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Best Scope for 22 250

Varmint Hunting

The .22-250 Remington has been around since the 1930s, and has been consistently popular among hunters and long-range shooters since the 1960s. In particular, this caliber is known for hunting varmints. It’s maintained its popularity thanks to its speed, flat trajectory, power, accuracy, and reliable performance.

If you’re using the .22-250 Remington, we’re guessing you are hunting small to medium game. These powerful bullets travel so quickly you only rarely have to adjust for wind, and they have a relatively light recoil.

With the right scope, you can increase your accuracy at hitting small targets over long distances.

Magnification

Perhaps the most important question in choosing the right scope is how far you intend to shoot. The .22-250 Remington is primarily used at close to medium distances for small game. Close range for this caliber is anything up to 100 yards. If you’re shooting small targets at this distance, you’ll want 3-5x magnification.

For the .22-250, medium range is considered 100-150 yards. For this, you’ll need 3-9x magnification. Anything in this range will help you find rodents or other small targets from a good distance away.

Shooting targets from 150-500 yards is considered long range for the .22-250 Remington. For this distance, you’ll need a magnification of 10-20x.

Anything over 500 yards is considered very long range. At these distances, you’re probably doing target practice. You’ll need a magnification of 10-24x.

Don’t get a higher magnification just for the sake of it. More is not always better. If you will be using the .22-250 Remington to lower the rat population in your barn, there’s no reason to have 10x magnification. These fast-moving critters will be almost impossible to find with the limited field of view offered by a high intensity magnification. Choose the option that makes sense for you based on how you intend to use your firearm.

If you would like to use your scope at several distances, you can get a variable scope that provides a range of magnifications. For the .22-250, a 3-9x variable scope should suit most of your needs.

Reticles & Turrets

Because of the speed of the .22-250 Remington and its excellence at close to medium distance shooting, you will not have to make many adjustments. If you love the bells and whistles of a reticle and turret system from another scope, they certainly won’t hurt you here. However, a simple reticle will do just fine for varmint hunting. You don’t need to worry about extra features with this caliber if you are new to optics.

Eye Relief

A scope’s eye relief refers to the maximum distance your eye can be from the scope and still see the full image. For firearms and calibers with hefty recoils, eye relief keeps your scope from hitting you in the eye when you fire the gun.

The .22-250 has a lighter recoil, so you don’t need a generous eye relief. Anything with 3” should work fine, depending on the specifics of your rifle.

In Conclusion…

When purchasing a scope for any purpose, make sure you invest in a durable, high-quality instrument from a reliable manufacturer. It’s best to get lenses that are “fully multicoated,” meaning multiple layers of weatherproofing and anti-reflective coat are applied to every glass surface. Beyond that, determine your priorities with the .22-250 to choose the magnification level that is right for you.