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markz

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I have a son (15) who's shown an interest in rifles lately. He started with my fathers old 22 and has shot better 22's (Friends) since. He is an excellent shot, (in our bias opinion). I'd say around 90% at a 100 yards with various still metal targets. So, now that your completely bored, I want to buy him a 22 or a 177 of his own for possible competition, hunting and all around plain fun for him. Is there a rifle out there that can do both? I'm going nuts and blind looking at websites and my Friends ain't nearly as tolerable as you guys.
Anyway all comments are appreciated. Thanks, Mark Z.
 
Hi Mark, Welcome to THR!

First thing to do is this: if he's interested in competing, look up where the local matches are being run and get in touch with the people who run them. Ask if you and your son can stop by and watch a match. Ask what would be a good, economical choice for someone who wants to give the sport a try. I'm not a rifle competitor, but most of the smallbore shooters seem to use the bolt-action Anshutz rifles, but those may not be the best choice for a first gun. We have a lot of members here who will probably be able to point to a better choice for your needs.

There are a few different kinds of .22 rifle competition, and if you're lucky your son may be able to pick the one he likes best.

If he's in to shooting steel plates at distance, you might check out The Sportsman's Team Challenge. It's a lot of fun, though it is a gear intensive sport, requiring a pistol, rifle, and shotgun for each competitor on the team.

Also, give USA Shooting a call. They run a junior program, and would most likely be able to let you know who runs matches near you.
 
a lot of guys will say a 10/22, but i always had a fondness for the browning .22 auto rifles.

my first rifle was an Anshutz bolt action and it's a tack driver for sure.
 
There are a lot of good .22LR rifles out there, but the best choice will depend alot on what your son wants to do.

Whatever he wants to shoot, there are some things that he'll want to have:
- A stock that fits him well.
- A good trigger.
- Quality iron sights, adjustable for windage and elevation.

- Chris
 
What's your price range.
You can go from $100 to a couple thousand easy.

Marlin bolts are always good entry level rifles that won't break the bank
 
Hi Markz, welcome to THR. I've found this site friendly with a lot of very helpfull people. I've often found more info than needed but that's a good thing. :)
 
Welcome to THR Markz!

Justin gave some very good advice as did Joab.

.22's are extremely cheap to shoot and a lot of fun so you've got to figure out how 'serious' you're going to be with this.

You can pick up a Romanian trainer for about $100 or you can spend several thousand on custom bedded hair trigger competition models. A lot of people love their Ruger 10/22's (like me!) and they can be had for very reasonable prices.

.17's are also a lot of fun but are relatively expensive to shoot vs. the .22. You can get a 550 round box of Remington .22 at Walmart for about $9 whereas 50 rounds of .17 will run about $7 or $8. .17's are also much more accurate out to greater distances.

Keep us posted on what you get!

Oh...another great site for .22 information is www.rimfirecentral.com
 
For .22LR competition Anschutz is the rifle of choice. BUT! They are quite expensive and you must be a really good shooter to benefit from their quality. In addition they make lousy hunting rifles.

On the other hand the CZ-452 line is one of if not the most accurate non-Anschutz .22LR rifle's out of the box one can buy. The 452 Silhouette is specially designed for the IHMSA small bore silhouette shooter. Personally I favor the American and Lux models. A top of the line CZ-452 can be had for around $300 or so and will eat the likes of Ruger, Kimber and all the other .22 wannabees for breakfast in the accuracy department and save you from $100 to $400 to boot. (the premium price over CZ is American made and maybe, probably a prettier stock - especially the Kimber .22LR rifle stocks)

It makes a really fine hunting rifle too if you mean to go after the likes of rabbit and squirrel.

If you don't want to pay over $200 for a .22 then I'd recommend a Marlin 925. It is a bolt action 22 and can be had for around $150 depending on local street price. Accurate, sturdy, nice stock that can be made a whole lot nicer with a little work. Accuracy wise my eldest daughter can shoot nickel sized groups with it at 75 yards regularly and consistently (wish I could shoot it that good).
 
Great Advice From All

WOW! I have more info in 2 hours than I could get on the streets in 2 weeks. You guys are awesome. I will let you know how we do. Whatever we decide I have to say that my son and I have done some cool things together but nothing compares to the look on his face when he hits what he's aiming at. He always told me he didn't care for hunting and I never thought to just go shooting. Being a father is definitely a work in progress.
Thanks for the replies. Mark Z.
 
First decide on what type of shooting he will be doing. Like mentioned above there are several types of competetions for .22lr rifles. Then decide on a budget. Rifles can generally be found in just about any reasonable budget. Take the Anschutz for instance. They are known for their shooting ability and come with a premium price tag, but by searching the used market you can find Anschutz rifles that were made for Savage in the past when they imported them for half the price. They don't have some of the better features of the Anschutz, but they make for a great starter rifle. They are still head and shoulders above most other rifles in their price range.
 
Around here anyway, the high school JROTC programs have rifle teams. I think most have gone to air rifles, but in Colorado, .22s are still used. Also, a lot of the graduating students will sell their competition rifles when they graduate.
 
Get a .22 and join your son

My advice, go to www.RimfireCentral.com That is a great forum that discusses all the various .22's. Check out the CZ forum and compare the posts with any other forum. The rifle that I recommend is the CZ 452. You will find posts there showing the kind of groups that rifle is capable of. It is a relatively cheap rifle for one with such great accuracy. IMO, nothing else has such value, and so much ability to meet your needs. It is capable of use as a beginner target rifle for competition, and will work well for the wonderfully exciting game of .22 Silhouette. If you have such competition in your area, sounds like it would be right up your son's alley. They shoot metallic animal cutouts at 40, 60, 80 and 100 yds. It is a real challenge with instant rewards for shooter since targets are hit or miss and they fall when hit. The CZ 452 comes in several models with the prices starting below $300.
.22 is the only way to go for an all around rifle since it is the cheapest to shoot by a lot, and is as much fun as any other, especially for a boy. The ammo cost for the .17's is several times higher.
Read that forum carefully. You will get a great background on all .22's.
Join your son in learning and you will find that shooting is the greatest father/son sport of all. If you get involved as you seem to be, you won't be able to resist. Welcome to shooting, both of you.
 
I'll second two suggestions

First one I'll repeat is the Marlin bolt action. No, it's not a top the line rifle for competition, but your son isn't up to that level yet, either. Get him an accurate and reliable rifle to learn on. The Marlin fits that. Spend big bucks later when he has the skill to wring it out of the rifle.

Second suggestion I'll parrot is to buy yourself a .22 and join your son on the firing line. Learn together and spend time making memories he'll pass on to your grandkids.
 
Welcome. I used up an old Model 90 Marlin after 30 years. Bought a Marlin Model 925 bolt action and I absolutely love this 22LR for its quality and great price. Have fun.:)
 
TrafficMan said:
a lot of guys will say a 10/22, but i always had a fondness for the browning .22 auto rifles.
Click to expand...

Me too. My father gave me one (Belgian made) in 1967 when I was born, and I gave one of the new models to my 10 year old.

It's more of an heirloom than just something to shoot.....

And it's just a joy to own and shoot.

021001m.jpg
 
In addition to a .22 caliber rifle, you might want to think about an air rifle for the lad: much easier to practice with one of those seven days a week, and easier on the ears, too.

Good for you and your son both!
 
For .22LR competition Anschutz is the rifle of choice. BUT! They are quite expensive and you must be a really good shooter to benefit from their quality. In addition they make lousy hunting rifles.
Click to expand...
Several of Anschutz's actions are used to build sporter models and they make excellent hunting rifles with match grade accuracy.
Both the 64 action:
http://www.championshooters.com/64-MP-big.htm
And the 54 action are very fine choices.
http://www.championshooters.com/1710dbig.htm
 
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