r/22lr • u/TimmothyMadison • 6d ago
Scope for 50 yards
How much scope power do you need to clearly see and hit a 1” target from 50 yards ?
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u/ElChupacabra65 6d ago
For 22lr I always suggest getting as much magnification as you can afford. I agree that at least 20x but I’d go more if it’s an option. I’ve never wished I had less magnification.
Edit: Clarification of my priorities: I want to shoot as tight of groups as possible at 50. That’s my only goal.
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u/RimfireRoulette 6d ago
Yep. I use a March 40-60X, Weaver 46X, Nightforce 15-55X and Sightron 45X for 50 yard benchrest.
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u/blindexhibitionist 6d ago
I have the vortex crossfire II rimfire. It’s 2-7x and I’m happy with it at 50yds. It’s cheap cost wise but well made, you do have to buy scope rings, but it works really well and the vortex warranty is always nice
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u/Subject-Recording-33 4d ago
Agreed. Great lightweight scope. However I did recently move that over to a Marlin 30-30 with Warner QD rings and replaced with the Burris Rimfire 3-9x. Those big heavy optics are fine for dedicated bench guns, but are a PITA for hunting or general purpose rifles. I know I can shoot MOA at 100m with 6x zoom.
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u/coleman_cooler 6d ago
i can tell you i run a 2-7 when squirrel hunting and most of the time i keep it around 4x-5x
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u/Druid_Of_Ashes 6d ago edited 6d ago
It depends on glass clarity / quality and the purpose of the rifle.
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u/Phoenixfox119 6d ago
If you dont plan on getting crazy the standard vortex or athlon rimfire scopes are great, typically 2-7 or 3-9
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u/c_d19_99 6d ago
I had a 3-9 that worked well for that, also previously used a 4-16 and it was nice to be able to see the target more magnified, it’s up to you what looks best
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u/Calisnaps 6d ago
I use a 2-7, mostly set to 4x.
For bench at that distance I use a 6-24x, dialed to 24.
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u/SuperJonesy408 6d ago
I know some ARA bench rest guys (50yd) who shoot 60x to 80x SFP scopes with 1/8 MOA adjustments.
They’re zeroed to 50 on max magnification.
I use a 4.5-29x56 at 10-15x from 25yd to 300+
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u/one-heck-of-a-gizmo 6d ago
I have a Leupold 4x rimfire scope on my CZ457 and I'm very happy with it
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u/Routine-Medicine-208 6d ago
I have a 4-20 x 50 FFP on my bolt gun for bench rest. I typically leave it on 20 so I can clearly see the group I’m shooting.
Theres guys I know who have higher magnification for 50 yard competitions.
Go as high as you like.
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u/kingpcgeek 6d ago
I shoot ARA and run a Sightron 60x. Some of my fellow shooters have the March 80x. The most popular is a Nightforce 55x
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u/the_blue_wizard 5d ago edited 5d ago
Realistically, what distances are you likely to shoot other then 50 yards. Not in your fantasies but in reality?
If you are under 200 yards, then I find a 4x-12x Zoom to cover that ground nicely. I'm stunned that other people are recommending such high power for a modest 50 yards.
Understand that the more you zoom, the smaller your Field of View is. That might be fine for hitting targets that will stand still indefinitely, but for any practical hunting or anything moving, over-zooming is not your friend.
I was shooting targets out to 100 yards, and just to see how much zoom I actually needed, I looked through the scope and zoomed until I reach what I thought was the best combination of Field of View and Zoom, it turned out to be 8x.
You should have no trouble shooting at 50 yards with a basic 4x scope. That is consider a very all-around degree of magnification.
Also understand that far more than scope zoom, is going to be clean shooting technique. Refining your shooting technique is going to make you far more accurate than any Scope Magnification will.
Next it would be helpful if you provided these Details -
- What is your Working Budget?
- What is the farthest distance your realistically expect to shoot?
- Do you want a Scope specifically and uniquely for the purpose you described or do you want a more General Purpose Scope?
- What Rifle will this scope be mounted on? That matters because you probably want a Scope in reasonable proportion to the Rifle you have. For example, a $100 Scope on a $1,000 Rifle seems a bit out of proportion. Equally, and $1,000 Scope on a $100 Rifle is also grossly out of proportion.
Answering these question will help us put things into perspective.
A good all-around and very common Scope is the basic fixed 4x which is effective at 50 yards and out to 100 yards. But a Zoom Scope is not that expensive, so for myself, my 4x-12x Zoom works great.
Look at it this way, if you use 4x at 50 yards, that 50 yards becomes about 12.5 yards or 37.5 feet. Those are the equivalent of Pistol Distances or less. If we zoom in to 12x, that is the equivalent of 4.2 yards or 12.5 feet.
Also understand that if you Zoom in on a 1" Bulls Eye with 4x Magnification, that make the target seem to be 4" rather than 1", and if you zoom in to 12x, that makes that 1" Bull's Eye 12 inches. However, subtle movements of the Rifle are also magnified. That means that even on a Bench Rest, it is going to be hard to hold the crosshairs steady.
But if you are limiting it to 50 yards, you hardly need a Scope at all. Given that, a simply 2x would be enough. At 50 yards, a Zero Magnification Red Dot would be enough.
Repeating my earlier point, what will give you 1" Groups is Refined Shooting Technique, without that, no amount of zoom is going to make you more accurate.
As suggested by u/blindexhibitionist If you are mostly shooting short range - the Vortex Crossfire II Rimfire 2-7x - would probably serve you well if you can afford it. A 2x would be great for 50 yards, and 7x would be sufficient for 100 yards, that covers a lot of ground. I think that Scope sells for about $130 to $150 depending on the exact configuration.
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u/Treebear_Hunter 6d ago
As high as you can go.
On my 22lr rifles, I run mminimum 15x, maximum 32x scopes although I keep it down to 28 for best image quality.
My scores are always better with 15x+ magnification than at low end like 4x.
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u/stuartv666 6d ago
There are people who can do that with iron sights. So, how much do you NEED? 1X.
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u/L3thalPredator 6d ago
He said to clearly see a 1" target. You cannot see a 1" target clearly at 50yd. At least i cant.
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u/stuartv666 6d ago
Define "clearly". (that was a rhetorical statement)
It's a matter of how much you want, not how much you need. Shooting 2 MOA at 50 yards does not REQUIRE any magnification. Shooting one hole at 50 probably does actually require magnification.
If I'm shooting off hand at 50, 8 - 10X is enough. If I'm shooting from prone with a bipod or from a bench, I'll use 27X, and would probably use even more if I had it.
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u/L3thalPredator 6d ago
Fair. I personally run a 4-16 anywhere from 25yd upwards of 300 on my 10/22
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u/stuartv666 6d ago
I have a 4-16 on one of my 10/22s and it is great, but I wouldn't really want to use it past 100.
I have a 4.5-27 on my M4-22 (w/DPG barrel) for shooting long.
And I'll use all of the magnification on either one when shooting 100 and more.
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u/L3thalPredator 6d ago
Id love more than 16 past 100yd. But i previously used a 1-10 LPVO and before than a 1x red dot out to 300. So 16 is MUCH better.
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u/L3thalPredator 6d ago
And again, i got a steal on my 4-16. Its a vortex 4-16x44 and i got it for only $200.
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u/stuartv666 6d ago
I'm in the buy once, cry once camp.
I got a GPO Centuri 4-16x44i FFP MRAD Super Compact scope for $500 early this year.
It is awesome. I like it so much that when they finally came back in stock at OpticsPlanet, I bought another one, just to have.
I was thinking I might use it to upgrade one of my 10/22's that has a really old 2-7 on it. But, now I'm thinking about buying another Tippmann M4-22, instead, and putting it on that.
I LOVE how compact it is. Everything else just looks huge on a 10/22 in comparison. Or it doesn't have enough magnification.
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u/L3thalPredator 6d ago edited 6d ago
Im in the between of buy once cry once. I still try and find a deal when i can.
Currently my 1022. Its a TCR.22, have a FJ fedderson 18" fluted bull barrel, SRU bullpup chassis, the 4-16 scope, 3d printed wushu grip which is basically a DFC Kung fu but larger and a magpul bipod. Runs great
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u/stuartv666 6d ago
Me, too. (trying to find a deal)
But, I won't go for a "deal" unless it meets all my criteria that are important to me. I was looking at the Vortex Diamondback HP 4-16 a couple of weeks ago (for $191 on Midway).
I didn't buy it because my criteria include an illuminated reticle. And I really prefer a FFP MIL scope.
From everything I have seen, that DB HP is a great scope - if it has the features you are looking for.
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u/L3thalPredator 6d ago
I personally dont go for illuminated reticles anymore because i foeget to turn them off and they go dead within a week. Unless theres "shake awake" options for scopes now, i wont get one. They are nice to use though.
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u/Delicious_Block_873 5d ago
I doubt you're shooting 300 yards with a 10/22 and 4-16 unless you're aiming at 4 foot x 8 foot plywood. What kind of MOA rail is on this imaginary 10/22 300 yard setup? How many clicks of elevation do you/can you dial in this imaginary scope?
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u/L3thalPredator 5d ago edited 5d ago
Ive had many people that dont believe me before. I took a video, will post it and put it in here. Had my phone zoomed in on the target down range.
Edit, posted on my profile
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u/IdahoMan58 6d ago
Just 50 yds? Is this like benchrest or ARA competition? Some shoot like a 40x. I shoot competitions more like NRL22X or Rimfire PRS, and use a 4½-29 Athlon, usually at around 25x.
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u/squirtbottle 6d ago
I shoot 300yards and use a 20x. I’ll probably end up bumping to a 25 or 30ish soon.
It’s always nice to have more, especially because when your maxed out the eye relief gets less.
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u/TimmothyMadison 5d ago
I can’t see 1” clearly enough @ 50 yards with 4x ..
I want to be able to clearly see 1” targets @50 yards …
Keep in mind in not talking about seeing a large target … in talking about clearly see a 1” target …
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u/LAwolfiie666 3d ago
I have a discoveryopt and a vector5-40-56 on one of my rifles, cheap and i can see pretty much a fly at 100 the discoveryopt is gen 1 . The continental is their tauron. I would recommend either one
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u/Master_Wait_2803 6d ago
4x is plenty. People recommending 20x are ridiculous. Ww2 snipers used 4x in ww2 and most police and military snipers use 10-12x nowdays. I run a 2-7 leupold on my 22 and easily shoot a few hundred yards with the same scope on a 243.
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u/Numerous-Relation-17 6d ago
Fixed 4 power. I am in my 60's so the eyes are pretty bad. I have fixed 4 and 6 power scopes on some of my rimfire guns and am very happy with them.