Trent Marsh 05.14.21
For most of us, our first real step into the shooting sports was when we graduated from the BB gun, to the .22LR rimfire rifle. We’ll always be nostalgic for that first day behind the trigger of our first real gun, where the groundwork was laid for years of safe, accurate shooting in myriad other calibers. For those of us just a little bit older, the rimfire rifles we grew up with are but a shadow of the modern precision rimfire rifles of today. To match the capabilities of the rifles, a new generation of rimfire optics has had to emerge to meet them. No longer are rimfire scopes constrained to those tiny fixed-power tubes of years gone by. Is your rimfire rifle in need of an optics upgrade? Here are some of the best rimfire scopes to bring your plinker to the modern age of precision rimfire shooting.
Table of Contents
1. Leupold VX-Freedom 2-7×33 Rimfire MOA – Editor’s Choice
What better choice to match the heritage of the .22LR, than an optic with the trusted background that Leupold offers? There’s no reason to question the optical performance that Leupold delivers across all of its offerings, and this compact, purpose-designed platform is a perfect compliment to your favorite rimfire rifle. The 60-yard parallax distance is perfect for most rimfire applications, and the Rimfire MOA reticle has been designed to get the most out of the combination of rimfire rifle and optics. The VX-Freedom 2-7×33 from Leupold just screams rimfire performance.
Pros/MOA reticle design avoids caliber or round specific pigeonholing
Cons/You might have paid less for your rimfire rifle than you’ll pay for the scope
Bottom Line/There’s a reason they always used to say “pay more for your scope than your rifle,” you can’t hit what you can’t see, and Leupold’s reputation isn’t likely to let you down
2. Athlon Neos 4-12×40 BDC 22 Rimfire – Long-Range Choice
Modern rimfire rifles and ammunition are able to really stretch what people think their rimfire can do, and the Neos 4-12×40 from Athlon, paired with the BDC 22 Rimfire Reticle makes pushing those limits easier thane ever. When paired with .22LR ammo leaving the muzzle around 1,250 fps the reticle provides aimpoints in 25-yard increments from 50 to 150 yards, when used on 12x. The 4-12 magnification range gives you the confidence to take the shot on small rimfire targets at that range, the side focus parallax adjustment makes getting a good sight picture and proper parallax possible, and the meticulously designed reticle ensures as much accuracy as your shooting form can deliver. When you want to really stretch it out, this is your scope.
Pros/Out-of-the-box accuracy to 150 yards with a .22LR? What’s not to like?
Cons/Designed around a specific ballistic profile, if your favorite round doesn’t fit it, it may not work for you.
Bottom Line/Athlon is shaking things up with some innovative and useful product designs, this is just another example
3. Bushnell Banner Rimfire 4-12x40AO – Budget Choice
The Bushnell option offers the adjustable objective to correct for parallax, something that is important for both short and long-range shooting. The simple duplex reticle is a great option for both beginning or experienced shooters, while the wide magnification range makes precision shooting a real option. What the scope lacks in sexy ballistic-matching features, it makes up for in pure trusted performance. This is an all-around scope that keeps things simple, while still addressing the specific needs of the rimfire rifle.
Pros/Adjustable parallax isn’t a must-have for precision rimfire shooting, but it is a should-have
Cons/You’ll need to be more familiar with the ballistic performance of your rifle without the help of a reticle or turret system to make adjustments
Bottom Line/Sometimes the simple things in life are the best
4. Simmons ProTarget Rimfire 3-9×40 – Ballistic Choice
The Simmons ProTarget uses a customizable turret system give you ballistic flexibility. While the reticle itself is a simple plex, each scope comes with three turret options, ¼ MOA, .17HMR, and .22LR, that are customized to a standard ballistic profile for that round. So once sighted in, rather than using different aimpoints and trying to remember which is which, you simply dial the turret to your distance and aim. Who doesn’t just feel cool dialing in their turrets?
Pros/Not limited to just .22LR
Cons/Dialing turrets can lead to issues if you aren’t mounting your scopes properly
Bottom Line/It’s a whole lot of performance for the money
5. Vortex Crossfire II 2-7×32 – Safe Choice
The Vortex Crossfire II has several models that are well suited to their designed purpose. The rimfire variant is no different. The optical quality you would expect from Vortex is baked in, and the 50-yard parallax is perfect for rimfire purposes. Not as much flash as some of our other options, just rock-solid performance that will serve you beautifully.
Pros/The longer eye relief is a nice touch for platforms that sometimes have to work for multiple shooters
Cons/Might be nice to have a little more magnification sometimes
Bottom Line/You can trust the scope because you can trust the brand
How far will a rimfire rifle shoot?
The accuracy of a rifle has a lot more to do with the shooter than the gun itself. That said, I’ve seen reasonably accurate rimfire shooting out to almost 200 yards. At that distance, the .22LR shouldn’t be used to punch anything more than paper, because it lacks the requisite oomph to ethically take game at that range, but for honing your long-distance skills, it’s a fair test of your nerve. Like with any firearm though, start close and work farther out as your performance allows.
Mounting a rimfire scope
Most rimfire rifles still use the dovetail style mounting groove that is machined into the action, rather than the weaver style cross-lug platform used by centerfire platforms. Make sure you have the right rings to mount your scope. Another option is installing a dovetail to weaver adapter, should you prefer to go that route.
Mounting is where too many shooters go wrong. You need to make sure everything is tight, but before you get to that point, make sure the crosshairs are completely level with the rifle. For that to work right, the rifle has to be level and perfectly centered, and then the scope can be mounted and leveled. Bore sighting is a good start, but should never, ever be the last step to sighting in any firearm. Go out and shoot it enough to know exactly where the bullet is going.
Do I need a special scope for rimfire rifles?
Yes and no. The parallax is different for centerfire scopes, being 100 yards, usually. Most rimfire scopes are set to 5-60 yards parallax. You can use a centerfire scope in a pinch, just take the time to adjust appropriately.
What if my rimfire rifle isn’t a .22?
There are some caliber-specific rimfire scopes, and those are great options for .22 win mag, .17HMR and .17WSM, but any rimfire scope will work fine on any rimfire rifle.
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