Looking to get an exonomical .22lr in the next few months. It will be used as an all around rifle with a strong emphasis in recreational target shooting with friends at our hunting camp. I say recreational but it can get pretty competitive so ACCURACY is paramount. $250 for rifle not including optics will be my max budget. I'm not partial to bolt or semi-auto. Just looking for a few suggestions? Thanks in advance!
Best .22LR in my price range? $250 max.
- Thread starter 1gunner
- Start date
$250 can get you a lot of rifle on the used market. I have bought Mossberg 144LSB's for $225. That's a heavy barreled target rifle with peep sights. Great for the range and extremely accurate, no good for squirrel hunting. I always plug for old Mossbergs if you don't mind buying used. New, the Savage bolt guns are plenty accurate.
overkill0084
New member
Hard to argue with good advice like this.
Mossberg bolt actions might be worth a look. Though I don't really know a lot about them.
Edit:
Oh yeah, I forgot Marlin.
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/323/products_id/72785
My semi-auto Remington 597 was $199 at Dick's Sporting Goods and came with a cheap "Remington" 3-9x32mm scope... LOVE The rifle. I've spent some money on it because I really liked it, installing the Volquartsen Edge Extractor ($20- the best $20 you can spend to improve a firearm IMHO) and the Volquartsen Target Hammer ($40 - changes the entire way the trigger pulls and the weight and reliability SKYROCKET so much better now) and I put a $40 WalMart bipod and $165 Nikon ProStaff scope on mine, sling studs & Sling etc.... you don't have to do all that... Still a GREAT autoloading rifle especially if you're like me and you DON'T want a 10/22.
Now I also got a Savage Mark II "GXP" from Dick's Sporting Goods as well, entry level Savage Mark II which is wood stock (BEAUTIFUL IMHO) and also a scoped combo, which I also replaced, but otherwise is box stock except for the Field and Stream sling I added from the store I bought it from. THIS IS SUCH AN AMAZING LITTLE RIFLE it's like having a classy expensive awesome hunting deer rifle ... except its a $200 .22LR. Wooden Stock and scope makes it look like a Savage or Browning A-Bolt hunting rifle... so awesome so nice. CANNOT OUTSHOOT this bad boy. So accurate it's sickening.
both rifles are about $200, could be up more now cause of inlation not sure.
One thing Dick's Sporting Goods has is a nice selection of inexpensive combo rifles to get you in the door... IMHO hard to beat that.
Now I also got a Savage Mark II "GXP" from Dick's Sporting Goods as well, entry level Savage Mark II which is wood stock (BEAUTIFUL IMHO) and also a scoped combo, which I also replaced, but otherwise is box stock except for the Field and Stream sling I added from the store I bought it from. THIS IS SUCH AN AMAZING LITTLE RIFLE it's like having a classy expensive awesome hunting deer rifle ... except its a $200 .22LR. Wooden Stock and scope makes it look like a Savage or Browning A-Bolt hunting rifle... so awesome so nice. CANNOT OUTSHOOT this bad boy. So accurate it's sickening.
both rifles are about $200, could be up more now cause of inlation not sure.
One thing Dick's Sporting Goods has is a nice selection of inexpensive combo rifles to get you in the door... IMHO hard to beat that.
Try a Henry if you are into Lever guns. Smoothest Lever action 22 rifles on the market. I have one and I highly reccommend them. If you can find a good used one that would be the ticket. But, a new one is only 287.00 at our local Wally World. BTW mine shoots 10 into one ragged hole at 25 - 50 Yards right outta the box, from a sand bag rest.
Vt.birdhunter
New member
I picked up a used CZ 452 for $275. You wont find better if accuracy is your priority.
Check out the rim-fire forums for used ones.
Check out the rim-fire forums for used ones.
I recently picked up a Savage Mark II with the accutrigger NIB for under $200. Folks have been praising the accuracy out of the recent Savages so I thought that I would give it a try. Out of the box very accurate. I scoped it and was breaking twigs sticking out of the snow at 50 yards immediately after sighting it in.
Ruger 10/22, I have an extremely accurate one of these; but in all fairness it only has about one piece left on the rifle that came on the original rifle, all the other pieces are aftermarket. And it now weighs close to twice the weight of the original rifle. And cost much more than twice the original purchase price.
Ammo selection plays a very large role in accuracy. Finding a rifle's "favorite" will reward one with noticeably improved results.
For serious target work, my 10/22 (again highly modified),
for walking around the Savage is hard to beat.
Note: I did end up ordering 5 round mags for the Savage, the 10 rounders stick out quite a bit; so, if being able to carry the rifle at the balance point is important, you may need to look at your choices differently. (Tube fed, flush mags, single shot, etc...) It makes a difference to me; also if you plan to sling it and throw it across your back, long protruding mags are not your friend.
dalegribble
New member
accuracy is paramount? i would go with the savage bolt today. i have marlin bolts but they might be iffy after they got bought out so ask around first. i have ruger 10/22's and a henry lever that shoot real well but it sounds like you need a bolt.