[captaincrunch]

looking for a scope for my small game hunting rifle (marlin mod-60) not an expensive gun so lets not spend more on the scope than the gun. I have been looking at the BSA 22 sweet 8-16x40 for around 75.00 or the 4-8 model for 55.00 what do you guys think? always hunted without a scope but my eyes are not what they used to be

[hiwall]

That is WAY to much scope. 4 power is plenty. More like this or similar - -

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Barska-4x32-IR-Plinker-22-Riflescope-Black-Matte-30-30-IR-Cross-with-3-8-Dovetail-Rings-Clam/12349296

[mountainskytop]

I think that a scope costing $250 bucks or less will be just right for me. It is unbelievable how many folks present themselves here as "rolling in dough"! Gimme a break already! Lol You would not believe the groundhog shots I did in the 1960's with a WEAVER K10 power scope that cost me $50 bucks back then!

[jjfuller1]

almost any brand will work just fine on a 22. it comes down to how much precision you are wishing to get. i have a tasco 3x9x32 on my marlin bolt action. it does good. had a nikon prostaff3x9x40 on my marlin mod60 untill i gave it to my wife for her AR. if you want a scope that will work look for a cheap one. if you want a good quality scope that really works great look to nikon, burris for reasonable priced, crisp clear optics

[Gh0zt36]

Originally Posted by captaincrunch

looking for a scope for my small game hunting rifle (marlin mod-60) not an expensive gun so lets not spend more on the scope than the gun. I have been looking at the BSA 22 sweet 8-16x40 for around 75.00 or the 4-8 model for 55.00 what do you guys think? always hunted without a scope but my eyes are not what they used to be

I had the 8-16x40 on a 15/22 M&P and it was a big scope . felt well made held zero good optics got a a little fuzzy when you got near max mag but for a lower end scope I liked it alot.

[dan01]

GhOzt36....I use two different NcStar 3-9x40 tactical scopes on my 15 22 and Colt C 4.........Both just under $100......I have used many other scope brands at much higher costs on my big bore rifles and these NcStars give me the same confidence...........I like the compact 8" long size which mimics the scopes the military uses on their battle rifles.........I have a Red Dot on my 22 cal AK and a reflex on my HK MP 5 SD........

My scopes are for fun shooting and I don't subject them to rough handling....So far they have worked wonderfully.

[Gh0zt36]

Originally Posted by dan01

GhOzt36....I use two different NcStar 3-9x40 tactical scopes on my 15 22 and Colt C 4.........Both just under $100......I have used many other scope brands at much higher costs on my big bore rifles and these NcStars give me the same confidence...........I like the compact 8" long size which mimics the scopes the military uses on their battle rifles.........I have a Red Dot on my 22 cal AK and a reflex on my HK MP 5 SD........

My scopes are for fun shooting and I don't subject them to rough handling....So far they have worked wonderfully.

Nice I went with the nikon prostaff bdc 150 for my 10/22 take down , utg picatinny rail and utg quick detach 4 screw rings which are adjustable. My favorite scope setup to date . scope was 150.00 rings I think were 20 and rail was like 8 ? so just under 180 for the setup. 92% light trans . and the optics are incradibly clear. the rail is channeled so I can still use the iron sights and believe it or not although the sight picture is probably a .016 dia hahah I can still see the front iron through the channel and the cut in the rear with the scope ON. It's almost like a pinhole tiny gh0zt sight

[John_Deer]

I put a simmons 22 mag fixed power 4x scope on my 10/22. It has passed the 4 wheeler test numerous times. The scope rings that came with the scope are to tall and they are dovetail mounts. I upgraded the scope rings to weaver quad lock medium sized rings. I don't know if upgrading the scope rings will be so simple with the dovetail mount on the model 60.

I am having the same problem as you. My eyes are not what they used to be. I never hunted with a scope even with a big bore rifle. Now in poor lighting I have a hard time finding the front sight. So I ended up putting a scope on the 10/22. I still target shoot with my model 60 but hunting with the open sights isn't as productive as it used to be.

[Jeff56]

For a hunting scope you want something with a wide field of view and not that much magnification. Too much magnification and you will have a hard time picking up your target and following it if it starts to move (like a squirrel will do). But I do think a person should get a scope that is good enough to work well with the rifle they have. A common rule of thumb is that the glass should cost as much as the rifle. I know that seems high but if you get the right scope it makes a lot of difference. Things like light gathering ability become important on those early morning or late in the evening tree rat hunts. That's the best time to hunt squirrels so it's good to have a scope that will be able to pick up the target in low light.

I have a scope on my 60SS that I think is a good match for the rifle. It's the same rifle as the regular 60 BTW. It's just stainless and has a different stock. I have a Nikon ProStaff 3-9X40 scope on it. I have hunted with it some but mostly I just plink with it. But 3 power is low enough to let me pick up squirrels that are close up. But mainly I have used it to shoot squirrels at around 50 yards because that's where the trees are near my house. I shot out a squirrel trying to train my dog to tree them. Usually I don't use a scope at all if I want to hunt because it is much easier to hit a running squirrel without a scope.

Weaver makes a good 4 power fixed magnification scope. Fixed power scopes almost always have a wider field of view and they generally have a more forgiving eye relief. That's something else to look for in a hunting scope. In fact if I wanted a scope for a hunting rifle I would almost certainly get a Weaver 4X. If I wanted a scope for plinking and hunting I'd get the scope I did get, the Nikon. Both scopes are good choices. Don't let people tell you that all scopes are the same. They aren't. Sometimes a scope doesn't have to be perfect but there are differences between scopes.

[John_Deer]

You might get marginally better glass in a high end scope but they break just as often as the less expensive scopes. I have seen just as many broke Zeiss and Nikon scopes as I have Tasco or other cheap scopes. The inexpensive scopes have a lifetime guarantee. If one uses a 4 wheeler to get to their hunting areas any scope is going to break after a few years. Even people who don't ride their 4 wheeler in an aggressive manner still break scopes jumping logs and powering through mud. Yes, we all use handlebar gun racks. I try to make as little noise as possible when entering my hunting area. After a few weeks of hunting deer associate the sound of a 4 wheeler with danger.

Given that no scope is going to last that long I can't justify spending $200 on a scope.