r/canadaguns • u/Response-Cheap • May 10 '26
Buy recommendations Any optics experts want to weigh in?
I'm looking for a very compact scope for a little badger.
I'm not sure if I just want to put an SU16D rear peep sight on the pic rail and swap out the front sight for the Bad Ace adjustable front sight, or if I should just put a proper aluminum pic rail on top in place of the plastic one, and look for a tiny scope.
This is a survival rifle, so I want something compact that won't take up a lot of space. The rifle is being taken down and packed in a small pocket in a rucksack. I want something tiny and super reliable. No batteries. Doesn't need big magnification, 1x is fine. Just something basic that holds zero well.
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u/prosper_0 May 14 '26 edited May 14 '26
my Badger is all irons all the way. I want ruggedness and compactness, and optics just can't compete on either count with a nice steel low-profile aperture sight tucked closely up against the action. I took most of the silly useless plastic rails off, modified a 10/22 weaver rail for the top, and put a super low profile NECG peep on the back, then filed down the front post to get the elevation to match. At some point, I should replace that janky front sight with steel too, but I'm less worried about it than I was about the rails and rear sight.
Chiappa could vastly improve that gun for small cost by putting on some metal rails, and re-implementing their sight system in metal. Even cast aluminum would be miles better than the junk they used. Seriously, that plastic is worse than just not including any sights. Heck, do what the Turks are doing with a lot of their guns, and put a metal rail on top with an integrated peep on it. It's small, light, rugged, cheap, and effective.
Mine's potted a good deal of grouse over the years, and it works well for that application.