Which Scope?

guitgary · 05-02-2006, 04:49 AM

Am making the plunge into a new 22-250. As this is my first "varmint-type" rifle, I am curious as to which brand and type of scope you are having the best luck with. budget is an issue, so I really can't afford the high end Thanks,
Gary

baltz526 · 05-02-2006, 05:24 AM

i have a simmons prohunter on mine 6x18x40 a/o works great.

StickFish · 05-02-2006, 06:47 AM

I have a Weaver Grand Slam 6-20x 40mmAO on my 22 Bench Rest high quality without the high price. Had a Tasco World Class on a 223 once it did an OK job for a budget scope

Rusty · 05-02-2006, 06:53 AM

I also shoot a .22-250 for varmints and have had great luck with the Bushenell Elite 3200 scope. I recently upgraded to a Nikon Buckmaster 4.5-14x40 with the Mil Dot System because of the long range shooting I am doing in E. Oregon.

My best advice is spend the very most you can afford on a good quality scope. It only hurts once, but upgrading to a better scope hurts twice. :shocked:

Rusty

goforchrome · 05-02-2006, 07:31 AM

Swift Premier is one of the quiet bargains in scopes.
Very good glass and reliability and under $200 for 6-18.
I have one and I am very pleased.
Nobody says they regret buying one.

cougfan · 05-02-2006, 08:39 AM

Leupold, never ever in 30 years haave I had a problem with one of theirs, oh except the time I fell on the rifle and bent the tube, returned it to them and they fixed it for free.

myra · 05-02-2006, 10:50 AM

i have the bushnell elite series and when i went to get it i held the leupold and bushnell side by side and bushnell was much more clear

adobe wall · 05-02-2006, 11:22 AM

buy a cheap rifle and put good glass on it.

You may get a decent scope at a low price, but premium glass is always a bargain.

If you go cheap, and then have to upgrade (which is usually the case) then you have essentially lost the money on the cheap scope. They have almost no resale value. Better to cry once than have to cry twice.

Going cheap anyways? Buy a used scope off the internet to minimize the cost of upgrading.

I've got a 22-250, one unsolicited suggestion would be to get a fast twist barrel. My factory rifle is equipped with a -14 twist which will only shoot 40-50 grain bullets accurately. Really limits your options, especially to handloaders. Get something faster and it will still shoot light bullets equally well but will also shoot the heavier ones.

If I were doing it again, I'd have bought a used model 700 remington and had John Benjamin (Portland) immediately rebarrel it. I've got a couple of cheap scopes, they are exactly what they are.

jmho, aw

billc_sbio · 05-02-2006, 12:54 PM

I have and love the OLD Weaver "T" series scopes...

However I'd go with Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24x X 40.

That's what I'm putting on new rifles that don't have the fixed power Weaver Ts on them.

xtrema44 · 05-02-2006, 03:48 PM

I shoot Leupold and nikon on all my gun's.I just put together a 204 for a friend and he went with a leupold 4-12 vx-1. I just put a nikon 6-18x40 buckmaster w/ target dot and love it on my 204. I have high dollar scopes on gun's and couple hundred dollar scopes on gun's. Just look for the best scope for what you can afford. Burris and Nikon make some affordable scopes just look around.

007SPRIG · 05-02-2006, 05:16 PM

Remember the motto. BUY OREGON FIRST. Leupold all the way.Like cougfan 30+ years on my Vari-X II's. GO BEAVS!

gerry · 05-02-2006, 06:41 PM

I have a Savage 12fv (heavy barrel, synthetic stock) in.22-250 with a Weaver V16. Got the gun at Bi-Mart, and the scope at BearBasin. Gun $320 on sale, scope was $230. Sweet setup with mounts/bases and sling under $600. LOVE the scope.

sunshinefisherman · 05-02-2006, 08:23 PM

Yes a Leupold would be nice, for $1000!

I put this scope on my marlin 17HMR and I am quite satisfied. No need for a spotting scope with this baby! The scope is plenty bright even when it's cranked up. I just put a folding bipod on mine and suggest that you do the same, you will need it.

This scope has fully multi-coated optics which means both sides of every piece of glass. This link has a good explaination.

Here is their whole line.
web page

This puppy shoots dime-size groups at 100 yards right out of the box.

guitgary · 05-02-2006, 09:18 PM

Awesome feedback, as always, folks. I appreciate the input. I'm leaning on spending around $250, if possible.

Thanks!

lentz · 05-03-2006, 12:13 AM

I prefer Leupold, but in my younger and broke years i had a Ruger 22-250 that i put a 3x9x40 Bushnell Banner on. That was 21 years ago and it is still a good scope for that rifle. It has never been "off", and it was used for quite a few years for my deer rifle. When i bought my 7mm i upgraded to a Leupold VXIII 2.5x10x40. I will say that the optics are far superior than the Bushnell was. They do make a lower-end Leupold for around $200.00

hrbassin · 05-03-2006, 05:22 AM

Look at the Leupold Rifleman. It seems to be right in your price range.

Mark

Hunt'nFish · 05-03-2006, 01:11 PM

$250??? Keep saving a couple more months and buy what you want not what you can. Yes I'm a Leupold guy got several, and yes a couple have had problems but both were fixed w/o charge and one is nearly 40yrs old that was put on a 1968 Belgium BAR by my Great, Uncle when he bought it. I've had some other cheap scopes that broke as well but none of them are still in operation.

However I have been impressed with the glass that Baush&Lombe was putting the Elite4000 series. Bushnell bought B&L's scope line so now they say Bushnell but as i understand it they are still made by the same folks using the same procedures. So the name change SHOULDN'T matter.
I have two B&L's a 6-24x40mm Elite4000 and a 4-12x40mm Elite3000 I like both scopes and the glass on the 4000 will beat the glass on my 6.5-20x50mm Leupold Vari-X III on equal magnification settings on the same twilight conditions. Try counting points at 3miles and you can see the differance between the two.

So I think you'd be happy with the Bushnell Elite series and although it's a bit out of your price I'd save just a tad longer. Will Bushnell "fix" your scope 20yrs from now, for free, w/o a single question? Don't think so.
A Weaver V24 sucked water on me last elk season, a very long wet day in the saddle doomed it.
Your choice,
Hunt'nFish

baltz526 · 05-03-2006, 02:08 PM

here is the thing, this is going on a 22-250. used mostly at the range or varmits. it makes no sense to spend several hundred dollars on a scope that will be used in mild conditions on a mild recoiling rifle. if it a fog proof, shock proof, water proof scope it will be fine. spend inside your budget, ignore everyone else. when you get 10years out of your under $200 scope, just smile for the next 10yrs, as you shoot better ammo.

gerry · 05-03-2006, 06:35 PM

$250? Weaver V16. Check them out.

dubl_t · 05-04-2006, 05:50 AM

my $.02 would be something with fine crosshairs (sometimes the "dot" can cover your target), multi coated lens's (for light transmission), mounted as low as physically possible: you may not really need the big 50mm objective lens, "light gathering" isn't really that important at the range or when hunting rats. Magnification? I don't know. And everybody's doing the "w-proof,f-proof,s-proof" thing (which, btw, DOESN'T mean the outside of the lens won't fog!) But I hear the "Raingaurd" coating by Bushnell really does make a difference (no, I didn't "hear" it from an ad). Good luck and let us know what you get and how you like it. I hear good things about "Swift" and "Sightron" but don't know of a local retailer.
Ps: if you can, get the 1/8" adjustment and maybe target type turrets. as flat as the 22-250 shoots, you'll appreciate the fine tuning abilitys.