.22 rifle Q

10/22...get an upgraded hammer sear and bolt dampener. They cost about 20 extra dollars and make it shoot 100x more smoothly.

For bolts I would get a well known company's nice bolt .22. A savage, remington, winchester, browning, cz etc.. will all make nice bolt actions capable of hunting accuracy out of the box.
 
not to hijack but what good bolt 22s do you all use for getting rid of that Wrascal wwrabbit
 
I've had 'em all. Get the CZ. If you don't like the Euro stock of the cheaper versions ones get the "American" stock up-grade. My CZ American is ultra accurate. My Ruger 10/22 is ok but shoots about 1.5 inch groups at 50 yards with hunting ammo. My CZ will shoot half that or less even. You can get endless add ons for the Ruger and get it to shoot about like a CZ but you'll have more money in it by then and the CZ holds it value like cash. Get one and use it for 10 years and sell it for more than you gave for it. Try that with a TV or a lawnmower.
 
CarpScot said:
I'm not certain but I think dectia is referring to a difference in the shape of the stocks.
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:thumbup:

Thanks, CarpScot. Sorry if I wasn't clear in my original post. I was trying to say that the only complaints I have ever heard about CZ .22s dealt with form, not function.

However, it would be dishonest to omit one issue that has been brought to my attention.

CarpScot, could you link to the article/notice/whatever about the extremely rare instances where the rifles fire as the bolt is closed? Your google-fu is obviously stronger than mine. If I remember correctly it is a simple fix for any gunsmith, but if I'm going to sing the praises of CZ .22s (and I will), I shouldn't leave out any relevant information.

Long story short, I stand by my original recommendation of CZ .22s.
 
CZ's are the standard .22lr here in OZ and have been for a very long time. The price/quality tradeoff is fantastic and they also tend to be relatively tolerant of different ammuntions.

... and reliable I asked one gun store what spares they carried - "none they don't break"

Ruger 10/22 were also popular when they were legal, and when theere were plague proportions of rabbits around before the latest disease releases ocurred. There were so many targets missing a couple did not matter and multiple targets at close range were common.

However they are not as accurate as a bolt gun. That said they were a lot of fun. Following rabbits on the run, plinking cans when at camp

I have three .22lr of which the CZ is the cheapest (and for th other 2 I bought what I wanted - no cost constraint) - however for a relaible, accurate bolt .22lr for hunting (and for any survival situation) it would be the CZ withou hesitation.

I agree the CZ vs 10/22 tradeoff - accuracy, reliability, stability versus plinking fun

I would also team any .22lr with a 3-9 scope particularly with some form of ballistic plex. 3X for close range quick shots and 9X for longer shots - also even a reasonable scope can help you see better in low light conditions

rimfrirecentral.com has more info on the different rifles than you can ever possibly want to know - and very very knowledgeble people who must do more than sleep with their guns
 
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I have downed many varmints with a 10/22 and a Nylon 66 in my younger days and I think they are great. Now I have an AMT 25/22 (copy of 10/22) which I like because it is 100% Stainless Steel, but it is heavier than a 10/22. The 77/22 is a great bolt action and the browning T bolt is nice also. If you can spend a fair bit more the Kimber 22's are hard to beat; it would be easy pickings on rabbits out to way beyond 100 yards with this Nikon Scope setup.

I think I would recommend the Ruger 77/22 all weather like I have and I recently put a Burris compact Rimfire scope on it and I could not be happier with it. It would also be easy pickings on rabbits in the 100 yard range.

As far as ammo goes I generally use Remington Golden bullets or CCI Mini- Mags for more power. For match grade ammo I use Remington Eley Target Rifle but I would not hunt with it.
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I'd agree for the cash, the savage,CZ bolt actions are a great shooter, my personal preferance would be the henry, or marlin.

not sure if its been discussed, but i'd also stick with the wood stock, as opposed to a synthetic.....though im sure many will disagree
 
Hi Sasha and Friends,

I guess I would approach this question a bit differently. Maybe I've been lucky, but I've never found hitting a squirrel or rabbit with a any .22 a problem. It's not like we're talking long range windage issues. It's not like we're talking dangerous game. It's not like we're talking serious wallop needed to bring the critters down.

So for me the decision making criteria would be primarily economics, safety and convenience. Personally I'd check out just buying a good conditioned used one, especially if I was in a research mode. But, most any of the manufacturers' stuff won't be that expensive and will do just fine. Same has gone for me with ammo too. We always shot whatever the local store stocked and never had a problem with any of it.

Now that I'm a Dad of a rambunctious little boy I've been selecting bolt actions for my firearms. I remember being a kid and figuring out how to break into my Dad's gun and ammo cabinets. My kid will probably be better at it than me. :eek: Pulling the bolt out is a no brainer and disables the firearm. Plus, you can get pretty darn fast with a bolt, especially considering you only really need one shot!

I like cartridge style clips rather than tubes. One press of the the thumb and the clip is released from the rifle, open the bolt and the gun is unloaded. How many shots do you need anyway? The most I think I ever used at one time was three. It was one of the funnest hunting moments I've had too. It even measures up to hunting big game in the Rockies and boar with dog and knife here in Hawaii.

I used to love to sit by the Souhegan River in the oak groves when I was a kid and see how many squirrels I could get at once. The squirrels would work up and down those trees after the acorns. I would try to time shooting when at least two or three squirrels were all down on the ground at the same time and see if I could shoot them all before they got away. I usually only had one chance at it in the amount of time from after school to when I had to turn back up at home for dinner. Once I shot, all the other squirrels would be pretty scarce for quite awhile. So this one time I'm waiting and all of a sudden I notice a small movement out of the corner of my eye to my right. It was a beautiful ring neck pheasant. I wait for two squirrels down, pop them and get the pheasant too. Don't think for a moment that wait wasn't intense. Talk about a kid on a high. Like I said, it ranks up there as one of the best hunts I've ever had. Did it with my Dad's simple bolt action Remington.

I'm sure you'll have fun. Just don't over think the damn thing. Buy whatever and get hunting!!!

All the best, Phil
 
2 things-

You plan on eating these critters after you kill them, and just where in the L.A area are you planning on doing this? Though, just 'cause your location says there doesn't mean you're gonna be shooting there.
 
Well I am a 22 fan. I feel that with a 22 I can get anything I need. I have a number of different models, bolts, tube fed, mags, single shots, leverguns. My favorite go to 22 is the Savage Camper. It is a short rifle single shot with 22 on top and cylinder bore 20 shotgun below. I can change up the 22 ammo from CB to Velocitors quickly. Shotgun from 8 Shot pellets to slug. If rabbit hunting and the head shot is a miss, I can switch quickly to the shotgun and roll it over. A real gamegetter. The single shot encourages you to hunt smart. Your first shot is the most important, not pray and spray. Not made anymore. Pick it up if you see one. Takes apart and goes into a short case on your pack well.
 
If money is an issue, although I did not see that mentioned in the thread??? You could always pick up any number or old reliable bolt action rifles at a gun store or dare I say Flea market for around $80-120 in excellent condition. Some of these would be Models like J.C. Higgins, and around here Belknap Hardware. Most of these so called off brands were made under contract by reputable gun companies like, Marlin and so on. I have a few old bolt-action .22s that i have picked up for as little as $50 and will as the old saying goes...Drive Tacks!!!... They shoot as well if not better than my 10/22 which I will add is an amazing gun, but just in case you want a bolt and semi you can save on the budget by going used.:)
 
I'll throw in another vote for a Marlin 39A. But you can't go wrong with just about any Marlin, Savage, or Ruger.

Brandon
 
I love my 10/22 but if I were only going to have 1 .22 rifle it would be a bolt action that feeds from a magazine tube. I think Marlin is the only one still making this configuration and that is a shame. The tube magazine fed bolt actions are extremely tolerant of ammo in all different sizes. My old Marlin will feed CB shorts just as well as it will feed .22 LR. This makes it very versatile.
 
Brian Andrews said:
I take about 20 different brands of ammo to the range, and group them all. The one that does best is the one that goes hunting.
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Same here. The bulk Federal copper plated (I think) 36 grain hollow points seem to shoot the best for me.
 
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