--- title: "The 10 Best Rimfire Scopes of 2026: Budget to Precision Optics Tested" description: "We tested everything from light and capable small-game scopes to optics built with precision in mind." date: "2026-11-05" modified: "2026-11-05" authors: - name: "Scott Einsmann" job_title: "Executive Gear Editor" link: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/authors/scott-einsmann.md" - name: "Andrew McKean" job_title: "Hunting and Conservation Editor" link: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/authors/andrew-mckean.md" url: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/gear/best-rimfire-scopes-2026/" categories: - "Gear" - "Optics" - "Rifle Scopes" tags: - "Gear Reviews" --- # The 10 Best Rimfire Scopes of 2026: Budget to Precision Optics Tested ![NX6]() A rimfire rifle used to be the next step up from a Red Ryder. You’d grab it to plink at the range, teach a new shooter, or shoot a few squirrels. But rimfire rifles have evolved, and so has the entire hobby of shooting them. It’s now completely normal to expect a rifle to shoot 1-inch groups at 100 yards and a range session to stretch from 25 to 300 yards. Scopes have kept pace with the rifles. You might find a basic 3-9x on a stock 10/22, but you won’t find one on someone’s RimX build. Today’s rimfire shooter wants close-focusing adjustable parallax, a first-focal-plane reticle, and plenty of elevation travel to reach well beyond 100 yards. I selected the best rimfire scopes with those demands in mind, but I haven't forgotten the utilitarian and budget friendly scopes. Here are my top picks from my testing and our optics tests. - **Best Overall:** [Nightforce NX6 2-12x42 F1]() - **Best for Competition**: [Vortex Razor HD Gen III 6-36x56]() - **Best Traditional:** [Vortex Crossfire II 2-7x32]() - [Hawke Vantage HD 30 4-16x50 SF]() - [GPO Centuri 4-16x44i FFP Compact]() - [Bushnell R7 4-20x50 FFP MOA Hybrid Dot Tree Illuminated]() - [Burris Veracity]() - [Leupold VX-Freedom 2-7x33]() - [Tract 22 FIRE 4-12x40]() - **Best Smart Scope:** [Burris Eliminator 6 4-20x52]() ## The Best Rimfire Scopes: Reviews and Recommendations ### Best Overall: [Nightforce NX6 2-12x42 F1]() I use rimfires for hunting, fun shooting and occasionally competition. I’d typically need at least two scopes to cover those pastimes: a handy 3-9x for hunting and a 3-15x for shooting small targets at extended ranges. But the Nightforce NX6 2-12x42 F1 can take on all of those uses, and do them well. ![The NX6 FC-MRx reticle]() *A look at the FC-MRx reticle (scope set to 12X and target is 50 yards away).* We tested the entire NX6 line at Outdoor Life’s 2026 optics test, and I was thoroughly impressed with the 5-30x56mm F1’s ability to ring steel at 300 yards and focus down to 11 yards. That scope is a bit big for my typical rimfire uses. The 3-18x is a highly versatile option that Outdoor Life Editor-in-Chief, Alex Robinson, recently picked as the [best high-end scope for deer hunting,]() but it’s still a bit heavy for my taste. The 2-12x is my pick for the ultimate rimfire scope because it’s ideally suited for small-game hunting, plinking and shooting steel beyond 100 yards. While it’s not the scope you want for hitting tiny targets at long range, it has enough magnification to hit rimfire-sized targets around 100 yards, and I routinely shoot my KYL rimfire rack with it at 50 yards. The scope’s attributes extend beyond its versatility. It has decent glass, an incredibly easy-to-use zero stop, close focusing and excellent tracking. Some might find the FC-MRx reticle too busy, but I like it for fast holdovers and its reference points for wind holds. I currently have the NX6 2-12x42 on a CZ 457 American with a Proof Research carbon-fiber barrel. The rifle is a hammer and very light, and the NX6 is right at home on it. **Read Next:** [CZ 457 American Review: Quarter-Inch Groups Right Off the Rack]() ### Nightforce NX6 2-12x42 F1 Specs | **Magnification** | 2-12x | | --- | --- | | **Objective** | 42mm | | **Tube Diameter** | 30mm | | **Focal Plane** | First | | **Reticle** | FC-MRx (MOA or MRAD), illuminated | | **Click Value** | 0.25 MOA or 0.1 MRAD | | **Elevation Travel** | 115 MOA / 33.4 MRAD | | **Windage Travel** | 90 MOA / 26.2 MRAD | | **Parallax** | 11 yards to infinity | | **Eye Relief** | 3.5 inches | | **Field of View (at 100 yards)** | 50 feet (2x), 9.7 feet (12x) | | **Length** | 12.5 inches | | **Weight** | 23.1 ounces | | **Price** | $1,800 | ### Best for Competition: [Vortex Razor HD Gen III 6-36x56]() If you're looking for to compete in NRL22, there are several excellent scopes to choose from. But the Razor HD Gen III 6-36x56 is my overall best pick. It focuses down to 10 yards, has 36 MRAD of elevation adjustment, and plenty of magnification for shooting matchsticks and other tiny targets. The new VMR-5 reticle is a nice clean reticle that's ideal for people who prefer dialing and you can still get the EBR-7 reticle if you prefer holdovers. Here's what optics editor, Andrew McKean, had to say about the Razor HD Gen III after our [optics test](): Vortex might have been satisfied with simply upgrading the reticle inside its flagship precision scope, which has won enough PRS and NRL matches to qualify as a class leader. But with the new Gen III version of the venerable Razor HD, Vortex has created a new turret system that is precise, smart, and innovative. ![Snow looks through Vortex scope.]() *While the locking turrets are hard to activate, the Vortex offers excellent glass and an innovative zeroing system. Scott Einsmann* The heart of the turret update is what Vortex calls its L-TEC+ zero system in which relaxing a single set screw allows users to make fast and precise turret adjustments. The system allows zeros to be established between the turrets’ .1 MRAD clicks, meaning that shooters no longer have to be satisfied with turrets set a half click above or below their true zero, a fudge factor that is more problematic the farther you shoot. The operation takes a bit of getting used to. Tester John B. Snow, thinking the external slot on the head of the turret was designed to accept a beefy screwdriver bit, reefed on our sample, breaking the pot-metal, before reading the instructions and learning that once the retaining screw is loosened, the turret moves easily with only fingertip tension. Our other rifle-range revelation: The creepy caterpillar-looking grub that emerges from the base of the turret is not an embedded chrysalis but rather a smart revolution indicator that becomes fully emergent on the third full rotation of the elevation turret. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9BmnUCVQok For the smart turret updates, the Vortex wins our Innovation Award, but that’s hardly the only update to this excellent scope. The new EBR-7D reticle is a marvel of efficient simplicity. Built around a .03 MRAD red-illuminated center dot with open aiming cross, the reticle’s elevation steps are in .2 MRAD hatches, and windage steps in .2 MRAD dots. We would like to see slightly bolder indexing, as the reticle references were hard to see below about 11-power. The image delivered by the Razor HD is one of the best in the class, and we liked the turret indexing and smart and useful pull-to-turn illumination control. With a very close parallax adjustment and the infinitely adjustable zero, this would make an excellent rimfire competition scope. Vortex is understandably proud of this scope, but with a retail price of around $4,000, we think it’s pretty pricey compared with its peer group. — Andrew McKean ### Best Traditional: [Vortex Crossfire II 2-7x32]() There’s not much innovative or surprising here, just a basic duplex reticle inside a straight-ahead scope with decent turrets and a durable build. Backed by an excellent warranty. ![The vortex scope is mounted on a rifle.]() *Andrew McKean* ![This is a closer look at the Vortex scope.]() *Andrew McKean* If simplicity is the pathway to versatility, then the [Vortex Crossfire II]() is at home on a small-game bolt rifle or a fast-shooting AR. It might not have the chops for precision work, but the duplex reticle is fast and reliable. The controls are a little mushy, but the eye relief and eye box are both forgiving and the fixed parallax makes it a great plinking scope. — Andrew McKean ### [Hawke Vantage HD 30 4-16x50 SF]() ![The author shoots the Hawke]() *The author testing the Hawke on the range. Scott Einsmann* Another in a long line of solid, bright Hawke scopes. This sub-$450 Vantage 30 is an upscale sibling to the Vortex Crossfire HD 6-18x50. Both sport useful second focal-plane BDC reticles with center-dot illumination. But the Hawke brings a little more sophistication to its controls, with exposed pull-to-turn turrets, immersive field of view, and a floating center-dot aiming point that lights up in either green or red. Optics are good but not great. The illumination is good but we wish it was more intense to boost visibility in bright sunlight. And turret tracking started to slip a bit at the very end of its elevation travel. But the Hawke impressed us with its smooth, tactile controls, and the BDC reticle is fast, with MOA-based references that correspond to the drop of standard center-fire loads. With a 50-yard zero with our standard 40-grain CCI .22 LR ammunition, we easily stretched the reticle to 300 yards by dialing 35 MOA of elevation and holding another 10 MOA. That’s impressive range for the scope-and-rimfire combo. “It’s a simple, straightforward hunting scope that’s priced about right,” says tester Dale Manning. Enough said. — Andrew McKean **Hawke Vantage 30 4-16x50** - Magnification: 4-16-power - Objective Lens: 50mm - Tube Diameter: 30mm - Light Transmission: Not provided - Exit Pupil Diameter: 12.5mm to 3.125mm - Twilight Factor: 14.1-28.3 - Field of View: 28.8-7.8 feet at 100 yards - Reticle Plane: Second - Reticle Type: LR2 Dot - Illumination: Red and green center dot - Turret Click Values: ¼ MOA - Adjustment Per Revolution: 15 MOA - Total Internal Adjustment – Elevation: 95 MOA - Total Internal Adjustment – Windage: 95 MOA - Parallax Correction: 10 yards to infinity - Weight: 26.1 ounces - Length: 13.7 inches ### [GPO Centuri 4-16x44i FFP Compact]() ![GPO compact scope]() *The ultra compact 4-16x44. Scott Einsmann* One of the surprises of the test is how testers universally fell in love with this little, versatile scope. On the surface, it seems like an oddball. Less than 10 inches long, it requires a cantilever mount to fit most rifle receivers, and it looks more like an LPVO than a serious precision scope. But once you get behind the GPO Centuri Compact, a whole world is revealed through the excellent milling reticle. At lower magnifications with the illumination at its highest intensity, the reticle functions as a point-and-shoot red-dot sight. But at higher magnifications, starting about 10x, the reticle’s precision references become visible. A series of .1 MRAD hashes enables pinpoint aiming. For shooters who prefer to dial, the big exposed turrets pull to turn and move with authority. A smart revolution indicator pops up on the elevation turret when shooters enter the second revolution. ​If you’d rather tune the reticle to your specific load, GPO offers a free custom ballistic turret with purchase. That’s an additional value for a scope that’s already priced fairly at about $650. Testers debated the best use cases for the Centuri Compact. Some felt it’s best suited to an AR carbine. Others wanted it on their big-woods whitetail rifle, and still others felt it would be an excellent scope for stalking elk in dark timber. That latter use is enabled with a smart illumination that lights up the floating center dot and inverted horseshoe. The red illumination is infinitely adjustable thanks to a rheostat control. ​The eyebox is stingy at higher magnifications, which forces shooters to have perfect alignment. But that’s a minor miss. The scope garnered enough pluses to finish in the top third of the field of scopes that are much more squarely configured for hunting.— Andrew McKean **​GPO Centuri 4-16x44i Compact Specs** - Magnification: 4-16-power - Objective Lens: 44mm - Tube Diameter: 30mm - Light Transmission: Not available - Exit Pupil Diameter: 11mm to 2.75mm - Twilight Factor: 13.3 to 26.5 - Field of View: 34-9 feet at 100 yards - Reticle Plane: First - Reticle Type: MIL inverted horseshoe/hash style - Illumination: Yes - Turret Click Values: .1 MIL - Adjustment Per Revolution: 10 MIL - Total Internal Adjustment – Elevation: 22 MIL - Total Internal Adjustment – Windage: 36 MIL - Parallax Correction: 10 yards to infinity - Weight: 20 ounces - Length: 9.9 inches ### [Bushnell R7 4-20x50 FFP MOA Hybrid Dot Tree Illuminated]() - ![Optics tester shoots the R7]() *Testing the R7's tracking on the tall target* - ![Bushnell R7 being tested]() - ![Bushnell R7 FFP reticle]() *The Bushnell R7 FFP reticle* [][][] The Busnell R7 won the editor's choice award for being the best hunting scope of the year. While it's an excellent big-game optic, it's also right at home on a rimfire rifle. Here's McKean's take on this excellent piece of glass: With this big, bright, and surprisingly sophisticated R7, Bushnell is restoring its relevance as a first-order hunting optic brand. The first focal-plane scope has an open tree-style reticle that’s anchored by an illuminated segmented circle and floating center dot that enables precision work as well as fast holdover and wind-informed shots at game. For hunters and target shooters who would rather dial, the pull-to-turn elevation turret is nicely indexed and moves with positivity. The windage dial is capped. Bushnell has invested heavily in the R7 line, which is the best of the Good/Better/Best product-line hierarchy that started with the R3 a couple years ago and continued with the R5 last year. The company has four different configurations of the R7, released just this month: a 1-8x24 LPVO, a 2-10x42, and a 3-15x50 in addition to the 4-20x50. The lower magnification scopes are available in second-plane reticles, but the two higher-mag versions come in either first- or second-plane reticles and either MIL or MOA, giving buyers a crazy number of variations on the platform. We tested the second-plane MOA version of the 4-20x50, but for its versatility, performance on a wide range of targets and distances, and its flawless handling, we named the FFP R7 not only best Bushnell in the test, but the best overall hunting scope in the field of 25 excellent competitors. They include Nightforce’s new NX6, Leupold’s VX-4HD, and Zeiss’s new V3 families, along with some excellent submissions from Vortex, Trijicon, and Burris. For its overall performance, the Bushnell R7 4-20x50 is this year’s Editor’s Choice winner as the top hunting scope of 2026. The scope stacked points with a combination of good ED Prime glass, clear indexing on its controls, tight and positive turret and focus controls, and an illuminated Hybrid Dot Tree reticle that splits the difference between a precision competition and a hunting reticle. Its zero stop, which we’re glad to see on this type scope, is a 6-screw affair that’s a hassle to set, but works wonderfully as a solid backstop on elevation turret travel. We worried about the durability of the R7, but it passed our inaugural drop test without skipping a beat. We dropped the scope three times from three feet on concrete covered by a 2-inch pad, and the Bushnell retained its zero. Of course, our test teased out some deficiencies. The reticle references aren’t especially visible until about 7x, and I’d like to see one or two more intensity steps to the center-dot and segmented circle illumination to make them pop in daylight. But if you’re looking for a rimfire or long-range competition scope that you can easily transition into a big-game hunt, this is a wonderful choice. The price, at about $950, is fair for the versatility and fine handling of this true crossover scope. — Andrew McKean **Bushnell R7 4-20x50 Specs** - Magnification: 4-20-power - Objective Lens: 50mm - Tube Diameter: 30mm - Light Transmission: Not provided - Exit Pupil Diameter: 12.5-5mm - Twilight Factor: 14.1-22.4 - Field of View: 32-6.3 feet at 100 yards - Reticle Plane: First (tested) - Reticle Type: MOA Hybrid Dot Tree Illuminated - Turret Click Values: ¼ MOA - Adjustment Per Revolution: 15 MOA - Total Internal Adjustment – Elevation: 80 MOA - Total Internal Adjustment – Windage: 50 MOA - Parallax Correction: 15 yards to infinity - Weight: 25.2 ounces - Length: 13.5 inches ### [Burris Veracity]() Set-it-and-forget-it hunters will appreciate this solid, honest scope for its lack of adornments. No illumination. A simple plex reticle in the second focal plane. It’s like the Fullfield mentioned above but with better glass and controls. But hunters who are practiced at ranging a target, then dialing an aiming solution based on ballistic solvers will go crazy for this new configuration of the venerable Burris Veracity. The elevation knob is exposed, nicely indexed, and ready to dial. A little too ready, as it doesn’t lock. For some OL testers, that’s a problem, as an exposed turret can easily get pushed off zero given the hard knocks of the field. But Burris has that figured out, too, with a zero stop that ensures a return to zero. It’s a tedious 6-screw affair to set, but once the zero stop is established, it is a rock-solid baseline for dialing. ​Given the wave of hunting scopes containing first-plane reticles with busy windage and elevation references and illumination modules, this iteration of the Veracity is refreshing. But it also forces users into either dialing for distance or sticking with the single aiming point at the crosshairs. We’d rather see the 3-15x44 Veracity with the illuminated RC-MOA (Rapid Cross) reticle that gives hunters the option of dialing or using reticle references to hold for elevation and wind. We quibble a bit at the $1,000 price for such a stripped-down scope, but the turret tracking was among the best in the field, and Burris’s “Knob Synergy” elevation dial is tight, positive, and the low-profile build won’t hang up in the field. All in, the 3-15x44 version of the Veracity is a welcome addition to the 2.5-12x42 and 5-25x50 versions. — Andrew McKean **Burris Veracity 3-15x44 Specs** - Magnification: 3-15-power - Objective Lens: 44mm - Tube Diameter: 30mm - Light Transmission: Not provided - Exit Pupil Diameter: 14mm to 2.9mm - Twilight Factor: 11.5-25.7 - Field of View: 34.5-7 feet at 100 yards - Reticle Plane: Second - Reticle Type: Plex - Illumination: No - Turret Click Values: ¼ MOA - Adjustment Per Revolution: 25 MOA - Total Internal Adjustment – Elevation: 77 MOA - Total Internal Adjustment – Windage: 77 MOA - Parallax Correction: 25 yards to infinity - Weight: 24.2 oz. with mount - Length: 13 inches ### [Leupold VX-Freedom 2-7x33]() Combining simple controls and a modest but versatile magnification range, this durable scope is perfect for just about any .22 or .17, whether for small-game hunting, plinking, or most precision target work. It has good glass, repeatable controls, and enough holdover references on the vertical stadia that, with some practice, you can extend your range out to 100 yards and longer. At close to $300, it’s priced in the meaty middle of the market and can easily transition from a first-gun optic to just about any other rifle, whether a rimfire or not. Here’s a rimfire scope for just about any purpose. This outwardly pedestrian optic has a lot going on between a surprisingly precise second-plane reticle, bright glass, and fun indexing on the nicely tactile turrets. The best thing you can say about any scope is that it is consistent, and the [VX-Freedom]() delivers bullets with pleasing reliability. It’s a good rabbit and squirrel scope. Still, the MOA-based references on the vertical crosshair make it a decent option for engaging distant targets, which means you don’t have to invest in a ponderously big first-plane target scope to take titles at [NRL22]() competitions. Lastly, the Leupold rimfire scope brings the company’s good glass and an excellent warranty.— Andrew McKean **Read Next**: [The Best Rifle Scopes]() ### [Tract 22 FIRE 4-12x40]() ![The Tract scope is mounted on a rifle.]() *Andrew McKean* ![This is a closer look at the Tract scope controls.]() *Andrew McKean* [Tract’s 22 FIRE]() series has a full series of scopes for .22 and .17 shooters, but this AO model (it stands for Adjustable Objective) is the most versatile scope in the line from the direct-to-consumer brand. The duplex reticle features a fine crosshair with a .25 MOA center dot, which allows for full view of the target and precise bullet placement, which competitive bullseye target shooters will appreciate. The adjustable objective enables precise focus for targets inside 10 yards all the way out to infinity, a feature you don’t often see on rimfire-specific scopes. The objective focus is a little clunky compared with the side parallax of most modern scopes, but it works well and further enables precise shooting. At about $275 it’s not a cheap scope, but the glass is good, the controls are some of the best in the business, and the precision it allows also makes it a killer squirrel scope. — Andrew McKean ### Best Smart Scope: [Burris Eliminator 6 4-20x52]() - Integrated Rangefinder - Second Focal Plane Reticle - MOA Controls - 34 mm Tube Diameter - 30 ounces The Burris Eliminator 6 is the easy button for long-range shooting. It ranges, calculates ballistics, and tells you where to aim. Here's what shooting editor, John B. Snow, said about the Eliminator 6 in his [precision scope buying guide](): This is the most innovative scope in this roundup. Burris has long been a category leader in scopes with integrated rangefinders, and Eliminator 6 is the newest iteration of that tech. Once the scope has been fed a ballistic profile and zeroed — neither process is overly complicated — it delivers impressive point-click-and-shoot capability. The second focal plane reticle contains a multitude of LED illumination points. When you range your target — which is done via a large button on the left side of the scope or through a remote Bluetooth switch — one of those dots lights up indicating your hold. It is remarkably idiot-proof. ![precision rifle scope]() *The heads-up display in the Burris Eliminator 6 is easy to master* I know we live in an age of technological marvels, but the fact that you can roll through the scope’s magnification range and the aiming dot will slide up and down the crosshair continuously displaying the correct hold is remarkable. Targets beyond 1,000 yards can become difficult to laze, and you’ll likely need to fine-tune your ballistic profile to keep the scope’s solutions spot-on. But within 800 yards this system couldn’t be quicker or easier to employ. — John B. Snow ## Choosing a Rimfire Rifle Scope Your first consideration if you’re in the market for a rimfire rifle scope is how well it will perform with the short-range capabilities of the caliber. You probably don’t need a ton of magnification or reticle references if all you want is to shoot tin cans or 50-meter bullseye targets. But the world of rimfire shooting is evolving to look a lot like long-distance center-fire precision shooting, with all sorts of precision rimfire competitions and games that put a premium on both short-range and long-range precision. For backyard plinkers, you probably just want a simple scope with a duplex reticle, but for the latter, you’re going to want a first-plane reticle with lots of turret adjustment. Then there are the pure small-game scopes. These are lower-magnification optics with just enough reticle references to get you on game and maybe make longer shots, head-shooting squirrels, for instance. ## FAQs ## Final Thoughts on the Best Rimfire Scopes Somehow, the optics industry has squeezed all the fun out of rimfire shooting. Instead of cheap, reliable, and utilitarian rifles, we now have fancy chassis rifles with all the attributes of their big-bore brethren. And prices to match. We’ve complicated what was once the most fun and simple type of shooting into rigorous competition. That’s all great if you want to make .22 shooting into a serious thing, but don’t forget that rimfires are the gateway for most shooters and hunters into our community, and the scopes and rifles that are the best for new shooters are often the most simple and cheap. So read this review with a little bit of skepticism. There are optics for every stage in a shooter’s evolution, but maybe pay special attention to those fun, simple, gateway scopes. ## Author Scott Einsmann is *Outdoor Life’s* gear editor. He oversees the gear team’s editors and writers who are subject matter experts in bows, knives, hunting, fishing, backpacking, and more. He lives in Richmond, Virginia with his wife and two bird dogs. ### Author social links [LinkedIn]() [Instagram]()