Which .22 rifle?

[rajb123]

Are most .22 rifles being sold now in 22 Winchester mag? Is the 22LR dead?

 

[Sav .250]

No and no.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

No. .22 LR is very popular, given the cost of centerfire ammunition.

 

[frankenstein406]

If your asking which rifle then marlin 795 mag or 60 tube

Savage 64 are nice but no high cap mags.

10/22 lots of mods but not as accurate out of box.

Mossberg plinkster is another one but the forend gets thin. Feels weird in your hand.

 

[Tentwing]

I would be shocked if any cartridge sold more than the 22lr. For me personally it is a must have cartridge in a must have caliber.

I would even venture a guess that Marlin 60's and Ruger 10/22 combined sales are greater in number than any other two rifles combined.

Honestly who doesn't like a 22lr ?? ... Tentwing

 

[Babarsac]

What I did was get two .22lr rifles. One in semi-auto and one in non semi-auto. I ended up with a Sig 522 and a Henry H001, both very good rifles and I couldn't be happier.

 

[rajb123]

OK - I don;t want two 22 rifles since I don;t have the need. If you had to choose one rifle would it be:

1. 22LR
2. 22 Winchester mag
3. Something else like a .17 mag?

Assume ammo cost is not an economic consideration.

Why?

 

[Babarsac]

In that case it would be the .22lr for me. More guns and ammo types to pick from. What type of rifle are you thinking (eg semi-auto, bolt, lever, etc)? Are you looking for a tack-driver or something more for plinking fun?

 

[TonyAngel]

Well then, the question at this point would be, what are you going to use it for? Under 100 yards or over 100 yards? Over 150 yards?

 

[rajb123]

good question....

Rifle should be a tack driving bolt action. ...not sure why I need something beyond 100 yards.

...sort of fond of Savage bolts because of the relatively low cost and value....

 

[prid93]

I have a savage mk II FV which I couldn't be happier with. The furthest I've shot it out to so far is only 65 yards, but with wolf match ammo it could put 5 shots in a dime at 65 if I did my part. Great rifles for the price IMHO.

 

[RancidSumo]

If you are not shooting past 100yds, you can rule the 17HMR out. From there you need to further define what you are using it for. If it is just for plinking at the range or target shooting at 0-100yds, the 22LR will probably be best because it is cheap. If you are hunting prairie dogs or anything like the, the 22WMR is an excellent choice. I went with the .22WMR because I shoot a lot of prairie dogs in the summer, from 5-200yds, and it pretty well blows them up. This was my rifle choice-

http://www.cz-usa.com/products/view/cz-452-fs/

 

[CraigC]

Depends upon usage. The .22LR is excellent for building shooting skill, plinking, target shooting and small game hunting. The rimfire magnums are best suited to field use for either their extended effective range or ability to take larger varmints.

IME, ammo cost is always a consideration, even when they say it ain't.

 

[GLShooter]

The 22 LR is a better bang for the buck at 100 yards or less. Tack drivers could be a Ruger, a Savage, a CZ or a Browning T Bolt. They all shoot well. Depends on your aesthetic preferences and your pocket book.

Greg

PS: I have a 10-22 Magnum that I have gussied up big time. It shoots VERY well but ammo is so much more expensive than with the 22 LR.

 

[TonyAngel]

Since cost of ammunition isn't an issue, I won't comment about that. Still, I've found that a plain Jane .22 rimfire will do just about anything you will need done within 100 yards. The biggest drawback that I see to .22lr is that accuracy and punch are mutually exclusive. You usually have to sacrifice more of one to get more of the other. The trick is to find an ammunition that represents a good compromise for your needs. For my needs, I've found that just about any bulk hollow point ammunition works just fine.

With either a .22 WMR or .17 HMR you can have both. Take your pick. Still, either are over kill for under 100 yards. I like the offerings from CZ, Savage, Marlin, etc.

 

[wanderinwalker]

Well, if you're only going to have one .22 rifle, might as well make it a good one. Try a CZ 452 FS.

Or if cost isn't an object, you could try something like the Anschutz Model 64 MPR. Unless you value an American made rifle, then you could track down a Winchester 52 sporter.

Let me add a disclaimer: I have no personal experience with the rifles above, but if I were looking for a good, one and only .22LR and it had to be a sporter, those would top the short list. I have fired lots of rounds through various 10/22s, a Walther KK-100, an old Remington single-shot (513?), a Remington 541 and a Winchester 52 target (pre-A). I'm currently shooting NRA 4-P indoor with the Winchester.

 

[Beacon]

I consider the .22 LR to be a foundation cartridge. You should start out with a .22, simply because they are so cheap to feed that you can shoot a lot and get proficient. The Savages are good..I have one in .17 HMR. I also have an old original Browning T-Bolt and a Ruger 10-22. After you get a .22 LR, then if you want or need a .22 Mag or a .17 HMR, then get one. But I think a .22 LR is a must for getting in lots of rounds downrange and learning to shoot proficiently.

You could probably get a Savage .22 LR, and then later get a similar model in one of the other calibers. I know Browning makes their new T-bolt in .22 LR and .22 Mag.

 

[doc2rn]

I have both .22lr and .22WMR, my always gun is the Ruger 77/22 MKII all weather V-bolt in .22 WMR. My daughter, she's 8, can pull clover leafs with it, and has already laid claim to it.

 

[SKILCZ]

I'm a fan of the CZ 452 Trainer in .22 LR. Bolt action, very accurate, nice rifle. Adjustable trigger, nice iron sights, and ability to mount a scope. Tack driver. Mags can be had in 5 & 10 round capacity.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I assure you the .22 lr is alive and well.
And it aint going nowhere either.

 

[Ohio Gun Guy]

I've got 3....some of the more popular ones.

1. Ruger 10/22 (A classic)
2. Savage Mk2 (For the money, a GREAT shooter)
3. Henry 001 (Just got, fun)

 

[benzy2]

I'm a bit lost in this. You say consider ammo costs irrelevant, then you say you like Savage because it's a budget rifle. The price of the .17hmr I own was quickly surpassed by the cost of the ammo it shot. A .22 WMR would be in a similar boat and a .22lr with match ammo would be the same. If you plan on shooting a lot of rimfire, I suggest you buy the absolute nicest rifle possible.

Many people feel rimfire is cheap and deserves a cheap rifle. I find I spend the bulk of my shooting with rimfire and as such, would rather spend the bulk of my time with quality rifles.

If it were me, I would look for a used Anschutz, probably a 64 action but maybe a 54 if I could find the right deal, in .22lr. Then shoot anything and everything under the sun. If that stretches the budget too far, a CZ would be a nice option.

 

[FLNT4EVR]

Go to the CZ website and check out their line of 452 models.They have the best open sights of any rifle you can buy.The rear sight blade can be changed to a peep sight .The replacement part is sold by J&P CUSTOM PRODUCTS.

 

[Tom609]

The rear sight blade can be changed to a peep sight .The replacement part is sold by J&P CUSTOM PRODUCTS.

Thanks for that recommendation. I checked out their site. How can you go wrong for $18?! I'm ordering one tomorrow.

I found a barely used CZ452 Trainer like the one shown above at a gun show several years ago for $275. It's the Porsche 911 of .22s.

 

[shiftyer1]

If your shooting at beercans to coon sized game then .22 lr is the way to go. The .22lr is far cheaper to shoot than the other 2. If your shooting larger game past 100 yards get the .22 mag or .17hmr. If your looking for pin point accuracy at farther distances, I can't help you. I'd go nuts trying to get 5 shots in a dime at 100 yards But I may work on it with something silver doller sized , it'll be in .22lr. at 100 yards lots cheaper.