Can you use a centerfire scope on a rimfire rifle? Warne Scope Mounts is here to answer your questions about centerfire scopes and whether or not they work on rimfire rifles.
Rimfire Rifles and Rimfire Scopes
Small caliber rimfire rifles are great for hunting small game and target practice at relatively close distances. The advantages of rimfire rifles are their low recoil, inexpensive rimfire ammunition, and ability to hit short-range targets effectively.
Rimfire scopes are designed for low-recoil firearms and thus typically have less eye relief than a centerfire scope built to handle larger caliber ammunition and more recoil. Some rimfire scopes have hash marks or dialable turrets for elevation and windage based on .22LR ammo. The thing about droppage and windage marks or dialable turrets is it's based on a certain velocity of ammo and a certain barrel length, so that may be accurate for every rifle and every brand of ammo but accurate enough to drop a squirrel at 100 yards. Still, some calculations or DOPE will need to be used for precision shooting or distance shooting.
For a plinking or someone shooting under 100 yards, one does not need to spend a lot of money on a scope for a .22. They should keep in mind that most people who shoot .22lr will shoot it a lot. Some shooters will shoot thousands of rounds of .22lr in a year versus maybe a box of 20 out of their deer rifle, so they will want to find something that has a decent reputation of holding up even though .22 recoil is barely noticeable if the rifle is going to get a lot of use quality scope and scope mount can keep you zeroed. If shooting smaller or distant targets, glass becomes very important. There are some quality scopes made specifically for .22 rimfire rifles.
Can You Use a Centerfire Scope on a Rimfire Rifle?
Centerfire scopes can work on rimfire rifles, provided the base and rings match the diameter of the centerfire scope you choose. One reason rimfire rifle owners might opt for a centerfire scope is quality. Centerfire scopes are generally built for hunting and target shooting and are more durable and made of higher-quality materials and components than a typical rimfire scope.
Parallax and eye relief are two issues that pop up when mounting a centerfire scope on a rimfire rifle. A scope designed for rimfire is usually set to be parallax-free at 50 yards, so if you are using a centerfire scope set with parallax set at 100 or 150 yards, you may have to dial back the power of your scope to center the crosshair on objects at closer ranges. So, for example, if you are using a common 3-9 scope centerfire scope with parallax-free at 100 yards, you'll want to shoot it at 3 power unless you are shooting past 100 yards.
Some scopes have a parallax adjustment dial and can be adjusted for lower ranges, I have seen some that adjust as low as 25 yards. This is an option if you want to use a centerfire scope on your .22 rimfire.
Why is Parallax Important?
Parallax is important in aiming because it affects the apparent movement of the reticle in relation to the target when the shooter's eye moves off the optical axis of the scope, causing aiming errors.
Scopes for Long Range .22lr Rifles.
Not all .22lr shooters are just plinkers or squirrel hunters. Some take shooting .22 rimfire quite seriously and push the limit of that little round shooting precision.22 rimfire competitions like NRL22, where .22 rimfire shooters shoot ranges out to 200 yards. They practice the same skill set that big-bore precision shooters do, adjusting for windage and elevation as a .22lr can be affected by wind, gravidity, altitude, moisture in the air, and temperature in the same way as big-bore rifles do, but at a shorter distance. For competitive shooters or those pushing the limits of the accuracy of their .22 rimfire, having a more precise scope and learning how the dials and hash marks match up with the point of impact in various conditions does not mean having to use a scope made specifically for a .22 rimfire.
Summary
Can you use a centerfire scope on a rimfire rifle? The answer is yes. You can do so with some considerations. Some gun owners prefer centerfire scope quality and durability over rimfire scopes. But if you’re using a rimfire rifle and have found a decent rimfire scope, you probably don’t need to swap over to a centerfire scope. Also, remember that rimfire scopes don’t work on centerfire rifles. They weren’t designed to handle that much recoil, plus the shorter rimfire eye relief on a centerfire rifle could be an issue as well.
If staying on target matters to you, check out our line of Rimfire Specific Rings. If you are using a Weaver or Picatinny Rail you can use any of our Picatinny scope rings. made for Weaver or Picatinny rails.