Best Scope for the Ruger Precision Rimfire in 2026

The Vortex Diamondback Tactical 4-16x44 FFP, at $579.99 MSRP, is the scope you will see on a large share of Precision Rimfire rifles at any given NRL22 match, and for good reason. It uses a genuine first focal plane EBR-2C reticle (available in MOA or MRAD), meaning the reticle's holdover and windage subtensions stay accurate at any magnification setting — essential when a stage calls for a fast reticle-based hold rather than a full turret dial between shots at different distances. Its side-focus parallax adjustment reaches down to roughly 20 yards, a genuinely important spec for indoor or close-range practice sessions and for NRL22 stages with near targets, which a typical fixed-parallax hunting scope simply cannot resolve accurately.

The Vortex Crossfire II 4-12x44, at $349 MSRP and commonly found closer to $249 at major retailers, is a reasonable budget starting point for practice and casual precision-rimfire shooting, with one trade-off you should understand before buying: it uses a second focal plane reticle with parallax fixed at 100 yards. That is a genuine limitation for NRL22-style shooting, where target distances vary widely within a single stage — a fixed 100-yard parallax setting introduces a real, if modest, aiming error at both the 25-yard close targets and the 300-yard far targets common in this discipline. For pure fundamentals practice at a single known distance, this is a perfectly reasonable compromise; for actual match use, the Diamondback Tactical's adjustable parallax and FFP reticle are worth the extra cost.

First focal plane matters more on a Precision Rimfire than it does on almost any hunting rifle, precisely because NRL22 stages are designed around varying magnification and distance within a single string. An SFP reticle's subtensions are only accurate at one magnification setting — usually maximum power — which forces you to either dial back to that power before using reticle holdovers, or accept an inaccurate hold at any other setting. FFP removes that constraint entirely, letting you hold accurately at whatever magnification the current target and distance actually call for.

Parallax adjustment range is arguably the single most important spec for this specific rifle and discipline. NRL22 matches and precision-rimfire practice regularly present targets from as close as 25 yards to 300 yards within the same session, and a scope that cannot focus accurately across that whole span will show a genuinely visible, measurable parallax error at the extremes. Look for a scope whose side-focus parallax adjustment goes down to at least 25 yards, and ideally lower — the Diamondback Tactical's roughly 20-yard minimum comfortably covers this.

Because the .22 LR round the Precision Rimfire is built around has a pronounced trajectory drop-off past 100 yards compared to any centerfire cartridge, elevation turret travel and click value matter in a way that differs from a centerfire precision build. Both scopes here use 1/4-MOA click adjustments, which is fine resolution for dialing rimfire drop at the ranges this rifle is actually used at; confirm your specific dope chart against your chosen ammunition, since .22 LR ballistics vary more between lot numbers and brands than most centerfire loads do.

Mounting the Precision Rimfire is straightforward: it ships as a complete chassis rifle with an integrated Picatinny rail on the receiver and an M-LOK-compatible forend, so there is no separate base to buy or fit — just select rings sized correctly to your scope's 30mm tube (both scopes here use a 30mm main tube) in a height that clears the 44mm objective bell without raising your cheek weld off the adjustable comb.