The 22-250 Remington cartridge is a factory-reproduced wildcat cartridge based on the old Savage 250-3000 necked down to .22 calibers. It is just about one of the best .22’s ever designed by modern man. When introduced by Remington many years ago its quality outstripped the old but very well designed .220 Swift. The 22-250 was fast, accurate, and did not do the damage to barrels expected from other .22s. In this article, I will review the best scopes for the 22-250 Remington Cartridge.
Auhor Original photos: Big gun in 22-250 require big long range glass
I believe I owned one of the first rifles chambered in 22-250 to come into the state of Minnesota. The rifle was the Remington BDL Model 700 . It is one rifle that I wish I had never sold. The rifle shot very well. Everything fit like Remington had built her for me. Back then there were not a whole lot of high speed varmint cartridge glass sights to choose from. In those days Herters, based in southern Minnesota, sold a straight 10X power scope. It was long and heavy but was an accurate sighting system. It had turret adjustments and high glass quality as well. After I installed this scope, the flexibility it provided made me the king of the field out to 500 yards almost overnight.
Even today, some 56 years later, I still own a pair of 22-260’s. The first is a Model 70 Winchester and the second a Model 700 heavy target (M-24 variant) of the military rifle. If I lacked the 22-250 as a quick-to-the-hand rifle, I would feel that I didn’t have a complete deer hunting rifle in my inventory. The 22-250 Remington is just that good of a cartridge.
Sadly, the original scope is also history. It left with the same rifle when a local hunter bought it from me.
That 10X was deadly to 400 yards. It was also very workable to 500 yards on a good day. I knew I had a super rifle and sight when my buddy and I came upon crows sitting in a dead tree across a plowed field. I set up with a sandbag off the hood of the old Ford truck. I put the crosshairs dead on the middle bird that I judged to be about 350 yards away. Then I tacked on a sliver of daylight with the crosshairs just over the bird’s back. Finally, I touched off the 55 grain Remington CorLok bullet weight. At the shot, the middle crow turned into a black vapor trail. The bird to the left rolled off his branch stone dead. The bird on the right watched its right wind cartwheel away from its now bleeding body. Three for one bullet. I was convinced that this was the very best little varmint rifle for varmint hunting in the world. What made it special was the up-gunned glass sights and the wonderful cartridge.
Today much has changed. The rifle is still an outstanding addition to any hunter’s collection, though. The glass sights that can now be applied to the 22 250 Rem are outstanding examples of modern engineering and construction.
You need a sight with higher magnification, very clean glass, and sub-tension reticles. Also, turret settings need to have ample MOA or MRAD clicks. Easy access is an additional requirement when turning licks for elevation or windage. (big turret knobs)
The Attribute of Remington 22-250 Scope
Are you a hunter or an optic expert searching for the best Remington scope? You probably might have been thrilled by its detailed and functioning cartridge. Detecting the best Remington scope can be challenging, but below, you’ll figure out the basic attribute of the Remington 22-250 scope!
- Quick bullet drop
The scope can meet long-range targets irrespective of the animal distance, a trigger turning the prey such as a prairie dog.
- Heavier Bullet and Chuck
It has a heavier bullet to tear any deer and is also known as a knockout. Yes! A well-positioned 22-250 pellet is suitable for deer hunting. The bullet incredibly guides this scope for higher magnification.
- Sufficient Nozzle power
The 22-250 rifle transmits much power at the nozzle. Additionally, At 300 yards, the nozzle sheds influence quickly and makes a lesser sound when shot at Fifty-grain missiles.
- Internal Reticle
The varmint rifle design has a reticle that delivers accurate viewing essential for all varmint hunting.
- Range
The mid-range cartridge releases more energy, making it perfect for long-range shooting and uses on all-sized varmints.
- Barrel Duration
The 22-250 rifle was inaugurated in 1937 and has been a barrel burner. It remains a wild and domestic animal hunter till today. The barrel life has been remodeled to stay for long periods and debilitates a barrel more than other scopes. The scope barrel energy relies on the amount of pellet in the gun.
- Shooting Powder
The Remington 22-250 shooting powder is more effective and significant when poured at the barrel throat. It reflects the number of pellets shot at any target and heats to the gun’s throat.
- Minute Of Angle (MOA)
This scope offers a minute fractional adjustment according to the shooter choice adjustment rate.
- Versatile Cartridge
The Remington 22-250 cartridge is versatile and allows the shooter to catch average-sized prey without wasting time.
- Superior Trump
This rifle has a great trump that makes it useful for home defense and for a shooter who doesn’t want to stay long while hunting in thick bush.
- Nosler Varmageddon
The Nosler Carmageddon helps protect its crosshair from blurring any targeted prey and blind any animal moving at seven hundred yards and more.
Is the Remington 22-250 Worth It?
The 22-250 is suitable for varmint hunting and long-range shooting. It is robust, simple, accurate, and unique; it is a scope used by more than two people if adequately kept.
This scope is excellent for hunters to get their work done without stress. Although it is designed for small game, the 22-250 Remington scope can also be used on big games, and the cartridge can accept pellets ranging from forty to seventy grains. The 22-250 is a little snapper than other scopes.
Extra Tips
A 22-250 Remington scope is perfect for catching both long and small game within a short time. This Varmint hunting scope is crucial for hunters who love to hunt for little prey that does move at a long distance. Remington 22-250 has provided quality and reliable status to its users over the years. This scope is helpful for military services, hunters, youth, and adults, so you can rely on it to accomplish your target while hunting.
Standard and quality are the key points to consider when deliberating on the model to go for. As an adequately packaged rifle, it can be reloaded to target prey at along-range.
Below, I review several scopes that fit the needs of the 22-250 Remington when applied to a good long distance bolt action rifle.
Top 7 Best Scope for 22-250 Remington Cartridge Reviews
1. Barska Varmint Mil-Dot.
Starting out, I have selected the Barska Varmint glass. It is reasonably priced. It is also very workable for a varmint hunter just getting into varmint rifles and this outstanding cartridge.
Barska is offered in a 4-16 power setting and retains the 1/8 LOA elevation and windage adjustments for zero and extended range accuracy.
This rifle scope makes use of a one-inch tube size. That makes it an easy mount regarding available rings and a variety of price points. The scope uses the Barska 30/30 reticle designed to give the shooter a standard crosshair setup. It is adequate for general-purpose hunting. This is about the only soft point I can see in the system. The 22-250 is clearly quite capable of work at much longer ranges than many other varmint cartridges. An advanced reticle sub tension would be a good option with this scope. Currently, the rifle scope is offered in no less than four totally different variants.
The Barska Varmint is a good starter unit for first time hunters that need to watch the family budget.
2. Vortex Optics Crossfire II
Here we have a deer hunting model in the SFF system. It is all set to take on the 22-250 cartridge. This scope is offered in a 4-12X40mm reticle unit. It retains the BDC reticle that carries sub-tensions for elevation adjustment at long range. It has total parallax control and makes use of anti-reflective coated lens surfaces.
The scope retains capped turrets for field protection. The main tube is built from aircraft-grade aluminum for weight reduction as well as strength.
Waterproof and shock-resistant, this is a possible choice for the hot fast 22-250 round. Vortex offers four different models base on this scope design.
3. Leupold VX-6HD
Want to play with the big boys and get all the toys in one bundle? Purchase the Leupold VX-6HD. This scope is an advanced shooter’s model. It carries a string 4-24X52 power and reticle design. It has side focus controls, open turret adjustments that are high and large, and an illuminated reticle. Day or night, low or high noon light, the scope can do the deed.
I shoot several of these and have never had any failures. This scope retains the zero stop setting lock. It is available with ballistics turret settings custom to your cartridge. It is also illuminated for day-night functions.
This is an advanced professional-grade rifle scope offered by Leupold. It is suggested for shooters that require the best possible performance. (Animal control for example.)
The scope is designed and built in America. Leupold also backs this scope 100%.
4. Athlon Optics Ares ETR UHD 4.5-30×56.
Like the Leupold above, this scope is another highly-advanced glass sight. It has a price tag to match. However, the scope has all the advanced performance standards you require. This scope retains high power settings. It has large high open turrets for fast elevation adjustment on the fly. There are also 0.25 MOA click adjustments for pin point accuracy and 110 MOA of total elevation.
Set up in the FFP (military-standard), the sub-tension increases in size with the magnification settings. Zero stop is installed for a fast return to baseline zero. The sight is offered by Athlon in six different models.
This scope is offered as a APLR2 IR MOA reticle. That makes it field-ready as a professional long-range setup. Further, it is fully illuminated and retains side adjustments for parallax adjustment.
5. NightForce, 8-32X56mm NXS
You may be wondering why you need this massive NightForce offering. If you remember my opening example, you will recall that I used to shoot a straight 10X on the Remington Model 700 BDL chambered in 22-250. I shot that scope as a match to that rifle for years. I never gave the excess power a thought. That is because the 22-25 is just that good a round overall.
Here we have a very high-end glass sight. It is also a professional-grade product. NightForce has designed it for the shooter that wants one of the best in the business.
This scope retains the zero stop settings on the turrets. There is .250 MOA elevation storage with the MOAR reticle (C437 ). It is also illuminated with battery power. The scope is military police-grade and not exportable outside the USA. However, NightForce has several models that are similar in design. They are exportable across the globe.
Built on a massive 30mm tube, the core elements of this scope are large and well made. It is designed to be cranked up or down for many years without wear to the internal parts.
6. TORIC UHD 4-20×50
This scope is a TRACT UHD. As such it is a crafted long-range system of the first order. It is ideal for use on the 22-250 chambered rifle cartridge. This scope retains special ED lens surfaced glass to eliminate color fringing and target fade. Currently, I use two different models of the TRACT scope line. I know that these lens surfaces control light transmission very well.
The large 30mm tube carries solid component parts. They make the large MRAD turret click off extra-large chunks of extended yards downrange. Built in the FFP, this is a shooter glass sight. It is offered at a price that is very reasonable when considering what the buyer is getting for his or her dollar.
It is precision machined. The turrets and one piece aluminum main tube housing are totally weather-proof.
The scope is set up with zero stop for rotation correcting and eleven different intensities. You can use this scope in low light or no light.
Using the standard CR2032 battery, the scope will last for 360 hours.
7. Athlon Optics Argos BTR 8-34X56 FFP.
This 30mm tube scope is large. It belongs on a turn bolt rifle using the 22-250 round. It is a long-range setup from the forward bell to the rear of the glass sight. This scope uses the APMR MIL reticle. That makes it a distance-pulling glass sight. The scope is ideal for grass-rat or badger hunting in wide-open country. You can also use it to shoot a mountain marmot from one mountainside to another.
The main tube is built of aircraft aluminum in the 6061T6 series. The main scope body is extremely strong.
This scope retains many of the same features as a modestly priced optical system. It is a good scope for the occasional hunter that is not going pro or always in the field.
To be sure the 22-250 as a cartridge is so good overall that it can make any scope better. The high-quality grain glass is going to give you great results. The glass I have suggested here meets both ends of the spectrum. As such, this product has something for everyone.
L.P Brezny has been writing and reviewing product as well as how to projects for the past 50 years. He has authored four books on shooting with three on long range, and one covering shotgunning. With 26 years on a metro police department as a street officer and the rank of SGT / training L.P. has covered all the bases regarding weapons and street survival.
During the early years in non-toxic shotshell ammunition development L.P. designed the first successful measurement system for recording the speed of shot shell payloads down range. He was responsible for getting actual shotshell velocities printed on factory load boxes. Over the years he has developed and markets MetroGun System TM, and sells his designed ammunition for subsonic sound suppressed shotgun shooting.
Current L.P. resides in the South Dakota Black Hills and spends a good deal of time working through many types of ammunition both in the field on warm targets. With ultra long range being a current specialty L.P. shots for test and accuracy at ranges as great as one or more miles on the wide open Dakota grasslands.