Suggestions for new .22 Rifle
Hey All,
I'm beginning to look into getting a new .22 rifle(I think ). The ''I think'' part is because I don't know anything about that caliber & what differentiates a good one from others. The thinking behind a .22 in general has to do with the future cost and availability of the ammo. Also, I'm not clear on what the limitations are regarding effectiveness and/or stopping power etc. (i.e. bear hunting).
Price isn't really that big of a deal, as I believe this is truly a ''you get what you pay for'' product. One that really got my attention recently is the Browning X-Bolt. Although, it doesn't seem that it's made in that caliber. Also, even if not initially, it will end up having a decent scope to go along with it.(clueless on that subject as well) That's about it folks , thanks much for any consideration.
I'm beginning to look into getting a new .22 rifle(I think ). The ''I think'' part is because I don't know anything about that caliber & what differentiates a good one from others. The thinking behind a .22 in general has to do with the future cost and availability of the ammo. Also, I'm not clear on what the limitations are regarding effectiveness and/or stopping power etc. (i.e. bear hunting).
Price isn't really that big of a deal, as I believe this is truly a ''you get what you pay for'' product. One that really got my attention recently is the Browning X-Bolt. Although, it doesn't seem that it's made in that caliber. Also, even if not initially, it will end up having a decent scope to go along with it.(clueless on that subject as well) That's about it folks , thanks much for any consideration.
0
-
tpa,
.22? Bear?
Which .22 are you thinking of and what do you plan to use it for?
If you're serious about bear I wouldn't recommend a .22 for even the small blacks, though I suppose some wouldn't shy away from a 22=250 or Swift for black bear with the right bullet. I wouldn't recommend it.0 -
lol.......no, I'm not planning on any bear hunting, just making a point regarding realistic expectations. The thing is, I don't know what a .22 like that, is capable of, or if I should be considering something else. Really just looking for general fun outdoor targeting and maybe some hunting as well. Thx 0 -
tpacuriosity,
There are several versions of 22 caliber chambered firearms out there...both center fire, and rim fire. I do believe that you must be talking about the 22 LR rimfire version, as you comment about the cost and availability of the ammunition.
There are several good rifles out there in that caliber. My suggestion, is get to a Gander mountain, Cabela's, or Bass Pro nearest you, and check out the selection. If you have a rather large sporting goods/gunshop near you too, that would also work. Most all of the firearms are good, just some are betteer than others. I would suggest a bolt action to start with, then acquire a semi automatic(Ruger 10/22) later. Plus that would give you an excuse to get another gun...providing you need an excuse. The bolt action could be a Savage Mk II, Marlin, Ruger 77/22, CZ-452/453, or a Remington. There are several on the auction side to look at. If you liked that Browning X-bolt, they made an A-Bolt 22, of which if you do a search on the auction side, you would most likely find one or two. They are very nice rifles...especially the Medallion model.
Though illegal to use for hunting of big game in most states, that little 22 LR has practically done it all on the North American continent. One of the largest interrior grizzly bears on record was killed by a trapper, who ambushed the marauding bear, and stuck the barrel practically in his ear...yes it was a 22LR. Not reccomended to do that at home though.
Best
EDIT 1
Here is a link to one on auction
http://v4.beta.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=1408309720 -
Obviously, you can kill ANYTHING with a .22 if you put the bullet in the right place, but as a matter of practice, and a gross rule of thumb, its probably inhumane (and/or illegal) to hunt any game weighing over 30 pounds with a .22LR.
Stick to rabbit-sized stuff or smaller and its a very good round at short distances of 75 yards or less.
Can a bear be killed with a .22LR? Of course, and I've heard of a case where a 12 year old boy did so when attacked by one.
Should you TRY to do this? Not a good idea, in my opinion. [;)]
As to WHICH rifle, that depends on what you want to do with it.
I think a bolt-action .22 is a good choice for a new shooter. CZ has a good one. Any Remington is going to be decent, and there are others that are good (Marlin, Ruger, etc, etc). If you want a *SERIOUS* dedicated TARGET rifle the brand to look at is Anschutz, but you'll pay for it.
The Ruger 10/22 is a good all-purpose choice in a semi-automatic since the guns are relatively inexpensive and the platform itself is so customizable.
If you decide later that you want to use it for target shooting, or a particular kind of hunting, you can always set it up for exactly that purpose with relatively inexpensive and easily available aftermarket parts.0 -
Agree with everything said above from the bear hunting [;)]to the rifle choices. You can't go wrong with a quality .22LR bolt action rifle. Go to a large gun shop and look at what is available. There are so many choices. You might also want to consider, after you look, a .17 Mach 2 or .17HMR or even a .22magnum. Each fill their own niche. I have always preferred ny 5MM Magnums and now that the ammo is out again all of my other rim fires just sit. But, that said, go and look and find one you like the looks of AND that fits you and you'll never be disappointed in a quality .22 bolt action. 0 -
tpacuriosity,
The round you are talking about, the .22, is generally referred to by that name as it's a low power rim-fire case. There is another cartridge by the name of .22 and that is the Hornet which is a low powered center-fire. Which is about 2 to 2-1/2 times more powerful than the .22 long rifle. Most other modern .22 center-fires are named as a three digit designator along with their proprietary name, i.e. .223 Rem, .220 Swift, .308 Win, etc.
In general, larger diameter cartridges are selected for big game hunting. When it comes to more dangerous game. The largest diameters of caliber is generally selected. Bear hunters in America generally choose .30 cal (.308 dia. bullets) and up. Again, generally, as that's not the law in all states and some choose to take the minimum cartridge required. For hunting any kind of game here in the U.S. and abroad if you ever decide to do that, there are a number of good books available. Two of my favorite writers on the subject of hunting and rifles are Wayne Van Zwoll and Keith McCafferty. Both bring a lot of background and apply common sense as to what to look for when choosing cartridges for hunting. Keith is a little more staid in his choices of caliber, but not about how to get it to the animal. He's good at explaining how good choices and hard work add up to success.
Anyhow, back to the original subject. Right now Cabelas has a Remington model 5 on sale for $189.00. That's a good deal for this or most any .22 rifle. I believe it ends this weekend. CZ makes models 452 and 453. I like the 453 as it has the set trigger, but it's not necessary to learn with. It's a perk when you've done this a bit and understand how and when to use it. Savage makes a Mark II which is also a very good .22 rifle. Marlin makes good .22's as well. However, you may want to have the trigger adjusted on them as out of the box they are set "lawyer proof" high.
Something you may look into as well here and that is a used .22 here on GB. Also in local gun stores. Lots of old Remington 500 series which should go for around $100. Winchester ranges from $100 all the way up to $500 (or more) for a really nice target rifle. All the ones mentioned before, only used. Just type in .22 in rifles on the home page and browse for what you think you might want. If you have any questions on any of them feel free to post again.
-hope that helps0 -
.22 rimfire rifles are inexpensive (for the most part) which is good, because they are HIGHLY addictive.
If you have a GOOD gunshop locally that you trust, go prowl thru their used rack. There may be some nice bargains there for you. and there are several thousand to choose from, depending on what you want to do with it (plinking, squirrel hunting, SERIOUS target shooting, popping soda cans, etc)
I just walked in the door 5 minutes ago with a new toy- a used Remington Speedmaster (22 auto) that cost me $140 at my local dealer. You can go buy a brand new Marlin 60 or a Ruger 10-22, or if you and old fashioned kinda guy, for a few $$$ more, get a Marlin 39A lever action, or a Henry lever. Want to try to put multiple bullets into same hole in target? Find an older Mossberg.
There are lots of choices, and they are ALL fun.0 -
Browning is also now making a new and different version of its T-bolt rimfire rifle that it initially made 40 or so years ago. It is on my wishlist.
I have shot tens of thousands of .22 Long Rifle, mostly at ground squirrels, and much of it with an Anshutz sporter. Although I love the .22 Long Rifle, and I also love the .17 HMR, I am now gaining interest in the .17 M2. The accuracy potential is better than the .22, the trajectory is superior to the .22, and the main downside is the increased cost of ammo.
I believe that the .17 HMR is the most significant new cartridge to be introduced in many years. It is almost an unfair advantage to shoot varmints with it unless you extend the range to over 100 yards. However, its downside, especially if you shoot a lot, is the cost of the ammo at around $13 plus per 50 rounds. In contrast, the .17 Mach2 is around $7.50 per 50 rounds, and sometimes down to around $5 or $6 on sale.
Some rifle models that I would suggest that you look at in rimfires would include, Cooper, CZ, Anschutz, Browning, and Ruger. I am lefthanded, so my choices are more limited than yours, if you are righthanded.0 -
tpacuriosity,
We were all novices to shooting at one time. Lacking a Dad or Big Brother to drag you into the shooting sports, things to do to get started right.
1) Inroll & complete a hunter safety course in your area. Check with the officers of the local gun club, operators of your local shooting range, propriator of one of the larger gun shops, or call your nearest fish & game office for where & when the next class is scheduled.
2) Talk to locals about types of shooting activities in your area. (target,small-bore, hi-power, bullseye, turkey shoots, ETC) As example, a 22LR is an excelent hunting round if rabbit, squirel
hunting is avalible in your area. Not all areas have the same hunting opertunities either.
3) Check out shotgun hunting & shooting sports.
When you have narrowed your interest to some particular area of hunting & targets, we will be able to help you invest in the approperate equipment, rather than spending now & trying to make one size fit all.
Jim
P.S. Consider volunteering some time to your local range or shooting club. They usually can use extra help patching targets in prep for a match or pulling targets during. It can be fun and is an excelent way to meet & make friends with people with the same interests as you.0 -
What do you want to shoot? You can get a nice old .22 single shot for squirrel hunting, a model 39 Marlin, or a 9422 for lever action, there are plenty of nice semi-auto and bolt actions out there. What is your budget? Now that we have established that if you use bear hunting as an example of limitation on a caliber, everyone will tell you the .22 is not suitable, time to consider what you actually want to do. I have several .22's but the one I reach for most often is a J.C. Higgins (High Standard) model 30 given to me by my father in 1960. Took it squirrel hunting last Saturday in fact. If I had a big budget I would look at the Kimber .22s or Cooper .22s. If my budget was more modest, I would look at used. If my budget was tiny, I would look for a nice used marlin model 60. 0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
10 comments