Best .22 Pistol Scope

Eye Relief    

The eye relief is the distance you” ll need to place your eyes when looking through the scope’s ocular lens to see your target. Eye relief of scopes differs when it is built or designed for a rifle(long gun) or shotguns (Pistols). For example, if a scope is designed for a pistol, it will have long eye relief so that it will be comfortable for a shooter who holds the pistol away from his face to see the target clearly and make an accurate aim.

For a rifle, the eye relief is accepted to be between 4 to 5 inches while for a  scout riflescope having extended eye relief, it is between 9 to 12 inches. Handgun scopes have a long eye relief of around 20 inches with a range of between 10 to 20. A shooter or gun user must be able to determine what eye relief he or she needs to be based on the height of the shooter, shooting stance and how long your arms are. For example, a tall individual should consider needing more generous eye relief than a short individual.         

Magnification

It is the property of a scope that allows you to enlarge your target that is far away beyond its normal size when viewed with the naked eye. This is a very important feature that a good scope offers. However, this feature may not be useful when using a handgun or a pistol. Meanwhile, if this feature is needed at all on a pistol, it should not be more than about 7 times (7x) magnification because, for a .22 handgun or pistol, the recoil and the ballistics prevents the scope”s magnification from achieving its purpose for the range with which you want to use it for beyond the seven times magnification setting.

For a handgun, shooting less than 50 yards, you do not need a scope with magnification but above 50 yards, this might seem necessary. On the whole, you should know that getting a fixed magnification scope costs less while a variable magnification scope costs higher. Your choice is therefore dependent on what you need the scope for.

Reticle Design

The reticle of a scope shows you what you are aiming at on the lens of a scope. The function of the reticle in scope is to accurately direct the shooter on what he is aiming at before pulling the trigger of the gun. A simple reticle is designed for a short-range shot while represented by just one dot at the middle of the lens. For a long-range shot, a complex reticle might be needed oftentimes with a BDC ladder or any form of markings or indicator at the middle of the lens. Finally, reticles specifically designed for handgun scopes are not complex but simple. This is because .22 pistols are not ideal for long-range shots.

Optical Clarity

A scope with good optical clarity produces a clear image of the object or target when you allow light to pass through it. The optical clarity is obtained in scopes when high-quality, fully multi-coated glass is used in the manufacture of its lens. Most of the scopes designed and manufactured with high-quality glass and fully multi-coated have illumination settings or adjustments whereby if the image becomes too dim, you can easily adjust via the setting knob.

Environmental Condition

When choosing a .22 riflescope, one important thing that must strike the user’s mind is the ability of the scope to perform excellently well under extremes of weather. This simply means that it must be fog proof and waterproof. There is great satisfaction when you choose and purchase with an extra amount a weatherproof scope which has the advantage of performing well under extremes of weather than a cheaper scope that malfunctions when it rains, fogs, or snows.

If it is clear to you that your scope will be deployed in an environment susceptible to sudden changes in weather, then you must choose a scope that can perform as desired and expected, come rain or shine. Apart from surviving the weather, your scope must be able to withstand shocks from falls, recoil, bumps, etc.

Lens Diameter

Generally, the lens diameter of a scope is the number written after the zoom length. It is the size of the glass at the far end of the scope and this gives us the idea of how easily light will enter the lens of the scope. For instance, if a scope has a specification of 4-8 x 45mm, the lens diameter is 45mm. The lens diameter shows the overall diameter of the scope.

The larger the scope”s objective lens diameter, the more it permits light to enter through the lens and most especially in dim or environments without light. It is noted that scopes having 30 or 34mm bodies are gaining much acceptance and popularity in recent years although a little weightier than the 1-inch scopes. This is because many light management items are infused in all of these bigger scopes for better performance than the smaller 1-inch scopes.

Right Reticle Focal Plane

Scopes’ reticles are either placed in the first or second plane. Reticles that are placed in the first focal plane mean that the reticle remains the same perspective as the target size. This type of reticle is appropriate for long-range shooters. On the other hand, if the reticle is positioned in the second plane, it means that the user can increase the power zoom in which case the target becomes bigger. Finally, if the reticle is illuminated, this means that it assists the user in making the scope brighter in low-light environments and conditions.

Lens Coating System

Lens coatings are very essential in scopes and their significance must be put into consideration when buying a scope. Coatings are put in the scope”s lens to make the lens fog and water-resistant . Here are the various coating terms used for the scope”s description.

Coated

This means that at least one scope”s lens has just one layer of coating

Fully Coated

This signifies that a single or one layer of coating is used on all the lens”s surface

Multi-Coated

The lens surface has multiple layers of  coatings

Fully Multi-Coated

All the surfaces of the scope”s lens has multiple coating   layers

Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Coatings

They are layers put on the surface of the lens that bounces off water from it.