Best AMERICAN MADE .22LR Bolt Action Rifle?

Ruger 77/22

Catching up with this thread very late, but I'll add a couple of comments re American .22's. First is the Ruger 77/22 as a possible selection. I have one in .22WRM, (not a cartridge know for accuracy), the VBZ version with the heavy 24" barrel. I bought it for varmint shooting & have had a trigger job, (2 lbs) & action bedding job. At 50 yards, it shoots .200-.230" five round groups with Federal Champion 40 gr FMJ bullets, sub 1" groups are standard @ 100 yds with the same ammo. No other ammo will match it in this rifle. I suspect the same rifle in .22 LR S/B even more accurate.
I also noted a comment on a Henry lever, I also have one, it mounts a little 2.5X Tasco & with CCI Maxi-mag ammo it shoots 1" groups @ 50 yards, a real suprize ! Have to try it with some match ammo & see what it is really capible of.
Currently working on a CZ 455 Varmint with a Nikon 2X7 power P22 scope. I've only run 250 rounds thru it so far but it's shooting 1/4" five round groups at 50 yards with Wolf MT ammo. So far I've only tweaked the factory trigger adjustment & replaced the factory lube on the trigger sear with TS-70 moly lube for a nice crisp 2 1/8 lb trigger. Sorry it's not American made, but the CZ's do shoot !
 
The two-piece bolt and non-match chamber work against it. The sub-minute 77-22 has not been built, except maybe by accident.
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I have a 77/22 made in 1984 IIRC and it has open sights on it. I paid $400.05 for it with all the shipping from Gunbroker. That included a straight tube Bushnell scope that I left on it. I tried a 2x7 but like the old straight tube better.

My favorite target is a sheet of paper that has a bunch of 1" squares on it. Using the cheap federal bulk ammo from WM I shoot 10 shot groups that will stay inside those 1" squares. Time after time until the barrel gets fouled. Brush it out and you are back in business. I haven't tried any other ammo. I never saw the point. So I guess i bought the only accidental 77/22 that Ruger built that will shoot. And its box stock too.

I am sure it was a fluke but a 30 yard 5 shot group I fired had 4 rounds in a very slightly elongated hole with one pulled shot less than a quarter inch out.

Another suggestion would be a Marlin 981T. I have one I paid $173.00 new, including tax for it and its almost as accurate as the 77/22 I have. Plus with the tube mag it will feed shorts, longs and long rifle rounds. The stock is synthetic so you don't have to worry about banging it up hunting with it.
 
My only bolt .22 is one that I've had for over 44 years. It's been shooting sub-minute groups ever since I started going for groups, usually at a leisurely pace spending practically nothing. Very relaxing. It's a Stevens Model 34, so I would still look to Savage for accuracy, though I'd really like to have that "adult-sized" Ruger 77/22 also. Maybe some day.
 
I am removing my support for the marlin 981T(s) series of rifles. My receiver is wearing where the bolt handle rubs if forward pressure is not applied when turning the bolt. I now find it quite difficult to operate the bolt with my thumb and index finger so I have to break position in between shots.
I'm not exactly sure what to make of this. I have sent thousands of rounds down range with the thing, BUT I expected it to hold up better. I am not sure if the problem is something I can fix either. Filing material away to make the surface flat might cause major problems.

Should still work well as a youth training rifle though.
 
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I feel the same as you, but when I looked at a used 452 Varmint 22lr. I caved in and bought the CZ. I look at it that I gave the money to the owner of the gun shop and the first owner, money went over seas. The CZ 452 Varmint is a great rifle, tight bore very accurate. why don't we make rifles like that. Built like a high powered rifle, and there is no problem with dry firing.the firing pin does not ding the chamber like other 22's.
 
.22's are individuals

RatShooter made the observation that his Ruger 22/77 shoots until it gets fouled, but comes right back after cleaning. My 22/77 in .22WRM is the exact opposite. If I give the barrel a good cleaning, the first five round group @ 50 yds will shoot 1 1/2", next 1 1/4", etc. Usually takes about 6 five round groups until it tightens up & starts putting five rounds into the 1/4" range. I've gotten to the point with it that I just run a Hoppes bore snake with a bit of Remington bore cleaner on it down the barrel 2 or 3 times after a shooting session & let it go at that.
By the way, I'd mentioned that my Henry Lever had shot some 1" groups @ 50 yds with CCI Mini-Mags so I decided to try some better ammo in it. Well, results were interesting, to say the least. CCI Green Tag put 3 rounds in a 4" group, & 2 rounds completely missed the paper, (5X7 paper sheet). CCI Standard Vel produced a 3 1/2" group & Wolf MT got me a 2" group, go figure ! The lesson being, one can take an educated guess but you can never be 100 % sure what ammo any particular .22 LR firearm is going to like, just gotta keep trying until you stumble onto it.
I'm in that process right now with my CZ 455 Varmint, & so far it seems to like Federal Gold Match, closely followed by Wolf MT but I've still got about 12 different boxes to try. It really doesn't like anything from Eley or Remington, that's for sure.
 
I own a Marlin 917v, it is chambered in .17 HMR which is basically a .22 WMR necked down to a .17 caliber. I bought it for a little bit less than $250. It was very accurate in and of itself, but was made more accurate after replacing the trigger return spring with a much lighter one.

I am a big fan of .17 HMR. I think it preforms in a superior manner to .22 rimfire. It can be destructive against small game with v-max bullets, but hollow point and fmj rounds make clean holes through them.

That being said I am sure Marlin makes some .22LR bolt actions that you will be very happy with if you decide on them.
 
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