New .22 rifle daydreams

Status
Not open for further replies.
The OP's ".22 rifle daydreams" are pretty well embodied in the T/C R-55 Classic. It has a steel receiver, accurate barrel, real walnut stock and is one of the most stylish Rimfire rifles ever made. The problem is that it is no longer built, having been discontinued some ten years ago after a run of only a few years. Its overall quality and performance fully justified its then price of over $500, but then as now, the .22 buying public couldn't escape their "cheaper-is-better" mindset. One of the reasons the R-55 was/is so accurate, other than a high quality barrel, is the stiff steel receiver firmly attached to the stock much like high powered rifles. Which is why shooters who compete in .22 auto-loading target competitions, snatch every R-55 whenever they can find one. In attached pics, note how the beautifully contoured receiver beds on the stock and is held tight by fore and aft screws.. DSC_0020.JPG DSC_0042.JPG DSC_0049.JPG DSC_0031.JPG .
 
Last edited:
I bought a 10/22 about 2/3 years ago, the cheapest one available at the time, $218.00 OTD. I have replaced the extractor and the trigger group, that's all. It shoots great with a cheap Bushnell scope on it. The stock is short and just fits my wife. It will shoot anything you put in it, and is very accurate. If I was gonna buy a truck .22, I would buy another one. It just works and is fun to shoot.

Have a blessed day,

Leon
 
.22 daydreams .... *sigh!* I was at a lgs yesterday. Found a Browning lever action (BL-22?? I think) there. Brand new. I didn't realize they were still being made.
Trouble is .... I have a Winchester 9422 I've had since circa 1993. I don't need the Browning. But it's so nice. I also don't really have room for it. But it's so nice.
Oh well ......
Maybe I'll surrender .... maybe not .....:uhoh:
 
Offfhand said:
The problem is that it is no longer built, having been discontinued some ten years ago after a run of only a few years
Click to expand...
Another minor detail is the price of replacement mags (if you can find them). I had a few that I broke the plastic baseplate. At the time, replacements were $10 for a 5 round, $15 for 10 round so I didn't bother attempting to repair them. Wish I had.
 
The semi-auto Ruger 1022 platform is where you (OP) want to be, it is like the AR of the .22RF world. The TC and Volquartsen are essentially the same rifle and like the AR many, many aftermarket parts are available. You have several directions you can go, choose the cheapest 1022 you can find at Walmart or where ever and strip it down and build it up from scratch with aftermarket barrel, bolt, BX trigger, magazines, stocks and optics or purchase a pre-made target grade Ruger/TC/Volquarten/Kidd. I chose the first option because I am mechanical and like modifying and experimenting. In fact, today, you could build an amazing rifle strictly from parts that are available without the donor rifle. Thr "Ruger" 1022 can be a very inaccurate rifle or a very, very, VERY accurate rifle that can hang with or best any high end .22RF target rifle anywhere but it will cost you to get there. So, the real question is do you simply want to buy something off the shelf or do you want to build a rifle that is second to none?

Also, much to the dismay of many elites, you can do pretty well with a Savage bolt and the new-ish A22 as well.
 
Last edited:
I was going to suggest the DIY 10/22 approach but 3Crows got there first.

Personally, I've been liking the Brownells BRN-22R receiver as a starting point.
https://www.brownells.com/rifle-par...ped-receiver-for-ruger-10-22--prod116208.aspx
You can take your pick of barrels, stocks, triggers, etc. from there.

I used a stock Ruger bolt and recoil spring and Ruger BX trigger assembly for this build, which is along the OPs general lines except for the lack of a threaded muzzle on the Green Mountain barrel. A very accurate setup, though the tight target chamber can be fussy about extraction with some brands of ammo. Nikon scope is a decent economy choice -- OK, but nothing special.

BRN22R.jpg
 
Offhand hit the nail on the head. The TC 22 Classic was one of the very best, and most accurate 22 autos made. Unfortunately, because it was all high polish, blued steel and nicely finished American walnut with no aluminum or plastic in it, even the magazine is made from metal, it was expensive to make and to buy. The one I have is a very accurate rifle when I use good ammo in it, and it's no slouch shooting less expensive ammo such as CCI standard velocity green box. One will come up on the gun sellers listed below every now and then, but the magazines for them are very expensive. Shooters somehow seem to think they can get a cheap rifle that looks like the one they saw the guy at the rifle match use to shoot a perfect score and they think they can do the same thing with a cheaper rifle. That approach usually results in a lot of disappointment.

The term "very accurate" seems to be subjective when it is used here. You simply can not make a silk purse out of a sows ear any more that you can make a Porsche out of a Volkswagen. If you want top performance, you have to pay for it in both the rifle and in the ammo you use. You can not expect top accuracy shooting ammo you bought in bulk from Wally World. Well, you can expect it, but YOU AIN'T GONNA GET IT!!

If you watch Guns International, Gun Broker, or Guns America for a couple of months, (or less) you will USUALLY see a Anchultz 22 bolt action advertised for under a thousand bucks. I paid 850 bucks for the model 164 I have in excellent condition and it shoots little bug holes at 50 yards bench rest using good ammo such as Lapua Center-X. They are very accurate even with a standard weight barrel like mine. These are expensive rifles and they are usually in very good condition and have not been "FIXED" by Bubba. Either the model 54 or 64 action is fine and both give excellent accuracy. If you don't want to go through the building, or re-building process, they are a good choice and if you can buy it right, it will be a couple of hundred bucks less that a build or re-build, and likely, as, if not more, accurate.

But they ain't cheap and they need good ammo in order to get top accuracy. You gotta pay if you gonna play because the good shooters at your local matches ain't shooting cheap stuff and if you wanna shoot with them, you gonna hafta shoot good stuff too. You should never expect to win a NASCAR race driving a standard Ford or Chevy sedan even though you think it is "very fast," and you should not expect to shoot with top shooters using standard rifles and ammo. Although you may not want to hear that, that is the way it is.
 
Last edited:
Shooter75 said:
. Although you may not want to hear that, that is the way it is.
Click to expand...

Eeeeeeasy there.
I'm no stranger to regional and national competition.
Been there, done that. Brought home the engraved pewter. All-State team...blah blah....nobody cares.
My .22 rifle slot is pretty bare. I have my grandpas 550-1, and my worn out BL22.

The fact is, I dont have any plans to compete with a .22, but not ruling it out. Maybe a thr innernet match now and then.
 
I bought a Tikka T1x last week along with a Nikon Prostaff that was on clearance., took it out Sunday and got it sighted in at 100. The only match ammo I took out was Eley CMP, which it didn't like. It liked Aguila Superextra the best (so far). Unmodified, it is better than any of the other stack of 22's, including customized 10/22s.


Shotshells were too easy, so I moved up to .308 cases. I was 1 for 2 with them, 1 was nicked (not shown) and the fifth left earth with some real energy, never to be found. I shot 9 times to hit 5. And I am not a bad shooter, but not a great one either.

Yes, they were Berdan primed.


paoTYemONR5NirKreGE4iaHrF7CQFUnN8YYsYVC86JFeBAKQ7ME8TVODfCDt06kwLgyE3gU=w1250-h937-no?authuser=0.jpg
 
Quote Armored Farmer: "Eeeeeeasy there.
I'm no stranger to regional and national competition.
Been there, done that. Brought home the engraved pewter. All-State team...blah blah....nobody cares.
My .22 rifle slot is pretty bare. I have my grandpas 550-1, and my worn out BL22.

The fact is, I dont have any plans to compete with a .22, but not ruling it out. "


Well I apologize Farmer. With the photo's posted here and the discussions about what are called "very accurate" rifles, I assumed the discussion was about them. My fault for not understanding what the thread was all about. After reading your original posting saying that quote; " The threads about tack-driving .22 rifles has me wanting a better rifle. .22 is my favorite gun to grab for some fun shooting, small game, barnlot and garden pests.
Here are some of my criteria:
*Ultra accurate capability.
*threaded barrel
*optic-ready...(no claw style .22 scope mounts)" I kinda got the idea that you were talking about ultra accuracy, tack driving capability. So I am confused. I am also old and don't remember what I had for breakfast, or if I even ate breakfast. <Grin>

But I have shot for several years and do currently shoot in local and regional 22 matches, so I am sorta in that mindset. The good thing is that we can use those "very accurate" 22 rifles on squirrels and pests as easy as we can on targets.

All the best to you and let us know what you get and how you like it.
 
WOW Maxx. That is some darn good shooting. The only Tikka I have is a Ithaca/Tikka "Turkey gun" ( They don't make it anymore) with a 12 gauge on top and a .222 Remington on the bottom. The .222 barrel shoots as good as any .222 I have ever shot and is amazing on coyotes out to about 125 yards using the iron sights that come on it even with my old eyes. I call up about as many coyotes as I do turkeys where I hunt around here, so having the .222 helps in thinning them out. The coyotes kill a lot of turkeys in this area and wake me up at night howling out back behind the house. That Tikka .222 barrel takes all the howl out of them.
 
Last edited:
Shooter75 said:
Here are some of my criteria:
*Ultra accurate capability.
*threaded barrel
*optic-ready...(no claw style .22 scope mounts)" I kinda got the idea that you were talking about ultra accuracy, tack driving capability. So I am confused. I am also old and don't remember what I had for breakfast, or if I even ate breakfast. <Grin>
Click to expand...

So rather that using the adjective "very" you are substituting "ultra" for the same thing. What criteria differentiates "very" from "ultra" accurate? For some of us it all becomes esoteric at some point and that only the individual can determine that point. And many people like synthetic materials, especially for guns that get used rather than worshiped.
 
I stopped in my lgs on my way (sort of) to see a field that needs replanted.
I fondled the T/C Performance Center, and signed papers for transfer.
It has a 20" fluted, threaded, stainless barrel.
Picatinny reciever mounted rail
Hogue thumbhole stock
Swivel studs
The gun is basically an upgraded 10/22. I thought for less than $500 it was worth a try.

Perhaps I mislead some members as to what I was thinking about. I had been thinking about getting a ruger 10/22 target lite, or a ruger American target, or a savage, or a cz-USA.
I dropped in to my lgs to pick up some ammo, and there was a NIB performance center custom. 22
 
I was able to get to my lgs yesterday and pick up the new t/c rifle.
The only stainless scope that was available in my budget range (perhaps any budget, they're scarce) was the Simmons. 22 mag 3x9. I have the Simmons on my .22mag rifle, so I didnt hesitate to top off the t/c with one also.
The owner asked if I wanted the box it was shipped in, and I declined. I have plenty of empty boxes on shelves already. He thought I should take it anyway and check for accessories so he got it down from his giant stack of boxes. Sure enough there was a hard case, and a gun lock cable in there.


20200620_155429.jpg
20200620_155257.jpg 20200620_155133.jpg
Hopefully, soon I can get a target up and see what this will do.
 
Armored farmer said:
I was able to get to my lgs yesterday and pick up the new t/c rifle.
The only stainless scope that was available in my budget range (perhaps any budget, they're scarce) was the Simmons. 22 mag 3x9. I have the Simmons on my .22mag rifle, so I didnt hesitate to top off the t/c with one also.
The owner asked if I wanted the box it was shipped in, and I declined. I have plenty of empty boxes on shelves already. He thought I should take it anyway and check for accessories so he got it down from his giant stack of boxes. Sure enough there was a hard case, and a gun lock cable in there.


View attachment 924590
View attachment 924591 View attachment 924592
Hopefully, soon I can get a target up and see what this will do.
Click to expand...
Looks like the stock is suitable for both left and right hand shooting??
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

SGW Gunsmith
  • Locked
.22 Tack-Drivers
Replies
16
Views
1K
FL-NC
FL-NC
stchman
  • Locked
Ruger 10/22 Target rifle.
2
Replies
26
Views
2K
FlyinBryan
F
soonerboomer
  • Locked
Good Trigger on a semi-auto .22 Plinker(rifle)?
Replies
23
Views
2K
10-Ring
1
webrx
  • Locked
22 semi-auto but not a 10-22
2 3 4 5
Replies
100
Views
5K
Spats McGee
Spats McGee
T
  • Locked
If you could only have one semiautomatic 22lr
2 3 4
Replies
97
Views
6K
Legionnaire
Legionnaire
Back
Top