Due to the extreme popularity of rimfire target shooting, a great many dedicated rimfire scopes have been built. The best scope for the 10/22 therefore will be designed with the rimfire shooter in mind. They will feature reasonable magnification, have reticles calibrated for various popular .22 caliber rounds, and of course will be as rugged and reliable as the rifle you put them on. Luckily, with the gun’s popularity, there are plenty of products that could be deemed the best scope for Ruger 10/22 rifles!
1. Simmons 22mag Riflescope
While not specifically engineered to feature bullet drop reticles for rimfire rounds, the Simmons 22mag Riflescope is a fine budget friendly contender for the title of best scope for 10/22’s. I’ve owned a couple of these in the past (and even mounted one on a match grade rifle from the 1940’s!) and found them to rival higher dollar scopes. It’s a fact of life a rimfire rifle puts less stress on a scope, so you simply don’t have to engineer your optics to be as overbuilt, which allows a manufacturer to build a high quality scope at a rather low price. This scope includes mounting rings, has fully coated optics for maximum light transmission, is fogproof, and has 3 to 9 power magnification with a 32mm objective lens. If you are looking for a good scope for 10/22, this entry-level scope will surprise you with its big dollar features.
2. BSA Sweet 22
Our second Ruger 10/22 scope suggestion is the BSA Sweet 22. You didn’t think we’d do a rimfire article and skip the BSA sweet series, did you? Time and time again, BSA keeps popping up on our list of the best rifle scopes for a given task, and for very good reason. They’ve been in the industry a long time and know how to deliver the best, uh, “bang” for the buck. If you are looking for the best scope for your Ruger 10/22 take a look at the BSA Sweet 22. With reticles specific to the most popular rimfire rounds, fully coated optics, 3 to 9 power magnification, a generous 40mm objective lens, waterproof and fogproof construction, and included free lens caps, this is a high quality target scope that costs about as much as a brick of .22 is running these days.
3. Tasco Rimfire Series
The Tasco Rimfire scope is our third Ruger 10/22 scope recommendation. See, I love scopes with built in round specific reticles. I’m also aware of the unusual realities of today’s market for rimfire ammunition, and have often taken to the field with three or four different brands, velocities and bullet weights in my range bag because that’s what I had managed to scrounge up. Given as I might be bouncing around with several types and weights of ammo, sometimes the best scope for Ruger 10/22 rifles isn’t calibrated for any one round. The Tasco Rimfire Series is built specifically for use on rimfire rifles, and comes with the usual industry standard fully coated optics, fogproof construction, 3 to 9 magnification, and a 32mm objective lens. This package includes standard rimfire mounting rings (if you have a one inch Weaver style base, you’ll need different rings) and a parallax set for a rimfire friendly fifty yards, you’ll find this is a great all around multipurpose rimfire scope.
4. Nikon P Tactical Rimfire Scope
We saved the best for last. Nikon makes fantastic rifle scopes, and this is no exception. This scope features a built in proprietary bullet drop compensating reticle with aim points for fifty to one hundred and fifty yards, fully coated optics for optimal light transmission, and the usual water and fogproof construction you’d expect from an industry leader. This particular scope is by far one of the best scopes for 10/22 rifles that I’ve encountered. Suitable for any task from plinking to match shooting, this is an heirloom grade scope that will get passed down generations on top of your Ruger 10/22.
What Makes the Best Ruger 10/22 Scope?
Well, ideally magnifying lenses make the best scope, but poor attempts at humor aside, that is a really good question. We presume you have no interest in the cheapest, lowest grade scopes best suited for picking off tin cans. Instead, our focus is on better quality scopes that are better suited for hunting and serious target shooting. As previously mentioned, one big money saving advantage a good dedicated rimfire scope has is that it doesn’t have to be built to withstand a full power centerfire cartridge. For that reason many manufacturers put out dedicated rimfire scopes that resemble their high powered brethren but are considerably cheaper. Certainly there is nothing wrong with this, I’ve been guilty of putting expensive centerfire scopes on a hundred dollar .22 because that was all I had lying around, but most of us would rather put such a scope on our deer rifles. This makes the best 10/22 scope one actually built for the task at hand, instead of being overbuilt.
The Ruger 10/22 is often built into proper match competition rifles. Indeed, it is possible to build an entire 10/22 style rifle out of nothing but aftermarket match grade components, without having a single Ruger made part. Many people will take an out of the box 10/22, and spend hundreds or thousands of dollars upgrading it to a thing of true beauty. If you are going to go to that much trouble, then the best Ruger 10/22 scope for you will be one geared for highly accurate and precise rimfire shooting. Scopes that have built in reticles calibrated for popular rimfire rounds or scopes with built in bullet drop compensating reticles are the ones you should be looking at, as they will deliver the most optimal accuracy. The Ruger 10/22 is a fantastic little rifle, and has introduced countless people to shooting sports, and remains one of the most popular rimfire rifles in North America, and with the best scope, is even better.
You get what ya pay for.Buy once cry once.
You can pony up the $175 (or less if you shop around, Amazon isn’t as great as it used to be) or spend $50 bucks about every 3 years if you go shooting more than twice a year on the cheaper scopes. As Ben Franklin said “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” Do yourself a favor and opt for the higher end, higher quality scope.
That is a GREAT saying!
I have the Simmons in silver with a Weigand Integramount . Matches my stainless Mannlicher 10/22 beautifully. Works fine, and does not leave me wanting more …