22LR Bolt Action Rifle Buying Advice

G

glenspen

New member
I'm looking to buy a bolt action rifle so I can learn how to shoot with a scope and bolt action because I want to bag some piggies at my friends ranch. I shot 4 of my buddies rifles (22mag, 25-06, 270 Winchester and 338 mag) this weekend and I have decided I should get a 22LR with a scope and learn to use and shoot that effectively before deciding on a pig and deer gun in .270

Truthfully I didn't realize how difficult it is to acquire a target through a scope and get a good accurate shot before the shot has gone (damn ground squirrels were laughing at me!) so I figure a practice rifle with cheap ammo might be just what I need to teach me the basics and get me comfortable before stepping up to bigger calibers

I want to buy a quality rifle that I can hopefully one day teach my 2 small boys to shoot when they are older and pass on to them so I don't mind spending extra for a really nice firearm and don't want a budget gun.

I really like the Anschutz 22LRs but am boggled by the choice, I also like the Tikka and Sako rifles but they are limited in 22LR

Does anybody have any opinions or recommendations on what rifles and brands that I should look at? I'm a really new shooter from Europe so any advice is greatly appreciated.
 
Predict you'll get a lot of recommendations for one of the CZ452/455s. And for good reason - CZ makes an excellent rimfire rifle. I don't think their accuracy is quite up there with a match-grade Anschutz, but they're excellent rifles at an excellent price-point, and are still pretty darned accurate with their preferred ammo.

An Anchutz would be an excellent choice. Yes, there are many rifles, but if you sort through your "sporter rifle" options, it really comes down to cartridge (e.g., .22LR, .22WMR, .17HMR), action (64 vs 54) and stock version. Rifles with their "64" actions are less expensive than rifles with their match-grade "54" action. An excellent all-arounder, IMO, would be their Multi-Purpose Rifle.

Take a look at the Sako Quads as well. In addition to an Anschutz, I've lusted for a Quad Range for a while.
 
You'd be surprised how accurate some budget guns are.
For younger shooters I recommend an "adult" gun with a stock proportioned for younger shooters, and have them learn to use the safety.
 
I agree with the recommendations for CZ or Ruger bolt actions. They are accurate and well-built, and at a great price point. I used a CZ 455 to build a custom rifle for a customer about a year ago, and he claimed sub-MOA groups right away. Factory barrels and stock choices are good, so choose carefully.
 
The Savage MKII TRR reminds me so much of an Anschutz that it wouldn't surprise me if that's where Savage got their design inspiration. By all accounts the Savage is very accurate, great trigger, etc. However, unlike many 22 LRs, they're intended for adults. They aren't scaled "youth sized" rifles.

I don't as of yet have one myself, but I've researched them and placed it on my wish list somewhere near the top.
 
You are going to get a lot of suggestions,,,

You are going to get a lot of suggestions,,,
By people touting their favorite rifle.

That's not a bad thing,,,
But it really won't help much in your decision making.

CZ, Ruger, Savage, Marlin, & Remington all make fine rifles,,,
Anshutz, Tikka, or Sako are also excellent rifles,,,
If you have that kind of money to spend.

My point is you don't need to spend 4-6 hundred (or more) on a rifle to learn on,,,
And if you are going to scope it you don't need a 5 hundred dollar scope.

I own some very fine .22 rifles that have more accuracy than I can use,,,
But to tell the truth one of my best shooters is a entry level Savage.

I bought myself a Savage Mk-IIF from Wal Mart for $149.00,,,
I bought scope mounts at Academy for around $11.00,,,
Then I mounted a $40.00 Simmons scope on it.

This rifle shoots 1.5 to 1.75 inch groups at 100 yards with bulk ammo.

In all honesty this is all a person needs to learn with.

I'm not telling you that going cheap is "The Way",,,
I'm saying that you don't necessarily "need" to spend a ton of money either.

Have fun deciding and let us know what you eventually buy.

Aarond

.
 
All 22 rifles are inherently accurate with the right loads, no matter who makes them.

Buy one that fits you well, and that is close in size to the larger calibers you want to move to.

Try as many different loads as you can and don't get hung up on choosing by brand name alone.
 
If you are able to consider an Anshultz or a Sako, then you could consider the Cooper MDL 57. It isn't an economy rimfire rifle, but has come out on top in competitions with the Anshultz and Walthers. I own a MDL 22 in 6.5-284 and I love it. If you appreciate American quality this would be a great investment that one of your kids would be very fortunate to inherit.

There are many quality rimfire rifles. It's kind of hard to get it wrong too badly.
 
Accuracy doesn't necessarily correspond to price really. I think you're on the right track with avoiding budget guns though, not because budget 22LRs can't be good quality and accurate, but because you can get a lot of enjoyment out of just owning an upper-end one.

I have a Marlin 980CF and i don't shoot the 22 enough that I've replaced it yet. There's nothing wrong with it at all, its plenty accurate but if I were to do it again I'd do what you're doing and go with one of the following:

- A match 54 anschutz - competition grade accuracy and ergonomics.
- Marlin 39a lever - accurate as hell and a timeless classic to boot that will likely appreciate in value. I don't think the 39a's were affected by the remington merger but i could be wrong. someone else can chime in.
- a ISSC toggle action - cool and a bit different. I'd opt for a wood and blued version.
- a Browning T-bolt - Great fun, browning quality.
- A CZ452/455 - great guns and my range has examples that get used and abused all year round for what must be 10s of thousands of round per year and some of them are 50-60 years old. They last.

I'd lean toward the Marlin personally give the accuracy, the timelessness of it and the fact that, probably unlike all the others, it won't be 'superseded' by anything else since its already a brilliant classic. You could hand that down to your kids and they could hand it to theirs. i'd wager that it wouldn't look outdated even then.

Hope that helps a little
 
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Since you have had so many good suggestions for 22 rifles I won't say anymore. But I would suggest you look for a quality 22 caliber air rifle with a scope. With this you should be able to practice at mohe unless you live in an apartment.

I used to shoot my air rifle nearly every day at my old house. I would set up small steel silhouette targets along my fence and blast away. Thats how I really leaned to shoot a handgun is by shooting a pump 177 pistol. Just a thought.
 
My CZ 452 is probably my favorite rifle and was a great starter for me. You can see below a thread where I accurized mine, but it shot very well even before that. I may be biased, but it is my recommendation if you can find one.
 
If I were buying a rifle just to develop my skills with I would look towards any of the old bolt action Remington, Winchester and Mossberg 22 rifles. The old Remington 500 series for example is hard to beat and can be had in very good condition in the $200 price range.A little more would net a rifle like an old Winchester 52 target rifle.

As to a new rifle? I like the CZ American guns with walnut wood. The one I have shoots extremely well and an Anschutz is obviously hard to beat. You may want to give some thought to a Savage/Anschutz rifle. Savage had a thing going with Anschutz years ago and they brought a lot of fine rifles in from Germany. They were imported around the early 60s till 1980 I believe, really great guns if you find one.

Get something you can scope using a scope similar to what you will have on a later rifle. For example I can't see training with a rimfire scope only to go to a more traditional high power rifle scope on a later rifle. I doubt you can go wrong with any of the rifles suggested in the thread.

Ron
 
I'd recommend looking at a Ruger American in both .22LR. and a Big Game caliber. The Americans are very accurate and reasonably priced. I have two, a .22LR and a .17 HMR. Both are accurate.
 
As the suggestion above to get a remington. I have a 581 and it is the most accurate of my six 22's.

On the other hand the guy that suggested to just buy a budget rifle might also be right. My wife has a Rossi Break action 22/410 combination and it is her favorite rifle and most accurate. And yes I let her shoot all of mine if she wants.

When we want a fun competition we throw up a target with bullseyes the size of an asprin and about 10 on a paper and see who can shoot them all the fastest. Usually she does it in about 12 well placed shots. Without a scope the gun was junk. With and it's a laser.
 
glenspen said:
I want to buy a quality rifle that I can hopefully one day teach my 2 small boys to shoot when they are older and pass on to them so I don't mind spending extra for a really nice firearm and don't want a budget gun.
Click to expand...

Either a Cooper or one of the reproduction Browning/Winchester 52's would fit your requirements. Plus they make a great investment, been going up in value. Here's a link that may help.


http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&N=0&Ntk=GunLibrary&Ntt=52&x=20&y=4
 
I recommend getting a 22LR rimfire and a centerfire rifle that are as nearly identical as possible. Since I am insistent upon the model 70 Winchester, I chose the rimfire that is most like it in function, form, and weight; which for me is the Ruger model 7722 in the Varmint/stainless/laminate version. I prefer Walnut and blued steel, which is what my Winchester features, but the Ruger 7722 had to sacrifice the Walnut and blued steel to come closer to the Winchester. My 7722 feels like a centerfire rifle and weighs like it too. It's really too heavy for a rimfire rifle, generally, except for the fact that its primary purpose is to mimic Winchester model 70. For that it is excellent. My Winchester is in 270, of course.
 
A Savage Mk II FVXP comes with a decent scope(No more cheap, low end, scopes on Savage packages) and a detachable box mag. MSRP is $311. $16 to $20 for extra mags.
The CZ American is nearly $500. Nice kit, but pricey. Mags start at $30ish.
 
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