Best .22LR Varmint rifle

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SkiLune

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OK. I am a handgun guy. But I need to get a good .22LR varmint rifle to take out a fisher cat that is prowling in the woods behind my home.

Last Saturday, my beloved cat was playing in the back, when I spotted a small dark furry animal walking thru the woods, about 50 yards from my cat. I watched it and then saw the long furry tail. Holy crap! A fisher, walking toward my cat. I ran upstairs and grabbed my .40 cal and went outside, right next to my cat (who never moved when I ran up next to her and took position -- she was totally locked in on the fisher).

Well, the fisher kept walking, so I didn't shoot, even though I thought about squeezing off a round. A .40cal handgun is not the optimum weapon to take out this vile beast. So, what do the experts recommend for a good varmint rifle that I can also take to the range?

Thanks!
 
Rimfire Varmint

Depends on what you want to spend. You might also consider a .17 cal rimfire, rather than a .22. Either the 17M2 or the HMR should do the trick. Inexpensive options would include the HB options from Savage and Marlin. Mid-range, I'd consider CZ or Ruger. And the "cost-is-no-object" variety should include Cooper, Anschutz and Kimber. Most of these are also offered in the .22, if you decide against the .17's - but I'll tell you, the .17's are a ton of fun. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Adios,

Pizza Bob
 
Good allaround accurate 22 rifle is a Marlin 39, any version, they plain work.

cz452 varmint(I think that is the model number for a 22)
Savage makes a nice cheap(inexpensive)combo that my son has Mk2 I think. does very well for a of the rack plinker and will do most varmints at 50yd or closer.

Then you could get a money pit 10/22 and be sucked in by all of the aftermarket goodies.

Marlin 60 always seems to garner a fair amount of praise
 
I didn't know that fishers were a threat to cats, don't they normally eat mice & bugs? They don't get much bigger than feline cats do they? Is it really a 'varmint' that needs shooting?

If your target range is so short (50yards), any halfway decent .22lr rifle or pistol would work.
 
Wow. Thanks for all the replies! This gives me a good place to start.

One more question, if I may. I have heard that the .22LR is the cheapest round to shoot (and if I go with a .22 I'll buy a handgun in that caliber also, for plinking). Is that true, or should I go with the .17 for a first rifle? Its like a new world out there, learning about long guns, and I appreciate the comments.

By the way, these Fishers are the most vicious predators in my neck of the woods. They take cats, have been known to attack small dogs like Jack Russel terriers, and shriek like unholy hell at night. Here is a link:


http://home.mcn.net/~wtu/fisher.html
 
I'll second Brian Williams suggestion, Marlin 39, any variant. I've had a 39D for 36 years now, and it's accurate enough to take out a crow at 100yds, and that was before we had CCI Stingers, which I suspect would work even better. Not inexpensive rifles, however (~$500).

A Ruger 77/22 would also be a good choice, and you can also get one in .22WMR, also ~$600. I'm no fan of the .17's.

If you're on a budget, a Savage MKII would be a good choice, and in the ~$200 range.
 
Excellent. Thanks Pizza Bob and all. My dealer has a Ruger 10/22 carbine NIB with extra 10 round mag and locking metal case (?) and he'll throw in a brick of .22 ammo for $350. No scope, but the model he has can have one mounted -- He claims I won't need it out to about 50 yards.

I'm gonna check it out tonite. The fisher cat's days are numbered. My cat should know how good she has it. :rolleyes:
 
for utter destruction of varmints, a 17 hmr will abslutely blow them up. a 17 m2, will hit them fast, and hard, without blowing them up. then the hyper velocity 22's, 30 grainers are next, such as cci velocitor, quick shoks, and stingers. The fastest of all the 22's is the Aguila hyper velocity, both solid and hollow points. these rounds are about 4 dollars a box. 17 m2 is about 4 to 6 dollars a box. the 17hmr is about 10 to 13 dollars a box.
 
Topic: BEST .22LR Varmint rifle

Until recently, I've never owned a .22 rifle worth much more than $150, fair market value. (I don't count the Remington 512 my Dad gave me over half a century ago. I wouldn't sell it for $1,000, but that's a family thang. ;) )

Then I went hunting with Rich Lucibella and Ashley Emerson. They both have Kinber .22 rifles, and I had no idea that ANY sporting .22 could be worth such a bunch of money. Beautiful wood, beautiful metal, excellent workmanship, and a trigger like nothing I've felt since shooting true match rifles in high school. I recently was able to work a trade on a Kimber HS, complete with a Leupold scope. Fantastic.

My rifle is set up especially for rimfire silhouette shooting. A better all around rifle is the Classic Varmint .22:
classicvarmint.jpg


The entire line of their fine rimfires may be seen here

Expensive? Well, yes. But there's nothing like 'em, unless you could luck into a long-discontinued Winchester 52 Sporter.

Best regards
Johnny
 
So, for a first rifle, I got the standard Ruger 22/10 carbine. Its a used, unfired model with the (birch?) stock and stainless barrel. Not a scratch on it. Stock sights.

Total price with a locking hard case, extra 10-round mag, rifle cleaning kit, and brick of CCI practice ball ammo and two boxes of CCI stingers, the dealer "gave" it to me for $350. Looking around, I think it was a decent price, but definitely not a steal. (He threw in a new Ruger Mark III 22/45 pistol for another $300 -- I must learn to stay out of that damned store!).

This is my first rifle, and if my handgun purchase history is any guide, I'll probably have 2 others to keep it company within the next 12 months. At that point, I will definitely be looking at the Anschutz's.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Will let you know when I splat the fisher cat.
 
Get a 17 hmr. I believe there is a reduced chance of richochette due to the bullet construction and speed. Also, the 17hmr is much flatter shooting. A 22lr is cheaper to shoot but who knows where the bullet goes afterwards. I also believe everybody should have a 22lr for plinking.
 
Good luck with your purchase.

My vote would be for the Ruger 10/22 or 77/22. I am not a big fan of all of Ruger's guns but I really like their .22 rifles.

They are both accurate enough out of the box to serve your needs and if you want to change anything there is a huge amount of accessories available.
 
Marlin, Savage, Ruger or one of the CZ sporter models.
So many to choose from. CCI Velocitors are a good ammo starting point.
 
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You'll have fun with the Ruger 10/22. Put a 4x scope (inch tube diameter) on it and have fun. They are not well known for out of the box accuracy, but I have one of the walnut stocked versions and it does okay for general shooting. I have no complaints.

Personally, I'd leave the Fisher alone. But that is me and it is not bothering my pets. I believe the SSS approach works best if you shoot it.

Kimber 22's are very good. I am looking at getting one of the new Weatherby Mark XXII bolt action 22LR rifles which is manufactured by Anshutz for Weatherby. That will be my "Kimber". My favorite 22 rifle for precision shooting is the Remington 541-S. The Weatherby Mark XXII semi-auto rifle comes in a close second. I love 22's.
 
Thanx for all the free advice!

You folks have been really helpful, and just another reason that THR has very quickly become my favorite firearms-related blog site.

I will pick up a box of CCI Velocitors and keep one magazine (labeled Fisher cat) in the rifle for non practice purposes.

As for leaving the fisher cat be, that is not going to happen. Do some google searches under "Fisher cat" and you will see why. Many of my neighbors have had pets shredded by these vicious little critters. Outdoor cats are virtually unheard of up here, and fishers are the reason. I won't blow away animals for the hell of it -- figure they have as much right to be here as I do. But fishers -- screw em. Take a look:

http://images.google.com/imgres?img.../images?q=fisher+cat&svnum=10&um=1&hl=en&sa=X

We have coyotes and a red fox up here too, but I'm pretty sure my very savvy cat would not get caught out in the open against them. She made it to 10 years old, and has lost part of an ear to something already, so she doesn't take many chances and has learned to be careful. But she would be no match for the fisher.

When the snow finally melts, I'll take the plain jane .22 to the range. If it shoots decently, I will leave it stock. If I like it (and I am thinking that I will), I'll just keep it and buy a more accurate, scoped rifle. My handgun collection will probably enjoy the grown up company. ;-)

Again, thanks!
 
Fishers

I keep my dad's old Winchester model 56 .22 short handy for varmints. I'd shoot a fisher if I could, but you seldom see them. Here in Vermont's north country we've lost two house cats to fishers. Nowadays our cats are solely indoor pets.

Fishers really are fast. They favor rabbits and squirrels. The females are roughly the size of a big housecat, but most of the males are easily three times as big as a cat--and not only can they cover the ground faster than a feline, but they can climb trees faster, too. In Vermont there were no fishers to speak of until about 30 to 40 years ago when they were imported and released as a solution to the porcupine problem. Fishers are just about the only predator (besides the wolverine) that has regular success with a quillpig. They'll tree the animal then climb up and gut it from underneath with their impressively long claws, or they'll harry it, attacking its face until it bleeds to death. They're smaller than a wolverine but just as vicious.

http://home.mcn.net/~wtu/fisher.html
 
Bell:

Its the first time I saw one in the open, in broad daylight. He (I say he because of size) was walking along the stone wall bordering my property like he was king-s**t. Looking back, I probably should have squeezed off a round. I had the bastard lined up good, he was moving real slow, and I was confident of the back drop. A possible riccochet off the stone wall was on my mind though.

The upside of my little encounter with the fisher was that my wife was all smiles when I came home last night with the 10/22 (and a Ruger Mark III 22/45 pistol to match). First time she was HAPPY with one of my gun purchases.

Now, if I can only convince her that I really, really, really need a Wilson Combat .45 semi automatic for protection against mountain lions. ;-) But, they are only rumoured to be here in southern NH. Funny how she is all for me protecting the cat with a .22, but had issues with my .40 semi for self-defense. Women...
 
Well, if that fisher's that bold, I expect you'll get another shot at him. My wife's the same way about the need for small-bore firearms to discourage the depredations of varmints, but she's doubtful about the likelihood of threats from larger beasts. I've got a Smith 19 I keep for HD, and that's all she sees (but dimly) any possible use for, although she would prefer my 12-gauge twin-barrel for that purpose.

We have some wild cats up here, too--lynx (endangered) and bobcats. I've seen those. Some say we have cougars (catamounts), too, but I've never seen any sign. Coyotes we have plenty of, but they're real leery of people. Same with the black bears.

We do have moose--and they are afraid of nothing! Get between a cow and a calf, and she could decide to stomp you real good. I have carried my 19 out skiing, but I expect I'd have to empty it in the right places to stop a mad mama moose!
 
Hate to be a stickler but check your game laws... Fishers like weasels are fur-bearers and you might need a special license/permit.

That close any 22lr with CCI stingers will do.
 
Respecting game laws

I certainly agree that it's important that everyone know and observe the laws for taking game in his state. In Vermont, if a resident's food crops or domesticated animals are threatened by a wild animal on his own property, he may use firearms to protect his crops or animals by destroying the threat.
 
I have a Remington 541T. A bull barrelled bolt action w/ Redfield 3x9 scope. I don't see them listed on Remington's website, but if you can find a used one, get it! Mine has a maple stock, great trigger, and hits quarters at 100 yds all day long with good ammo. Won it in a raffle maybe 12 years ago. Great payoff for a $1.00 dollar ticket!
 
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