new 22LR for under $450? preferably under $300.

D

deucelee

New member
Hi folks,

Brand new member and very new to guns. I've been small gaming with my old man the last couple of years. I've been using his extra Ruger 10/22. Not a bad gun at all. Not a huge hunter. Just want to get some fresh air, exercise and maybe kill a couple squirrels.

I'm looking to purchase a 22LR this year. Got til September :)

A good buddy of mine says the CZ 512 is the way to go for distance and accuracy for plain 22LR's (no mag).

I'd much prefer to stay under $300 (in the 10/22 range) but if you guys think there's another gun out there under $450 (CZ 512 range) that can shoot further or more accurate then under $300 guns, i'm willing to entertain the idea. I'm talking the same person, same wind, scenario etc...i.e ceteris paribus...

From what I'm reading on this forum, it seems like it's 10% the gun, 90% the person, so in that case, the gun probably isn't that big of a factor, right? or is there that much of a difference between a $450 gun and a $300 gun?

Can you guys give me some additional suggestions and approximate prices?

thanks in advance
 
Are you looking for a bolt gun, or semi auto?

Do you like the 10/22? They are well within your price range.
 
The 10/22 is a nice rifle, and I have used a 10/22 in .22LR on varmints well past 100 yards. For accuracy, it is hard to beat a bolt action or break action single shot. Check out a Savage Mark II for a bolt action - they come in several different grades. I have never shot a CZ rifle in .22LR, but they appear to be a quality firearm.
 
My $.02, and worth every penny you paid for it:

From what I'm reading on this forum, it seems like it's 10% the gun, 90% the person, so in that case, the gun probably isn't that big of a factor, right?
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I doubt that an unskilled shooter could tell the difference in inherent accuracy between a $450 and $300 or even a $150 used single shot out of a pawnshop.....

Get a gun that you like, and can afford and use it to learn the fundamentals stance/position, sight picture, breath control, trigger squeeze.... shoot it off a sand bag on a bench, to see how small a group it will make ...... then work on shooting groups that small without the bench..... once you can consistantly do that, work on doing it under time pressure...... when you have mastered all that, then you can worry about upgrading your rifle, and be able to appreciate the increased accuracy better equipment might get you.
 
I was in the same boat last year. I was in the market for an inexpensive, quality 22LR. I found out the two words don't belong in the same sentence. I was really looking at the savage line of rifles because they were cheap and I had tried them. Lucky for me I got to visit an old friend and he found out I was in the market for a rimfire. He had me try his CZ and I was instantly hooked. The quality is 100X what savage has to offer with their cheap line. The accuracy is top notch and they feel great. I just shot mine today at 225 yards to show my dad what it could do. I drilled BOTH of those small soup cans. A CZ is a quality rifle at an affordable price. You get what you pay for.:D

I have a 455 American
 
For under $450, you can buy a gently used Ruger 10/22, slap a Butler Creek heavy barrel on it, and put it in a Hogue overmold stock. It'll shoot about 1/2" at 50 yards.

Or you can buy a CZ452 Ultra Lux and shoot it with iron sights.

Or you can get a Savage Mark II and get an aftermarket stock. Slap a Nikon Rimfire scope on it and you're good to go. I think budsgunshop has Mark IIs for about $200 shipped right now.

Under $300? Your best bet is a Marlin 795 with a Nikon Rimfire scope and sandbags/bipod. I can cover my groups with a penny at 50 meters.

Honestly though, if you're looking to shoot "long range" with a rimfire cartridge, I'd take a look at 17 HMRs.
 
Do some research on the marlin mod 60 better than the 10 22 and without the "child like" small stock. I own both. My 60 has a bull barell with a Nikon rimfire scope. Its the way to go for your pocket book as well as mine
 
Do some research on the marlin mod 60 better than the 10 22 and without the "child like" small stock. I own both. My 60 has a bull barell with a Nikon rimfire scope. Its the way to go for your pocket book as well as mine
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Your Marlin 60 has a bull barrel? I'd love to see a pic of that!:rolleyes:
 
Ok don't exactly mean "bull" it is quite thicker than my 1022 though. Perhaps the 60 is 50% larger.
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Dang, I thought someone finally did it! I had a lot of questions on how it was done with the mag tube and all...

Btw, the :rolleyes: in my last post was supposed to be a :eek:...sorry:D
 
IMO this is one of the ultimate "cheap" .22's... US Sporting Goods Z5 (formerly known as the Remington model 5, CZ99, Charles Daly Superior)... At 50 yards... Lets see a factory 10/22 sporter or Marlin 60 match this :rolleyes: with bulk ammo... Granted the scope on it is far better than any Nikon Rimfire scope...

1228091510.jpg


Z5-1.jpg
 
The 10/22 is a nice rifle, and I have used a 10/22 in .22LR on varmints well past 100 yards. For accuracy, it is hard to beat a bolt action or break action single shot. Check out a Savage Mark II for a bolt action - they come in several different grades. I have never shot a CZ rifle in .22LR, but they appear to be a quality firearm.
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I like the semi-auto, but I didn't know bolt/break action single shots went further. I'll have to look into it. thanks for the heads up.

I doubt that an unskilled shooter could tell the difference in inherent accuracy between a $450 and $300 or even a $150 used single shot out of a pawnshop.....

Get a gun that you like, and can afford and use it to learn the fundamentals stance/position, sight picture, breath control, trigger squeeze.... shoot it off a sand bag on a bench, to see how small a group it will make ...... then work on shooting groups that small without the bench..... once you can consistantly do that, work on doing it under time pressure...... when you have mastered all that, then you can worry about upgrading your rifle, and be able to appreciate the increased accuracy better equipment might get you.
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that's what i figured...i'm learning, but i'm nailing only about 75% of my varmins lol. Technique is definitely needed to be refined. My old man is like 95%+ so he's much more experienced and accurate, i still have a ways to go.

Any special reason you're looking at new guns only?
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Since I have some time on my hand, i'll keep that in mind. My dad's really good with guns so he can help me look for one.

Honestly though, if you're looking to shoot "long range" with a rimfire cartridge, I'd take a look at 17 HMRs.
Click to expand...

I want to keep it 22LR because I don't want to feel like I paid 3-4x for this bullet compared to a regular 22. For most of what I'm doing, the range of the 22LR is fine. I'm just trying to maximize the range of a regular 22. I have a couple friends who have 17 HMR's and 22 WMR and they tell me all the time they don't even want to shoot anymore. Maybe it's just psychological.

------

For everyone that made some suggestions, i really appreciate it...thanks alot, i'll look into it!
 
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I just bought a Savage MKII FV-SR. Hopefully it'll be here Friday.

I did all the homework I could over the past few months on .22lr rifles. I hit 2 gunshows, all the pawnshops in town, and scoured the web for weeks. I definitely wanted bolt-action and couldn't afford a CZ. One of my good buddies has a CZ, bedded stock, and $500 Nikon scope... we'll see how well they compare in a shoot-off here shortly.

Buds had a big pricedrop on that Savage a few days ago and I picked it up for $197 delivered. It's back up to $229 now, but a few months ago was as high as $279. I wanted the heavy barrel and when the price-drop showed up, I chose the FV-SR.

Other options for for a mag-fed bolt action .22lr is the Mossberg Plinkster that you can find sub $150, and Savage-Stevens Model 300 for $150'ish. The Marlin XT is also a contender around $175. There are a dozen different trim levels in each gun, so you can pick your stock and sights/optics within the model.

You might head over to rimfirecentral.com and do some searching and reading... it's a heavily traffic'd forum and you can do all your homework.

My FV-SR has the heavy barrel (pre-threaded) and a short picatinny upper rail for that slightly tactical look. I'm throwing on a Simmons .22mag scope which I've read is kind of a benchmark in the sub-$50 scope category. It comes with a 5rd mag, and 10rd mags are about $20.
 
I picked up a new Marlin 795 for just over $100 (keep an eye on sales). It is plenty accurate. I am a novice shooter, and don't have the skill to achieve the dime sized groups that other guys get, but even with my lack of skill, I can keep my groups within 1 1/4"... that should be good enough to make the varmints go splat. :D

My point is that more expensive isn't necessarily that much better unless you are already that good.
 
For small game hunting, and plinking, a basic Henry would be nice. You can get the base model for under 300 dollars at any Wallmart.
 
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