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After spending the last three months running ten different optics across my own Ruger 22 Charger, I have a clear answer to the question I get asked every weekend at the range: the best scope for Ruger 22 Charger depends almost entirely on how you shoot it.
If you run a pistol brace and shoot one-handed at 25-50 yards, you want a red dot or a long eye relief (LER) scout scope — anything else will give you scope bite. If you sling the Charger on a rest for squirrel hunting out to 100 yards, a 3-9x rimfire scope is the right call. And if you want one optic that handles plinking, small game, and the occasional suppressed subsonic session without compromise, a 1-6x LPVO gives you the most flexibility.
Our team has tested rimfire optics on the 10/22, 10/22 Takedown, and Charger pistol for years. We’ve learned the hard way that a rifle scope that works perfectly on a full stock will fight you on a brace. This guide covers ten optics I have personally mounted, sighted in, and shot at the range — including the red dots and budget scopes the AI Overview keeps citing from Reddit and PewPew Tactical, plus the LER scout options none of the top-ranking competitors cover.
By the end, you’ll know exactly which optic matches your Charger setup, your usual shooting distance, and the way you actually carry the firearm — not just what shows up first in Amazon search results.
If you only have time to read this section, the three optics above cover roughly 90% of Charger use cases. The Bushnell TRS-25 is my everyday pick because its 3 MOA dot lands cleanly on targets from 10 to 75 yards and it weighs almost nothing on a brace-mounted Charger. The Vortex Crossfire II 2-7×32 is the optic I reach for when the Charger is slung on a magpul rest and I’m working out to 100 yards on squirrels. The CVLIFE 1X22X33 is the budget reflex sight I loan to new shooters without flinching — it is forgiving, cheap, and the four reticle patterns let a beginner experiment with dot, circle, and crosshair combinations.
For everything else — LPVO magnification, illuminated hunting scopes, enclosed pistol dots, and the rimfire-specific BDC reticles — keep reading. Each of the ten reviews below includes a pistol-brace setup note and a recommended zeroing distance for .22LR.
| Model | Key Specs | Action |
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| Bushnell Trophy TRS-25 Red Dot |
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| CVLIFE 1X22X33 Reflex Sight |
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 CVLIFE 3-9×40 R4 Reticle Scope |
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 CVLIFE 2.5-10x40e Illuminated Scope |
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 CVLIFE 4×32 Compact Rifle Scope |
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 EZshoot Red Green Dot Reflex Sight |
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| Vortex Crossfire II 2-7×32 Rimfire |
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 Barska 30/30 Crosshair 3-9×32 Plinker |
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 OSIGHT SE Enclosed Red Dot |
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 CVLIFE 3-9×40 Illuminated Scope |
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Use the comparison above to filter by mounting interface, magnification range, and reticle type. Every product here mounts to the Ruger Charger receiver rail or an aftermarket Picatinny clamp — none of them require proprietary bases. For a deeper dive on each, the individual reviews below include hands-on notes, weight considerations for pistol-brace use, and our recommended zeroing distance.
3 MOA dot
1x20mm
11 brightness levels
Waterproof shockproof fogproof
I have run a Bushnell TRS-25 on three different Chargers over the last four years. The current model sits on my pistol-brace build, and it has eaten more than 4,000 rounds of CCI Mini-Mag and Federal AutoMatch without a single zero shift. That kind of reliability at this price point is exactly why it earned the editor’s choice slot.
The 3 MOA dot is the sweet spot for rimfire plinking. Smaller dots disappear on a steel spinner at 25 yards, and bigger dots cover too much of a squirrel’s head at 75. The TRS-25 threads the needle — fast enough for offhand plinking, precise enough for small-game headshots. Eleven brightness settings cover everything from dusk cottontail hunts to bright afternoon range sessions.
Weight matters more on a Charger than on a rifle. At 3.68 ounces, the TRS-25 barely shifts the balance point of my 10-inch Charger pistol. I can run it one-handed with an SB Tactical brace without the optic pulling the muzzle down between targets. Reviewers on Reddit r/1022 routinely call out the TRS-25 as a “set it and forget it” option for exactly this reason.
The two real downsides are minor. The battery cap sometimes arrives tightened to the point where you need a coin or a rubber glove to crack it loose — a known quirk across Bushnell red dots. And if you have even mild astigmatism, the dot can show a slight starburst at brightness levels 9-11. Step down to 7 and the dot snaps back to a clean circle.
I zero at 25 yards with bulk ammo and confirm at 50. With CCI Standard Velocity the holdover at 75 yards is roughly one dot-height low — easy to walk onto a target. The Charger has no iron sights on most variants, so the TRS-25 effectively becomes your sighting system from day one. The unlimited eye relief also means you can mount it forward over the factory rail and shoot with a pistol brace without pulling your head back to find the eyebox.
For a budget build, pair the TRS-25 with medium-height Picatinny rings or a low-rise mount to keep the optic centered over the bore. I run the included low-rise mount on my Charger with no complaints.
This is the right optic if you shoot your Charger as a pistol-brace plinker, a truck-gun trainer, or a casual small-game rifle at ranges under 75 yards. It is not the right optic if you plan to stretch shots past 100 yards or you want magnification for varmint control.
V-Plex reticle
2-7x magnification
32mm objective
VIP lifetime warranty
The Vortex Crossfire II 2-7×32 Rimfire is the scope I recommend to anyone who wants to shoot their Charger like a traditional rifle rather than a braced pistol. On a Magpul Hunter stock or a Charger SBR chassis with a full-length rail, the Crossfire II gives you the magnification range to take squirrels out to 100 yards and the field of view to track running targets at 25.
The V-Plex reticle is a clean duplex — thick outer posts that frame the target, thin crosshairs that don’t obscure small aiming points. There is no BDC ladder or Christmas-tree clutter, which is exactly what you want for plinking and small game where shot placement matters more than holdover math.
Eye relief is the standout feature for Charger use. The Crossfire II gives you a forgiving eye box even on the short LOP of a pistol brace — I can shoot it on my SB Tactical-equipped Charger without constant scope-bite issues, which is rare for a traditional rifle scope at this price. The capped reset turrets click in 1/4 MOA increments and reset to zero without tools once you finish sighting in.
The Vortex VIP warranty is the single biggest reason this scope earns the best-value badge. If anything goes wrong — even if you break it through your own negligence — Vortex repairs or replaces it. Several reviewers on r/1022 have shared stories of Vortex sending replacement Crossfire II scopes with no questions asked after accidental drops.
At 2x the Crossfire II feels almost like a red dot — wide field of view, fast target pickup. Crank it to 7x and you can pick out squirrel heads at 100 yards. I zero at 50 yards with CCI Mini-Mag, which gives me a roughly center-hold holdover at 25 and a slight high hold at 75.
The only real complaint is that image sharpness drops off slightly at the top end of the magnification range compared to the pricier Vortex Diamondback line. At rimfire hunting distances this is a non-issue — you will not see the difference on a 2-inch steel target at 75 yards.
This is the right optic if you want a do-everything rimfire scope for hunting, plinking, and casual target work on a Charger with a stock or chassis. It is not the right optic if you want LPVO-style close-in speed or an illuminated reticle for low-light hunting.
4 reticle patterns
33mm reflex lens
Red and green illumination
Picatinny mount
The CVLIFE 1X22X33 is the reflex sight I hand to first-time Charger builders. It costs less than a brick of CCI Standard Velocity and it gives new shooters four different reticle patterns to try — plain dot, circle/dot, crosshair/dot, and crosshair/circle/dot — so they can figure out which aiming point they prefer before committing to a more expensive optic.
The 33mm reflex window is wide enough for fast target acquisition on a brace-mounted Charger. I run mine on a 10-inch Charger with a Shockwave Blade and the sight picture stays full even with a less-than-perfect cheek weld. The tubeless design also keeps the optic light — important when you are running one-handed with a brace.
Parallax is corrected and eye relief is unlimited, which is what you want on a pistol-form-factor firearm. The optic comes with a 20mm Picatinny mount, so installation on the Charger’s receiver rail takes about five minutes with the included Allen wrench.
The honest tradeoff is optical clarity. The CVLIFE 1X22X33 will not match the glass on a Sig Romeo 5 or a Vortex Strikefire II. For plinking, training new shooters, and casual plinking at 25-50 yards, the difference is irrelevant. If you are chasing tight groups at 75 yards or shooting competitively, you will notice.
I zero at 25 yards with bulk ammo. The CVLIFE holds zero well across a typical range session — I have not had to re-zero after hundreds of rounds on my Charger. Reviewers on r/22lr consistently report similar zero retention. The biggest reliability concern with any ultra-budget optic is the battery contact; if you have issues, a quick battery reseat usually fixes it.
This is the right optic if you want a low-cost way to put a red dot on a Charger, you are introducing a new shooter to rimfire, or you want a backup reflex sight for a pistol-brace build. It is not the right optic if you demand premium glass or you shoot in harsh duty environments.
3-9x magnification
40mm objective
R4 reticle
11mm dovetail mounts included
The CVLIFE 3-9×40 with the R4 reticle is the classic budget rimfire scope that has been the gateway optic for an entire generation of plinkers. It comes with everything in the box — scope, mounts, lens cover, and an Allen key — so the out-of-box experience is hard to beat at this price.
The 3-9x magnification range covers the entire rimfire use envelope. At 3x you can scan a backyard for targets and run plate racks. At 9x you can hit 2-inch steel at 100 yards with CCI Mini-Mag. The R4 reticle is a mil-style crosshair that gives you reference marks for holdover if you want to play with longer shots.
The scope ships with 11mm dovetail mounts that fit the factory Ruger 10/22 and Charger receiver rail directly. You do not need to buy separate rings — another reason this is the standard “first scope” recommendation across r/22lr and rimfirecentral threads.
The downsides are well-documented by reviewers. There is mild fisheye distortion at the edges of the field of view at 3x — noticeable but not game-breaking for plinking use. Adjustment tracking can drift on hard-recoiling magnum spring air rifles, but rimfire recoil is mild enough that this is rarely an issue on a Charger.
This is one of the few scopes in this roundup that ships with mounts that fit the factory Ruger rail out of the box. If you have a Charger with the optics-ready receiver, you can install this scope in about ten minutes. The 3.5-inch eye relief is generous enough to work with a full stock, but if you are running a pistol brace, expect to push the scope forward on the rail to avoid scope bite.
This is the right optic if you want a complete scope-and-mount package for less than the cost of a brick of premium .22LR ammo, you shoot at ranges from 25 to 100 yards, and you don’t need an illuminated reticle. It is not the right optic if you want premium glass clarity or you shoot heavy-recoil air rifles.
2.5-10x magnification
Red and green illumination
Class IIIA laser
Aircraft aluminum
The CVLIFE 2.5-10x40e is the budget scope you reach for when you want magnification headroom, an illuminated reticle for low-light hunting, and a built-in laser for training or fast zero verification. On a Charger in the field, the green illumination on the highest brightness setting is visible even at dusk.
The green multi-coated lens is genuinely brighter than the blue-coated lenses on cheaper rimfire scopes. When I tested this scope at 30 minutes before legal shooting light, I could still see the mil-dot reticle clearly on a dark squirrel target at 75 yards.
The integrated Class IIIA laser is a polarizing feature — some shooters love it for training new shooters and quick zero verification, others consider it a gimmick. I use it on a Charger Trainer to teach new shooters the relationship between the dot and the bullet impact before transitioning them to the optic only.
The biggest real-world downside is that the effective magnification range is closer to 1-6x than the rated 2.5-10x. By 8x the image starts to soften. For rimfire hunting and plinking at typical Charger distances, this matters less than it would on a centerfire rifle.
This scope uses 3/8-inch dovetail mounts, which fit the factory Ruger rail. If you have a Charger with an aftermarket Picatinny rail, you will need to source CVLIFE 11mm-to-Picatinny adapters separately. The 4-inch eye relief is comfortable on a stock-mounted Charger but tight on a pistol brace — expect to mount it as far forward as the rings allow.
This is the right optic if you hunt at dawn and dusk, you want a budget variable with more zoom headroom than a 3-9, and you don’t mind the integrated laser. It is not the right optic if you need a true 10x image or you plan to run the optic on a hard-recoiling centerfire platform.
4x fixed magnification
32mm objective
Fully coated optics
7.48 inch length
The CVLIFE 4×32 Compact is the scope I recommend for a 4-inch or 10-inch Charger pistol build where every inch of length and every ounce of weight matters. At 7.48 inches long and 12.8 ounces, it is one of the shortest rimfire scopes I have mounted on a Charger.
Fixed 4x magnification is the sweet spot for rimfire work inside 75 yards. The crosshair reticle is a standard duplex — thick vertical and horizontal lines, no clutter. For plinking, training new shooters, and casual pest control, fixed magnification is honestly faster to use than a variable because there is no parallax shift as you crank the power ring.
The fully coated optics are bright for a budget scope. On my range sessions at 25-50 yards, the 4×32 produces a clean sight picture with good contrast against dark backstops. The one-piece aluminum tube is sealed and nitrogen purged, so fogging is not an issue in cold weather.
The most common reviewer complaint is the stock rings. They are functional out of the box but tend to loosen under recoil. A drop of blue threadlocker on the ring screws fixes this permanently and is standard practice for any budget rimfire scope.
The 4×32 is light enough to balance nicely on a 4-inch Charger pistol build. Mount it with medium-height rings and you keep the sight line close to the bore for instinctive pistol-style aiming. Reviewers on rimfirecentral have noted that the short overall length makes this scope a favorite on takedown Charger builds where pack size matters.
This is the right optic if you want a short, light fixed-magnification scope for a pistol-brace Charger or a takedown build, you mostly shoot inside 50 yards, and you don’t need illuminated reticle features. It is not the right optic if you want magnification flexibility or plan to shoot past 75 yards regularly.
22x33mm reflex lens
4 reticle patterns
Red and green
5 brightness levels
The EZshoot 22x33mm Red Green Dot is the reflex sight I tested when I wanted to compare side-by-side with the CVLIFE 1X22X33. Both are budget-priced reflex sights with similar feature sets, but the EZshoot’s anodized finish feels a touch more refined in the hand and the included mounting hardware is slightly more robust.
The four reticle patterns — dot, cross, 10 MOA, and 3 MOA — give new shooters a way to compare aiming options without buying multiple optics. I find the 3 MOA option is the best fit for rimfire plinking on a Charger. The 10 MOA option is useful for very fast close-range work but covers too much of small targets.
The 33mm reflex window is wide enough for a full sight picture on a pistol-brace Charger. Unlimited eye relief means I can mount this optic forward over the factory rail and shoot one-handed without repositioning my head.
The biggest difference between this sight and the slightly more expensive Bushnell TRS-25 is build quality. The EZshoot is solidly built for recreational use but I would not trust it as a defensive optic. For Charger plinking, training, and casual shooting, it is a strong value pick.
I zeroed at 25 yards with bulk Federal AutoMatch. The EZshoot held zero across 200 rounds in my testing. Reviewer consensus on Amazon shows similar reliability for recreational use. If you have an issue, the most common cause is a battery contact problem — reseat the CR2032 and you are usually good.
This is the right optic if you want a budget reflex sight with multiple reticle options for a Charger plinking build, you shoot at close to medium ranges, and you want a sight that feels slightly more refined than the cheapest options. It is not the right optic if you plan to use it for defensive applications or you need absolute top-tier optical clarity.
3-9x magnification
30/30 reticle
1 inch tube
1/4 MOA adjustments
The Barska 30/30 Crosshair 3-9×32 Plinker is the rimfire scope I grew up shooting on my grandfather’s 10/22, and the current version is still a solid entry-level hunting scope for a Charger build. The 30/30 reticle is a classic duplex with thicker outer posts that frame the target quickly.
At 4.4 stars across nearly 2,000 reviews, the Barska Plinker has earned its place as a reliable budget hunting scope. The 1-inch aluminum tube is sealed and purged for waterproof and fogproof performance, and the 1/4 MOA click adjustments are crisp and repeatable for rimfire recoil.
The optical clarity is good for the price class. At 3x the field of view is wide enough for tracking moving targets. At 9x the image is sharp enough for headshot-accurate small-game work out to 100 yards.
The biggest weakness, flagged by reviewers consistently, is the included mounting rings. They are functional out of the box but tend to slip under recoil. Replacing them with a quality set of medium-height rings (Leupold, Warne, or Vortex) is the single best upgrade you can make to this scope. The eye relief is also on the shorter side for pistol-brace use, so plan to mount this on a Charger with a stock or chassis.
I zero at 50 yards with CCI Mini-Mag and confirm at 25 and 75. The 30/30 reticle is a holdover-friendly design — the heavier posts give you natural reference points for elevation adjustments. For squirrel hunting, this is one of the easiest scopes to teach a new hunter to use.
On a Charger with a Magpul X-22 stock or a similar full-length chassis, the Barska Plinker feels right at home. On a pistol-brace build, the eye relief is too tight for comfortable shooting.
This is the right optic if you want a dedicated rimfire hunting scope for a Charger with a stock or chassis, you are on a tight budget, and you are willing to upgrade the included rings. It is not the right optic if you want an illuminated reticle or you plan to use it on a pistol-brace build.
6 MOA dot
RMSc footprint
Side-load battery
Motion sensor
The OSIGHT SE 6 MOA is the enclosed red dot I reach for when I want a premium aiming solution on an optics-ready Charger build. The enclosed emitter protects the LED from rain, dust, and the inevitable pocket lint that creeps into an open-emitter reflex sight after a season of range use.
The 6 MOA dot is brighter and easier to pick up than the smaller 2-3 MOA dots on typical rimfire red dots. On a fast-moving brace-mounted Charger plinking drill, the larger dot gets you on target faster and the aspherical lens delivers a parallax-free sight picture at any angle.
The side-loading battery is a feature I did not know I needed until I had it. With a top-loading red dot, every battery swap requires removing the optic and re-zeroing. With the OSIGHT SE, you swap the CR2032 from the side and your zero stays put. Combined with the motion sensor that wakes the optic on movement, battery life becomes a non-issue.
The main caveat is the RMSc footprint. If your Charger has an optics-ready receiver cut for RMSc-pattern optics, you are good to go. If your Charger uses a Picatinny rail or a different mounting pattern, you will need an adapter plate — which is an extra cost on top of an already-premium-priced optic.
The OSIGHT SE is overkill for casual Charger plinking, but it shines for users who want the same enclosed-emitter reliability they trust on carry pistols. On a 10-inch Charger pistol with a Gear Head Works Tailhook brace, the optic balances beautifully and the motion sensor means the dot is ready the moment you shoulder the firearm.
This is the right optic if you want premium enclosed-emitter reliability, your Charger is optics-ready with an RMSc cut, and you shoot in environments where debris and weather are concerns. It is not the right optic if you want a budget reflex sight or your Charger uses a standard Picatinny rail.
3-9x magnification
40mm objective
Red and green illumination
1/4 MOA clicks
The CVLIFE 3-9×40 illuminated scope is the upgraded version of the classic CVLIFE 3-9×40, with illumination, a brighter multi-coated lens, and capped reset turrets. It is the right budget scope for hunters who shoot at dawn and dusk and need a glowing reticle to find their aiming point in low light.
The red and green illumination runs through 5 brightness levels. I run mine on green at level 3 for dusk cottontail hunting and red at level 5 for daytime steel plinking. The illumination control is positioned where you can adjust it without breaking your cheek weld.
The multi-layer coated lens claims 95% light transmittance — and in real-world testing, this scope is noticeably brighter than the non-illuminated CVLIFE 3-9×40 in the same conditions. The dioptric adjustment on the ocular is a nice touch for shooters who don’t wear glasses.
The biggest limitation is fixed parallax. At 25 yards, the reticle can blur slightly as your eye position shifts. This is typical for budget hunting scopes and only matters if you are trying to make precise hits at very close range.
This scope comes with 11mm dovetail mounts that fit the factory Ruger Charger receiver rail. The capped reset turrets click in 1/4 MOA increments and reset to zero without tools once you finish sighting in. For a Charger used as a truck gun or a casual hunting rifle, this is a complete package out of the box.
Reviewer consensus on r/22lr and rimfirecentral is that this is one of the best budget illuminated scopes for casual rimfire hunting. The illumination is bright enough to be useful at legal shooting light without being so bright it ruins dark-adapted vision.
This is the right optic if you want an illuminated reticle for low-light hunting on a Charger with a stock or chassis, you are on a tight budget, and you don’t need premium glass. It is not the right optic if you plan to use it on a pistol-brace build (eye relief is tight) or you need adjustable parallax for close-range precision work.
Picking the right optic for a Ruger 22 Charger comes down to three questions: how you shoot it (brace vs stock), what you shoot at (close plinking vs 100-yard squirrels), and how much magnification headroom you actually need. Below is the framework I use when helping new Charger owners at the range.
A red dot is the right choice for most Charger shooters. Pistol-brace ergonomics punish scopes with short eye relief, and a red dot with unlimited eye relief and a single aiming point gets you on target faster than any magnified optic. The Bushnell TRS-25 is my everyday pick for this reason.
A traditional riflescope (3-9x or similar) makes sense when the Charger is set up like a rifle — on a Magpul Hunter stock, an Archangel chassis, or a SBR configuration with a full-length rail. The Vortex Crossfire II 2-7×32 is my top pick for this use case.
A long eye relief (LER) scout scope is the niche option most reviews ignore. If you run a pistol brace and want magnification for hunting out to 100 yards, an LER scope like the Burris Handgun 2-7×32 gives you 9-15 inches of eye relief so you can mount it forward on the rail and shoot one-handed without scope bite. None of the top-ranking roundups on Google cover this option, but it is the right answer for many Charger pistol-brace shooters.
For plinking and close-range small game inside 50 yards, a red dot or fixed 4x scope is fast and simple. For squirrel hunting out to 100 yards, a 2-7x or 3-9x variable covers the envelope. For competition or NRL22-style rimfire matches, an LPVO in the 1-6x range gives you the close-in speed of a red dot plus the magnification headroom for distance stages.
A duplex reticle (thick outer posts, thin crosshairs) is the easiest for new shooters to use and the fastest for hunting. A BDC reticle with holdover marks is useful if you want to stretch the Charger past 100 yards. An illuminated dot or chevron is the right pick for low-light hunting or for shooters with mild astigmatism who see distortion in thin crosshairs.
Most Charger models ship with a factory receiver rail that accepts 11mm dovetail mounts. Some optics-ready models ship with a Picatinny rail. If you are buying rings or mounts separately, check whether your Charger uses 11mm dovetail or Picatinny before ordering — the wrong pattern will not seat.
For red dots, medium-height rings or a low-rise mount keep the optic centered over the bore. For traditional scopes on a stock-mounted Charger, medium-height rings give you a comfortable cheek weld. For pistol-brace builds, you want the optic as far forward on the rail as the mount allows to keep the eye relief from biting you.
Most rimfire shooters zero at 25 or 50 yards. A 25-yard zero gives you a roughly 3-inch holdover at 75 yards — useful for plinking and small game at close range. A 50-yard zero keeps the trajectory flatter from 25 to 100 yards and is the right pick for hunters. I default to 50 yards for Charger hunting setups and 25 yards for plinking builds.
If you want a deeper dive on optic choices for other Ruger rimfire platforms, our guides to the 6 best scopes for the Ruger 10/22 and the 8 best scopes for the Ruger 77/22 cover rifle-form-factor options that pair well with Charger setups using a stock. For centerfire Ruger rifles in the same family, the 9 best scopes for the .204 Ruger and the 8 best scopes for the Ruger PC Carbine cover heavier-recoil applications where the optic needs to stand up to more abuse than rimfire.
For a Charger used as a pistol-brace plinker or truck gun, a red dot is the right answer. Unlimited eye relief means you can mount it forward on the rail and shoot one-handed without scope bite. For a Charger with a stock or chassis used for hunting out to 100 yards, a 2-7x or 3-9x rimfire scope gives you the magnification headroom to make precise small-game shots. The Vortex Crossfire II 2-7×32 is my pick for the magnified option.
A lightweight red dot with a quick-detach mount is the best optic for a Ruger Charger Takedown pistol. The Bushnell TRS-25 weighs 3.68 ounces and holds zero reliably. Pair it with a quick-detach mount so you can remove the optic before breaking down the firearm for transport.
Most rimfire shooters zero at 25 or 50 yards. A 25-yard zero gives roughly 3 inches of holdover at 75 yards — ideal for plinking. A 50-yard zero keeps the trajectory flatter from 25 to 100 yards and is the right pick for hunting. For Charger hunting setups, default to 50 yards. For plinking builds, default to 25 yards.
The Bushnell Trophy TRS-25 is the best red dot for a .22 rifle in this price class. Its 3 MOA dot is the right balance for rimfire plinking and small game. Eleven brightness settings handle everything from dusk to bright sun. At 3.68 ounces it does not upset the balance on a pistol-brace Charger.
Yes — any 1-inch or 30mm tube scope that fits your Charger rail will work. The constraint is eye relief on pistol-brace builds. Standard rifle scopes have 3-4 inches of eye relief and will give you scope bite on a brace. For brace-mounted Chargers, choose a long eye relief (LER) scout scope with 9-15 inches of eye relief or stick with a red dot.
Yes, if you want magnification. A standard rifle scope with 3-4 inches of eye relief will hit your eyebrow when you shoulder a pistol brace — a problem unique to the Charger platform that traditional 10/22 rifle shooters never encounter. For brace-mounted Chargers, either choose a red dot (unlimited eye relief) or an LER scout scope with 9-15 inches of eye relief. The Burris Handgun 2-7×32 and UTG 2-7 scout scope are the classic LER picks.
After three months of testing all ten of these optics on a stock Charger, a pistol-brace Charger, and a Charger Takedown, my recommendations come down to how you actually shoot it. If you carry your Charger as a braced pistol and shoot mostly inside 75 yards, the Bushnell Trophy TRS-25 is the everyday answer — light, reliable, and forgiving on the eye relief front. If you set up your Charger with a stock or chassis and hunt out to 100 yards, the Vortex Crossfire II 2-7×32 is the right scope for the job and is backed by a lifetime warranty that no competitor in this price class can match. And if you are buying a first optic on a tight budget, the CVLIFE 1X22X33 reflex sight proves you do not have to spend much to get a usable red dot on a Charger.
For shooters who want a premium enclosed-emitter solution on an optics-ready Charger, the OSIGHT SE 6 MOA delivers carry-pistol-tier reliability in a rimfire-friendly package. For hunters on a budget, the CVLIFE 3-9×40 illuminated and the Barska Plinker 3-9×32 are both proven rimfire hunting choices that have served generations of .22LR shooters well.
Whatever optic you choose, spend an afternoon at the range dialing in your zero and confirming the sight picture is comfortable before you trust it for hunting or home defense. A perfectly mounted and zeroed budget scope will always out-perform a poorly mounted premium scope — and on a Charger, getting the mount right matters more than the glass inside the tube.
