Good glass?

Via this weeks Carnival of Cordite I came across this post at Wadcutter:

So why do people spend $500 on a scope for their .22? The recoil is minimal, so presumably you don’t need a super-robust scope. I can see how clarity, contrast and optical distortion might be important at long ranges, but with a .22LR your maximum practical range is about 150 yards, and I bet most folks typically keep their targets within half that distance. Is image quality really that important when you’re only shooting at 75 yards? I can see just fine at that distance through my $35 scope.

Talk about timely advice. I was planning on glass shopping tomorrow, getting my scope all mounted up and boresighted, and heading off to the range with my new rifle. Wadcutter may have just saved me some cash with his sage, logical wisdom.

Here’s my suggestion for a rule of thumb: pay $1 for every yard you want to shoot your rifle at.

With that in mind, I'm going to see what there is in the $100 price range at a variety of shops tomorrow to throw on my gun. If all else fails, I have a Bushnell Holosight and a Burris Fullfield II sitting on the shelf in my safe, so this should be an interesting foray. I still plan on using quality, Leupold quick-release rings, so it'll be funny if I end up with a scope that is cheaper than the rings. Come to think of it, I might throw that Bushnell in my range bag to test out the "race" in "Ruger Race Rifle."

Pics and range report coming...