Looking for a heavy barrel .22mag

S

Sunklands

New member
I'm looking for a heavy barrel .22mag, but not necessarily a long barrel, for shooting ground hogs out in my soybean fields.
 
Look at a Savage. They make a number of different models and all offer excellent accuracy. I own several and have found no fault with any of them. If you're primarily interested in shooting groundhogs/woodchucks, I suggest looking at the same gun in a 17 caliber (still a rimfire and ammo costs the same). I resisted getting this caliber but everyone I know who bought one has a gun that will outshoot mine by a small margin (on average, not every time). It's a flatter shooting caliber and is truly destructive on groundhogs/woodchucks. Go to savagearms.com and check them out. Prices range from very affordable to mid range compared to any custom gun. I'd suggest staying away from semi-automatic magnum rimfire rifles unless you're either a fairly good gunsmith, know a good gunsmith, or don't mind jamming and failure to feed. I've been down that road myself and it's not worth the trouble.
 
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Ruger 77/22 VMBZ - 24"bbl stainless w/Target Grey finish & brown lamo stock.

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You can also buy any used Ruger 77/22M & rebarrel it with a .920" bull bbl (The stock's bbl channel would need widening).

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I know this isn't a heavy barrel, but is a marlin 783 good gun for what I want it for. I'm not going to be setting in the brush with a ghillie suit and face paint on so I may not need a really nice expensive rifle after looking at some price tags on the Internet. I need an accurate gun that I can shoot out of a truck window and that the cosmetics don't matter.
 
I love my Marlin 917v, I bought it used for a little over $200. The rifle had seen very little use from prior owner. I can group inside a quarter inch from 75 yards if I do my part. I have done one modification to it in the form of installing a lighter trigger return spring resulting in a light but still very safe trigger.

Marlin made a .22 magnum version that looks identical. Depending on how much wind you have, I really love .17 HMR for rodent control.

I would almost recommend getting a well cared for used marlin .22 mag, if it was built as well as mine is. I would look for one built before they were purchased by Remington. The only issue with mine was making the trigger a bit lighter, which was very easy.
 
I'm looking for a heavy barrel .22mag, but not necessarily a long barrel, for shooting ground hogs out in my soybean fields.
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You've just described the CZ452 Varmint in 22wmr.

Love mine.
 
Might be hard to find,but an old Mossberg 640 k chuckster would be worth looking at.

FWIW,at least for now,there is not a lot of 22 mag on the shelves for sale.
 
Have a CZ455 in .22 mag and it's a very accurate rifle. Also got the .22LR conversion kit for relatively short money so I can swap back and forth.
 
Ballistically speaking, there's no advantage to a HB in 22 mag. The round doesn't create enough heat to require the radiating ability of the extra metal and a "good" sporter weight barrel will shoot just as accurately as a HB. Other than steadying the hold somewhat and for looks, just not much need for that feature in a rimfire.
 
I have a Marlin 783, and its what I was going to recommend. It will group 1" at 100 yards with me behind the trigger, and is an affordable answer to your question. I bought mine in the 1990s and have never felt the need to replace it with anything more expensive.
 
The 783 looks to be right up my alley. I've seen pictures on the Internet and I like the older look with the tube feed. What is the price range for, fair to good shape, less the scope?
 
Mine might be a 782 then. It has the 7 shot magazine. I would think used prices would be in the $150-$250 range, depending on your part of the country. They weren't expensive when new, I think mine was around $150 new.
 
Sunklands I picked up a Marlin 883 a couple of years ago in a local pawn shop for $140 OTD. I don't think they knew what they had. The gun had been fired but not much. I doubt if it had more than a hundred rounds through it. Mine is the stainless steel tube feed with a laminate stock. I put a small 4x scope on it and groups in the 1" range at a hundred are common.

I have an older 783 blue/walnut I bought new from WM in about 1982 I paid $115 for and it shoots just as good as the newer 883. Marlin 22s are nearly always exceptional shooters.
 
The Savage B mag in the new .17 wsm would be worth considering for what you're doing. If you can get your hands on one now. We've yet to see how well the cartridge is going to catch on, thats all thats keeping me from trying to get one. I'd hate to have a gun that I couldn't find ammo for that I also couldn't reload for.

On second thought, maybe you should stick with the .22 mag idea ;)
 
Savage makes a fine rifle. Got a stainless one in 22mag with heavy barrel. With CCI jacketed hollow points it will group 1/2" at 100 yrds in a dead calm wind. Makes for a good 150 - 175 yrd varmint gun
 
Just an FYI, but with .22mag, you gain little to no accuracy advantage going from a sporter barrel to a heavy barrel. My old Marlin 25MN can shoot dime size groups at 50 yards all day long.
 
Marlin 982VS

This was made to order. Very good gun. Good value. I think the last 2" of barrel are wasted but at least they won't flex.

By the way... the .22 Mag is a 125-yard gun. Ammo will be plentiful again soon when .22 LR is back as well.

Let us know how this gun shoots for you when you get it!



;)
 
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