6 Best 22 Scopes For Your Plinking Rifle


Leupold Makes one of the best sniper scopes for the money

Young children and adults alike love their 22Lr rifles making it one of the most popular calibers of all time. One of my earliest memories is shooting my grandmothers old single shot 22 as a child.

Even after the most recent bullet shortage .22 rimfire is still one of the cheapest bullets to shoot. Combine that with solid accuracy and you have a great rifle to practice with. To get the most out of your rifle you’re going to need a decent scope.


Which is The Best 22 Scope For Plinking?

1. Leupold VX-2 3-9X40 Scope

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The Leupold VX-2 3-9x40mm Rifle scope is the absolute best 22lr scope. It might be a little over kill for some of the cheaper 22’s on the market, but I figured it was worth mentioning.

Anybody who’s tried a Leupold knows why I love their optics. The optical clarity is unmatched by anyone at this price range. You aren’t going to beat Leupold’s glass without spending a small fortune.

Leupold’s VX-2 Rifle scope is the perfect scope to pair with a high dollar 22 rifle or anybody that practices out past 100 yards. There’s no question about it the VX-2 has one of the clearest sight pictures on the market.

Unless you plan on going into the Swarovski price range the Leupold is the cream of the crop. Combine the clarity with the high contrast optical system and you have one hell of a sight picture.

Leupold’s Multicoated lenses offer excellent light protection even in the harshest environments. This is the perfect sight for early morning shooting when the sun always seems to glare up your optic. Even though this sight uses a 3-9x40mm magnification range you’ll likely never need 9x magnification with a 22 Rifle.

Though all of the scopes I recommend have durable designs the Leupold VX2 is exceptionally durable. I really like that Leupold includes a DiamondCoated lens so that you won’t have to worry about scratching up the glass.

I have a few of these scopes in my safe and they’re all as clear as the day I bought them. Like every scope in this price range the VX2 has a 100% waterproof and fogproof body.

The Nitrogen purged tube is ready for a lifetime of abuse in the field. Backed by Leupold’s lifetime warranty you won’t have to worry about damaging this scope.

You’ll notice how everything on this scope was designed for efficiency. From the turrets, mounting, to the fast focus eyepiece everything about this scope is easy to use.

The LR Duplex reticle is another great feature on this scope. Leupold’s LR Duplex reticle was designed to be a hunting reticle, but it works just as well on the range. If you want the absolute best scope for your 22 buy the Leupold VX2 Riflescope.


2. Vortex Optics Crossfire II 3-9×40 Riflescope

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The Vortex Optics Crossfire II is another great rifle scope for your 22LR rifle. I really do love most of the Vortex lineup and the Crossfire series of scopes is no exception.

Crossfire scopes come in just about any magnification level you can imagine and they all have one thing in common. They pack a ton of features into an extremely affordable package. It’s hard to believe Vortex could make a scope this nice for the price.

Where the Vortex Crossfire really stands out is its sight picture. Vortex combined an extremely clear optic with one of my favorite reticles on the market. It must have been a recipe for success, because Vortex has sold a ton of Crossfire scopes.

It’s not as clear as the Leupold, but it’s more than acceptable for the price. What you’re really paying for is the multicoating Vortex uses. You won’t have to worry about glare regardless of the time of day.

Vortex uses one of the best reticles on the crossfire scope. Vortex Patented Dead-Hold BDC reticle is one of the easiest reticles I’ve ever used(Check Out The Reticle). Vortex took the guesswork out of estimating shot placement with their range estimating hash marks(extremely important with a 22).

Vortex Optics really stands behind their product lineup. Vortex offers one of the best lifetime warranties in the business. Not that you’ll ever need to use it on this scope.

The Crossfire II was built to last with their shockproof aircraft grade aluminum tube design. Combined with the nitrogen purged and O-ring sealed design, the Crossfire is 100% waterproof and fogproof.

With the Crossfire scope you’ll never have to worry about damaging your scope again. If you want one of the best budget rifle scopes on the market buy the Vortex Optics Crossfire II 3-9×40 RifleScope today.


 

3. Nikon Buckmasters II 3-9×40 Scope

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The Nikon Buckmaster II is one hell of a scope for the price. Nikon is known for making some of the best scopes at every price point. You aren’t going to beat the features found at this price. With the Nikon Buckmaster you can save some money without losing out on quality.

Nikon designed the Buckmaster to be an extremely affordable hunting scope. They chose an extremely durable design that was built to last in even the worst hunting conditions.

With a 100 percent waterproof and fogproof housing you won’t have to worry about damaging the scope in harsh conditions. O-Ring sealed and nitrogen purged you’ll never have to worry about moisture penetrating the tubes interior.

The 3-9x Magnification is perfect for your 22Lr Rifle. With a clear sight picture and Nikon’s antireflective system you’ll be able to use this scope any time of day. The multicoated lens provides over 92 percent anti reflection capability.

You’ll be able to use the Buckmaster scope from dusk to dawn thanks to Nikon’s optimum light transmission coating. Where the buckmaster really sets itself apart from the competition is its reticle.

Nikon’s BDC Reticle is one of the most intuitive reticles on the market. Using one of the best reticle designs on the market you’ll be able to quickly estimate range and quickly get on target. Why don’t you save a little money and buy the Nikon Buckmaster II 3-9x Scope.


 

4. Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn Riflescope

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Bushnell designed the Banner Dusk and Dawn to be extremely affordable. If it wasn’t made by Bushnell I would have been surprised at how nice this scope is for the price. With all Bushnell products you can expect a durable design that outperforms the similarly priced competition.

Where the Bushnell Banner Dusk and Dawn rifle scope really shines is its low light capabilities. Like the name implies you can use this scope from Dawn til Dusk.

Using Bushnell’s proprietary Dusk & Dawn multicoating you’ll be able to see extremely bright image all day long. You’ll be able to fill your tag in the critical first and last minutes of daylight.

Not only is the sight bright, it has a very clear sight picture for the price. You might notice slight blur on the edges of the 3-9x magnification range, but it’s more than acceptable for the price.

Get on target faster using the fast focus eyepiece and sturdy adjustable turrets. With the fast focus eyepiece you’ll be able to get a clear focus throughout the magnification range.

Featuring a very nice Multi-X Reticle you’ll be able to get on target quickly. At this price range you wouldn’t expect a 100% waterproof and fogproof enclosure, but Bushnell somehow manages to deliver.

With the sturdy waterproof housing you’ll be sure to get a lifetime of epic hunts out of this scope. Don’t pass up the affordably priced Bushnell Dawn and Dusk Rifle Scope.

 


 

5. Tasco World Class 3-9×40 Scope

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There’s probably more Tasco sights in the world than any other optic manufacturer. You don’t have to empty your kids college fund to buy a high quality Tasco Scope.

I don’t think there’s an expert that can tell the difference between a shot fired through a Tasco scope or one that cost five times as much. Bragging rights are earned through your shooting skill not the cost of your optic.

As much as it might surprise you this is actually one of the higher priced scopes in Tasco’s lineup. So they include a lot of features you wouldn’t find in other scopes this price.

The Tasco 3-9x World Class scope is one of the most popular scopes for hunting. Since it’s primarily a hunting scope Tasco made it durable enough to last in the wilderness. With a 100% waterproof and fogproof construction you won’t have to worry about damaging the scope.

The glass is relatively bright and clear(better than what you’d expect for the price). You might notice slight glare on extremely sunny days or a dim sight picture at dawn. It’s the perfect sight for your Ruger 10/22 or Marlin Model 60. For the price the Tasco World Class 3-9x scope really is a great 22lr rifle scope.

 


 

6. UTG 3-9X32 1″ BugBuster Scope

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The UTG BugBuster 3-9x Scope isn’t what you would expect out of your typical rifle scope. UTG prides themselves on throwing a lot of features in at a low price.

The BugBuster scope is more of a tactical rifle scope which is perfect for a 22 Rifle. Compact in size and packed with features you can’t go wrong with this affordably priced 22 scope.

The UTG Bugbuster scope is actually a pretty compact design for a 3-9x scope. It will look good on just about any rifle on the market. UTG designed this rifle scope around a true strength platform.

They were able to create a scope that maximized durability without increasing the price. By using a combination of O-Rings and a 100% nitrogen purge design UTG managed to create a completely waterproof and fogproof seal.

Your BugBuster scope will work at peak performance in all weather and lighting conditions. Including a multicolor reticle(Red,Green,Black) with adjustable brightness settings you’ll be able to use this scope in any environment.

UTG even decided to throw in a range estimating reticle to increase your target acquisition speed. The UTG 3-9x Bugbuster Scope is a great entry level tactical scope for your 22LR Rifle.


What’s The Best 22 Scope For The Money?

The majority of people want to pair a 22LR Rifle with a 3-9x magnification range scope. You’ll likely never need the 9x magnification, however 3-9x scopes tend to be the cheapest. Unless you’re using the scope on a tactical rifle extra magnification is always nice to have.

The good thing about your 22LR rifle is that you don’t need to mount an expensive optic onto it. You can save a little money or put it into other aspects of your gun.

Due to the low ballistic properties of the 22LR round you don’t need a high magnification optic. It really doesn’t matter what magnification range you buy.

You’ll find that the best bang for your buck optics are going to be in the 3-9x magnification range. Since it’s the most popular scopes tend to be 3-9x magnification they’re often the cheapest.

The 9x magnification is a little powerful for a 22, but you can use the extra range to see your impact holes. If you pick one of the above scopes I think you’ll be happy with your purchase.

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