Best 22LR Scope: Top 5 Expert Picks

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The .22 Long Rifle caliber is undeniably the most popular rifle caliber in the United States. Everyone from first-time shooters to experienced old hands enjoys an afternoon of small game hunting or target shooting. My first rifle was a Ted Williams .22LR single shot from Sears and Roebuck. I would wager that most rifle shooters had their first experiences with a .22LR rifle.

I cut my teeth on iron sights on my first .22 rifle. Over the years I purchased other rifles, but it wasn’t until I got my hands on my first Ruger 10/22 that I decided to put a scope on a .22 caliber rifle. Like many other hunters, I was budget-constrained being and needed to find the best scope for the money. That scope turned out to be a second-hand Bushnell that I purchased from a friend.

Over the years I have had many .22 caliber rifles and many different scopes. New technologies and new companies now lead the way in rimfire rifle scopes and making the choice can be difficult. I have returned to the market for a new scope for my Ruger 10/22 Takedown model. In doing so, I looked at many different options. I hope what I found helps you make your selection of the best 22Lr scope for your needs.

The Difference Between Center Fire Scopes and Rimfire Scopes

To understand the difference between rimfire scopes and centerfire scopes, we must start by looking at the rifles. The differences in the rimfire rifles and center fire rifles is the major foundation for the differences in the rifle scopes.

The Obvious Difference

The obvious difference between rimfire ammunition and centerfire ammunition is the point of ignition. Rimfire cartridges use a primer compound that is fixed into a channel or groove around the inside of the cartridge case bottom. Centerfire cartridges use a primer button that fits into a socket in the center of the base of the cartridge. This difference in primer design doesn’t contribute to the differences in scopes, but it is important because it contributes to other differences that matter.

Size Matters

By and large, rimfire ammunition is smaller in caliber and smaller in overall size than centerfire ammunition. The smaller size of the cartridge case is partly due to the rimfire primer configuration. A rimfire primer system isn’t as reliable, nor can it properly ignite larger and bulkier powder loads.

Because rimfire loads are smaller and less powerful than their centerfire cousins, the recoil generated is less, which directly affects the way rimfire scopes are built. Rimfire scopes don’t need to be as heavily built to withstand the substantially less recoil from rimfire loads.

Power and Distance

Smaller cartridge cases and lighter-weight bullets are the hallmarks of rimfire loads. Smaller cartridge cases reduce the amount of powder that can be loaded, resulting in less power and distance. Consequently, there is no need to mount a scope with a range of 400 yards on a rimfire rifle that usually has a maximum effective range of 150 yards.

Most .22LR ammunition is loaded with a .40 grain bullet that develops in the neighborhood of 1200 to 1400 feet per second of muzzle velocity. At 100 yards, this has dropped to approximately 900 feet per second. Most .40 gr .22LR ammunition only delivers about 90 ft. lbs. of energy at 100 yards.

What Does This All Tell Us?

All this data leads us to the conclusion that Rimfire scopes are much different than centerfire riflescopes. For the most part, rimfire scopes have these characteristics:

Most rimfire scopes on the market are built considerably lighter than centerfire scopes. There is no need for beefier erectors or housings, since the expected recoil is minimal.
Variable magnification rimfire optical sight doesn’t usually offer ranges beyond 7X. There are rimfire scopes that have magnifications greater than 7X, but unless you are an unusually skilled shooter, going out past 150 yards isn’t justified.
Most rimfire shooting is done between 50 and 75 yards. A scope with more than 4X magnification is overkill. If you primarily hunt under 50 yards, a fixed power scope may be a good choice over a variable power scope.

With these things in mind, let’s take a look at what I believe to be the best 22lr scopes available.

My Rimfire Scope Choices

There are several things that influence any scope purchase I make. I always consider the clarity of the images produced in the scope, the brightness of those images, and the durability of the scope. The reputation of the manufacturer also plays into my selections.

When considering rimfire scopes, there are a few other factors that I take into consideration. .22 rifles tend to be subject to much more rugged lives than more expensive rifles. In many instances, these .22 caliber rifles are working guns, carried behind the seat in a truck, and subject to hard use. For this reason, the construction of a rimfire riflescope is a big part of my selection.

I also look for a rimfire riflescope that is waterproof, fog-proof, and shockproof for obvious reasons. Many manufacturers advertise their scopes as meeting these requirements, but few do the testing to back them up. Nothing spoils an afternoon of plinking than a scope that isn’t usable.

These are my choices for the best 22lr scopes. I have categorized them to make your choices a bit easier. I hope that this information is useful to you and gives you a better idea of how to find a suitable .22LR rifle scope.

1. Best Overall Rimfire Scope – Vortex Optics Crossfire II 2-7×32 Rimfire Riflescope

If you have read any of my other scope-related articles, you should know that I am a huge fan of Vortex Optics products. Given a choice, I will almost always choose a Vortex Optics scope. In this case, my choice of the best overall rimfire scope is the Vortex Optics Crossfire II2-7×32 rimfire model.

This is, in my opinion, the best rimfire scope for the money that you can buy and mount on your rifle. One of the primary uses of my rimfire rifles is teaching my grandsons how to shoot. This necessarily involves more than the usual number of dings, drops, and rough handling. The Vortex Optics No Questions Asked warranty can be the best feature of these Vortex Optics scopes.

Considering the other features that Vortex packs into these budget-minded scopes just makes them that much better of a deal:

Features

V-Plex reticle for all-around shooting is good for hunting small game or target shooting.
Long eye relief makes shooting comfortable for almost anyone. The generous eye box makes teaching how to shoot with a scope easier than other budget scopes for 22lr rifles.
Fully multi-coated lenses decrease glare and help increase light transmission.
Easy to manipulate finger adjustable turrets are capped and feature MOA clicks with a zero resettable feature.
Single-piece tube construction using aircraft-grade aluminum ensures a tough and long-lasting scope.
Each Crossfire II scope is O-ring sealed and nitrogen-purged to take on the most extreme conditions you can imagine on your outings.

Vortex Optics hits the mark by including the same sorts of features on the Crossfire II Rimfire scope that you would find on their most expensive centerfire scopes.

Specifications

Magnification range – 3x to 7x
Reticle – Second focal plane V-Plex
Objective lens size – 32mm
Eye relief – 3.9 inches
Field of View – 42 feet to 12.6 feet
Tube Size – 1 inch
Turret style – Capped
Adjustment Per Click – 1/4 MOA
Length – 11.5 inches
Weight – 13.9 ounces

The Vortex Crossfire II Rimfire scope features the V-Plex second focal plane reticle which is good for medium range shooting

Pros and Cons

Pros

The Crossfire II scope has a focusing eyepiece that is handy for easy reticle focusing.
For the cost of this scope, the clarity and brightness of the images are unbelievable.
Tough and rugged construction keeps the scope on my farm gun operating, even when I forget to put it back in the case and ride it over pasture roads laying on the floorboard.
The long eye relief and wide eye box make this a perfect scope for kids who are learning to shoot.

Cons

Finding scope mounts that will fit this scope and your rifle may be a little difficult.

All in all, Vortex Optics Crossfire II is a rugged, easy-to-use riflescope that makes a good all-around scope for almost anyone.

Crossfire II windage and elevation turrets make turret adjustments quick and easy

Why I Chose the Crossfire II Rimfire 3-7X32 Riflescope

In my view, Vortex Optics offers the best value and feature package available to shooters. There are other manufacturers around who make a great scope. However, they don’t offer the background, service, and warranty that I have gotten with my Vortex scopes.

Rimfire rifles are, by their nature, working guns that see everyday use in many instances. A scope that can handle the rigors of riding behind the seat in a pickup or stand being tossed in the trunk of a car is a feature that usually isn’t listed, but should be considered.

Last update on 2022-05-20 at 22:02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

2. Runner-up Best Overall .22LR Scope – Burris Droptine Riflescope with Ballistic Plex .22 Reticle

Many hunters and competition shooters swear by Burris scopes. Burris has a reputation among shooters as one of the better mid-range scope manufacturers in the industry. That kind of background and reputation among shooters gets the Burris Droptine Riflescope a place on our list.

Burris competes easily in the features area. In fact, the Burris Droptine Riflescope is one of the few .22LR rifle scopes that include a ballistic reticle as a standard issue. This is almost unique among riflescopes intended exclusively for rimfire calibers. The ballistics reticle can be a huge factor for a hunting rifle when choosing a scope.

These are some of the other features you will find on this Burris rimfire scope.