Eye relief for .22 WMR pump rifle.

[IPSC-1]

This is also posted in the accessories forum. It was getting very few hits so I posted it here

I'm in need of advice on what rimfire scope to purchase. Its going on a Taurus M72 .22 Mag pump gun. The scope base sits fairly forward on the reciever and the web site says to ensure that the scope has good eye relief. http://www.taurususa.com/m72.html
No one makes a scope mount for this rifle other than taurus, and the open sights must be removed to install the scope base. I've called taurus customer service to find out the measurements...they were NO help.
So here I am, coming to the fountain of knowlege known as GT.
I'm leaning twards the Leupold Rimfire 2-7 x 28 Fine Duplex Reticle OR the Weaver RV-7 2-7x28 Rimfire / AirGun, Dual X Reticle. Does anyone know if these have enough eye relief for my purpose? Also, is EFR a concern?
The 22 Mag is supposed to be a 100 yd cartrige for critters up to 25-30 lbs, especially with the right ammo. CCI makes a JHP (see table below) that may fit this bill (2200+fps). Does anyone have any observations on this cartridge? I intend to get the 23" bbl, not the carbine.

Once again, thanks to all who share the knowledge.

Below is a table of ammo/velocity/accuracy of the various brands of ammo. While I understand that each rifle has its own prefrence, this table gives a general overview of how each round performs.

.22 WMR
23 inch barrel

Ammunition Average Velocity

(fps) Standard Deviation
(fps)Average Group(inches)
CCI Maxi0-Mag +V HP 2207 7 0.88
CCI 40 Maxi-Mag Solid 1781 33 1.33
Federal 30 Sierra JHP 2151 34 1.13
Federal 50 Classic JHP 1564 24 1.25
Remington 33 Polymer Tip 1564 24 1.25
Winchester 34 Supreme JHP 2162 3 0.75
Winchester 40 JHP 1858 41 1.25

Groups fired at 50 yards; overall average 1.1385 inches

[Michigun]

Most "shotgun" type scopes would do you fine.

[DJ Niner]

OK, here's a few facts, and a LOT of opinions...

The eye relief on the Leupold Rimfire Special 4X is listed as 4.5" in the catalog. This is quite a bit, but in your case, I'd say still not enough. I'm sure you could rig-up some type of rearward-extended scope rings to get it closer to your eye, but you should keep in mind this gun ejects empty cases UPWARD, out of the top of the action. Any scope that extends back over the action is gonna get popped by every ejected shell. This is going to cause wear on the scope's finish, possibly cause reliability problems (cases deflecting back into the action), and (an opinion here), look like doggie-doo.

Michigun's suggestion of a shotgun scope will have the same problem, unless it is a true intermediate- or extended-eye-relief scope. Most of these scopes have GOBS of eye relief, allowing them to be mounted well forward on the gun, avoiding the action completely. For example, Leupold's Scout Scope (2.5x28mm IER) has 9.3 inches of relief; enough for your purpose, I believe. You could also choose their Extended Eye Relief (EER) variable handgun scope (2.5-8x32mm), with up to 15 inches of relief at ANY SELECTED POWER! Now THAT'S versatile!

None of these options, however, deal with one important fact; these exposed-hammer pump guns were just not designed to be scoped -- period. The fact that Taurus is able to rig something up for those who want the option, does not make it a GOOD, VIABLE option, IMO. It destroys the light, trim lines of these old-style guns, and impacts their quick-handling abilities, too. Picture the handling qualities of your favorite shotgun with a BRICK attached to the top of the receiver; that's what you're doing when you put a full-size scope one of these guns. So...

Option #1: Buy a IER/EER scope (covered above). Keep it as short, light, and "quality" as you can.

Option #2: Buy a different sight. A good gunsmith could attach a receiver (peep or aperture) sight to one of these guns; it would not affect the handling, would be MUCH more accurate than the factory open sights (although still wouldn't match a scope, probably), wouldn't destroy the trim lines of the gun, and (if done correctly) would not interfere with ejection.

Hope this was helpful...

[Michigun]

When I said "shotgun type scopes", I was referring to scopes like Simmons.

Almost 6" of eye relief, inexpensive, small, compact & light weight.

Take a look here for an example:

http://www.simmons-scopes.com/shotgun.htm

A "handgun" scope would, more then likely, have too much eye relief.

I'll stand by what I said.

[IPSC-1]

DJ Niner,
First, thank you for a well written and thought out response.

Let me explain what this rifle will be used for and perhaps shed a little light on the setup I'm seeking.
My father has shoulder problems stemming from a chainsaw accident.
Even small amounts of recoil cause him severe pain. Therefore, a .22 mag seems like an obvious choice. Even with a .22 mag he still uses a recoil pad so you can imagine how much it hurts.
He wants to use it to hunt whitetail from a tree stand, head shots only. He understands the limitations of this cartridge. I trust him to stay within them.
I've built a comfortable stand for him; it overlooks an apple orchard. No shots over 60 yds in any direction.
Granted, a whitetail's head is a small target, however, he has a rest to shoot from and is in no hurry. He is a very capable marksman.
With 40 grain solids @ 1780+ fps I think this will be adequate.
OK, thats the background. I've found a 3x9x40 EER handgun scope that Burris makes. I think this will serve my purpose well.
I'll post pics of the the setup if anyone is interested.

[DJ Niner]

I'd say that within the narrowly defined limits you gave, for the stated reasons, your set-up should work just fine.

With the injury you described, I'd do one more thing. Have him shoulder the rifle and hold it in approximately the same position he'll use when shooting. With the scope BASE in place, but not a scope, measure from his sighting eye to the rear of the scope base. Whatever scope you choose should allow this amount of eye relief, give-or-take the amount the scope hangs over the rear of the base (Burris makes fine scopes, but they have a strange design which often puts the adjustment turret in a weird place compared to other scopes; it sometimes limits your eye relief or ring placement options).

Good luck, and bless you for making the effort to keep your father involved in hunting despite his physical problems.