The “Perfect” .22 Rifle

I don’t know if thee is anything like a perfect .22 rifle but my Anschutz 1712 is pretty close for me, especially after I installed a new trigger blade that moves the trigger closer to the grip. I have short stubby fingers so that made a huge difference for me.

Love my Henry lever .22. Could you put a stock from the Youth model on your Frontier for easier range shooting ?

If I could take my marlin model 60 and put the trigger out of my Savage mark 2 in it, make the stock out of figured walnut, and make it as reliable as a 10/22, that would be the ultimate 22 for me.

One of my favorite .22 LR was a Model 39A Mountie that I bought when in High School. It was extremely accurate, besting several bolt guns, and it was fun to shoot, especially after installing a Williams 5D receiver sight and new front. It was a welcome, very solid rifle, compared with the "tinny-feeling" Rem pump I had. The Mountie was as accurate as most target rifles, yet easy to carry and fun to shoot. I kept it for several years, but sold it. Years later, I bought a "Deluxe" version that was probably built the day Marlin folks went on strike. I won't get into its many failings at this time, but it is been gone for several months.

Most most accurate 22 was my Marlin 39a built in the mid 1980a with crossbolt safety. It just wasn't right to not have a scope on that gun because it shot so well. Now my most accurate and most used 22 rifle is a 1984 built Ruger 77/22 that came with a cheap, straight tube Bushnell 4x scope on it.

To my surprise it will shoot 5/8" groups at 50 yards all you want. And those are 10 shot groups. And best of all that is using cheap Federal Blue box bulk ammo from Walmart. I have several thousand rounds of it on hand.

I would like a Henry lever in 22 magnum. I am on the Notify Me list at Buds and have been on there for a long time waiting on them to get one in stock. Funny story with the 39a is that I had a squirrel way up in an oak tree sighted on with a head shot. Just as I was pulling the trigger a second squirrel ran down a limb behind the squirrel as was aiming at and his head was lined up with the squirrel I was aiming at and the shot went through the first squirrels head and then through the second squirrels head. Both dropped to the ground a foot apart.

I cannot take credit for the fantastic shot. It was a total fluke. At least I had two people watching who can back me up. It was a shot I will never repeat. I have never seen a Marlin rifle that wasn't a shooter. I wish I had everyone back that I ever sold.

Thanks for the heads up on the Grubee scopes. I have never heard of them but have the link bookmarked now.

JCooperfan1911 said:

Anybody else been looking for it?

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I've had an almost perfect .22 rifle for several decades now, my Marlin Model 39. It might be perfect if the lousy trigger pull was a little less lousy. Like Picher's did, mine has a Williams 5D receiver mounted on it and I love hunting squirrels and rabbits with it.

That's what I love about this hobby. I own 5 .22 rifles. Each one of them was the "perfect" .22 rifle when I bought them. I'm sure my next one will be as well. ‍

Oldschool shooter said:

That's what I love about this hobby. I own 5 .22 rifles. Each one of them was the "perfect" .22 rifle when I bought them. I'm sure my next one will be as well. ‍

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Only 5? Lol.

The "perfect" 22 rifle? The one which brings you the most enjoyment. Here's mine...taught all my kids how to shoot with my first rifle which I got when I was 7 years old. My Marlin Mod 39A. These are my two youngest daughters receiving their lessons about 15 years ago!!

Over the last 45 years I’ve had the pleasure of shooting at least that many different makes of 22 rifles … I honestly don’t think there is a single “perfect” one for every situation … now if we’re talking about a favorite for different situations, that’s a whole other story!

I have a few 22s. They are my favorite caliber rifle. While all of them are at least minute of squirrel head I’d have to say my model 36 Cooper I inherited from my dad is probably my favorite. It’s damn near unsportsmanlike to hunt squirrels with that tack driver

Had a M39 Marlin Mountie for 30 years or so...a graduation present from my college days...gave it to my 1st son on his 8th birthday...a good decision and he's had it since...he's 48 now with kids of his own who spend happy afternoons plinking away with it....accurate, a joy to work that action, a good squirrel gun...about as good as you can find.

Always admired a rich friend's M62 Winchester pump when I was a kid with a Buffalo winter plagued paper route that paid for most of my clothes...40 years later I found one in 95% condition for $425 at a Louisville gun show that's been a favorite with every kid that's shown up here at the farm. I mounted a slick Marbles Tang Peep on it and a Lyman Ivory Bead front that, combined make it an absolute joy to hunt or plink.

A cpl years later a M61 showed up with a good price tag...$525... in similar condition that's even more accurate; especially so with a Redfield .22 3/4" 4x scope mounted. This one'll do an honest inch at 50 yds from a rest with CCI Mini-Mags. Again, about as good as it gets in my neck of the woods.

Any of the three would easily be a #1 choice for me....Here's a pic of the Winchesters...Rod

The "perfect 22" is the one I have in my hands at the time. The concept of perfection is nonsense and changes minute by minute.

Believe the answer lies with a somewhat famous person in the "gun category". Townsend Whelen said it best, "....only accurate guns are interesting."

To stretch is words a bit more....."....only accurate guns are interesting AND treasured.".

Rubone said:

The "perfect 22" is the one I have in my hands at the time. The concept of perfection is nonsense and changes minute by minute.

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It's like finding the "perfect" BBQ or Chili. WAAAAAY too many great choices and tastes/opinions vary too much for anyone to agree anyhow!

16.1" CZ Scout, suppressed. Extremely light-weight. Super-accurate. Never an issue with reliability.

1x-3x Weaver scope, also very light weight. Irons and optic are zeroed @ 50-yds with the same load. The modified M1-Carbine stock pack holds extra 10-rd CZ .22lr mags.

As set-up, this would make for a great little backwoods/bushcrafting/'survival' rimfire carbine.

Skylerbone said:

Only 5? Lol.

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Huh, just realized I only have 10....thought there were more around here someplace.

I am fortunate to have two perfect 22s. One is a Marlin 39 TDS with a receiver sight. The second is a CZ452FS with the tangent sight. They both just happen to hit my peculiar sense of aesthetics.

NIGHTLORD40K said:

Huh, just realized I only have 10....thought there were more around here someplace.

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Only 10? Lol

I don't have many .22 LR rifles these days, but what I have are really great. I do miss my old Marlin 39A, but not the newer deluxe version that was probably made at night, on a Monday, after a long weekend. Too many faults to mention, but they were serious to me. My first one should never have been traded away. It was very accurate and a joy to hunt/shoot with.

My greatly-improved Rem 581 with a new stainless Shilen take-off/slimmed-down barrel, is a joy to shoot and to carry around. The accurized bull-barreled 10-22 is extremely accurate, but a bit heavy for long walks in the woods. An accurized Rem 504 shoots nicely, but a bit heavy to carry on long jaunts. The Winchester 69A bolt-action ( 5-round box magazine) is a nice rifle to carry and plink with, but I don't want to mess with it much, due to it's great original condition.


Rem 504 - bought new at discount store after it purchased gun shop stock.

If parts were available I would have a Winchester 490 as my perfect 22. It is one of the two man-sized semi-autos that I know of without adding anything. I had a couple but someone always offered to much money for me to resist. It is a shame that Winchester dropped them. The other is the Weatherby XXII but for some reason they never appealed to me. Sorry, but I'm not a glossy guy.

I've owned and shot Rugers, Marlins, a Mossberg, lever guns and varoius others, but CZ 455s are just about perfect for me...great balance between price and performance. I've got the Scout like Hesa Hard1 has and an excellent Trainer. A nicer CZ457 is on the list when things even out a bit.

Space Ghost said:

I like my 77/22 just fine.

I have also liked every 10/22 I've had in the past, and aftermarket support for them is much better.
However, I can't seem to stop myself from blasting through ammo too quickly with a 10/22 because the damn things are just so much fun.
The 77/22 is a rifle that slows me down, and makes me a better shot.

Like a lever gun, manually cycling each round in a bolt gun just gives you a certain feel that connects you with the gun.

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If you think you’re “blasting through ammo too quickly” now, try it with a Franklin Armory Binary Trigger … mine is almost machine gun “fast”