Better Aim, Better Game: The Complete Guide to Rimfire Rifle Scopes

Just starting out with target practice, recreational shooting or small game hunting? Rimfire rifles, handguns and shotguns are the perfect shooting companion for beginners, and anyone wanting firearms that are easy to master, with minimal recoil and are cheaper to purchase. They might lack the overall power and range of centerfire arms, but are a low-cost and versatile option, especially in terms of munition and necessary accessories like scopes to hone your shooting skills to perfection.

Whether it's plinking, varmint hunting, shooting sports or even self-defense, rimfire rifles are up to the task. More so if your rifle is equipped with a matching rimfire scope to get the shot every time. Scopes obviously are about improved accuracy, with the needed magnification to clearly see and distinguish your target, allowing shooters of all types, be it hunters or sport shooters, to target shots more accurately. Quality scopes also bring extended range, making longer shots possible despite factors like bullet drop and windage. And they help acquire targets faster, allow for shooting in low visibility and inclement weather, and provide consistent results that build confidence.

Choosing a scope that strengthens your shooting skills can be a daunting task. With so many options and factors to consider, which rimfire scope meets your shooting needs? New terminology and specs can get tricky if you're just pulling your first shots, but this guide aims to help buyers improve accuracy and safety.

For scopes used with any type of rifle or handgun, the main considerations are magnification power, objective lens diameters, reticle designs, eye relief, and factors like lens coating, parallax adjustment and build quality, just to name a few.

This is how close you want your target to appear with the naked eye. Maximum magnification isn't always preferred, considering the shorter ranges and uses of rimfire arms. To work out the magnification in your scope, consider the first set of numbers. Scopes with a fixed magnification, such as 4X32 magnify targets 4 times. This might be good for targets in open areas 100 yards away, but there's more flexibility in rimfire scopes with variable magnification, especially when shooting in different settings and varied distances. For rimfire guns, variable magnification between 3-9X works in plinking, target practice and most types of hunting, but for increased ranges consider scopes with 4-12 or 6-18 magnification.

The is the second number appearing after the magnification index and refers to the size of the lens at the end of the scope and furthest from the eye. 4x32 riflescopes have an objective lens of 32mm. Larger scopes provide better light-gathering capability, meaning a brighter and clearer view of your target. Again, bigger isn't always better, and most rimfire scopes average between 32 and 40mm. Anything larger adds necessary weight and makes scopes prone to reflections, possibly revealing your position in hunting.

Visual markers or reticles provide better aim and define where your shot will go. Different reticle types are aimed at different shooting styles and different rifles. Crosshair reticles are the most basic and found in low-end scopes. They can miss the mark for hunting purposes, as they struggle in low light conditions. Upgrade to scopes with duplex reticles if you're using your rimfire rifle in target practice and hunting, mil-dot types for a clearer view of targets at a distance, and ballistic or BDC reticles that calculate bullet drop over a defined distance. Again, ideal for long-range targets in inclement weather. And for low-light visibility, say when hunting at dusk or dawn, an illuminated reticle works best.

This is the distance you can hold the rifle away from the eyes and still see the image in the scope. Eye relief compensates for recoil, and depends largely on magnification power. Centrefire rifles have higher recoil rates and, therefore benefit from more eye relief than rimfire arms.

Lens coatings deal with light scatter and reflections, providing a clearer, brighter and more focused view of the target. Choose multi-coated lenses as your starting point, or fully-multicoated types at higher price points. Other considerations are parallax correction, or aligning your view and the reticle at longer distances, adjustable objective lenses (again to sort parallax errors), and windage and elevation knob adjustments to zero in on distant targets.

With specs sorted, you'll also want a scope that's built of high-quality materials, can endure abuse and still delivers on its promise of high precision. Single-piece billet aircraft-grade aluminum handles impact and drops, knurled metal knobs perform adjustments and coatings deliver water and fog-proofing for a better aim, regardless of weather conditions. Lastly, to ensure that your scope lasts and performs, shop from established brands. Familiar names to go by are Bushnell, Leupold, Vortex Optics, Simmons and Zeiss, just to name a few.