.22 Target Pistol Comparisons

[Mr Jody Hudson]

For an actual target pistol, equally or more accurate than most good rifles; you will do best, from my experience, with the IZH-35 or the SW 41.

Although some of the others will satisfy you until you start wanting to keep your shots in a dime at 50 feet or more...

I found the Neos to be slightly more accurate than I am with rock throwing, not much more accurate though. I found the Trailside to be a rude example of something with Sig on the side and more in line with a Ruger. Old Rugers by the way were phenomenal, newer ones not at all - in comparison.

 

[Pilot]

If you want something a little nicer than the IZH-35, look at a Benelli MP95. It is designed purely as a Bullseye targe pistol and is very accurate. Its a little more money than the IZH-35. You can proably find them new for around $700.

 

[techrestore]

IZH-35

I think that the IZH-35 is what i was attempting to discover. Are there other 'sleepers' out there that shoot great but havent gotten the attention.

ALSO: Everyone seems to like the Ruger MKII - What about the 22/45. It seems to be a good value at $219 at my local Galyans!

Can anyone compare it to the MK II?

 

[gvass]

"a Benelli MP95"

And this modell is convertable to .32 SW Long WC caliber.
"large caliber" (aka centerfire) competition caliber in ISSF.

 

[sm]

Ala Dan posted one of my old favorites, The Colt Woodsman.

Standing Wolf Posted another , The High Standard.
BTW SW, VERY nice painting sir!! Thank you for sharing.

 

[DougCxx]

---Who distributes the Benelli pistols in the US? They are not even listed on the US site at http://www.benelliusa.com/ , they are still listed on the Italian site however....
~

 

[rick_reno]

target pistol comparisons

Someone posted "About the only other problems are that the action is rough out of the box (you can fix this yourself with just a flat riffler file)"

I've helped get 4 of the Baikal guns working right, the newer ones don't seem to have the roughness that the early ones had - for example, when taken apart they weren't gummed up with metal shavings from manufacture. The one problem I've seen with them is they like ammunition that is a little fast to function reliabily. I forget what the velocity cut off was, but anything under X FPS and the guns wouldn't feed. I do recall Wolf target ammo as being very accurate in them, but too slow to work the action.

Something that is often overlooked when selecting a target pistol is ammunition. Most of the guns mentioned shoot better with one type of ammo. Not all .22 ammo is created equal. I'd recommend when you figure out which handgun you're going to get, buy a couple of boxes of as many different brands/types of ammunition as you can afford. If you know someone with a rest - use it to test your ammo - if you can't find a rest, bench testing will work. Target 22's shoot better and last longer using standard velocity (SV) ammo. Some of the recognized names for good .22 SV ammunition are Eley, RWS, Wolf, Lapua and Aguila. Some people shoot Winchester and Federal - in your gun they might work. A good example of different ammo in one pistol was done by the Oslo pistol club; they tested various ammo in a Pardini pistol using a bench vise (!). The pictures/text is here and is worth taking a look at http://www.oslopk.com/ammo_test.htm

 

[jrhines]

I put a Simmons Red Dot on a MKII slabside target, with an out of the box trigger, and put a sub-inch 10 shot group in the paper at 50 yards from the bench. The MKII will outshoot the vast majority of shooters. With a drop in trigger and a red dot this will be a very competitive club gun.
As for breakdown and reassembly, I hear a whole lot of whining about how hard the MKII is to put back together. Driving a stick shift is tough too, 'till you learn how! No magic involved, just reassemble the way it was before you started...of course that assumes you understand how it should go together! If you don't know that much, stick to the automatic drive...
If you still have trouble, take it to a smith & let him/her do a detail cleaning. I charge $30, strip it completely, relube, resight and give you a test target with a written opinion on the guns condition, including measuring the trigger pull. Such a deal and your local smith will appreciate the business!
Just my slant.....

 

[YodaVader]

ALSO: Everyone seems to like the Ruger MKII - What about the 22/45. It seems to be a good value at $219 at my local Galyans!

Can anyone compare it to the MK II?

It is essentially the MKII with a different grip frame - made of plastic although the gun companies like to call them polymer frames these days. It's plastic to me. The 22/45 grip -molded in the basic shape of the 1911 , fits some shooters better than the MKII angled grip. I owned one in addition to my MKII - a great shooter but I just preferred the MKII more and sold the 22/45. Also, the 22/45 has the magazine release in a more conventional position.

My current MKII has displayed excellent accuracy as shown in the targets, all shot from a rest, all 10 shot groups.

1- 50 meters , 2X Simmons scope in fairly breezy conditions , using relatively cheap Rem. Target ,on an actual 50 yard NRA bullseye target this should be X ring accuracy. Pistol would undoubtedly do better with a more powerful scope , trying more brands of ammo and definitely shooting in calmer conditions.

2- 25 yards CCI Green Tag , 2X Burris scope.

3- 25 yards Winchester T22 , 2X Simmons.

4- 50 ft , Win. T22 , Tasco Pro-Point shooting from a semi-solid rest.

For the price the MKII delivers superb accuracy.

 

[Bang]

Hey all. New to the board, first post. Here's my MKII slabeside out of the box groups (I did change grips and added a scope) at 25 yards off sandbags. Group on the left is Federal bulk. Group on the right is CCI Pistol Match ammo. Group in the lower middle is my Single Six. Can't wait to do a trigger job and tighten up the groups!

Hey YodaVader, good shooting!


And when I die let me die
With a dream in my mind
A smile on my face and no trouble behind
And no cross on my grave
To show my restin' place

 

[Khornet]

I have competed with

Model 41 and MkII, and have done a fair bit of target shooting with Hi Standards and Hammerlis. They're all great guns, but in my experience their accuracy is about the same. It's the fancy ergonomics of the high-end guns, making them easier to shoot up to their potential, that you pay for.

That said, I can't imagine a better way for a shooter on a budget to get started than a MkII. I put a set of Pachmayr neoprene grips on mine, and years later had a trigger job done, which didn't cost much at all--$70 if I recall-- and the smith also put in a trigger overtravel stop and a sear-engagement adjusting screw. I can shoot it just as well as my beloved Model 41. Other than avoiding the 22/45, which doesn't have the steadying heft of the other models, I have no criticisms of the Mk II.

Don't believe the "too hard to strip/reassemble" crowd. There's nothing to it if you can read and follow directions. It's simply the best buy on the market.

 

[Eskimo Jim]

Tech,
I really like my Ruger Mk II Govt Target Model. It holds 10 rounds and has a 6-7/8" barrel. I can easily shoot under 1" at 50 feet with a two hand grip and leaning on the table that is in the shooting stall. I bought it used years ago for about $250.

The only extra I bought is a collar that goes around the magazine for reloading. This allows you to hold the magazine like a syringe which makes reloading the magazine much easier.

I would suggest putting and oversidezed slide release on it. The heal magazine release takes some getting used to.

You can alwasy trick out one of these handguns with better trigger or red dot sights.

If money is no concern, go for a hammereli etc.

Good luck.

-Jim

 

[buttrap]

I just love the trigger on this one, shoots pretty dern good too.

 

[dustind]

I have a Beretta Neos and could not be happier. It only failed to feed once, and did not shoot one dud round (tried three times to get the round to fire with no luck) So far 1500 rounds without complaint. It is said to shoot any ammo reliably from cheap bulk (what I use) to the super high velocity stuff.

You can easily take out the creep, over travel, and reduce the trigger pull to around two pounds. You have to put a drop of blue or green loc-tite on the rear sight so it does not fall out. The finish is great, very easy tooless take down and put together. Three choices of barrel length, colored grips and sights, and soon there should be a carbine kit.

I have a half written article up on my website about the pistol. www.dustin.o-f.com

www.rimfirecentral.com is a great source for information on any .22 pistol.

 

[DougCxx]

I just got around to looking at this,
an interesting tidbit of info on the link given in the OP:
http://www.ssaa.org.au/OFFICIALREVIEWS/22lrpistol/22targetpistol.htm
If you scroll down to where it says "Walther KSP 200" you will see that it was named "Best Overall", over the S&W 41 and the Ruger slabside.
The Walther KSP 200 is the same gun as the IZH-35M!
Walther buys the rough pieces from IZMASH and does the refinishing themselves, somewhat nicer. They also add a different magazine latch, different grips and a different bolt hold open. For that they add roughly $300 onto the $450 price of a regular IZH-35M. This information is stated on the Pete Brunelli site.
~

 

[gvass]

IZH-35

"Walther buys the rough pieces from IZMASH and does the refinishing themselves, somewhat nicer. "

No refinishing. The example of "Walther" KSP200 I tested was almost as crude, as a Kalashnikow)
But it is really more accurate...

 

[cracked butt]

The MkII target that I have actually shot tighter groups than the scoped remington 597 I used to have from sandbags. I'm a terrible shot with it offhand, and I doubt that I'll ever shoot to its potential.:banghead:

 

[techrestore]

More comments

It seems as though I am leaning more towards a IZH-35M. This seems to have the best review web-wide for the 'buck'. I am still hoping to find just one person who has purchased the NEOS DLX.

Here is my ranking so far

1. IZH-35M.
2. Ruger MKII
3. NEOS DLX (based on assumption)

I will likely field test all 3 guns. I have a MKII government available and can find an IZH-35M used for less than $350 (i am working on a deal in the 200's range that is likely to follow thru)

Next on the list:
Scopes-
Can anyone give an opinion on the Leopold LG-35. I have one on the way that i purchased 'like-new' for $115 shipped.
1.) is leopold the best brand?
2.) is tasco or any other a consideration at all?

 

[rick_reno]

22 comparisons

There is an article titled "Facts and Figures about dot scopes", it's here
http://www.bullseyepistol.com/

It's got some good info in it on the subject you recently posted about.

 

[Majic]

Your selections are great plinkers, but fall far short of a true Target pistol. Others have listed various models to consider. YOu need to attend matches or read of them to get an idea of a true target pistol.

 

[makarov]

The IZH is a true target pistol. At a recent Bullseye match here locally almost all were shooting the IZH. A couple had Hi-Standards, one was shooting a 1911 with a conversion kit, one old guy had a Ruger MKI, and there was one European model with the mag forward of the trigger guard. Didn't get a close look at it. The IZH's hold their own against all at that match.

For plinking they only have 5 round mags, so that might be an issue.

 

[DougCxx]

...The MkII target that I have actually shot tighter groups than the scoped remington 597 I used to have from sandbags. I'm a terrible shot with it offhand, and I doubt that I'll ever shoot to its potential.... - cracked butt

-Well, (assuming you were using good match-grade ammo!) that's because the ergonomics are bad.
-You can't take any pistol, add a long heavy barrel and target grips and have a good-shooting gun--it just don't work. The reasoning behind this is that the short-barrel gun flips too much--so then they add target grips and a longer heavier barrel to add stability--but then the offhand balance ends up way too far forward. That's what's "wrong" with trying to use a field/plinking pistol for target, and it can't be fixed.
---Previous to the IZH, the Mk II gov't target or slabside would have been my choice.
......
-And if you're wanting to try air pistol inexpensively, the EAA/IZH46M air pistol has also quickly become THE entry-level 10-meter gun. For its $260 price tag, there is simply nothing else that compares in overall performance.
~

 

[cracked butt]

I agree, the ergonomics of the MKII are just short of terrible. The odd grip angle just doesn't feel natural to me.

 

[Pilot]

DougCxx wrote:

"---Who distributes the Benelli pistols in the US? They are not even listed on the US site at http://www.benelliusa.com/ , they are still listed on the Italian site however...."

My MP95 was distributed by EAA , but Larry's Guns now distribues them. See this website for info and pricing.

http://www.benellipistols.com/

At one time it was Heckker & Koch and the Benelli guns came in with H&K rollmarks not Benelli, but clearly the exact same pistol.

The MP95 does not seem to be a very common gun anymore as you really have to look for them, but they are out there. I like mine, have had it for about 9 - 10 years. Larry's prices seem to be in line with ones I've seen in gun shops.

 

[j_m_ru]

new mag for IZH35M

Hi, Anybody knows where to buy NEW spare magazine for IZH35M?
EAA gun parts does not have them and not planing to bring any more.
Please reply to [email protected]