What You Need To Know Before Buying A Scope For Your Ruger 10/22

Aaron Spuler is a firearms enthusiast and recreational shooter. Follow more or his work at The Weapon Blog

The Ruger 10/22 is a rifle that has been around for over 50 years. This modest .22 rifle is loved by many and for good reasons. For starters, its ammo is affordable, and it has little recoil. Due to its popularity choosing the Best Scope for Ruger 10 22 is not an easy task. Fortunately, with the right guidance choosing a scope for your Ruger 10/22 is made easier. So, what should you look out for when shopping for a scope for your Ruger 10/22. There are a number of things you should consider. But in this article, I will concentrate on seven things that I believe every Ruger 10/22 owner should know when going to buy a scope.

1. The weight

If you have ever used a Ruger 10/22, then you know that it is pretty light. Most Ruger 10/22 rifles weigh about 5 pounds. Therefore, the first thing to remember when shopping for a Ruger 10/22 scope is that it is a lightweight rifle. Thus, buying a bulky scope will not be a good idea. To be on the safe side, go for a scope that is lightweight. A bulky scope will throw your rifle out of balance. Moreover, it will be difficult to aim at targets at long distances.

2. The optics

The main purpose of a rifle scope is to help you get a better view of your surroundings. In essence, a rifle scope is a sighting aid. So any scope that you buy needs to have very good optics. That being said, the Ruger 10/22 scope needs to have clear optics. There are several types of optics, coated, multicoated and fully multicoated. If you use your 10/22 primarily for hunting, I recommend getting a fully multicoated scope. A fully multicoated scope will come with a greater light transmission. What this means is that you will be able to see things clearly regardless of your environment.

3. The magnification and objective lens

When searching for a scope one of the most important factors, you will need to consider, is the magnification. Considering that you will most likely be using your Ruger 10/22 to shoot at 100 yards or less, a lower magnification is recommended. A powerful scope will be bad for your accuracy. Thus, anything beyond 10X is not recommended. For a Ruger 10/22, I recommend a scope with an adjustable magnification of between 3X and 9X. A powerful magnification at close range will make the image appear blurry.

At ranges of less than 100 yards, a lower magnification will do a better job. This is because a powerful magnification will cause eye fatigue. This will make it difficult for you to hit the target. In regards to the objective lens, a big objective lens will make images appear brighter. However, remember a big objective lens might cause the scope to be bulky. To be on the safe side, go for a scope with either a 32 or a 40 mm objective lens. In essence, the size of the objective lens should match the magnification and the size of the scope. Anything above 40 mm is unnecessary and will add to the scope’s weight.

4. Construction

Apart from improving your accuracy, a good rifle scope should also be affordable in the long run. What does this mean? This means that a good scope needs to be tough, rugged and capable of withstanding harsh weather conditions. You never know when you will get stuck in the forest while it’s raining. Also, your Ruger 10/22 scope needs to be tough enough to withstand the occasional fall and knock. When choosing a scope for your Ruger 10/22, it is important that you pick one that is waterproof and crafted from a tough material preferably aluminum or magnesium. The inside of the scope needs to be fog proof as well. A fogged up scope will be useless to you in the field. So make sure a scope is fog proof before you purchase it. An Excellent Ruger 10 22 scope come with nitrogen or argon filled barrels. The argon or nitrogen prevents internal fogging. In addition, a good scope will be o-ring sealed to prevent dirt, dust and other unwanted particles from entering the scope.

5. Ease of adjusting

How easy is it to adjust a scope? This is a very important question to ask before settling on a rifle scope for your Ruger. While out in the field, I doubt you will have time to wrenches and other tools to adjust your scope. Therefore, the scope you settle on should be easy to adjust. To know if a scope is easy to adjust, look at its turrets. The turrets should be easy to turn. Also, the eye piece focus should be easy to turn as well. The last thing you want is being unable to focus on your target.

6. Reticle

The reticle is an important part of a rifle scope. Thus, it is another important thing to know when buying a scope for your Ruger 10/22. While a simple duplex reticle will be ideal for a Ruger 10/22 scope, there are other options. A mil dot reticle, for example, can give you better results. Mil-dot can give you windage and elevation readings, which can be useful. If you are a fan of Nikon scopes, then the manufacturer’s BDC scopes can be a good choice. The BDC reticle on Nikon’s scope allows for bullet drop compensation. This means that you can aim from an elevated position and increase your chances of hitting the target.

7. The brand

There is quite a number of manufacturers that make scopes for the Ruger 10/22. When shopping for a scope for my Ruger 10/22 there are certain brands I trust, Nikon being one of them. Nikon makes some great rimfire scopes that come with some awesome additional features. Another manufacturer that I think has a good selection of 10/22 rifle scope is Simmons. Both Simmons and Nikon produce rifle scopes that are affordable and of high quality. So instead of going for a pricey Carl Zeiss model, why not opt for an affordable Nikon or Simmons model.

Author Bio

Glen S. Artis, Founder of Outdoorever.com. He owns Ruger 10/22, and an all-rounded gun and hunting enthusiast. A lover of great outdoor activities. He has had a chance of experimenting with a host of rifle scopes, and he is always eager to write about his experiences with different rifle scopes, as well as rifles and other outdoor topics.