Silhouette Scopes

[Raybat]

I am trying to set up a small bore silhouette program. Money is not unlimited, but I don't want to buy a scope based only on price. It is my understanding that a fixed power 20x would work well. Please let me know what will get the job done without spending crazy dollars.

[CSACANNONEER]

I was a broke college student when I started shooting smallbore silloutte. I found an old Mossberg M42A for $75 and mounted a Simmons 6.5-20x on it and I had a sub $300 set up. Now, I'm not the best shot in the world but, that rifle did get me a couple of 5 turkey pins. It even helped me run my first seven turkeys when I shot my first match. +20 years later, I've still got the rifle but, I haven't shot it much in a long time. Anyway, I would suggest a variable power because, there are days when you just need to drop the power down because you can't steady yourself enough to hold a 20X. But, cheap glass will get you into the game and you can change it later if you decide to. Hell, my old Simmons still works. It's not as clear as my NXSes but, it was about 90% cheaper.

[RimfireJim]

I agree with CSACANNONEER - variable power, and you don't need to spend a lot to get started. I, too, have a 6.5-20X Simmons on my silhouette rifle. Last Sunday I shot it at around 12-14X getting started on the match, because I was out of practice. By the time I finished my fourth animal (chickens), I had it dialed back up to 20X. Good shooters will use over that.
You'll want target turret adjustment knobs so you can easily dial in your settings, and an adjustable objective so you can focus well at the each of the distances. Elevation repeatability is a must.
Big objective to let in plenty of light, and fine cross-hairs are a plus (something my Simmons lacks). Your .22 will look "over-scoped" when you are done, but you will be in good company at a match. Make sure you stay within the total weight limit for the class you are entering - big scopes are heavy.

Here's a link to some info on silhouette shooting: http://members.cox.net/riflesilhouette/

[Davinho]

For shooting silhouettes, repeatable adjustments are FAR more important than
good glass. Target turrets are a big plus. I really like the Weaver V-series with
the micro-trac adjustments. "Buy once, cry once" is generally good advice, and
never more so than for competition optics. These days I'm using Falcon Optics
with great success.