The factory boresighted AIM Sports 4x32mm Compact scope presented a clear, bright and non-distorted view all the way out to the edges of the sight picture. It appeared to be of good quality, functioned nicely throughout testing and is both fog and shock-proof. It features an adjustable ocular lens operated by a knurled ring, but the diopter range is not stated. That being said, everyone who fired it during testing was able to dial in a diopter setting appropriate to their vision. Screw-off turret caps reveal windage an elevation adjusters which are finger adjustable in 1/4 MOA increments. The Mil-Dot reticle is of the standard wide outer/thin inner crosshair variety with six dots in each of the four thin inner crosshairs, and a generous 3-inch eye relief allows first-time scope users to gain a sight picture sans frustration.
The precision hardwood stock is finished inside in matte black, and on the outside in matte black with raised black speckling. There is no bedding block or similar bedding system contained within the receiver portion of the stock. It includes fore and aft sling swivel studs for attaching a sling or mounting a bipod on the front stud and an enlarged and squarish vertical palm swell. Length of pull is 11.25”, overall length is 30.625 inches—an overall-perfect size for pre-teen and single-digit youngsters. Metal finish is matte black throughout, and the Rascal Target XP comes with ear plugs and firearms lock.
To see what the Rascal Target was capable of downrange, we set up at the 50-yard line with a slew of different .22LR ammunition, and to remove all doubt, we did put an adult behind the trigger. While the length-of-pull proved a little awkward for a fullsize human, this little rimfire proved exceedingly easy to shoot well—thanks in large part to the rifle’s excellent trigger. The Rascal digested everything we fed it, as one would expect, and gave sub-one-inch performance with almost all of the loads tested. The winner of the day, however, was Federal Premium’s deadly-precise Hunter Match ammo. Loaded with a 40-gr. match hollow-point, this loaded printed a tight little 0.62-inch five shot cluster, dead-center in the target’s 1-inch aiming point. Not only is this level of precision encouraging to a youngster, it also helps the adult diagnose poor marksmanship by completely ruling out the rifle itself.
The Rascal Target XP is a huge win in our books, and if you’re looking to introduce a child to the world of shooting sports, we really can’t think of a better way to do it. See the Rascal Target XP at you firearms retailer, or for more information contact Savage Firearms; Tel.: (800) 370-0708; Web: www.savagearms.com
