6 Best 22LR Scopes in 2021

3. Simmons Truplex 511039 – Best Under $50 22LR Scope

For an under $50 22LR scope, this Simmons scope is just amazing and few others if at all any in the same price range will offer similar features or perform as good as it does.

Besides being the second most affordable among our review of 22LR scopes, this scope is also made to give you many years of great service. And it will feature a sturdy one-piece main tube with O-ring sealing and nitrogen purging to make it 100% water, fog and shockproof.

Adjusting the scope is also made easy under any condition by the SureGrip rubber surface, and this rifle scope also has a quick target acquisition eyepiece to make it easy to acquire the target.

With the parallax correction preset from 50 yards to infinity, you can be sure of getting a parallax-free performance, and when you buy the scope you also get some handy dovetail mounting rings.

While the turrets have some tactile clicks, they are not very audible. But like with most other scopes, the clicks only requires some getting used to because once you master the sound they make, you will hardly ever miss it.

More Detailed : Simmons 511039 Review

Here are some important factors to consider when shopping for a 22LR rifle scope.

1. Zoom Range

Like with all other rifle scopes, you can go for either for a fixed or variable magnification scope when buying a 22LR scope.

A fixed scope will not offer you a variable zoom range as they only have one option for example 4x or 6x, and so will only be ideal for specific shooting ranges and conditions.

Variable scopes are the most popular option for 22LR rifles and they come in various zoom ranges such as 2-7x, 3-9x or 4-16x.

A lower zoom range scope like the 2-7x is ideal when shooting at short distances while the larger ones like 4-16x are ideal for long-range shots.

But note that with a 22LR, going for super high magnification power will often be overkill. Hence the 3-9x provided by Nikon ProStaff 16329 and severall other models on our list should be perfect.

2. Lens Quality

The lens quality is one feature that you should never compromise on when buying a scope for your 22LR or any other gun that you shoot as it affects ranging and accuracy greatly.

When it comes to the lens, one of the most important things to watch out for is their ability to transmit light. Good lenses should allow for at least 90% light transmission as this ensures you get bright and clear images.

Although there are many kinds of lens available for these scopes, you should not settle for anything less than multicoated but for the best light transmission, nothing beats the fully multicoated lenses.

3. Internal Adjustment

Internal adjustments for windage and elevation are also vital as they make it easy to fine tune the scope to suit your particular shooting situation.

But because the effectiveness of the 22LR scopes will in most instances not exceed the 300-yard mark, you will not need complicated internal adjustments meant to manage the bullet drop for long ranges.

A 60 MOA internal adjustment should be fine enough, but also make sure the scope is designed to make the adjustments quick and easy.

4. Parallax Adjustment

Parallax is an optical illusion that can cause shooting inaccuracies, and to deal with it, you need a scope with a parallax adjustment option.

But because the 22LR is meant for close range shooting, you will not need a scope with a 100-yard parallax setting or more. 50 or 75-yard parallax setting is perfect for these scopes as they will work well when hunting varmint and target practice.

An adjustable objective makes it possible to compensate for parallax from short distances, and so even if you go for a higher parallax scope, it can still be useful for a 22LR if it can be adjusted to a lower setting.

5. Reticle

While there might be a situation where you may need a 22LR scope with bullet drop compensation, in most instances a simple duplex reticle will be more than enough. And this is mostly because these rifles are not meant for long range shots.

However, if you will be shooting your rifle from distances of 100 yards or more, it will be a good idea to go with the mil-dot reticles like what is used on the UTG SCP-M392AOLWQ that will compensate for elevation/wind and make range estimation easier.

6. Turrets

Turrets are another element that you need to consider as you shop for the best 22LR scope as it will affect the ease of use and convenience.

While finger adjustable turrets are often the most desirable for most scopes, they will not be very useful for the 22LR because there is not a lot of dialing to do in the below 300-yard range.

Low profile turrets are a more standard option with 22LR scopes, but some pricier ones will have high-profile, target style ones with zero-reset. And so your budget and preferences should help you decide what to buy.

7.  Price

Just like the 22LR bullets, scopes meant for use on these rifles are generally cheaper than those for others such as the long range rifles.

You can get budget 22LR scopes for as little as under $100 but some premium and feature-rich models that offer a larger objective lens diameter and more powerful magnification will retail for upwards of $250.

There is no right or wrong price when buying these scopes as it all depends on your budget and the features and capability that you want.

Conclusion

Buying the best 22LR scope is all about deciding which features are most important to you and then choosing what is within your budget. With this is mind and our review for recommendations, finding a good one should be effortless.

From our review, the UTG SCP-M392AOLWQ is our best overall models as it is not only ideal for both hunting and target shooting but also offer dual illumination and a range-estimating reticle.

But, if you are looking for something that will give you great value for money go for the Simmons Truplex 511039 . And the Barska AC10380 will be idea for the shooters just looking to spend the least amount of cash but still get a quality scope as it is our cheapest model.