Decent Scope for Kidd SG

[GregP74]

First off before I get to the gun itself here's what I'll be doing with it. It's just for fun. Up at the cabin we do some offhand shooting at fairly close 15-25 yard distances. Mostly though we shoot on a picnic table with a bipod again not too much distance usually 30-50 yards, sometimes out as far as 75 but rarely if every 100.

So onto the gun... I sold off a bunch of 22s I hadn't shot in years. My plan was to build up a nice 10/22 from the ground up as a winter project. That somehow turned into buying a Kidd Supergrade. Yeah, it's complete overkill for what I'm doing but hey you only live once.

That brings me to optics. I don't need a 45x Nightforce or a 2.5-20 Monarch for what I'm doing , but I also don't want a sub $50 piece of Chinese made junk.

I just want something that'll focus down to the distances I'm going to be shooting at and be reliable with reasonably good glass. Something that goes down to 3 or 4x and maxes out at 9,10,12. (Although I'd be willing to down on the low end and up a little on the high also.)

I've always been a Leupold guy I've got a VX3i 6-18x40 EFR on my Anschutz but that's just too much low end for me on this. I tried out their VX Freedom 3-9x33 EFR but wasn't impressed and sent it back. They've got a couple other rimfire scopes but the parallax is fixed at 50 yards and I'm worried I wouldn't be happy if most of the shooting I'm doing is closer in than that.

I see Bushnell has some side focus offerings with side focus that'll go down to 10 yards. They're quite a bit heavier than the Leupolds though. There's a Vortex Diamondback Tactical 4-16 that'll go down to 20 yards as well as a Viper HS that's on sale at Midway but that bottoms out at 50 yards.

If anyone's got suggestions I'm open!

 

[targetsmoker]

Check out meopta optika 5's or 6's. The leupold vx-II 3-9 x33's are the best of the leupold rimfire scopes. the vx-2's are more comparable to the freedom models.

 

[GregP74]

Check out meopta optika 5's or 6's. The leupold vx-II 3-9 x33's are the best of the leupold rimfire scopes. the vx-2's are more comparable to the freedom models.

I had a feeling the Optika might get mentioned. I had a 3-15 on an Anschutz I was selling last spring and before I could tell my buyer that wasn't included he pulled out an extra wad of bills to have me leave it on. Apparently he liked it as much as I did.

Those VX II 3-9x33s seem to be going for a pretty penny these days. I've been keeping an eye on them. There's a 3-9x36 AO Sightron SII for sale on here that I'm contemplating. From what I can read those are good too even if a bit heavier than the Leupolds.

 

[CJ6]

Leoupold 4.5 x 14 Fine X hair.

 

[GregP74]

Leoupold 4.5 x 14 Fine X hair.

I tell ya I wish they were still making some of those scopes they used to. The 4-12 or 4.5-14 AOs I've seen are sweet but they seem to be priced pretty high on the used market.

 

[Cemetery21]

My SG has a Vortex Crossfire, 12 on the upper end, I think without getting it out. Plenty good enough to keep up with the boys we shoot with. Sounds like a similar group that you shoot with. It easily shoots inside a dime at 50 and focuses closer.

 

[GregP74]

My SG has a Vortex Crossfire, 12 on the upper end, I think without getting it out. Plenty good enough to keep up with the boys we shoot with. Sounds like a similar group that you shoot with. It easily shoots inside a dime at 50 and focuses closer.
View attachment 1303223

That's something to consider too. I had one of those (possibly the same one you do) on a CZ some years back. I don't remember it really well. I think it was on there when I sold the gun but it must have been a decent scope if I didn't replace it while I still had the rifle.

I have to remember this is for a 22 shooting at < 100 yards we're talking about here. I don't need glass made for a 1000 yard rifle.

 

[Schutzen2]

Athlon Argos and Sightron s-tac both parallax down to 10 yds.

 

[GregP74]

Athlon Argos and Sightron s-tac both parallax down to 10 yds.

How do those Sightron S-Tacs compare with the SII? I was looking at an S II 3-9x36 AO that seems like it could be a good choice as well.

 

[Schutzen2]

I cannot make a comparison as I have not looked through an Sll. I have an S-tac 4-20 on my CZ457 and have looked through several Athlon Argos scopes that fellow shooters own. Both scopes are very good for the money and the type of shooting you described IMHO. Buy the best scope for the purpose intended that you can afford and you won't regret it. I have an Athlon Cronus on one of of my Vudoos that is also a great .22 scope for what I do but quite a bit more money than the other two but I would buy another one.

 

[Schutzen2]

How do those Sightron S-Tacs compare with the SII? I was looking at an S II 3-9x36 AO that seems like it could be a good choice as well.

I see you are in Rockford. Come down to central IL and you can look through anything that I have.

 

[GregP74]

I cannot make a comparison as I have not looked through an Sll. I have an S-tac 4-20 on my CZ457 and have looked through several Athlon Argos scopes that fellow shooters own. Both scopes are very good for the money and the type of shooting you described IMHO. Buy the best scope for the purpose intended that you can afford and you won't regret it. I have an Athlon Cronus on one of of my Vudoos that is also a great .22 scope for what I do but quite a bit more money than the other two but I would buy another one.

Whenever I need a new scope I try to make a checklist of exactly what I need it to do. That way when I have one that might work I go down the list and make sure it meets all my requirements. Of course sometimes I can't find anything right away (most of the time for rimfires, because I've got all the normal stuff to worry about plus focus/parallax) and I get frustrated and opt for something that's not quite what I need. And a month later I'm in the market for something that IS what I need. I don't mind spending money but I don't need to spend extra for things I don't need.

Thanks for letting me know about those two I'll look them up online.

I see you are in Rockford. Come down to central IL and you can look through anything that I have.

<Waving out the south window> I might have to take you up on that!

 

[Cemetery21]

I had one of those

Vortex Crossfire is their lower end scope. I have a couple on rigs that see only relatively short range targets in good light. They have done the job for me. I like the dead hold reticle.

 

[GregP74]

Welp I thought long and hard about what I'm really going to be doing with this thing and I'm buying the little 3-9x36 AO Sightron that was for sale on the marketplace here. I think It's going to do what I want and be nice and lightweight. (And if not, I can part with it and find something else that suits me better.)

 

[hillbill]

The Sightron S-Tac 4x20 sits on my custom 10-22 and it does a great job for a scope in that price range, right now they are on sale too which never hurts.

I would buy another for a 22 bench/hunting gun and never think twice, this afternoon I busted a couple of noggins with mine but that's all I saw, up close to as far as I care to shoot it gets the job done very well.

 

[GregP74]

The Sightron S-Tac 4x20 sits on my custom 10-22 and it does a great job for a scope in that price range, right now they are on sale too which never hurts.

I would buy another for a 22 bench/hunting gun and never think twice, this afternoon I busted a couple of noggins with mine but that's all I saw, up close to as far as I care to shoot it gets the job done very well.

I ended up finding an old Sightron SII 3-9x36 AO that someone was selling. I haven't had a change to try it out yet -- there's either been snow, rain, or below zero temps since I put it on but I'm looking forward to trying it out.