Rimfire hunting scopes - a question of balance

Any hunting rifle that wears an overly-large and weighty scope can easily suffer from being ‘out of balance’. We’ve all seen the slim, trim bolt-action .308 hunting rifle that should be a pleasure to cart over hill and dale, wearing the ridiculously outsized scope, something like a 5.5-25x56 range in high mounts, that ends up extremely top heavy and totally unsteady.

The same rifle would be a treat to carry and use if it wore a more suitable scope, possibly something in the 2-7x36 or 3-9x40 range, in the lowest possible mounts that complemented the true usage, size and balance of the rifle.

Rimfire hunting rifles, whether .22LRs, .22 Magnums or .17HMRs, are no different in this regard and, if anything, suffer from being ‘out of balance’ far more often and more easily than full-size centrefire hunting rifles. This is down to their often petite dimensions, with