BEST .22 THERE IS?

[marine71]

OK- I have a thing for buying any odd or unusual .22 rifles that I come across and I think I've been very fortunate in getting great rifles. My first was the 10/22 and I loved it until I acquired and shot a Marlin 60. Holy crap is that bugger accurate. But then so is the Mossberg 44US I have. And so is the newly acquired Mossberg 151. And so is the Mossberg 152 that I just got for $35.

Point being, what is a classic .22 rifle that is 2nd to none? I don't even pull the trigger on the 10/22 anymore and I think there's a CZ 452 somewhere in the safe that I have never shot.

What's the best you guys have ever owned or shot?

 

[cwdotson]

best .22

I've owned 10/22s, 77/22s, an vintage Remington automatic (made in the 50s, forgot the model number), and a Remington 66-loved tham all, but an Italian Weatherby XXII was the best I ever owned-beautiful, never jammed, and accurate was not the word. BUT, a friend of mine had one of the Volsquarten (spelling?) 10/22 "clones" with a steel receiver, match barrel etc, and I have simply never shot anything like it, before or since. Like Ferris Bueller says about the Ferarri in the movie-if you have the means,...

 

[weeb]

hey man, ive got an OLD winchester single shot that'll take a hair off a nats booty. never have changed anything on it but it was tapped for mounts when i got it and it'll headshoot a squirrel every time, granted theres no human err

 

[rustymaggot]

so far the best bolt action ive has was a remington targetmaster 41p.

close second is my remington targetmaster 501 that i had tapped for a scope.

 

[Liberty1776]

hey rustymaggot - absolutely right. that's my favorite 22 - the Model 41 - insanely accurate. best squirrel gun ever

 

[Rembrandt]

marine71....Point being, what is a classic .22 rifle that is 2nd to none? What's the best you guys have ever owned or shot?

Began collecting Winchester 52's.....this ones my favorite, (1948) 52B Sporter. A true classic, the one by which all others are measured.

 

[trainwreck100]

Marlin Glenfield 10, closely followed by Ruger 96/22. The Glenfield is a single shot with manual cock, so it's a great teacher gun, especially when you take it's short length and light weight into consideration. It'll also stop anything up to coyote size with one shot out to about 100 yards with open sights (usually hanging out the tractor door or pickup window). The 96 is incredibly smooth and fun to shoot, although it doesn't like aftermarket magazines (ramline mainly). Both are dead accurate with the cheap Federal ammo, that's all any of my guns get to eat unless something else is on sale for a lower price, which doesn't happen often (got a lot of mouths to feed, brass is expensive you know). The Ruger is scoped with a cheap BSA 4x32, which makes it good for a little longer range, but if I was doing it over I'd just leave the opens on it, they're all you need with a .22 anyhow.

Greg

 

[rangerruck]

an all steel marlin mod 56 , made in 55. action so strong, they also made it in 30 carbine, and I think 357. An old marlin 81dl, with factory peep site, made between 37 and 41, I have one. An h&r surplus military target trainer. An old cugir or romanian trainer, with rear express site leafs. an old mossy model 270 semi auto, with rear u site, that underneath it, has a built in peep site. A remmy speedmaster, that fires semiauto, short , long, and long rifle, interchangeably!
there are many other I could think of , but it would fill a bookOh wait , a skeleton steel Bronco.

 

[Limeyfellow]

Another vote here for the Winchester 52. You'll be hard pressed to find a finer more accurate .22 rifle out there.

 

[rangerruck]

in two weeks, there is a gunshow at Reliant arena, there is a guy that allways sells stuff that he gets in masse' for dirt cheap. Last time , he had the Italian weatherby, and this master smith of rugers, that I know pretty good was there.
He went with me to this guy's table, and saw that italian weatherby, and nearly had a heart attack! He told me all about them , and how good they were. But he didn't have the bucks to buy it. If it is still there next time, I may have to snag it.

 

[K.L.O.sako]

mine would have to be my BRNO model #1. light, handy, and the single most accurate rifle i own, and it's stock. personal best is 5 shots in one hole at an honest 50 yards that a dime will easily cover. thats with ammo it likes, most others are around an inch, except for CCI stingers they open up the group to about 2.5 inches. on windless days i've had some 100 yard groups hold a 1.5 i bought it four years ago from a relative for 60$ scope and all, I LOVE IT.

 

[jrfoxx]

I really like my Marlin model 60.I also have a J.C. Higgings Model 42 bolt action, 8 shot magazine fed .22lr.GREAT looking gun and ridiculously accurate, and i'm not that great of a shot anymore (or ever was maybe, but I shot smallbore rifle competition for a couple years as a teenager).My dad got the gun from his dad for his 13th birthday in about 1952.Appaently, J.C. Higgins made guns for Sears, Roebuck, and CO. (since that is also stamped on the barrel.)Here's a pic (checkering and white line spacers not standard, were added by my dad in the 70's):

 

[MechAg94]

I grew up with 10/22 and a remington pump action .22. My favorite was my brother's Savage 70 single shot with a falling block action (I think). It was very accurate, easy to carry around, and the single shot seemed to make a pocket full of shells last all day.

 

[aka108]

Can't say which is the best 22 ever made. Everyone will have a different opinion. My favaorite is a Remington 512 Sportmaster. Got it brand new 58 years ago and it still looks close to that in condition. In the following years I've acquired a flock of others in that caliber from cheapo's to some that were pretty costly. The 512 shoots with the very best in the accuracy department. Hard to find ones in decent shape today.

 

[Backfired]

Like most other topics...

you will get as many opinions as there are people replying to the thread. My old Savage/Stevens and Winchester autos were accurate but they were so prone to jamming I had to feed them single shot. They were a PITA so I got rid of them. I've got a Marlin bolt action, Marlin lever, Remmy pump, and two Remmy autos. The Marlin lever action is by far the most accurate and reliable rifle I've ever owned. The rest of them are pretty good too (otherwise I'd get rid of them).

 

[VA27]

Weatherby XXII, good lookin' and accurate.

Browning T-Bolt (the old one, I haven't tried the new one yet) would shoot Aguila SSS 60gr into an inch and a half at a 100yds! Shoulda never let that one go.

Oddly enough my old blue steel Marlin Papoose is pretty accurate with just about what ever you put into it.

But hands down the neatest of the "old" 22's is the Remington 550. A semi-auto that shoots shorts, longs and long rifles. And when it's really clean and the ammo is fresh, it'll function with short CB caps! It's like having a semi-auto air rifle! If it's dirty it'll choke once in a while with the CB's. Try it with CCI's Target Short. They're almost as quiet as CB's and reliable even when the gun is dirty. I don't shoot the SSS in this one as I think the increased recoil (due to the SSS being loaded in the short case) is too hard on the floating chamber.

 

[Justin]

10/22 with a Kidd trigger group in it.

Antique-ish Anshutz bolt gun.

 

[Lonestar.45]

A friend of mine back in high school, his granddad had a Marlin 39A. We used to go out to his ranch to shoot, and he let us tote that Marlin all over and literally shoot bricks of ammo out of it. I loved that gun. As accurate as my Marlin 60 with a scope was, this 39A would drive TACKS with open sights.

I just don't think you can get a better .22 than a 39A, that was definitely the best .22 I have ever shot. I have always wanted one of my own, but don't ever seem to want to spend the $$ to get one. They're pricey for a .22, but probably worth it.

 

[Danny Creasy]

You said a classic that is second to none ...

My Anschutz 1710 that I purchased new in 1991 gets my vote. I have a Swift 6-18X44 on it at the moment.



Here is a USBR target I posted a couple of months ago in the RimFire Central Online 25 Yard Benchrest Match. It will still turn in a 250. SK Standard Plus was the load that day.

 

[tubeshooter]

I just don't think you can get a better .22 than a 39A, that was definitely the best .22 I have ever shot. I have always wanted one of my own, but don't ever seem to want to spend the $$ to get one. They're pricey for a .22, but probably worth it.

I thought that way for a long time, and it just ended up costing me money. I don't regret getting the gun at all.... just wish I had got it at $350 instead of $425 like I should have.


I looked for a used one for a few years, never saw a single one (locally, at least). They ain't gettin' any cheaper. Don't make the mistake I made. Go ahead & treat yourself. You'll be glad you did.

 

[treeprof]

As "the oldest shoulder firearm design still being made anywhere in the world", the Marlin 39A epitomizes a classic .22. With "best" being a subjective term, there are a lot of bolt, lever, pump and semi .22's that may be better in some respect(s) ,but I am very fond of the 39A and all of it's Marlin .22 lever action siblings.

 

[Terrierman]

Sporters only: Anschutz is pretty up there. A nice Kimber is pretty up there. Winchester 52 is pretty up there.

 

[marine71]

I do like the Marlin 39A (nice action and whips the other lever actions IMHO) but I haven't found one in my price range and since the father-in-law has one and might pass it by some day.....

Some of you gentlemen have some nice firearms. I'm still shopping in the "trailer park variety" bins. HA

 

[Red Label]

Beretta Super Sport

The Most accurate .22 I've got is a Beretta Super Sport! A what? A Beretta Super Sport. Also offered as an Olympia which was a convertable between bolt action and semi-auto. My super sport is semi auto only but will make one ragged hole at 50 yds. and put them in an inch at 100 yds. If you can find one expect to pay between $400-$600. I see them on gunsamerica once in awhile. I don't think they have made them since like 1970. Anyhow I know you would love this gun if you like the different and curious!

 

[AH-1]

BRNO mod #1 if you can find one buy it!.