Low Light scope for a varmint yard gun

[Mr_Sheesh]

Once I move (eventually!) I want a better scope for low light for a .22; For varminting. In city now but planning to get out to the country and last time I had a cheap (TOO cheap) scope and found that, at night when the Raccoons were pestering us, I had a hard time seeing the darn things. I'll have to check laws (unsure where I'll go yet) but would hope Rats, Raccoons, etc. in my yard would be fair game. I may be able to add a good weapon light - I'll have to see. Probably could look at a red dot type sight but I've never used one, always conventional glass.

I am debating upgrading to a 22 Hornet for the job as it would be a lot harder on large Raccoons, have to look into good rifles for that. CZ or Ruger, lots of good options.

{Mods - as usual, unsure where to put this - Is there a proper place for sights related posts? Move if needed. TY!}

[Texas by God]

A regular 3x9 at low power or better yet a fixed 4x with the light Foreward of the scope to prevent glare. Dual-X crosshairs work fine. If your not saving hides a .17 HMR is great and less prone to travel far if you miss. .22 hp minimag is what I use most - but a full choke shotgun TELLS on Rocky Raccoon and his kin.

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[Mr_Sheesh]

Shotguns work well, but if I end up with a barn cat, I'd like to stay somewhat quiet so as to not terrorize the cat. 22 Hornet would do that; Could use a 223 with a reduced load too I guess. But a 10-22 would work too maybe? Haven't shot a 17 HMR yet, doable in a 10-22 IIRC now? Something will work out. Trying to not spend $$ on a VX2 or 3 for a rimfire LOL Maybe I'll upgrade one rifle to that and use the Weaver K4 off it, that'd do. I was going to put any light under the stock with a tube to prevent glare, so it's recessed and not visible from the scope.

[Texas by God]

My dogs and cats don't even wake up unless I shoot something with a muzzle brake on it. But they are used to it by now[emoji846]

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[jonp]

A Holosun red dot or a different type depending on your budget would work for what you are thinking of doing but if you are intent on a scope, a Nikon Prostaff rimfire is very clear and transmits a great deal of light. 98% I think is what they quote and they are not joking on this. You can get one for about $100 new or less on Ebay for used. I'm a big fan of Nikon glass on the value vs money scale of things.

I have a couple of cheaper scopes I bought on a whim to try out, Barska etc. 4x with a lighted crosshair. They work surprisingly well. Good way to see if you like a lighted crosshair before dropping serious money on one. Word of warning: stay away from Osprey products. Pure junk.

[frkelly74]

I set the bait under a mercury vapor light and could see the raccoons perfectly. The 513 with its long barrel makes very little noise with sub sonic ammo.

[osteodoc08]

What’s your budget? I imagine any fully multicoated scope from a reputable company would be sufficient however.

[Earlwb]

If it is like pig hunting at night, you could try using a red or amber (yellow) flashlight to illuminate them with. The pigs seem to ignore the red or yellow light. I really like using my ATN day/night digital scope for pig hunting. I think I would figure out a way to mount it on a 22LR rifle for small varmint hunting at night. They do make a picatinny rail adapter for .22's with the scope mount grooves. I was also thinking that the animals usually freeze for a few seconds when you light them up in a spotlight. So you might have time to shoot them if you aren't too slow.

[tazman]

I got tired of not being able to see well though my 22 scopes and switched to 1 inch high power rifle scopes. I have an old Weaver 4 power on my first 22lr rifle(Winchester 72A purchased used in 1963). I sighted it in over 30 years ago ago and haven't needed to adjust it since.
My newer rifles all get nice 1 inch scopes in various powers depending on what I plan to do with it.

[Jack Stanley]

I'm a fan of Leupold rim fire scopes , but if a budget is in the way of that . I'd agree on the Nikon Rim fire scopes , I have a couple of them and like them .

Jack

[Mr_Sheesh]

The Nikon web site, so far, seems to suck a bit (I cannot get it to work right, it insists on always showing me NO RESULTS if I try the needed tags.) I can look elsewhere though. I can see a Nikon or a Leupold, or other decent scope, $100-$200 maybe? Not sure on that Weaver K4, I think it has very thin crosshairs, fine on the sporter it was on but NOT too good for low light! Fixed 4x will definitely do for this job, even if I upgrade to a 22 Hornet it'll be quite enough scope. Indoor pets will have a wall between the rifle and their ears, outdoor one wouldn't. Planning to get probably 2 dogs, once I can have them, so they could help let me know when varmints are about. (One cat here growls if anyone comes by the bedroom window, she's channeling Clint Eastwood maybe - "Get off my lawn!" LOL)

[Thundarstick]

I am very pleased with the Weaver rimfire scopes. They have the proper paralax, 1 inch tubes, and better optics than a bunch of the budget centerfire scopes do. There not budget busters, there sized and balanced for rimfire rifles, and I can assure you they let in plenty of light for night time varmint control. I personally own 3 4x28, 4 2-7x28, and a 3-9x30 paralax adjustable. I also own several Leupold scopes for big guns and the only thing I can tell they have on the Weavers is $100 larger price tag! If you want to really get cheep, but OK, see if you can find an old Tasco shotgun scope with the circle X reticle. Beware of red dots if you have astigmatism! I have it, and in all red dot sights the dot looks like I'm using a cutting torch, I get a hot spot with a flare to one side, and it's useless for any precision shooting for me.

[jonp]

I was just on the Nikon site and it worked fine for me

[Mr_Sheesh]

On the Nikon Site, maybe it just doesn't like FireFox?

[jonp]

I use Firefox. Im not sure why your having a problem. Try Optics Planet and look at them there

[Mr_Sheesh]

Optics Planet was fine back then. Odd. I'll get to putting it all together eventually :)

[winelover]

Currently, I just set out a racoon paw trap and just shoot them in the daylight. Previously, used a inexpensive 4X Simmons 44 Mag rimfire scope on my Ruger 10-22 in conjunction with a LED green weapon light............mounted directly above the scope.

Winelover

[Mr_Sheesh]

A raccoon paw trap wouldn't be wise with barn cats; Cats and Dogs have a way of finding me when I am out and about, so I expect they'll occasionally show up looking for a good home. I'll at least foster them, then find them a home.

[pietro]

at night when the Raccoons were pestering us, I had a hard time seeing the darn things.

I'll have to check laws (unsure where I'll go yet) but would hope Rats, Raccoons, etc. in my yard would be fair game.





AFAIK, most states regard Racoons as game animals, with attendant seasons, and not pests/varmints.


.

[Shingle]

Nikon pro staff rimfire 3x9x42 has served me well on my 10/22's. It stays pretty bright until no see time. Just make sure you dont get one of the model with those stupid target turrets that nikon loves so much,due to the fact there is no way to lock them. The scope should be in the $100 range,a good deal for good glass IMHO.

[robg]

Got a Nikon prostaff 2x7 on my marlin 45-70 very clear ,parallax 75 yards .I'm very pleased with it.

[shortlegs]

Scope reticle is hard to see at night on dark colored animals. I went to a red dot, but a lighted reticle would work just as well. Question is do you need magnification?

[JSnover]

I can't add anything to the scope comments but if you're looking for more power than standard 22LR, I bought a CZ 512 22 magnum last year and I love it. The receiver is dovetailed for scope mounts

[Mr_Sheesh]

pietro, sure, but if they're trying to kill your animals that changes things. I can go look if its changed since many moons ago when I lived in the sticks. Plan is to move to MT tho, which state's OK with Raccoons being trapped or shot, looks like. I'll check more.

I have thought of trying a Red Dot scope, might be a good answer for night, and cheaper than glass; might rig it to run off external power and charge it in the rack. Illuminated crosshairs would do too, but more light is good as you can dump a lot of rounds down range that do nothing, if you can't see the target!

Might think on 22 Mag, think I mentioned that and a 22 Hornet earlier? If it's just a Raccoon, a 22 Mini Mag will do the job; Thinking on it though as MT has the occasional Grizzly and I "might" want a bigger caliber if faced with one of those. Still figuring out what to do - I am good with electronics etc. and have considered CCTV style cameras so I could see what's out there before stepping outside, and pick a proper tool for the job. Efficiency is good :P

[Mr_Sheesh]

Don't need magnification as far as I know, BUT it'll depend on how the place I move to is set up; If it has a large flat area where I could take 100 yard shots 2x-4x might be nice - I'll know when I find a place. If it's all "doghair" i.e. vine maples or whatever, as thick as dog hair, magnification wouldn't help much, unless some critter runs down the driveway? So while I could guess now, I'll have to see. I know I won't need over 4x, a small varminting gun's not ideal for Coyotes or Griz LOL

(I wouldn't want to take a griz on with a .22 - Unless I was in an APC, Tank, or something like a heavy bunker, darn things are known for tearing their way into cabins in AK and I'd just as soon not seriously tick one off!)

[winelover]

Racoon paw traps are pretty much dog and cat proof.............especially, if you use mini marshmallows for the bait.

Winelover

[Mr_Sheesh]

Interesting, I had of course seen Conibear traps and snares, not those though. In past the problem wasn't the Raccoons coming by and attacking the food, it was just them trying to eat the barn cat, he'd get himself in his safe spot (he had a nice reverse slope defense figured out, smart cat!) and he'd scream defiance at them; I'd pad on outside quietly to convince them to go prey elsewhere. Not sure they'd have noticed that trap, they were so focused on the cat that they didn't see me till I was all the way outside usually, in range.

[Petrol & Powder]

Optics is one of those areas where you get what you pay for. There are ways to make good scopes and there are ways to make cheap scopes but there are NO ways to make good cheap scopes.
The manufacturer just cannot drive the price point below a certain level without cutting corners somewhere.

A few basic truths about scopes and low light: Lower power = more light transmission. Lower power = larger field of view. A larger objective (front lens) will help in low light....to a point, there are diminishing returns as that glass gets bigger. Huge objective lenes have problems of their own that outweigh the small advantages gained. Fixed power scopes are simpler than variable power scopes. In low light and at short ranges, 4 power will likely be the most magnification you will need or could even utilize. Less than 4 power will be even better in terms of light transmission and field of view.
In low light settings, fine reticles will be difficult to use. You may want a thicker style reticle. My personal favorite reticle for most shorter range hunting applications, including low light, is the German post reticle.


When it comes to optics, there's no free lunch. You don't have to buy a $2000 scope to get one that is "good enough" but you'll never find a $19.95 scope that is "good enough". I am firmly of the opinion that when it comes to optics you need to cry once and get it over.

There are a lot of good rifles and scopes on the market. Even without a suppressor, a subsonic bullet is fairly quiet. A flat tipped bullet is far more effective in a .22 than any round nose design.

Good Luck !

[Thundarstick]

They may still be classified as game animals, but because very few of the coon hunters shoot them anymore, very few folks eat them nowadays, and the pelts aren't worth the price to skin one, they have just become nothing more than varmints, tearing up turkey and quail nest in the wild, and any thing they can get into around the house and farm! We treat them just like skunks, possums, feral cats, and coyotes around here. We shoot them and leave them where they fall!

Those dog proof traps are fantastic for helping control the raccoon population. I'll second the mini marshmallow bait, I use them myself. I don't think a cat would even stop to sniff one, and a dog can't get a foot in the trap.

[frkelly74]

I was told once by a DNR officer to kill raccoons any way I could. They are considered a nusiance in farm areas. I didn't get it in writing though.

[JSnover]

I was told once by a DNR officer to kill raccoons any way I could. They are considered a nusiance in farm areas. I didn't get it in writing though.

They're certainly not endangered, that's for sure. More than once I counted six on my deck. I was happy to shoot them but the neighbors weren't. Rat poison didn't make any noise at all.

[danthman114]

aim point...

[Mr_Sheesh]

Poison does have the down side that it kills the raccoon that eats it, but then can kill anything that then eats that dead raccoon; Could be a pet dog that's been dumped and is starving. I just want to affect the raccoon that's pestering the barn cat. If it wasn't pestering me it'd be fine.

[flounderman]

For my opinion, it's foolish to spend much money for a .22 scope. You don't need variable or more than 4x. A one inch tube el cheapo, with duplex cross hairs will do about as much as a scope that costs more than the rifle. The original K4 had fine cross hairs and hard to see in low light. You can find a used 1 inch tube scope for 25 dollars that would do what you want.

[winelover]

With optics, you get what you pay for. I like variables, high magnification for tight little groups. Option for low magnification for close range or low light shooting. I have since replaced the 4X Simmons 44 Mag. on my 10-22 with a Weaver rimfire variable. My Winchester 9422 has a Leupold rimfire variable. Neither are cheap but not really expensive, like those on my hunting rifles.

Winelover

[Mr_Sheesh]

I could put a VX3 on there, it's just that for a "yard gun" where I'm imagining a 100 yard shot will be rare, and low light shots will be more or less normal, I imagine that 4x is plenty of magnification. A reflex sight might do it (red dot or the like) tho when they first came out they had so much parallax that I decided I would pass, I imagine they're better by far now! I've even considered a laser for it, that'd do the job and be FAST, another consideration on pests. Good thoughts from folks here, main thing is I'm still mulling it all over but something good'll work out :) Thanks all!

[Thundarstick]

"Rat poison didn't make any noise at all."

That's funny! My Dad and Uncle farm and have rat and mice poison in their tractor sheds, combines, and other places to control the mice and rats that also like to chew on wires and equipment. They constantly gripe about how much rat poison the raccoons eat and they never find a sick or dead raccoon around the farm, and they just keep coming back for more! They even bait raccoon traps with rat poison because that's what they come looking for!

[barrabruce]

Old k4 was good when I was younger and could shoot up to nearly needing a torch to see where you were going.
4x40 was the std back then.
But a good 1-4x 20mm wound done to low is awesome to use and clarifies things real late with old eyes.

[Chad5005]

my wife has a 3x9x40 truglo scope on her 10/22 red and green lighted reticle and its pretty decent,plus she has a green light if need for distance

[Lloyd Smale]

for in your yard a good red dot will probably be your best bet. If your talking small game over 50 yards they just aren't precise enough. For that id go do a good mid priced 2x7 or 3x9 scope. Something like a vx1 or vx2 leupold, Nikon prostaff or monarch or bushmaster elite. all of those have good glass that works well in low light. Unless your shooting the eye ball out of a squirrel I wouldn't worry to much about parallax adjusted specific 22 scopes. Ill put it like this. Back 5 years ago you couldn't get me to trade you one of my vx1 leupolds for two prostaffs. Today if asked my opinion id say the prostaffs fall right in between the vx1 and vx2 in quality and optics and that's darned good.

[bman940]

You will be hard pressed to beat a Nikon PROSTAFF scope for low light performance. Nikon's new P-Tactical Rimfire would serve your needs very well. The 2-7x32 will let you see your target and make a shot that counts. This past weekeknd I took 2 corn thiefs with mine about 15 min after sunset and with a suppressor didn't even scare deer that were 150 yards away. Another nice option would be Nikon's full size PROSTAFF 3-9x40 scope. Even better light transmission and it is on sale right now for $30 off.

[Lloyd Smale]

In the past I really bashed the pro staffs and even the buckmasters. I do like the monarchs though. I had a buckmaster that wouldn't hold zero and sent it to Nikon. they told me it wasn't worth repairing and they would send me a new prostaff. I wasn't happy at all because I had a couple and there low light performance was dismal at best. Well I got the new one and saw it was a totally different scope. Its hands down better then the older prostaffs and buckmasters. In my opinion its every bit the scope my older monarch are. Even the adjustments are more crisp and accurate.

[St. Hogustine]

You're on the right track, just be aware of parallax issues. Big-belled scopes designed for shooting 200+ yards aren't so great for shooting inside 40.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Sheesh: I have the exact gun you need for this quest.

It is a Ruger 10/22 with a Bushnell TRS-25 Red Dot on it, and a Streamlight TLR 1 Weapons Light. And the ammo is CCI CB Longs at 710fps. These are similar to the .22 Long of days past except loaded to a lower Subsonic Velocity. They have more than enough power to kill any Raccoon .

The gun will feed these from the magazine but the gun won't cycle so you operate the bolt manually.

The reason I said Red Dot is because you won't get much of a chance at a standing shot with Raccoons that are more than a year or so old. The older ones are the ones that do most of the damage and they didn't get old by being stupid. I have yet to get a shot at one unless it is treed. The Red Dot sight is much faster for Target Acquisition and just as accurate as a 4X scope out to the effective range of a .22 LR. which is <100 yards. 50 yards with the CCI CB Longs.

On a side note: I have found that trapping them and deporting them to other places "Up Wind" from your house is the best way, and I have trapped 44 of them in the last 10 years.

The only one that I haven't been able to trap is the one tearing our yards apart right now. She had 4 Kits and saw two of them get caught and deported by me. She came back that night and literally "Excavated" half of my back lawn. The last time I put the trap out she went in the trap, got the cat food can, ate it, and left the can at the mouth of the trap. we see her footprints around the house anytime the ground is wet and she washes her hands in my Wife's fountains.

I have never gotten a shot at that Coon, and probably never will.

I did however manage to kill a Skunk about two weeks ago with my R1 Pellet Gun. One shot right thru the head box and it was done. It had been stinking the place up for about 2 weeks before it finally came out before dark and I was able to get a shot in it.. I had to use the pellet gun as anything else would have woke up the neighbor behind us who wouldn't hesitate ratting me out.

A Powerful Spring Powered Air Rifle is a real viable option if you are in town. For comparison the pellets I was using are 21.5 gr at 760 fps and the CCI CB longs have a 29 gr bullet at 710 fps so the power is very comparable.

Here's a pic of my 10/22 before the Light attachment.

Randy

[Mr_Sheesh]

W.R.Buchanan - I've used 22 Long CB caps "forever", they'd kill a Raccoon but not in a DRT manner. 10-22 is a good solution, I might use CCI Stingers or the like though, lots harder on pests - Low for Coyotes but it'll eventually kill them with 2-3 good hits I'd think?

Trying to balance between noise and power. And not sure what'll be showing up once I move...

I'm considering trying a Camp Carbine in .45ACP with cat sneeze loads, maybe; Say PC'ed 200 grain TC boolets at about 500FPS? That'd ruin their day. Probably wouldn't cycle the action but that's OK. Red dot is what I was starting to think of, if I don't have 200 yard shots to make; I won't know till I move! If I do I'd swap back to glass with crosshairs probably. Streamlight are definitely a good weapons light!

I've had pretty good luck with shooting moving coyotes / raccoons, for some reason I can lead beasties with a rifle but not shotgun very well - Go figure! Practice, probably.

[Geezer in NH]

I've killed 5 in the last 2 nights. All caught in a dog proof coon traps baited with honey nut cheerios.

None DRT all kick and run but they are still in the trap. 1 shot top of the head out of my S&W 422 with a Gemtec outback can. Pltt! all that's heard. 10 seconds done put in bag and transport to dump. If prices were up they would get stretched and sold but not at what they are worth today.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Those traps do sound like they'll help :)