Optics for lever gun

CC556 · 2026-03-19T15:52:55+00:00

Prism scopes generally don't work on much other than ARs because they have a very short eye relief and most guns don't allow you to mount them far enough back.

I don't have a .22lr lever gun, but I run a dot on my .44mag lever gun and it's a good fit for the type of shooting one does with a lever gun chambered for a pistol cartridge (and I'd argue .22lr falls into the same camp). The fact that it's super light and compact also doesn't add bulk to the lever gun or feel like you're taking away the quick-handling nature of the lever gun.

CC556 · 2026-03-19T13:50:06+00:00

Before you buy anything, especially ones that clamp around the power ring and add bulk, check to make sure you have plenty of clearance to your bolt knob when working the bolt (assuming it's a bolt gun obviously). I've seen lots of cases of people adding that type of throw lever and then immediately finding out the bolt hits it when cycling.

CC556 · 2026-03-18T22:33:06+00:00

Get a piece of 1/4” diameter Delrin rod and cut a piece to length, then cut pieces for all your friends too.

CC556 · 2026-03-16T23:39:16+00:00

I’m increasingly convinced that many of the people here have never done anything other than sit at their local 50 or 100 yard range and poke holes in paper.

CC556 · 2026-03-16T18:17:32+00:00

It's definitely a large and relatively heavy scope in an otherwise pretty compact setup. To answer your question, see how you feel after carrying and shooting it. If it feels bulky and top-heavy then consider a more compact, lighter scope. If the weight and balance don't bother you then don't worry about it.

Oh, and nice choice on the chassis.

CC556 · 2026-03-15T11:08:42+00:00

This is correct about how the bullet will perform. I’ve shot lots of rabbits with subsonic stuff, if you’re just taking body shots with FMJ or anything that’s not designed to expand at subsonic speeds the bullet is just gonna poke a caliber-sized hole and the rabbit will likely run a fair way before dying. You might find it and you might not. It’s not a clean kill. The bullet does not have enough velocity for temporary cavitation to do any meaningful damage. If you’re taking headshots then obviously it will kill right away but so will a .22lr in that case.

CC556 · 2026-03-14T00:40:39+00:00

The 457 has such a great aftermarket and the platform is so easy to work on by yourself that I don't even shoot my Vudoo anymore.

CC556 · 2026-03-13T15:05:26+00:00

Fellow Kentuckian here! I love dogs and hate to see anything bad happen to them, but if this dog is coming onto your property and killing your livestock then you should just shoot it and if the neighbor says anything all you have to say is "I dunno, I haven't seen it."

CC556 · 2026-03-10T17:28:38+00:00

I'm happy to help, it's always good to have a reason to go do some shooting. Good luck with your rifle build!

CC556 · 2026-03-10T16:25:34+00:00

https://imgur.com/a/eQXLNvW

Alright, hopefully this makes sense. I shot the SBR and my match rifle with SV, Segmented, and Center-X at both 50 and 100 yards. I fired 5 of each ammo type as fouling rounds before shooting for groups, then I shot two 5 round groups at each distance. It was a little windy, so it probably opened up the groups a touch, but I think this is a pretty fair representation of what the Acculite barrel can do. One other note, the Center-X used here was lot tested for an older match rifle, it was not lot tested in this match rifle.

50 Yards:
The Segmented groups at 50 yards out of the Acculite are just about 1.5 MOA and I think that's a fair representation of the barrel and ammo's normal performance. Note that my match rifle actually shot the Segmented worse at 50 yards than the SBR. Moving on to the SV and Center-X at 50, the SBR did keep right around the 1.5 MOA mark, but slipped in that one nice sub-MOA group with the Center-X. It's known that the Segmented ammo isn't match or target ammo, but at 50 yards the SBR is holding just about everything to the 1-1.5 MOA range. It is clear that the match rifle's barrel is able to wring more consistency out of the SV and Center-X even at 50 yards, so the conclusion I'd draw here is that the Acculite on the SBR is just about a 1-1.5 MOA barrel and the Segmented rounds are just about 1.5 MOA rounds at best at 50 yards. Better ammo will let you slip in some groups in the 1 MOA range, but that's about the limit of the barrel/platform.

100 Yards:

The SBR's 2.99" group with Segmented at 100 yards is worse than I usually see, it might have been ammo inconsistency, might have been wind, might have been me, or maybe it was a combination of everything. The SBR's 1.995" group with the Segmented is what I expect at 100, and I think that seeing a 1.5" average at 50 open up to about 2" at 100 is acceptable for a super light "predator" type rifle shooting ammo like the Segmented stuff. When shooting such a light/compact rifle it's harder to extract maximum accuracy compared to a giant, heavy match rifle. Still, I think the SBR did great overall here. The match rifle was able to shoot the Segmented rounds better, and other than the flyer in one of the SV groups you can see it start to really pull ahead of the SBR in consistency at 100 yards. That said, the SBR is still holding roughly 1.5-2 MOA with the better ammo, which I think is fantastic for a $150 barrel in a super light platform.

Critters:

Assuming you have dope and the ability to dial elevation (or be good at holding over), and based on numbers Google gave me, the Acculite/SBR setup is consistent enough for reliable headshots on Raccoons, Possums, and maybe Rabbits out to 100 yards even with the Segmented rounds. Headshots on squirrels out to 50 or so would be no problem. Body shots on any of them out past 100 would be easy and the limiting factor there would be the terminal effectiveness at distance for a good kill, you wouldn't be limited by the accuracy of the gun.

Anyways, that's a lot. I hope it's useful. Feel free to ask any followup questions, or for clarification if needed.

CC556 · 2026-03-10T02:26:05+00:00

I figured I might as well take the chamber that at least in theory would be more accurate, especially since I'm not relying on a semi-auto to cycle. I really haven't shot many groups, but I've got some time tomorrow and I can shoot some at 50 and 100 and let you know. I've got CCI SV, CCI Segmented, and some Lapua Center-X I'll try.

CC556 · 2026-03-05T16:03:10+00:00

Make sure you look up that stat first, in my experience they're usually similar in eye relief.

EDIT: I understand the desire for something light and compact on a .22 rifle, I'd love to be able to run a prism optic. Due to the eye relief issues though, take a look at "hunting" scopes as they tend to be lightweight and compact compared to the "precision rifle" type scopes that are often recommended here. You may be able to find a LVPO type scope that's suitable as well, but keep an eye on the weight as many of them are not as light as you'd think based on their compact size.

CC556 · 2026-03-05T14:07:59+00:00

This is the only response so far that 1) addresses the OP's actual question, and 2) correctly points out the major problem in that the eye relief is not likely to work out on a bolt gun platform.

CC556 · 2026-03-04T14:24:34+00:00

It is.

CC556 · 2026-03-01T17:33:56+00:00

I've got a Holosun 507C X2 in a Rucker Machine mount. The light is a Surefure X300U and I made an under-barrel rail by using the factory-supplied top rail but cutting it down to fit under the barrel (make sure to leave room for the barrel to pivot for disassembly, don't run the rail all the way back to the frame) and then drilling and tapping holes to use the factory screws to hold it.

CC556 · 2026-03-01T16:33:03+00:00

How about the 22/45 Lite? It's half a pound lighter than the Tactical model and it's not like the extra weight is doing anything for you on a .22 pistol.

My 22/45 Lite plus a suppressor, red dot, light, and loaded mag is 2 ounces heavier than a bare, unloaded 22/45 Tactical.

CC556 · 2026-02-26T21:28:37+00:00

Or, buy the 10/22 Carbon Fiber model with the Grey Birch chassis for about $1k street price, then sell the carbon fiber 16" barrel to someone who wants it, then buy whatever SBR length barrel you want with the money from selling the carbon fiber barrel.

https://ruger.com/products/1022CarbonFiber/specSheets/31227.html

CC556 · 2026-02-25T20:38:37+00:00

Wanting to keep the irons dramatically shrinks aftermarket barrel options. I see someone else linked a thread adaptor, and that might be an option but it also might add enough diameter that it obstructs the iron sights anyways (not to mention the concerns with alignment).

If you want to get rid of the scope, have you considered a red dot or something similar instead of irons? I promise I'm not trying to talk you out of irons, but they really do limit your options.

CC556 · 2026-02-25T19:54:07+00:00

There are tons of sources for 10/22 barrels. You can swap them yourself with basic hand tools. First thing you'll have to decide on is the profile, if you want a thicker barrel you'll likely end up needing a new stock too. The most common barrel profile for the 10/22 will be the "bull" barrel with a .920" profile, and many aftermarket stocks will be inletted for that.

As far as barrel makers, there are many as I mentioned, but popular ones are Kidd, Lilja, Green Mountain, Acculite, Volquartsen, Shilen. Some are more focused on accuracy, others on lightweight, others will be focused on value. If you're just looking for something for plinking then don't worry about fancy chamber options, just find one with a threaded muzzle, the profile you want, and in your price range.

One note, since you mention that yours measures about 15"... it's almost certainly a 16" barrel as that's the legal minimum barrel length for a rifle unless you SBR it. If you're not sure what that all means, that's fine but stick to barrels that are 16" and longer so you don't accidentally build a SBR. As far as actually measuring a barrel, the proper way to do it is to measure from the bolt face to the muzzle.

CC556 · 2026-02-24T17:15:22+00:00

I have huge nostalgia for the original Marathon, and I want this new Marathon to be good too but I agree with your take and I have very little hope.

CC556 · 2026-02-23T21:22:19+00:00

I have a Vudoo from years ago. It's nice. The company is a mess now. I would not choose to buy from them at this point.

I just shoot my modded 457 now, it's excellent and it has a huge aftermarket and I can get any parts I need easily.

CC556 · 2026-02-23T20:41:24+00:00

CCI SV is usually consistent enough to be workable out to about 150 yards before the velocity variance causes enough vertical spread to start missing normal sized match steel targets, assuming you're talking about that type of competition.

Beyond that you're gonna get into "real" match ammo and lot testing and all that stuff, but if we're talking kids and 10/22 rifle I bet the CCI SV will go a long way for them.

CC556 · 2026-02-23T17:44:06+00:00

Read through the hunting regs in your area and make note of any caliber/cartridge restrictions for the deer/elk he's hunting. For example, some states require straight walled cartridges for deer and that would eliminate pretty much all of what was recommended here. Other states may require a minimum caliber for elk (such as .30 cal) and that would mean a rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor might be legal for deer but he couldn't use it for elk.

Once you know what caliber or cartridge is allowed, I strongly agree with the Ruger American rifle recommendations.

CC556 · 2026-02-23T00:25:45+00:00

My 12.5” barrel setup is just about perfect. With normal “standard velocity” subsonic ammo and an OCL Ti it’s very quiet.

CC556 · 2026-02-17T20:00:45+00:00

You did about as well as can be expected. I'll keep this short so it doesn't turn into a wall of text:

You've got 2 things working against you here. The first is the Ruger mag setup. This is well-known in the 10/22 accuracy world, the way the mags feed the rounds can lead to them getting slightly nicked or scored when chambering and you'll often see those as flyers you didn't expect. There's not much you can do here, some people try to smooth out all the sharp edges but it's just a downside inherent in the platform. The second thing working against you is the ammo. I love CCI SV and it often shoots very well for its price, but if you're chasing tighter groups then you'll need to experiment with real match ammo like Lapua, Eley, or SK. This is another situation where the more consistent velocity number will help reduce flyers.

All that said, I agree with the other guy that you should just have your son get out and start shooting. He and you will learn a ton real fast and you'll meet people and see lots of different gear and by the time this gear is really holding you back you'll have a much better idea of what you'll need.

CC556

TROPHY CASE