.22 rimfire rifles that hold a special place in your heart

The first .22 rifle I spent any time with was my dad's Marlin 60 back in the 1970s. But it never found a place in my heart because I always had to share it with my brother whenever we'd go out into the fields to shoot. Having my own Marlin 60 would have been much better.

Later in life after I bought my first home I bought myself a new Marlin 39AS at age 29. My favorite times were riding out the driveway on my mountain bike with that Marlin slung on my back. I'd usually ride over to the abandoned sand quarry and go shoot cans or pests. No one said squat about me riding down the creek with that Marlin slung on my back. This was the mid 1990s and urban sprawl hadn't caught up to where I lived at the time.

Near the same time frame in the same house, I also had a Kawasaki KDX200 that I'd carry my Beretta Bobcat with me in my moto-tool-canteen belt. I'd ride for a while, and when I'd need a water break, I'd pull out that Beretta .22 and pop some targets of opportunity. At close range, of course.

I don't have any photos of my guns back then because taking cameras when shooting wasn't as ubiquitous as it is now. Smart phones changed that dramatically.

Here's a pic of my Marlin. I still have it.

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My first rifle. A 514 Remington that was dead on. That single shot never missed.

Ruger 10-22

It preceded your entrance into the 22LR world, but we did this thread just a few months ago:

Let’s see the 22 rifles that make you smile thread THR

But it never hurts reminiscing over the loves in our lives....

Personally, I supremely enjoy a Marlin Model 99-M1, which is an M99 (precursor to the M60) stocked to resemble - albeit somewhat loosely - the M1 Carbine. This rifle was my granddad’s, who bought it in ‘71 after he retired from the Navy and was given to my dad ‘roundabouts ‘74/‘75 while he was in HS. I picked it up then in ‘89 for the first time, and my son started shooting it last summer. Dad lost the rear sight in storage somewhere while he had a scope on the rifle, and the front sight fell off over 20yrs ago while I was in high school. I have both still (replacing the rearsight through Numrich), in a box in the top of one of our gun safes, but shoot well enough for bunny hunting or shooting treed coons over hounds without either sight.



Another 22LR I thoroughly enjoy shooting is actually my wife’s rifle, which I have since commandeered for PRS competition practice. A Savage Mark II BSEV, which left the mothership in a Boyd’s Evolution stock with a spiral fluted barrel. It now sports an adjustable Boyd’s ProVarmint and a Bushnell LRHS 4.5-18x44mm with an FFP G2H reticle up top, sharing a similar reticle to the G3 reticles I have in my DMR II’s and XRS II on my centerfire competition rifles. Here the HBIC is practicing the PRS Speed Skills stage, scaled for 22LR. Three 3” round targets at 100 yards spread 25 yards then 50 yards apart laterally (hence the extreme angle in her shooting position).



A 22LR my son and I have enjoyed shooting together the most in the last year is a Ruger 10/22 Charger pistol. Topped with Bushnell DMR II 3.5-21x50mm rifle scope, he practices out to 300yrds with this pistol. The SilencerCo Warlock II out front makes communication super easy - no earpro required (pictured here with earpro because of other shooters on the range). Here, my boy is warming up at 50yrds with speed relays on the falling plate rack.



But I suppose the most important 22LR in my life is a Ruger Mark II. I bought it in ‘99 from a school friend for $90, a considerable loss for him since he had paid $150 without his parents’ permission, so they subsequently made him sell it - I had $90 in my wallet at the time and his dad called it “sold!”. I’ve since fired more rounds than I can count through the pistol, as have dozens and dozens, if not hundreds of new shooters in my handgun classes over the last ~20yrs. I’ve carried this pistol for thousands of miles in my hip, hundreds of miles hung on my saddle while checking cows, killed several coyotes invading our feed yards, finished hundreds on hundreds of furry critters on my traplines, and have killed THOUSANDS of treed coons over hounds with this pistol in the last 20+ years. It was the first handgun my son ever fired. For many years, I’d considered I would be buried with this pistol beside me, but I suppose my son has since earned the privilege of carrying it on after I’m gone.

The Winchester 74 I first shot when I was about 6 years old. It's a 1942 model. It's been run over by steel wheel farm equipment, beat up and worn out. I bought from my dad for trade value $10. The only gun for years after I cam back from Nam and it didn't shoot. I have tinkered with it for over 50 years and finally solved it's mysterious ailments. It shoots very well. I might even shoot it in a match. Not as good as my CZ's but par with my very barrel 10-22.

Remington Nylon 66. My Dad split the price with me when I was 10 years old (1962) Lotsa rounds through that little rifle.....and many squirrels, rabbits and coons met their demise with it! memtb

I have three that are special to me, but only one of them is a rifle!

My first .22 was a Ruger 10/22 bought new for around $72. That was like a week's pay for me and worth every penny of it. Use to go shooting with it out in the country where a friend's family had a few acres and an old travel camper on the property. We would drive out there on the weekend and plink away at targets, cans, plastic bottles, and whatever else we could find. That gold bead front sight was really something, it was like if I could put that bead on a target, I could hit the center of the bullseye with it every time! The gun made me look good that's for sure! Added a Weaver scope a short while later because I knew if I could see further out there with it, I could really reach out there and be accurate for at least 100 yards or more!


My second special favorite is my Beretta Model 70S. Saw it in an article in Guns and Ammo magazine and knew I had to have it. Bought one of the first ones to reach our area and was totally in love with it! Haven't met a .22 it didn't like and still delivers great accuracy for a regular old .22 semi-auto. Had some trouble with the blued finish on the gun and Beretta refinished it. It was okay for a while but the problem returned and I wanted a more durable finish on the gun. So I sent it to Ron Mahovsky of Metalife to get it hard chrome plated and got this awesome gun back! Found an ad for flat sided factory grips from some importer and ordered a pair; never cared for the original thumbrest ones (made that way by Beretta along with the adjustable rear sight), so it could score enough points to be imported.
My constant companion on many a backwoods hike, I still take it along just about every time I go to the range.


The third one with a special place in my collection is a limited edition Ruger Mk.II which featured a blued upper assembly and a polished stainless steel frame. It was the Model 512 with a 5 1/2" bull barrel on it and it looked stunning! I found it on a table at a gun show, sharing space with an equally fetching Ruger Single Six Bisley model
with the same two tone look to it. That Bisley felt awesome in my hand and was the same price as the Mk.II. I wanted it too but I only had enough money to buy one of them and I had come to the show to get myself a decent .22 target pistol so it was goodbye Bisley, welcome home Mk.II! The fit and finish on this gun is really very nice, as is the trigger and sights. After looking for some nicer grips I finally found a pair of factory target grips for it and they look and feel great! All three of these guns have not only been used by me all these years but have been greatly appreciated by many new beginning shooters as well.

Muh daddy something something whipper snapper something something the end.

I started getting serious about smallbore target shooting when I was about 14 and my first serious serious target rifle was a Winchester M-52B with Vaver sights like at bottom of pic. .About three years later I got this M-52C with Redfield Olympic sights and a Lyman scope to go with it. Since then I've competed with more exotic rifles with expensive European names, but those old M-52's give me the best memories. Which is why I've kept them

JCooperfan1911 said:

Muh daddy something something whipper snapper something something the end.

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Lol. Sounds like something someone says when they've had too much to drink and they're trying not to pass out.

In 1983 I went to a gun show, cash in hand, to buy a Ruger Model 77/22. I was determined to get a good quality and accurate bolt action .22. They had several 77/22's at the show but on one of the tables next to the 77/22's was a Kimber Model 82 for $60.00 more.

This Kimber came home with me. I have many guns and will have a few more in my life but of all my guns this Kimber has always been my favorite. This is a Clackamas rifle (I have a Model 84 also). There are many stories about the Clackamas rifles being inaccurate and unreliable. Not this little Model 82. Nor my Model 84. This Model 82 is, and still is, as accurate .22 rifle as I could ever wished for. Many, many, groundhogs and squirrels to it's credit. As you can see from the photos the blueing is worn off the bolt knob. Forgive my photography skills but these are the first pictures I have ever taken of it.

Unmolested 541 sporter. Bought,like new for stupid cheap. There was this sporter,and it's twin with the fat brrl next to each other....

Wore a ridiculously nice,post reticle Burris 4X for 20 years. Then last year? #2 son surprised me with an,as NIB 5* Redfield straight 6X.

Have other 22 rifles but this one will always be my favorite. Partly how bloomin accurate but,more about how it's just a buddy type gun that loves being carried and shot in the field.

Crummy pic

Winchester 94-22M

My favorite is my Remington 552 Speedmaster. Eats any shorts, longs or long rifle rounds with a tube magazine. shoots great. Not sure how old it is, my dad bought it used in the early ‘80s. No serial # so pre ‘67.

Honorable mention for my old (‘45-‘55) Marlin 80DL bolt action mag fed, with the factory 12A peep sights. My favorite open sights. My dad bought it used years ago but wasn’t functioning as it has the wrong year striker and was missing a few parts. So last year when we were all locked down, we did some research, found all our parts from various sources and got it running. Had more fun fixing it up & refinishing it than shooting it.

and for something different, my Walther/ Umarex HK MP5-22. Aside from the fact it’s a perfect copy of an MP-5, it runs cheap bulk ammo and has an adjustable gas block, a PITA to clean but rarely needs it as it will run filthy just fine. Nice crisp trigger, surprising accuracy from a sleeved barrel, and the el cheapo knockoff MP5 optics rails fit perfect.

I love my Henry most of my .22 rifles. Im going to be enabler and tell you to get yourself a Henry .22, they are worth it. The versatility of being able to shoot high power and lower shorts, longs, and long rifle rounds is the main reason in my book.

For me it was the Savage 29 with an octagonal barrel (circa1930). It was my uncles rifle. I stayed with my aunt and uncle one summer. Uncle Joe was an avid small game hunter. He was retired and would take me ot to shoot in a wooded area for an hour each day. He save up every bottle, jar, can, etc to be targets. By the end of the summer I rarely missed one. I was 7. The next time I had a rifle in my hands I was 17 at Paris Island. On the first day on the range with an M1 it all came back to me. And it has never left.

My dads first rifle was a Winchester model 67 single shot. I may have been 7 or 8 years old when it came to me after cycling through all the older cousins first. Who knows how many prairie dogs, rabbits, skunks, squirrels it has taken. Mine is in storage and not in as good of shape as this one from the internet. It was also significantly cut down to fit kids. Very special gun.

My SA22’s, Mark XXII and Sportmodell V would be up there for me.

Browning BL-22 lever action rifle. If I could own only one .22 rifle it would be the BL-22.

I had a few of the older model 60's with wood stocks. Loved them. I had a 10-22 i liked but both of the model 60's would out shoot it any day of the week.

I have shot a buddies CZ ( forgot the model) bolt action mag fed that was crazy accurate with certain ammo. CcI stingers and one other. We set dimes up at 50 yards and pick them off all day long. Kind of got boring after a while.

My very first. 22 was a BL-22. It was so accurate and had such good sights, and a great size.
I sent so many spatsies and starlings to their end with that rifle!

Heir Kommt Die Sonne said:

If I do, I'm going to have to finally get a Henry 1860 rifle to go with it. That was my dream rifle when I was 14

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I picked up a Henry made 1860 Henry in .44-40 back on April 6. It's a beautiful gun, nice slick action. I think you'll love it when you get it!


That being said, my first .22 rifle; a Winchester 9422 with checkered forend & stock. Great light pointable gun.

I have two.

The first rifle I ever shot was a Winchester 69 bolt rifle that belonged to my maternal grandfather and passed to my father upon grand dad's death.

For Christmas in 1967, my dad gave me a Marlin 39A. I was into Western movies at the time and the 22 LR lever action filled the bill and accurate in the bargain.

I still have both rifles.