Best .22 for competitive shooting, and fun?

[Noebb]

Pleas help... Wife is going to get me a new .22 for my birthday and I get to pick!!

What is the best .22 for competitive shooting? I may also use it for plinking and hunting.

I would like to improve my skills and get into some competitive shooting. What would you recommend for a good handgun?


I already have a mark II bull barrel and love it, but it is not drilled for a scope mount and I would like to have two .22s.

Accuarcy is of course my top requirement,
Reliablity/durability is second,
Cost is third (because I’m fairly new, I’m not sure I need a S&W 41)


I’m leaning towards a Ruger MarkIII hunter 5 ½ or 6 7/8.
Others on my list:
Buckmark hunter,
S&W 41 (but costs too much, if worth it I could get it)
Used mark II but they are more than the MarkIII.

I may consider a revolver but would prefer an auto.


Thanks for advice.


-oh, I'll be getting the scope later on my own

 

[Mike OTDP]

Best? Best! Bwahahahah!

Seriously, if you want a competitive shooting iron, you have several options.

The first is to take your Ruger and get a good trigger job done on it. Try Clarks Custom Guns. At least get a Volquartsen parts setup and drop it in.

The second - highly recommended if you can find one - is to get a Baikal Izh-35. This is a thousand-dollar gun for about half that sum. The best bargain out there. Be ready to carve away on the grips if you find one.

The third is to pick up a used High Standard Victor or Citation. Excellent arms. Get one made in Hamden or Hartford.

A S&W Model 41 is good...particularly if you can find a used one.

I laugh because "best" is None of the Above (though the Izh-35 comes close). "Best" would be a Hammerli 208S, a Pardini SP, or a Feinwerkbau AW93. Unless you are shooting Free Pistol.

 

[Justin]

S&W 41 (but costs too much, if worth it I could get it)

The Model 41 is absolutely worth the cost. It's the highest quality .22 made in the US.

Judging by what you want to do with it, I'd recommend against a dedicated target gun like the ones made by Pardini, Morini, Walther, or Hammerli.

Plenty of guys have made Master with a Model 41 with no modifications other than ergonomic target stocks.

The second - highly recommended if you can find one - is to get a Baikal Izh-35. This is a thousand-dollar gun for about half that sum. The best bargain out there. Be ready to carve away on the grips if you find one.

I would recommend against the Baikal Izh-35. They're extremely accurate, if not rough around the edges, however, from what I've seen they simply do not hold up in the long term. I know a guy who shot one in Bullseye practice twice a week as well as matches, and he started having serious feeding issues. Also, there are few, if any, gunsmiths that will work on them, and even fewer that know how to work on them.

 

[ArmedBear]

I love my Ruger 22/45, a special run with a slabside 6 7/8" bull barrel and adjustable target sights. It was worth every penny of the $280 I paid for it NIB. It's fun, it's accurate, it's durable, it's ridiculously reliable, and it goes a LONG time between cleanings without a hitch.

But if I knew I was going to compete, I'd spring for the S&W 41.

The Rugers have gone up, they've gotten more complicated, and while I'd buy one again, they're not free.

Might as well save for the S&W 41, and don't look back, if you want to compete.

Nothing against the Ruger. It's a great choice, especially dollar-for-dollar, for a practice pistol and fun gun. But the 41 is truly competition ready, as Justin says. Balances wonderfully, also.

 

[Justin]

If you're interested in competing, by the time you've done all of the work to the Ruger to get it up to snuff, you could have just about bought a Model 41.

 

[gun4funtime]

The model 41 is a great gun.

I am not a ruger fan,,,

I would think about a Browning Buckmark. You can buy one of the target model, or a camper and fix it up with a Tac-Sol barrell , have a little trigger work done, nice set of grips, (i like the stock grips) and get your feet wet and not break the bank.

What ever you do, Have fun, be safe and go shooting.

 

[PO2Hammer]

Walther has a new target grade version of their little rimfire, about $500 with match grade barrel and adjustable sights.

My Mk II is uncanny accurate, but with my new Mk III Hunter, I'm having trouble getting top notch accuracy even with a VQ sear and red dot.

 

[Brian Williams]

Accuarcy is of course my top requirement,

then get a S&W 41.

If you just want to plink get a Colt Woodsman or a Ruger.

 

[jhco]

the model 41 is great but for the price my ruger mkiii target with thumbrest grips will traw a nickel sized hole at 15yrds ands thats with federal bulk ammo off a rest of course

 

[mauiglide]

I did some research on a good .22LR pistol and decided to go with the Ruger MKIII Hunter. Price was right and the magazines and accessories are on sale at MidwayUSA. I decided to drop in (I hope it is that easy) a VQ accurizing kit and exact extractor just to squeeze a bit more performance out of it. I already have a Aimpoint H-1 from a project I bailed out on so that will be mounted on my new target shooter. It all should be here next week and I'll have some photos after all is said and done.

 

[Timthinker]

Apart from the outstanding S&W Model 41, the Smith Model 617 revolver and the Volquartsen-i.e. super Ruger-pistols come to mind. Other handguns certainly meet your criteria, but those I have mentioned definitely qualify. You may wish to consider a T/C single-shot pistol also. I hope these recommendations prove useful.


Timthinker

 

[s4s4u]

I'll throw in a vote for the Ruger. I have a 22/45 MKII, 5-1/2" bull barrel with optima dot that will shoot quarter size, 25 yard 10 shot groups to the point of boredom. If it had a smaller dot I could tighten them up a bit.

 

[Claude Clay]

used sig trailside. up side is you can use S&W 41 mags in it and sort of pretend.

 

[TAB]

I will 3rd or is it 4th the model 41.


I picked on up this year. best 22 pistol I have ever shot that was not purpose built for comp.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I bought a used Ruger Mark II that was customized by Clark Custom. It is much more accurate than I am and a real pleasure to shoot. I didn't realize how much work was done to the pistol when I bought it but when I checked the Clark Custom site I found out the price I paid for the gun was less than the price of the work done to it. Gota love buying a gun from a store that's selling everything because the owner is retiring. (the barrel alone costs $240 and I paid only $375 for the pistol) Throw in the trigger job, sights, grips and a few other goodies you have a great handgun.

What I'm getting at is, find a pistol you like to shoot and is comfortable in your hand, then have some work done to it. You will end up with exactly what you are looking for, it will feel great to shoot and you will right for YOU. I can recommend the work done by Clark Custom Guns personally.

BTW, you're a lucky man to having a wife who is willing to buy you a gun as a present. Definitely a fine woman!





I also have a Special Run S&W M22A-1 from AccuSport. It's not as customized as the Ruger but it's also a really nice pistol. Actually, I bought the Ruger because my son claimed the S&W soon after I bought it!! LOL The 7" Fluted Bull Barrel with green Fiber Optic front sight is part of the special package from AccuSport. It's a great barrel and the sights are very easy to see.

 

[Joel Jacobs]

I've been shooting the Rugers since 1957, got a couple of the target models in the gun box that I shoot occasionally....

I've been shooting S&W Mdl. 41s since 1966. I shoot my 41 almost daily.

If accuracy is your single most important criteria and you are going to shoot competition you are going to need at least a Mdl. 41.

They're worth every penny. You can buy a new one for around $875.00.

 

[Pilot]

I don't like the grip angle on the M41. I prefer the Ruger MK II with 5 inch bull barrel fro plinking and light target work. The only mod it has is a Volquartsen trigger and sear which made the trigger extremely nice. The nice thing about the Ruger is you cna customize it over time the way you want it due to all the aftermarket parts from many different companies. Get a MK II over a MK III.

 

[cavman]

If you already love the Ruger that you have, getting a second for competition sounds just fine.

I just bought another Model 41 (used ~1974) for competition and it came out only a little more $ than a new Ruger would cost. I even prefer it to my "new" M41 of 2007.

I shot the Ruger for one year and have now been shooting the M41 for two years. You could do very well with either.

I prefer the Model 41.

 

[earplug]

The upfront cost of a fine pistol is nothing, if it allows you to shoot better, enjoy the sport more.
A fine pistol will last decades.

Check out ease of cleaning, dismounting the barrel and scope, changing barrels, not to mention trigger, stocks and balance.

I'd get the S&W 41, you will be stuck with it for thirty years or so.

I own a High Standard, scoping one with a rear sight, turns the operation into a pain. you lose access to the slide. They make a sightless version if the grip angle works best for you.

I currently have a Marvel conversion on a Springfield frame, fine combination, but the S&W 41 would be easier to live with out of the box.

 

[JImbothefiveth]

I hear the model 41s are picky about ammo, so if you shoot a lot of bulk ammunition that may be a problem.

 

[Timthinker]

Since Earplug mentioned High Standard pistols, let me add the following. The older model HS pistols had marvelous reputations for accuracy and reliability. My father purchased one of them and it was a great handgun. Unfortunately, the "new" High Standard company has not lived up to the expectations set by its predecessor, which went bankrupt in the mid-1980s. The new HS pistols have received poorer ratings in terms of reliability and quality. How valid these complaints are is another question. Suffice it to say that these negative reports stopped me from purchasing one not long ago. No doubt, this topic has been discussed on THR, but I thought this issue merits your attention. Good luck.


Timthinker

 

[Sarvisian]

While I fully realize that the Rugers are not competition target grade guns, ask yourself if you are competition target grade? I've been shooting my lightly modified MKII Target for 11 years now and can't outshoot it yet. When I find myself being hampered by the Ruger I'll spend the money for something better.

 

[bgeddes]

After shooting my S&W 22A side by side with a few 22/45 guys, I would never buy one. My cheapo 22A out shoots them, is not at all ammo picky, and costs less. Someday I'll own a 41, just because if my $230 unit shoots this well, an $900 piece should be something to behold.

 

[Ala Dan]

By far and away, I think the best .22 auto-loader for competition
would be the Smith & Wesson model 41; followed closely by the
Colt Match Target Woodsman. However, finding either will be a
pricey proposition. My old stand-by is a Browning Buckmark,
with 5.5" barrel, Tru-Glo fiber optic sight, and rosewood grips.

 

[Joel Jacobs]

I hear the model 41s are picky about ammo, so if you shoot a lot of bulk ammunition that may be a problem.

I have owned three Model 41s over the past 43 years, none of them has been ammo picky. I currently shoot Federal AutoMatch almost exclusively just because it's cheap and accurate - 325 rounds for about $15.00