Best .22 LR?
 

looking to spend maybe 300ish...hunt squirrels and rabbits with. accurate out of the box...durable....suggestions?

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Old Reliable: Marlin Model 60. Shop around, should be under $200 on sale.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

I'm partial to lever actions.....

http://www.notpurfect.com/main/lever.htm
http://www.notpurfect.com/main/henry.htm
http://www.impactguns.com/store/619835016003.html

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

I went out to get one of those Ruger 10/22's at Wl-Mart. Man, I haven't been into a wal-mart in over 5 years. What a sad shock that was. They were out but the guy was nice enough to call a closer store and confirm them in stock. Too bad Wal-Mart doesn't sell firearms after 9:30pm.

Also, dude told me Wal-Mart requires a b/g check on all firearms sold. I'm a bit worried because I just moved from TN to NC and all my papers aren't in order. I'll put my NC address and see what floats. Stupid crap! Hopefully I can do some legitimate long-arm business here in a couple weeks when I head back home to East TN.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

lemme know how the ruger works out....they advertise those at all the local shops pretty cheap

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

The 10/22 is available outside Wal-Mart?! or is Wal-Mart just kicking butt on the price?

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

im almost positive i seen it somewhere within the last 2 days lookin at rifles (i sure as hell wasn't in a walmart either!)

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

It's not just Waldo-Mart, anywhere you buy except from a private party, they will run the background check. It's the law. :banghead:

the fact that you just moved shouldn't matter at all. They'll need to see your driver's license, and the address on there must match the one you put on the application.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

You can wear them out.

Its cheaper to buy a new one than repair them it seems.

I like them.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

I have a CZ-452 .22.LR rifle and I really like it. I think I got it for aroun @275.00. Really accurate out of the box and nice quality. Not taticool by any means, like a 10/22, but just a good all around 22 rifle.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Im on the ten day wait for my 10/22 as I type this...7 more days. Purchased mine at Big5 Sporting Goods.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Bought couple of 10/22's in stainless a year or so ago.....500 bucks for the pair from a local gun shop. Had a blued model for a long time, good light little rifle. Highly recommended. I keep a loaded one by the back door to run critters out of the garden.

But a bolt action is a great first gun for anyone....makes them conserve ammo and think more about accuracy. My very first gun as a kid was an old model 5A Stevens my dad bought used from some guy for 5 bucks.....I've still got it. That gun and a box of .22shorts made for many a fun day.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Squirrels and rabbits will run away from a .22 nine out of ten times.

Get a 410 or 20 ga. shotgun, unless you don't mind comming home empty handed.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

I just purchased 2 of the walmart exclusive 10/22's with the 22" stainless barrels. I havn't shot them yet. Hope to get out to the range this weekend.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

This ones easy - Ruger 10-22. Hands down the best 22 available.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

A 10/22 (I have 2) would kick ass chambered in the new 17 Mag. I guess that would make it a 10/17.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

If you can afford the ammo to wear out any Ruger, then you can afford to buy a new one to replace it ! :wink:

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

let us know how things go scott.....

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Agreed, I can put any squirrel down within 40yards with a 1000fps pellet gun. Never had need to shoot rabbit with one, though.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Only problem I have ever had with the 10/22 is the 6 pound trigger.Easy fix though.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Yeah I hear you, I just got one of the new Gamo pellet guns, a big cat 1200 and that thing is a killer.:D

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Most rabbit shots are taken while the rabbit is on the run. If you're good enough to make such a shot with a .22 - - good for you. I've attempted this at least 10 times, never sucessfully. With a shotgun I've seldom missed the same shot. And if you come upon quail, duck or any other winged animal, the .22 is just as useless.

I've nailed rabbits that were sitting still with a .22 - - but I didn't like it, I felt a bit like an assassin.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

The CZ is a great .22 rifle, from what I've read. I love my Marlin 925 bolt-action, I prefer it to my 10/22's for hunting. If one had to own just one .22 LR rifle, it would have to be a 10/22, but who says you can just have one?

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

I agree with mtnman, I've mostly only hunted with pellets guns for squirrel and rabbit in Alabama and California. In the morning I would always get a mess of rabbits, especially with head shots. If you hit a rabbit in the hip with a pellet, he might get away, but if you hit the head or vitals, you're good. Same with squirrel at even further distances. Little gravy, grits, and biscuits and you've got some good eating, although I'm vegetarian now.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Ruger 10/22.

Everyoe else is WWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY down on the list


CC

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Leading a rabbit or any winged prey is easy with a shotgun, but on a scale of 1 to 100 you�d be off the scale when trying to accomplish that same shot with a .22 or pellet rifle. I suppose a fully automatic rifle would help, even in semi-auto mode plenty of lead would be flying all over the place in making a hit.

Rabbits don�t run straight. Every lunge they seem to slightly alter their direction a few degrees. How anyone compensates for this is beyond my sphere of abilities.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

That reminds me of a good joke from a Vietnam movie..... anybody remember?

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Of course. He's so f'in good they should do a story about him.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

:haha:

*and fark the game warden...let him haul his ass out to the middle of BFE Alaska and take it up with gasilat, mano a mano.

**
Door Gunner: Git some! Git some! Git some, yeah, yeah, yeah! Anyone that runs, is a VC. Anyone that stands still, is a well-disciplined VC! You guys oughta do a story about me sometime!
Private Joker: Why should we do a story about you?
Door Gunner: 'Cuz I'm so f**kin' good! I done got me 157 dead gooks killed. Plus 50 water buffalo too! Them's all confirmed!
Private Joker: Any women or children?
Door Gunner: Sometimes!
Private Joker: How can you shoot women or children?
Door Gunner: Easy! Ya just don't lead 'em so much! Ain't war hell?

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

hot damn I knew yous guys would get it !

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

If you shoot a dove with a 22, you'd have to lead by more than a little. Shotguns and 22 have similar velocities. A high crossing dove at 40 yards and the lead can go over 8 feet. That would be a tough shot with a 22, very few people make that shot more than 10%-25% of the time with a 12 Ga. Not to mention you would be a danger to everyone in the area.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Thanks a lot for that link.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

I sold my 10/22. Was not very lefty-friendly, wasn't hardly acurate at 100 yards (scoped) compared to my Winchester bolt .22 with iron sights, and the rotary magazine had a propensity to jam. Nice fit and finish, and a lot of options, but unless you spend AT LEAST as much on upgrading as you do on the gun the trigger pull, inaccuracy, and slopiness of the action is unacceptable.

My next .22 long gun will be the CZ-453 w/ single-set trigger. A .22 shouldn't be a battle rifle (highcap mags and folding stocks), but a dependable small-game family feeder. The SST on the CZ is positively sweet.

Check out www.rimfirecentral.com for opinions on EVERYTHING rimfire.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

My 10/22 works well and is plenty accurate. Best for what purpose is the question. For all around use, the 10/22 may be best. If you want a little more reliability or a little more accuracy, there might be some better options.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

"Ohhhh. Gophers! Yeah, we can do that. We don't even have to have a reason...."

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Gopher fricassee, anyone? :D

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Well then next time your buddy kills a rat around the house she better not get mad when he tells her that wasn't chicken she had for dinner! ; )

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Well I guess it's sort of like, why it is often said, that there is an exception to every rule.

And although I've never had rat, or at least to the best of my knowledge I've never had rat, I've heard it's quite tasty.

:D

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

OK. Add me to the club . . . bought a 10/22 today. Stainless with a Hogue synthetic stock - feels nice :D

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

The Hogue synthetic stock is really nice, I have mine in Hunter Green with a rubberized black butt.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

I agree that it's MUCH harder with a rifle, and for a specific reason related only tangentally to the obvious factor of spread of a shot pattern.

You see on wingshooting with a shotgun I am trained to raise the gun to shoulder BEHIND the target I see with BOTH EYES open. I would likely do that with a rifle as well, sacrificing all but maybe a red dot or peep sight. My Marlin 1894 .44 magnum carbine brush deer rifle has a peep sight for that reason.

I TRACK the game as it moves, SWEEPING my muzzle from behind, onto it, and PAST it until the instant the estimated lead is right. I calculate that lead subconciously I suspect, needs are too fast to use calculating cognition, my moment to squeeze partially dependent of the swing speed of my barrel to catch up to that target.

It is all to be a very FLUID motion, almost like sweeping a broom from behind to the target and smoothly past, and then SNAPPING the trigger, NOT SQUEEZE but SNAP INTANTLY the instant it looks right. I keep swinging, even after the shot is fired, I'm still accelerating the muzzle past the target's position ... fast repeat shots are sacrificed for one-shot kills with shotgun.

I suppose I could try and 'pace' the running animal, popping off shots at some established spot ahead of him, but to learn that now would un-learn my patterned responses that work so well otherwise.

I'm not bragging (just truth for credibility) but the last time I shot regulation skeet I broke 23/25 and I've never shot skeet much. The last time I went dove hunting I used a .410 single-barrel, full choke, break-action Stevens my Dad got me new, back when I was only age 11. With that tiny single shot as an adult, I downed 16 doves once with 32 shots. Those of you who know understand that is not easy and a testament to my personal tried-and-true method. I used to hunt cottontails with a freind's beagles for years. He said I take you because you are fit, safe, sober and you never miss with that Remington model 1100, 20ga Improved Cylinder.

That said, aside from the shot pattern, my 'perfect method' does not work so well with a rifle or pistol. I used to try and jump jackrabbits and snowshoes out west. This is my experience with a pistol and my 31-year-old 541-S Remington squirrel rifle deluxe. I have a 10/22 carbine folding-stock for survival, but then each rifle is good at what it is.

The shotgun pattern always took care of the rabbit's constant bouncing and zig-zags, so I have a high hit probility from the first touch of the trigger, not so with a bullet. Doves zig-zag but much shallower in angle, moving faster at 30mph, but relatively straight ahead,veering like an airplane gradually, so doves are probably easier to hit with a rifle in that way than a bouncing, halting rabbit.

And if you miss with my method it is upset and has to swing back and start again to a small degree because I NEVER STOPPED, I KEEP swinging farther ahead of the target for an instant even AFTER I've snapped the trigger, that is KEY to the method, stopping and thereby having to jam the barrel back onto a place that looks proper -- that will guarantee a miss because by the time you SQUEEZE of a rifle shot for accuracy the target is always somewhere else. That style of 'point shooting' is very hard for me and most people to master.

And rifles don't SNAP well because you miss the target, the shotgun pattern's arc-of-angle spread is just able to negate that minor deviation and tend to be more stable as muzzle-heavy swinging mass.

And here's one more detail ... we fire a SHOT STRING, I capitolize only for emphasis here, I'm not shouting, excuse the caps... many don't undertand this fine point of ballistic physics and the effect...

A string of shot from a shotgun results from the fact that some pellets are flying faster than others. At just 25 yards there might me a long cylindrical cloud of pellets 15-25 feet long moving through the air across your target's path.

Imagine it like being forced to run across a busy street blindfolded. There are either motorcycles and busses going by alternately, faster than you can run. You run for it when only the motorcycle approaches -- because he is shorter and a bus takes so long to get out of your way.

In this way -- You can miss with the front of the shotgun's pattern and hit with the tail or vice versa, and almost always do it is a relatively fast and far object.

I missed every jackrabbit I jumped in the deserts, emptying all six from my 7 1/2" Ruger Single-Six that I'd once hunted squirrels effectively with. Jack rabbits often looked like super-balls bouncing off rocks. I didn't mind too much missing the jackrabbits as it was sport, I meant them no agony, just brisk exercise. And it was some of the BEST FUN I've ever had with a firearm, ever.

I just waited until the showshoes were still, and shot each one right, and for food. I didn't really want to kill the jackrabbits however, just to shoot at them. Thats a big difference. I hunt tree squirrels with a pistol for food, but I don't shoot until they stop. I like to shoot to kill, and then to kill mercifully in any case. Firing on-the-run says to hell with shot-placement, not so sporting, IMO.

I guess to summarize, I'm a good wingshot, and I still say it's too hard to be practical with a rifle... and you got that safety thing about random spontaneous shooting, uncertainty of backstops, and ricochets to consider, even on a western desert playground. I'd be yelling it somebody fired quick and randomly onto a bunny bouncing along between him and me. Shotguns allow safe established danger range. Just my opinion, thanks for letting me go on, and on...

*A footnote: Dad taught me with a .22 rifle to aim at a specific spot, an ear or an eye, because we had to eat every one we killed. I've watched a squirrel die, gut shot with a hollow point, crawling to safety if he could and it is never a good fun feeling. With Dad and I, head shots were proper and to be expected on small game. Body shots were rare. Calling the shot was EVERYTHING. He taught me, "If you whistle, a running animal will often stop momentarily... if he doesn't he got away." About shotguns, he scolded me harshly about making sure of range, and never shoot into a nest. This is imprinted upon me and my 'opinions'. I don't mean to sound old fashioned ...

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

My vote goes for the 10/22...

I've got a few of them and I've upgraded several for friends and family...

Cheap to own and shoot.... Seemingly very reliable...

I've got one I shoot way to much way to crappy ammo through with way to little cleaning or lube and she works like a charm...

My wife want me to build her one now...

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

i got a ruger when my dad pass away it the best dam gun for a 22 l that i have every shot

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

who the hell dug this thread up! ya'll can quit helpin me i picked up a savage mark 2 about 4 months ago. been to the range and hunting a handful of times so far and its shot great

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Because this is topic #1

Here is some of the best.


http://goldismoney.info/forums/showthread.php?t=23596

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Absolute best source for anything .22LR: www.rimfirecentral.com. It is addicting.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

I've repeatedly tried to register at that forum but they never authenticate me (you're supposed to wait).
I had some decent questions concerning the 10/22 those guys could answer, but too bad, I suppose.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Ruger 10/22 is my choice. Not only a great rifle that rarely jams but you can pick up many extras for the 10/22 that other rifles do not offer. I have several 30 round magazines from Butler Creek and Eagle International that work great.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

My Ruger 10-22 shoots about 1" groups at 50 yds (maybe it's just mine), feeding and function is flawless but I don't like it because it's FAT around the receiver. With it's pinned barrel and aluminum receiver I think they are a bit over rated.
My Marlin 25N shoots no better than 1 1/2" groups even after a trigger job!

I had a Marlin 60 which was about the same as the above.

Now the CZ 452 Classic shoots 3/8 groups after a trigger job (needed), and I consider the accuracy reliable with it's threaded barrel and receiver grooved for scope rings instead of the little danm screws.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Nice reborn thread. Noticed a lot of airgunners. The Benjamin Discovery has been all that and a bag of Cheetos for me. I think the 10/22 got unleashed only a couple times early last spring before the Disco came.
(aside)...Get ALL lead based ammo NOW. NOW!NOW!NOW! It's a cinch that one avenue of control will be through regulating lead. You heard it here. I gots me only a coupla .22 rounds and only slightly less in pellets.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

They're actually decent food.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

pretty much everything can be made edible and alright tasting. its just that some stuff needs a lil extra tlc when preparing it. you can buy a filet and be good to go....get a skunk however and your gonna have to doctor it up a little. in the end though its all food and what we need to keep our machines running

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Maybe your FBI background check is hung up due to suspicious information...

:bath:

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

What would be a good scope for a 10/22? I wouldn't want to spend a fortune on one, but something that would work for most things.

Walmart has a stainless for @ $238.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Shooters Edge PRF 3-9x32 works fine for most things. Shop around and you can find them for about $35. Expensive scopes are nice but well-made cheap scopes make you wonder what the heck is wrong with someone who drops more on the scope than they do on the firearm itself.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

That bird looks all 'Ruffed Grouse" to me. Maybe it's just the pic.

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

I guess it is hard to go wrong with a 10/22, but I would consider a CZ or a Winchester as well. CZ has bolt action and SA, and Winchester has the "Wildcat". The "Wildcat" is a rebranded rifle, but if you read into it there is really not any difference between the target barrel and the regular barrel. All they do is take metal off of the outside of the target barrel to make a regular barrel.

Anyways the Winchester Wildcat won't get a bunch of support because it hasn't been around for a long time, but it is super accurate. I also here that the CZ rifles are more accurate than the 10/22.

Bolt action rifles don't really "fail" often.

by the way the winchester wildcat comes with 4 magazines. $200 NIB, throw a nice scope on it, and you have an instant tack driver. You will be putting the eyes out of squirrels at 50yrds no problem.

Check out Aguilla SuperMaximum High Velocity HPs.... more power than a CCI Stinger HP, more accurate, and cheaper. Happy Trails.......

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

Speaking of Winchester, I can speak for the 1946 Winchester Bolt .22lr.
It is amazingly accurate even with its' primitive iron sights.
Full takedown, cleanup and reassembly can be accomplished in under five minutes.
I assume the thing can be repaired. I wouldn't know, it never breaks.
http://goldismoney.info/forums/pictu...&pictureid=322

Re: Best .22 LR?
 

For a box-fed semiauto 22LR, the Ruger 10/22 is pretty much the better choice, when it comes to accessories.
Though last I heard the factory Ruger barrels still sucked.
Get a Butler Creek non-stainless barrel in there instead.

For a 22LR you want an airgun scope, preferably an airgun scope with an adjustable objective.

Some of the better brands of scopes like Leupold and Burris set their 22LR-specific scopes closer in (50 yards) and can re-set them to closer distances if you send it in--but normally the cheaper riflescopes you'll find are meant for centerfire rifles and have the parallax set to 100 yards, which is much too far for a 22LR. Many riflescopes will not even allow your eye to focus properly on a target only 25 yards away, even with variable-power hunting scopes set to their minimum 3X or 4x magnification.

Better brands of airgun scopes are set up to shoot at 10 to ~75 yards, which is right in the same range that 22LR's get used.

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