high quality .22 bolt action

7

7sam15

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I have recently become interested in indoor .22 caliber rifle competition. I see it as a cheap way to practice rifle skills during bad weather. Does anyone know who makes a high quality 18 inch, bolt action, bull barrel .22 for less than $500. Does Kimber still make good rifles? Any other options?

thanks
 
Kumber still makes high quality rifles. However, they are probably more than $500. The used to make a bull barrelled Government Model .22 rifle for the Army to practice with but that would really be pricey...

With that said, I think spending as much money on a rimfire that you would spend on a centerfire is well justified. Consider you will probably use the rimfire during every season of the year, whether for practice or for hunting. The ammunition is cheap and easy to get. I use my pet .22 more than any of my other rifles combined.

As an aside, I saved for months to get a Kimber Super America- AAA walnut, skeletonized steel inletted buttplate, express sights, ebony forend cap, 20 lpi checkering, rust bluing- the whole deal. The gun is so damned beautiful, I can't bear to take it into the field. Even a trip to the range causes me anxiety... Later I picked up a Winchester 52 repro and after considerable tinkering, it is suitable for hunting and plinking. No, it doesn't shoot RWS ammo into .245" all day, but if I scratch or ding it, I won't have a heart attack... It's my current pet .22

Consider looking for a used Kimber or Anschutz. I would go for the Kimber 82 if I were planning to hunt with it too. The Anschutz is more competition orientated- a silhouette style rifle might be a good compromise for indoor practice.
 
I had a Browning repro M52 Sporter, and except for the heavy trigger pull, I thought it was an excellent rifle for practice. The trigger pull can be improved quite a bit by substituting a lighter spring for the stock trigger return spring. My M52 was very accurate, not in the same class as a good Anschutz target rifle, but plenty good enough so that I couldn't blame the rifle when I missed. The M52's weight is a lot closer to that of a centerfire hunting rifle, not featherweight like most 22RF rifles. Another possibility would be the Rem.541-T Heavy Barrel. My 541-T is a standard sporter, and I love it, but compared to the M52, it's a lightweight. The HB would work well for offhand practice, as the heavier weight tends to dampen out some of the wobble and settle down better for most shooters. Perhaps the best route would be to shoot a CMP match at a club, which qualifies you to buy a brand new Rem. 540X surplus rifle from the CMP. They also may have some of the even nicer H&R M12 rifles left. The 540X costs $260 with sights, the M12 is/was a little higher.
 
Given your price range flatlander's advice is good on the CMP Remington rifle. If you were honorably discharged from the military and belong to a CMP member rifle club you don't need to shoot in a match to qualify for the rifle. You might try http://www.gunsamerica.com and check on prices of used Kimber and Anschutz rifles. New ones exceed your $500 limit.
 
The Civilian Marksmanship Program used to be DCM where by citizens could/can, upon qualifying, be able to purchase surplus rifles from the government. If you go to the website you can look up by state, the rifle clubs in your area that are affiliated with the CMP. The website has all the info you need and you can even download applications from there.

http://www.odcmp.com
 
If you don't end up getting a CMP rifle, you might want to check out the new CZ 22 bolt-action rifles. They look very good and are competitively priced. I don't see them around much yet, so you might have to have an FFL order you one. I especially like the fact that they are relatively light weight. I have an Anchutz competition rifle that is just too heavy to lug around for plinking.
 
The CMP rifles are both good choices. I have recently purchased both the Remington and the H&R. The Remington comes with sights but I believe all of the H&R's with sights are gone. I can't say how they shoot because I haven't made time to take them to the field. But for the price, I don't think one can go wrong.
 
My youngest son and I enjoy shooting a Marlin 2000L target .22. This is a single shot, bolt gun with 22" heavy target barrel, Williams peep sight, two stage trigger, and an adjustable stock. The price is moderate (around $400??). We've installed the 5 shot biathlon magazine on ours. This is absolutely a fun gun to shoot. Whenever we have a need to see 5 shot, one hole groups, we get the Marlin out; if you do your part, the gun will make you look good every time.
 
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