[6.5 shooter]

For the longest time, “rimfire” + “scope” just meant crappy. The glass was poor. The adjustments were spotty. Drop one or get it really wet, and the scope was toast. But that’s changing fast. Today, some shooters put optics on their rimfires that cost two or three times the price of the rifle. (One of the most popular scopes at the NRL22 Nationals held in May in Las Vegas cost $4,000!) There are still some cheap, low-quality rimfire scopes out there, but there are also some high-end, first-rate options. It’s no surprise that the number one point of confusion for shooters who are new to rimfire competitions is optics.

But here’s the secret: Whether you need a new rimfire scope for competition or hunting, most quality centerfire scopes will do. Some are better suited for small-bore work than others, but you don’t need to spend a college semester figuring out what’s good. When shopping for your next rimfire scope, boil the features down to the following five specs, listed in order of importance, then check out our recommendations below, which range from $174 to, yes, that 34mm, $4,000 tube.