Let's talk about single-shot .22 rifles,,,

A

aarondhgraham

New member
Let's talk about single-shot .22 rifles,,,
Martinis, bolts, break-opens,,,
That weird Remmie 55.

Any single-shot rimfire rifle is fair game for conversation.

I often wax poetic about single-shot rimfires,,,
Because I believe that they are the ultimate heart of riflery.

I believe that if you master shooting a single-shot .22,,,
You are 95% on the way to mastering any other type of rifle.

I own three single-shot rimfire rifles:
  • H&R Sportster with a nice Cabela's brand 4X scope.
  • Henry Acu Bolt with an unremarkable house brand 4X optic.
  • Crickett rifle that I purchased so I would have something for my friends kids to shoot.

Each has their unique virtues,,,
As well as their detriments.

I'll start this thread with an ode to my H&R Sportster,,,
When I decided to get back into guns around 2005,,,
This was the rifle I ordered from the local GS.

When I was a kid I lived right on the edge of civilization,,,
I lived on the north side of SW 89th street,,,
That was the side with lots of homes.

The south side of SW 89th street was one row of homes,,,
And miles of open fields behind those homes,,,
It was the early 60's and times were good.

Me and my buds all had .22 rifles or a shotgun of some ilk,,,
We roamed those open fields like tribal warriors,,,
We hunted the land and ate what we killed.

I once had to skin, cook, and eat a field mouse. :(

Our "code" demanded it of me.

Targets of opportunity, like dirt clods,,,
Became dragons to slay or tanks to bust,,,
It all depended on the mood of the moment.

We were just kids for crying out loud,,,
But we were well armed and formidable in our naivety.

My friend Silas had a break-open .22 rifle of some ilk,,,
He was an absolute sniper with that rifle,,,
Very deliberately he would hit his mark,,,
Then eject the empty over his shoulder.

He was so danged cool about it,,,
James Dean-ish as it were. :cool:

I selected that rifle to start with because of that memory,,,
Then I spent a happy summer at the range relearning to shoot with it.

I own several other rifles now,,,
They are fancier/better/cost way more,,,
But that H&R break-open will always be a personal favorite.

Just for the memories it invokes.

Thanks for reading this little remembrance of mine,,,
Tell me (us) a story about you and your single-shot .22 rifle.

Aarond

.
 
I have a Remington 514 bolt action single shot that was once my wife’s grandfather’s. It’s somewhere around 50-60 years old, maybe more. Surprisingly accurate. My son loves to shoot it. He can pound a 6 inch steel plate at 100 yards all day long.
 
Hello mike38,,,

My son loves to shoot it. He can pound a 6 inch steel plate at 100 yards all day long.
Click to expand...

That's what I'm talkin' about,,,
If he can do that with a single-shot .22,,,
He can learn to hit 500 yard silhouettes with a centerfire.

He's 95% of the way there.

And all done with his great-grandfather’s rifle. :)

Aarond

.
 
Last edited:
My first rimfire single shot was a Winchester 67 that someone had "customized" and cut back to 18". I crowned, polished, and reblued it, but the stock still has the uglies. In spite of its looks, it can plunk a ground squirrel with aplomb out to 100 yds.
 
My first rifle was given to me by my grandfather in 1951. It's a Savage Model 3 manufactured in the 1930s. I used it to train my three sons too.

I shoot it to this day. Single shot .22 LR, Short & Long.
 
The rifle I learned to shoot with was my Mother's. JC Higgins single shot bolt action .22 S, L, & LR. The one with the disc at the back of the bolt that you had to pull back to cock the gun.

Mom was deadly with her .22, and if there is a more accurate rifle out there, in 50+ years of shooting, I've never met it. :D

I don't mean, tiny groups or 1,000yds hits, I just mean the little rifle always hit where it was aimed, and if there was a miss, it was your fault.

One of the tests to see if you were big enough to learn to shoot was you had to be able to pull back on that disc and cock the rifle. WITHOUT wrapping your feet around the barrel for extra leverage! :D

Expensive hollow point Long Rifle "catridges" were $0.39 a box, and if you went out with 5, you better come back with at least three rabbits, or squirrels, or whatever or you were being hugely wasteful and irresponsible with hard earned money!!!

In a lot of ways, those were happier days!
 
I hear about the Winchester 67 quite a lot,,,

I hear about the Winchester 67 quite a lot,,,
Perhaps I should put it on my "be aware of" list.

Click here please.

I recall seeing one in The Evil Pawn Shop a while back,,,
But it was in terrible shape so it only got a passing glance from me.

Since I was outbid on a Gecado Suhl I was lusting after,,,
I still have a couple of C-notes for the OK City gun show tomorrow.

Who knows,,,
Maybe I'll get lucky there.

Aarond

P.S.
... if you went out with 5, you better come back with at least three rabbits, or squirrels, or whatever or you were being hugely wasteful and irresponsible with hard earned money!!!
Click to expand...

That's almost verbatim of what My dad said,,,
He was a kid during the depression,,,
Subsistence farmer in Oklahoma.

He got three .22 shorts,,,
And a "whuppin" if he came back empty.

.
 
I have an Ithica 49 Saddle gun as well. There is a very old picture of me in front of my camp with it, a Colt trooper mk IV in .22 with an 8" barrel on my hip, and a big sheath knife on my other side. To top it off, a huge straw cowboy hat. I patrolled the woods around camp every chance I got.
 
I have a Stevens bolt action single shot that's been passed down in my family. The writing on the barrel is worn and not very readable but it's always been a good shooter.

I bought a BSA Martini 12/15 single shot but it's not a rimfire rifle any more...

Tony
 
I've been looking for a Remington Targetmaster 510 for months, how silly
one can be trading one for a bicycle 35 years ago...but, if I didn't know, I didn't know.
 
Hello eddyb74 and Smoke & Recoil,,,

What .22 single-shot rifles are considered "iconic"?

I'm not referring to Anschutz rifles or other exotic target rifles,,,
I mean the ones we would have had as kids.

I suppose the Winchester 67 would fit the description of iconic.

But when I go to the gun show tomorrow,,,
Are there any outstanding models I should be aware of?

I smiled at the post by eddyb74,,,
One of my neighborhood friends had that same carbine.

When we would gear up to prowl the fields,,,
He would also be dressed in full cowboy regalia,,,
But I believe his six-shooter was a BB gun of some ilk.

Some of the kids only had a BB or pellet gun,,,
But we were all in the same "posse" so we shared a bit.

Hey Smoke & Recoil,,,
Tell me a bit about that Targetmaster 510 you mentioned.

Aarond

.
 
The Remington Targetmaster 510 single shot was purchased used at an
old hardware store in Rothbury, Michigan, in 1961, it was the first REAL rifle I had ever shot. Well, now I want one again for my 7 year old grandson. The
Targetmaster is nothing at all fancy, just a plain jane .22. Well, I hope to instill
into my grandson...DON'T trade it for a damned bike.

I find the Targetmasters on all the gunauction sites, but the shipping along
with FFL transferr does nothing to justify the cost of the rifle.
 
response

I do not see the option to respond with a specific post in the text. So...


At age 11 or 12, my Ithica 49 was the first gun that actually belonged to me. I had shot my brother's guns before. The gun spent over 30 years in a soft case wrapped in garbage bags in the floor/ceiling joists of a basement up north. I cleaned and oiled it before storage, (Outers oil). I checked it every few years while visiting for the first 10 years or so. The guns then spent over 20 years undisturbed. Two years ago I transported it along with other guns to my home. It still shoots great. It looks as good as ever. Same as the other guns stored there. The fit and finish of the wood and steel on that gun can only be found on very pricey guns these days. If today was not Valentine's day, I might have shot it this afternoon. We have a late lunch/early dinner date.
 
You know, I have never owned at single shot 22 rifle. The only one I would consider now is a 22 rimfire version of the old buffalo guns. My first 22 rifle was a Mossberg semi-auto. I have always wondered how my Dad handled the semi-auto stuff as it was somewhat foreign to him. But then, he knew were were pretty safe shooters.

I have very fond memories of going out plinking and roaming the hills with mostly my brothers carrying our 22 rifles. Trips to the dump were always fun. But now dumps are restricted access. Things change.
 
When you say single shot .22LR three rifles immediately come to my mind.

  1. Sears
  2. Monkey Wards (Montgomery Wards)
  3. Stevens Favorite
The first 2 cost about $12 & you had to manually pull back the "cocking knob". Great guns for the money - who needed an air rifle!..LOL

I never had a Steven Favorite but I always wanted one. When Savage did a re-make a few years back I was appalled by the low quality junk they offered for $200. Still wish I had an original though.

..bug:)
 
While I can't add my own childhood memories of single shot .22's (my brother and I started with semi-auto Marlin/Glenfields, roaming the farm and nearby environs unsupervised, hunting blackbirds, mice, sparrows and assorted other cat food), my own kids started with single shot youth model .22's ....... 2 Marlin Model 15's, a 15ys, and a Savage Cub.

When they all get going on the firing line, it is amazing how fast they'll eat up a brick of .22lr.

Every Spring, we have an "Easter Egg Hunt", with real dyed eggs...... it's more like an "Easter Egg Firing Squad", really...... great fun!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top