Thread: What scope to choose (.22 benchrest)?

Originally Posted by Hermitage

An accurate benchrest rifle, deserves a rifle scope that can go the distance and give you accurate results. Therefore a benchrest scope is all about precision - mechanical precision and optical precision are of utmost importance. It's also about high-end, high-magnification scopes. For me this basically means choosing a quality brand name, as I feel it's essential for quality assurance, durability, optical clarity at higher power, and lifetime warranty.

Taking the above factors into consideration, my choices would be limited to five scopes: Weaver T-36, Leupold 45x Competition, Nightforce Precision Benchrest 12-42x, Sightron SIII 10-50x, and March 8-80x 56 scopes.
These scopes have very accurate detailed target-style turrets with very fine adjustments of 1/8 MOA. Reticles are either fine crosshairs to allow for adjustments and target focus without any 'clutter' like PRS scopes. Or they can come with an open central dot of 1/16”, 3/32” or 1/8” Minute-of-Angle (MOA).

I do not mean to sound argumentative but I do not really understand what you mean by Optical Precision. In fact, from what I read, SIII 10-50 is optically meh at high magnifications.

Mechanical precision is fair enough, but all high end scopes can achieve this. If you look at precision long range shooting websites' reviews, usually only the high end scopes are truly precise : night Force, Hensoldt, TT, Khales, Razor HD, SB, March etc. I have never seen anyone testing T36 for mechanical precision. As a related point, do benchrest comps shoot at varying distances in the same match? If not, then I also do not understand why do they need super accurate clicks.

If there is weight limit to benchrest comps then I can understand the need for a specialised breed of scopes with light weight, high magnification and finely adjustable clicks.