit the target from a greater distance than normal, making it easier to hit your target without having to get close to it.

It’s also important to understand that a higher price does not automatically equal higher quality. You don’t have to break the bank to buy a scope for your .22. What matters most is reliability, as well as making sure that the sights match up to where they are being pointed and that there are no reflections when looking through the scope. A higher price will give you a better optical resolution, but this is not necessary unless you are specifically looking to challenge yourself with extremely long range hunting. With that being said, you also don’t want to buy a scope that’s inexpensive and of shoddy craftsmanship.

When shopping for a scope, you will immediately notice that there are a myriad of different types available for purchase, with a 3-9×40 being the most common one for a .22. If you aren’t aware, the 3-9 stands for the amount that the scope’s magnification can be adjusted, while the 40 represents the size in millimeters of the lens you will be looking through. As smaller game can be tricky to spot without a good scope, it’s advisable to get a relatively high powered scope similar to the 3-9. However, you can also decide to merely stick with a fixed 4x power scope, as many hunters do just fine with one of these, but there are times when you may find yourself wanting a higher power. If you happen to be hunting deer or somewhat larger game at a closer distance, then you might want to think about opting for either a 1.5-5x or 2-7x variant.

If you’ve been hunting for many years, but have never thought about owning a scope, it’s also important to disregard everything you might have heard about scopes in the past. While older items are often higher quality and generally consist of better craftsmanship, the same does not hold true for scopes. Technology in scopes is evolving every day, creating better lens coatings options and click-stops for the adjustments. You will also find that newer models are becoming cheaper than some of the older ones, without sacrificing quality. You might want to think about purchasing an adjustable objective, the lens of the scope, as it allows you to change the focus depending on the range you’re shooting from. Scopes that contain this feature are usually pricier, but well worth it in the end.

Best .22 Rifle Scopes

When you’re in the market for a .22 rifle scope, it’s essential that you get your money’s worth. Some of the best brands on the market include Nikon, Leupold and Kahles, as well as a few others. If you’re on a budget and are looking for a scope that is of a high build quality, while also being a bit on the cheaper side, the Nikon ProStaff Rimfire 3-9×40 scope is the absolute best option at just around $130. This scope includes multicoated optics, a quick focus eyepiece and is waterproof and fog-proof, which will come in handy on those murky mornings out in the woods. If you’re looking for something a bit more high-end, then the Leupold VX-2 3-9×40 provides everything a hunter needs at just around $300, including waterproofing, a lens system that all but eliminates reflections and a larger reticule.

In today’s modern world of hunting, professional sport shooting or recreational target practice, there are numerous attachments and accessories on the market. Probably the most important attachment that one can purchase would be the tactical rifle scope. With a tactical rifle scope, one can greatly improve accuracy and improve proficiency with their respective rifle.

Before a decision can be made to purchase a tactical rifle scope, the shooter must first understand all of the factors that go into placing a scope on their rifle. The offerings that confront the consumer today are far greater than in years past. Tactical rifle scopes can vary greatly in design and price and beginning the decision making process can be very daunting indeed. Factors that a consumer must consider would be if the scope is being used for professional or recreational use, the distances that a shooter is going to be attempting the most, maximum range, environmental lighting situations, rifle caliber, length and total weight of the rifle, budget restrictions and most importantly, mechanical performance.

When a consumer is in the market for a tactical rifle scope, keep in mind that every shooting situation is different. As mentioned earlier, many factors come into play when choosing a scope. If you are a professional shooter, you may find a higher end scope to be more suitable than that of a recreational shooter. Professional shooters may need a higher powered scope that is durable, light weight and has maximum mechanical performance as the key performance points. A recreational shooter might lean towards a scope that is more affordable, slightly heavier, has a lower magnification rate. Of course, all factors must be considered and it is ultimately up to the individual shooter as to what qualities he needs in a scope.

The most important feature to discuss on a tactical rifle scope that is consistent among shooters, is the mechanical performance of that scope. Mechanical performance is crucial when choosing the best scope. If a scope is found to not have ease of use, repeatable adjustments or does not track well, that scope is probably not going to last very long sitting atop a shooter’s rifle. The consumer must be aware that a poorly operating scope can be an overlooked cause of sub-standard shooting. Always be on the lookout for a tactical scope that touts its’ mechanical performance and can back up that performance on the range or out in the field.

Once a decision has been made as to what kind of tactical rifle scope to purchase, the next stop in the process would be actually shopping for the right scope. This can be a daunting task if one is unprepared and unsure about exactly what they need in terms of function. There are hundreds of tactical scopes on the market that are more than capable of doing the job effectively, but knowing which one to buy and having knowledge of that scope, is half the battle.
The tactical rifle scopes that have the best reviews as it pertains to performance and budget, are the Millett 4-16×50mm Illuminated Tactical Riflescope and the Nikon Monarch 3 4-16x50mm Side Focus tactical scope. Both of these scopes are very capable of delivering performance for under $500. It should be noted that there are many other companies out there with great tactical scopes that will fit into any budget, but it could literally take page after page to discuss each and every one. The Millett and Nikon are the two that we are focusing on for the shooter looking for a nice tactical rifle scope without spending too excessively.

The Millett 4-16x50mm Illuminated Tactical Riflescope comes in at around just over $300. This scope is a solid choice for hunters, professional shooters and recreational target shooters. Many shooters have found the Millett’s waterproof and shockproof design to be perfect for most shooting situations and the mechanical performance of the scope is top notch. The scope can handle a wide range of situations from low level lighting to long range target shooting in various weather situations. With its’ compact and lightweight design, the Millett scope fits easily into any bag and should complement most rifles.

The Nikon Monarch 3 4-16x50mm Side Focus tactical scope is more expensive than the Millett scope and retails for around $490. The Nikon boasts a very versatile scope that is capable of handling different lighting situations with ease. The side focus is an easy to reach adjustment that users will find pleasing and the scope can be mounted to basically any rifle action regardless of that rifle’s caliber. The Nikon’s mechanical performance is excellent and the scope also gives the shooter an ultra-clear sight picture on targets. This tactical scope also has an extremely lightweight and sturdy body that makes it reliable in many environments.
As you can see, the purchase of a tactical rifle scope can require the consumer to have varying knowledge of the intended purchase and also of the rifle. Armed with the right tools, the consumer can now make the purchase of the tactical rifle scope with much assurance and ease.

Whenever you are looking for a long range rifle scope, there a few different aspects that you need to consider that are different from those when looking for a shorter ranged rifle scope. Below is a list of the features and aspects that are needed i order to have a high quality long range scope. Sometimes you have to trade off some features for others, especially if you are on a budget.

What are the most important features that I need when looking for a long range rifle scope?

1. The first thing you should focus on is the quality of the glass used for the scope. Although the glass used in any scope is important, with long range rifle scopes the use of high end glass is extremely important. It often can be the difference between a long range scope that cost $300 or one that costs over $3500. Some of the best manufacturers that use the high quality glass needed for a great long range rifle are Nightforce, U.S. Optics, Schmidt & Bender, and Swarovski.

2. The second thing to look at is the objective size. With long range rifle scopes, the more light is always better. However because of the diminish returns of benefits with larger objective lens, a 50mm objective is one of the best sizes. However, most long range shooters prefer at 56mm objective.

3. The third thing to look at is the zoom range and power. On average, you want at least 18 times magnification when long range shooting. The sweet spot for most shooting scenarios with a long range rifle is 5 to 25 times magnification.

4. The last and one of the most important things to look for is the elevation adjustment range. Basically what the elevation adjustment range is how much of an adjustment a scope allows internally. The sweet spot for this is around 100 MOA or 27.3 millimeters of elevation adjustment. One of the best ways to judge if a long range scope is good for this aspect is by making sure that it has a larger tube diameter.

Top Two Long Range Rifle Scopes Currently on the Market

There are a lot of different long range rifle scopes that people can choose from, but below are two of the most popular long range scopes on the market.

Leupold Mark 4 8.5-25x50mm LR/T M1

This is one of the top two long range rifle scopes on the market, and it is manufactured by Leupold, which is one the best brand companies that has perfected these types of scopes. On average, the Leupold Mark 4 costs anywhere from $1,400 to $1,750. The price greatly depends on where it is purchased and if you choose to add any extra features that don’t currently come with this scope.

Features:

• The Leupold Mark 4 LR/T comes with 8.5 to 25 times magnification, and it has a 50 millimeter objective lens.
• There is a standard issued flip open lens cover that measures 14.5 inches, and this part weighs 22.5 ounces.
• It has a side focus parallax that is meant for fast adjustments, and this makes it easier to focus from 75 yards to infinity.
• This long range rifle scope is constructed in order to be completely water proof.
• The Index Matched Lens System on this scope is what offers the shooter an unsurpassed sharpness, contrast, and brightness.

Nightforce NXS 5.5-22x56mm-NPR1 ZeroStop & (2X High Speed Knobs)

Nightforce is one of if not the best brand manufacturers of long range rifle scopes on the market today, and their NXS 5.5-22x56mm-NPR1 ZeroStop is only one of their top products. It has a large variety of features that puts it on the top list of long range rifle scopes. On average, this scope generally runs anywhere from $1,700 to $2,000, but like everything else, that all depends on where you purchase this particular scope. Below is a direct list of features that make this one of the top long range rifle scopes.

Features:

• The Nightforce NXS Rifle Scope is composed of 6061-T6 Aircraft Grade Aluminum.
• It is great regardless of the weather, because it is both water proof and water resistant.
• This long range scope comes available with a ZeroStop version that allows the ability of the scope to always return to zero.
• It went through rigorous testing to make sure that it was perfected.
• It has a proprietary titanium beta erector spring that delivers three to four times the spring pressure of other scopes.
• It is designed for accuracy and speed in all types of situations.
• The Nightforce NXS Rifle Scope has a 100 M.O.A. of internal adjustment.