22LR Trainer scope options. Suggestions.

[ShootnMathews]

I'm looking for opinions on a budget scope for a 22LR Trainer to teach my son marksmanship with. It will also double as a squirrel rifle.

Requirements are :
It must dial repeatable and accurately
It must focus/parallax adjust to 10 yards
It must hold zero of course on a rimfire
Must be under $300

My current #1 draft pick is a SWFA 6x42 which are on sale right now for $209 but out of stock. I am open to other options though and want to see what's out there. So let's hear it.

My goal or the scope is to put on a Savage 22LR and teach my boy how to adjust for parallax, dial for distance, read wind and adjust for it. And shoot some squirrels. Which is why I need it to adjust down to 10 yards. Most of the squirrels I shoot around here are only20 yards or less.

Here is the rifle. I threw a cheap BSA that I had laying around in it but found out today as you adjust the focus bell the point of impact shifts. So that's junk. Thanks for the help gang

 

[JungleShooter]

Mathews,

you're not mentioning what magnification range you're looking for.

So, I'll just attach two Scope Specs Tables with suitable scopes:

All scopes in the Tables have:
▪ 10y parallax
▪ exposed turrets
▪ holdoff reticles
▪ most are between $200 and $400, some a bit higher


The Specs Tables help you compare scopes:
▪ Price
▪ Weight and length
▪ Field of view at min. and max. magnification (important for your close up running squirrels)
▪ Sorted in FFP and SFP
▪ IR or not
▪ Type of warranty




Here are some I'd seriously look into, starting with the ones most desirable to me:


● Athlon Ares BTR Gen 2 2.5-15x50 FFP
The Ares line is almost at the top of the Athlon lineup, a very good scope, normally far beyond your stated price range.
I just came across an offer for a used one, at a very good price. I'm not 100% sure if this particular scope is 100% in working order at this price — but the Athlon warranty is phenomenal.

Optics - Athlon Ares BTR GEN 2 2.5-15x50

Selling in good conditions Athlon Ares 2.5-15x50 scope well taken care of and works good and reticle turns on on all settings. Always have scope open and close protectors. Scope has life time warranty from Athlon. Prices is $325.00 including shipping.

www.airgunnation.com

● Athlon Helos BTR Gen. 2 2-12x44 FFP MIL (not the MOA, because that's BDC)
$450
With circle of death
Has all the bells and whistles of a modern scope, and good glass. This gets praised again and again.


● Arken EPL 4-16x44 FFP MIL or MOA
$400 new
Turrets are phenomenal for dialers in this price range.
There was just one on sale right here, for $350, if it had been in MIL I would have bought it!

SOLD/EXPIRED - Arken epl 4-16 moa

New Arken epl 4-16 moa. Mounted never fired. $350 tyd

www.longrangehunting.com

The reviews I've been reading are very good:

Arken EPL4

How many people actually got there's by now? I've been waiting for mine for several months now...starting to get impatient. What's the consensus on the 6-24X EPL4? Is the glass up to the task?

www.airgunnation.com

● Discovery ED 3-15x50 FFP MIL
● Discovery ED 4-16x50 FFP MIL
c. $360—$390
This is from their top line.
I've been dialing a 3-12x from their lower VT-3 line for 3 years several times a week now, but even this line has clear glass and hasn't failed me.


● Swampfox Kentucky Long 2-12x44 FFP MIL
$420


● Athlon Talos BTR 4-14x44 FFP MIL
$300


Happy scope shopping!

Matthias


Attachements:

●Scope Specs Table for SHORT and 3-12x (3-9x) magnification

●Scope Specs Table for 4-16x | 3-18x | 4-20x magnification

 

[ShootnMathews]

Mathews,

you're not mentioning what magnification range you're looking for.

So, I'll just attach two Scope Specs Tables with suitable scopes:

All scopes in the Tables have:
▪ 10y parallax
▪ exposed turrets
▪ holdoff reticles
▪ most are between $200 and $400, some a bit higher


The Specs Tables help you compare scopes:
▪ Price
▪ Weight and length
▪ Field of view at min. and max. magnification (important for your close up running squirrels)
▪ Sorted in FFP and SFP
▪ IR or not
▪ Type of warranty




Here are some I'd seriously look into, starting with the ones most desirable to me:


● Athlon Ares BTR Gen 2 2.5-15x50 FFP
The Ares line is almost at the top of the Athlon lineup, a very good scope, normally far beyond your stated price range.
I just came across an offer for a used one, at a very good price. I'm not 100% sure if this particular scope is 100% in working order at this price — but the Athlon warranty is phenomenal.

Optics - Athlon Ares BTR GEN 2 2.5-15x50

Selling in good conditions Athlon Ares 2.5-15x50 scope well taken care of and works good and reticle turns on on all settings. Always have scope open and close protectors. Scope has life time warranty from Athlon. Prices is $325.00 including shipping.

www.airgunnation.com

● Athlon Helos BTR Gen. 2 2-12x44 FFP MIL (not the MOA, because that's BDC)
$450
With circle of death
Has all the bells and whistles of a modern scope, and good glass. This gets praised again and again.


● Arken EPL 4-16x44 FFP MIL or MOA
$400 new
Turrets are phenomenal for dialers in this price range.
There was just one on sale right here, for $350, if it had been in MIL I would have bought it!

SOLD/EXPIRED - Arken epl 4-16 moa

New Arken epl 4-16 moa. Mounted never fired. $350 tyd

www.longrangehunting.com

The reviews I've been reading are very good:

Arken EPL4

How many people actually got there's by now? I've been waiting for mine for several months now...starting to get impatient. What's the consensus on the 6-24X EPL4? Is the glass up to the task?

www.airgunnation.com

● Discovery ED 3-15x50 FFP MIL
● Discovery ED 4-16x50 FFP MIL
c. $360—$390
This is from their top line.
I've been dialing a 3-12x from their lower VT-3 line for 3 years several times a week now, but even this line has clear glass and hasn't failed me.


● Swampfox Kentucky Long 2-12x44 FFP MIL
$420


● Athlon Talos BTR 4-14x44 FFP MIL
$300


Happy scope shopping!

Matthias


Attachements:

●Scope Specs Table for SHORT and 3-12x (3-9x) magnification

●Scope Specs Table for 4-16x | 3-18x | 4-20x magnification

Awesome! Thank you. And I'm not stuck on any magnification. Like a 3-9 would be fine or like a fixed 6. Max range will be like 250 yards

 

[1mechanic]

I just ordered a Bushnell AR73940 scope to put on a 22lr for the 10 yard parallax and adjustable turrets. It has a 223 BDC reticle and just for fun I may find what yardages match to it just for quick acquirements. It's a 3-9x40 wouldn't want anymore power than 3 for the close work. I have a straight 6 power on another 22 and it's hard finding your target at close range quickly.
Don't know how reliable and repeatable the turrets are yet but for the money spent on it won't be out much if it doesn't work out.

 

[ajvinyard]

I have the same rifle for each of my two sons. I used the Athlon Talos Btr 4-14 First focal plane. It works great.

 

[quigley257]

The Arken EP5 is a lot of scope for the money.

EP5 5-25X56mm FFP MIL VPR Reticle

www.arkenopticsusa.com

 

[ajvinyard]

I also have an Arken sh4 on my air rifle, never have to question the scope and it can take a beating! $299 on amazon

 

[JustMe2]

I wouldn't go higher than 4 power to hunt squirrels up in trees at 10 yds, lower is better. Since you're going to also practice to 250 yds and hunt at 10 yds, I'd definitely get a variable power and not a fixed 6x. For your planned training distance of 250yds, I'd also use a 20-40 MOA picatinny rail along with a Christmas tree reticle. If using a holdover reticle, get a 1st Focal Plane scope so the tree holdovers are accurate at all zoom magnifications. If always dialing for range and not using holdover, a 2nd FP would be fine because the tree holdovers aren't used and can be wrong.

 

[BW64]

SWFA 16x or20x for $229 good glass & repeatable. I've used them on bench rest rifles. Also I have a 6-24 Tasco been used but repeats & a 3x9 Bushnell used. Take either or both for the cost of shipping! Includes rings for picatinny rail.

 

[JungleShooter]

The above mentioned
▪Arken EP5 and
▪Arken SH4
do not have a 10y parallax....

▪Arken EPL
does have a 10y parallax.

Matthias

 

[DaveR]

For fundamentals of marksmanship an air rifle (eg springer, Weihrauch) is superb, also inexpensive to feed and easy to care for, quiet, likely easier to use frequently. (Back yard, garage, basement).

If you really want to teach/learn dialing that suggests to me FFP, decent (not cheap) glass, and higher magnification limit (eg 3-15x).

Suggest you go watch an NRL22 match and see if you would both enjoy getting into that.

I think you are looking at two(+?) rifles instead of one.

Neat thing thing to do with your son!

 

[Hydra6]

Bushnell Match Pro

 

[ShootnMathews]

Bushnell Match Pro

Isn't that like $1,100?

 

[Hydra6]

Isn't that like $1,100?

399.99 you are thinking the Elite line. There is also a Bushnell Match Pro ED with 34mm tube and better glass but it is 700ish and always sold out