High End .22

I don't care how much it cost, I hunt with it! (including my drilling) I bought my "good" guns when I was working, they are paid for...

What does hunting with any gun that's paid for have to do with living on a fixed income?

DM

For the discriminating buyer looking for a fine .22, there are a number of good candidates....Dakota Arms, Winchester 52's, Coopers, Anschutz, or custom builds. My interests lean toward the 52's but original sporters are rare and can go for $4,000-to-$6000 plus depending on model. The Dakota's are somewhat rare in .22 but can be found, some were ordered with wood upgrades that are outstanding. (see link below)

If I were to budget $5000-to-$7000 on a nice .22, think I'd select a Winchester 52C target rifle and have it restocked and barrel turned down (or replaced)....and custom built. Perhaps even case hardened and a little engraving. Always fun to spend someone else's money.

https://www.morphyauctions.com/jamesdjulia/item/2291-369/

Rock Island Auction Company. Look over inventory and decide if there’s something you really fancy. Money be damned or no, this sounds like a one-off rather than the beginning of a buying spree so you may as well love it for all it is beyond looks; lots of variety in that criterion.

for that price, I'd want every aspect of it fitted to me by a gunsmith, - lenght of pull, some triggers I find not really quite in the right spot to me in the trigger guard ... if it were me, I'd look at one that was really really good, but - pay a pro to tinker with it a bit to set it up and tune it to me and my liking, not off the shelf.

I have never shot a finer 22. Almost boring. The Anschutz is beyond any other that I own. I'm lucky enough to have 2 of them.

Steve S. said:

the more I shop for a higher end .22, the more I realize that the Kimber (at a much lesser cost/ value) brings a whole lot to the table - in turn, maybe I should just keep it and that’s that.

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Yep. Keep the Kimber and buy a bunch of good ammo.

Varminterror said:

$2500-3000 goes a long ways towards a high grade stock. A lower price, but still exceptionally accurate rifle or barreled action can be bought or built then stocked into a custom stock for well under $7000. Maybe not well under $4000, but certainly less than 7.

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My exact thoughts. I was thinking of a 57M Cooper or Anschutz and instead of a AAA stock order a super grade Exhibition stock for either rifle.

One of my best friends has a Cooper that outshoots his new CZ MTR. If you can afford it get it. Then you know you have best.

Steve S. said:

My consternation is the prices being north and way north of $7k causes me to pause.

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Yeah, that would get me too. I’d get a used benchrest rifle with a Stiller or blueprinted 10x, Turbo, 40x, etc action and pick out a hunk of wood for it I really liked a first. Then spend the rest on good glass and Eley tenex.

d2wing said:

One of my best friends has a Cooper that outshoots his new CZ MTR. If you can afford it get it. Then you know you have best.

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Problem is, there's plenty of folks on the net that bought Coopers, complaining about their Coopers not being great shooters!

The most consistent shooters are Anschutz or a custom build...

DM

DM~ said:

Problem is, there's plenty of folks on the net that bought Coopers, complaining about their Coopers not being great shooters!

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I think the main problem is nobody quantifies what a “great shooter” is. Do you see Coopers winning benchrest matches, not likely but they could beat out Marlin 60’s, 597’s and 10-22’s, out of the box day in and day out.

To one group they are “lights out” to another, they are just another way to turn money into noise.

The preceding comments on this thread clearly indicate that there are diverse opinions and descriptions of "High End" rimfire rifles (and pistols too) but everyone seems to agree that price is a determining factor: i.e. the higher the end, the higher the price tag.
Since I've been known to invest in supposedly "high end" rifles I've categorized such rifles in three distinct groups: With the first and most common being makes and models that are known and acknowledged for quality and accuracy, with corresponding price tags. One of the best examples being the series 54 Anschutz sporting (non-target) rifles. They are well crafted and well finished, pleasingly styled and typically deliver near target rifle accuracy. Their pride of ownership factor is undeniable and they also represent a solid investment because their value is widely known and catalogued. In other words, you can usually sell them at what - or more -.you paid for them. Which is why I've paid upwards of two grand for used specimens that happened to have extra pretty wood as the pair shown here. My second category of "High End" rifles are those that have become valuable because of their combined rarity and quality make them desirable, with a cadre of collectors willing to pay whatever it costs to one one. Such as, M-52 Winchester Sporting, Remington Custom shop 40-X .22 Sporters, the rare and gorgeous Mannlicher .22 RF's, and increasingly, Springfield M2's and KImber .22's. Another category are the currently made and and offered semi -custom made brands and one-off offerings that are typically high priced and defined by fancy wood and checkering patterns. One can't fault their makers for charging as much as they can get but they represent a risky investment because their high prices conflict with limited demand and a lack of established price levels. An exception are the Springfield M2's customized by Griffin & Howe back in the 1930's, 40's and 50's which now command 10-15 grand. I saw an especially desirable one listed at $32,000, engraved by R.Kornbrath, the legendary gun engraver which accounted for the steep asking price (Which I consider really "High End.") But even unengraved G&H .22's sell north of $12 grand. Here are a few examples of different categories on what can be considered High End .22s: including Anschutz, Mannlicher, Winchester and Custom.


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I am now 72 and have been on the same long journey as you, the OP, for many decades. I am interested in many categories of guns/shooting, but these .22s have been a mainstay for me. For my own purposes, I call these guns “classic bolt action target sporters.” They must have nice sporting style walnut stocks, and no thumbholes or extended magazines (like a Vudoo). Quality triggers are critical and good wood checkering is also important. Both lightweight and heavy barrels are ok. And they must be accurate!!! Seems like you might be in the same boat.

Two additional points of interest from my end: My limited storage space and general budget allow for only a few of these sporters at a time. So they come and go in a way that I think has improved the general small lot. Also, I have my own backyard bench range, so these guns get shot a lot, both for groups (my favorite) and offhand at steel swingers. I also hunt with them, although a little less as I age.

I have been through a lot of them over the years, including a Remington 541s, a Cooper 36, a Dakota .22 (yep, they made a .22 bolt gun), three Kimber sporters (who knows, you may have mine), a Sako Finnfire light barrel, a vintage Winchester 52B, a beautiful Springfield 1922 M2 with the NRA sporter stock and Lyman Junior Target Spot Scope, a Winchester 52R sporter, a heavy barrel Finnfire, a CZ 452 Grand Finale, and an Anschutz 1710 HB. There were probably others I can’ remember. Only the last five remain in my safe. All the others (especially the Kimbers) frustrated me in some way or something new distracted me. Details of my remaining group:

Heavy Barrel Sako: Now wears a Lilja heavy barrel and Jewel trigger. Five shot 50 yard groups average in the .2s.

Anschutz: Bought new on line (not exactly on the shelf in Missouri). Very accurate and exceptionally easy to shoot well off the bench, but the stock (especially the checkering quality) was subpar. I sent it to Canyon Creek for Leroy and Connie to make a nice stock I could both afford to pay for and actually shoot. They made me an more “budget friendly” stock (no ebony forend, no inletted swivels, and wood a step or two (or three) below what you see on the website. It is still beautifully figured with fantastic checkering. The stock also has the metal Neidler buttplate, steel grips cap, shadow cheekpiece, and Leroy’s custom bottom metal. All the screws are also timed. Not exacting cheap, but not as expensive as some of the spectacular pieces he often puts out. FYI, Canyon Creek was great to work with. The rifle averages in the .2s off the bench and is a true joy to own and shoot.

Winchester 52r: True classic design and great to shoot after some trigger work. Shoots in the .4s. My favorite steel target shooter. These often have rather plain wood, but if you look around long enough you can find the right one. Took me a long time, but mine has serial number 5 and great wood.

CZ 452 Grande Finale: After trigger work, it averages in the .4s. This is my squirrel gun and another steel shooter. Not a classy as some of the Kimbers, but much less frustrating. It is at home in the woods and some wear and tear won't bother me much.

Springfield 1922: My favorite! Even with a heavy trigger and low power 8x vintage scope, it still shoots in .3s.

My journey with these has been great fun. It is not over, but you can see where it has ended up at 50 years. Hope you chase is also fun.

Thank you Offhand and Inthefield for your very knowledgeable posts.

When I go out back for a GOOD day of shooting, it normally involves .22 rimfire, only because I can shoot those rifles all day long with PLEASURE. Shooting my Winchester Model 70 in .458 Winchester Magnum at cinder blocks, last for about 4 rounds.
I recently received a CZ 457 MTR, and it is the MOST pleasurable rifle that I have ever purchased as far as being beyond my expectations:

This rifle has a "match chamber" and with the right ammunition will provide groups like this every so often:

I have only begun to test various types and brands of .22 rimfire ammunition in this rifle, but each time heading out back to my range, has been a very satisfying adventure. I can't wait to test many more varieties and brands that I have in stock. So far SK Rifle Match has proven to be like very well by this investment.

whughett said:

How much accuracy does “bling” add. And who is going to take a 7K 22 squirrel hunting. No me but then……. I live on a fixed income.

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Excellent question, and made me chuckle, just a little. I own a pre-64 Model 70 Winchester, my birth year, that has been rebarreled and chambered to .280 Remington caliber. I re-cut the checkering because over the years hunting up here in some very inclement weather and wearing gloves during gun-deer season, the factory checkering got pretty flat on the factory American walnut stock. Sometimes when I'm sitting on my stand out back I do wonder if a better, prettier stock, would bring those dandy bucks that I see, just out of range during bow season, in closer to look over an Exhibition Grade Circasian Walnut stock with 24 or 26 LPI checkering, ribbons and fleur-de-lis, instead of the homely 20 LPI factory checkered stock this rifle was born with? Maybe if I had a better lookin' rifle, this guys big brother would've come along rather him? Sigh.........

ANSCHUTZ 1710 HB AV .22 LR 18" STAINLESS. Well under $3,000.

Elk County Ammo and Arms is fantastic to deal with.

https://ammoandarmsstore.com/a1710avhbssclx/

@Offfhand - wow, some amazing stocks in your pics!!

Steve S. said:

Now let’s be very honest here, if you were a deer, wouldn’t you rather be killed with a pretty custom rifle as opposed to a Walmart counter rifle - deer have feelings too!!!!!

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You know, if I was a deer, I'd run the top of my head into a huge tree and knock my antlers off my noggin', then go find a spot on some property to sit out the season.

Steve,
I ended up using Talley's (low's, in think) on the 1710 pictured below. Be aware that the front base will extend a little bit back over the front of the ejection port. Not enough to matter. My scope is a Leupold VX-2, 6-18, with an adjustable objective to help fine tune the parallax for the 50 yard distance I usually spend my time shooting. I also put in a slightly lighter trigger spring in mine, but probably really didn't need to. You will love your new rifle and how it shoots. World class! Congratulations!

Not as nice as some but my new ( to me ) Anschutz 1416 Sporter

Steve S. said:

InTheField, beautiful rig (I am hopeful that my wood grain figure is just as nice). Those Talley mounts reek of class; I am a Leupold guy (also) - probably go with a 3 Series (or better), 14 high end (or better) to top off this rifle. My shooting will be 50 yards on my good day and maybe some squirrels at 25 if they present themselves. Again, I am hopeful that my purchase is similar in stock figure as your’s - very, very nice.

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Steve, the rifle is actually wearing the Canyon Creek stock described in my previous post. Some Anschutz rifles come with great wood. I hope yours is one of them. You are going to like your new set-up.