First .22, any recommendations?

[Montigny_La_palisse]

I've got £500 burning a hole in my pocket for my first rifle, I've been looking at a Sako Quad synthetic. Any tips/ reccomendations? Paper punching and Bunny slotting will be the standard.

 

[BambiBasher]

Good choice, though I must say the CZ 16" varmint that was my first .22, is just as good for accuracy. You would need to do the trigger and make sure you get one with a good bolt, but you might think about saving your cash to buy a good scope for it.

 

[AlmaMan]

I agree with BambiBasher spend less on the rifle but buy the best scope you can. I have used a Brno (ugly but reliable) for years but with a Leopold scope.

 

[tropper66]

Over the years I have owned a number of CZ rifles,and pistols and every one did the job great, good value for money

 

[Montigny_La_palisse]

I agree with BambiBasher spend less on the rifle but buy the best scope you can. I have used a Brno (ugly but reliable) for years but with a Leopold scope.

The missus has agreed to buy me a scope for my birthday so the £500 will be purely for the gat. Cheers for the suggestions, I'll have a look at the CZ.

 

[Gravelbelly]

I've got £500 burning a hole in my pocket for my first rifle, I've been looking at a Sako Quad synthetic. Any tips/ reccomendations? Paper punching and Bunny slotting will be the standard.

Depends what you'll do most of; you can get a pretty decent second-hand rifle for £500. It also depends what kind of paper-punching you're talking about.

The problem is that decent paper-punching 0.22 rifles have a big heavy barrel, and weigh five or six kilos. Bunny slotters have slimmer, sportier barrels, and weigh less.

You'll find a bunny slotter frustrating if you take it to a (paper) smallbore target competition - it's unlikely to group well enough to be competitive for the more deliberate events, but you could use it in "lightweight sporting rifle" competitions.

You'll not want to take a target rifle bunny slotting... they aren't really designed for the great outdoors (i.e. you'll find that the trigger runs at about 150g of pressure or so).

 

[boney_m]

I'm in the same boat as monti. I'm thinking of getting a rifle when i'm posted back to UK. What are the licencing and storage requirements for .22 rifles?

 

[ugly]

I'm in the same boat as monti. I'm thinking of getting a rifle when i'm posted back to UK. What are the licencing and storage requirements for .22 rifles?

I thought MDN did a sticky on this?
Either way you will need to think about what you want to use it on. If you buy a CZ then please really give it a good inspection as they have had a few problems with QC in the last few years. That said I'm buying 2 more very soon!

 

[EX_STAB]

My BSA Sportsman cost £2.

Shoots one hole groups at 50m if I do my bit.

Leaves plenty of scope for a scope!

 

[BambiBasher]

If you buy a CZ then please really give it a good inspection as they have had a few problems with QC in the last few years.

The usual fault is a bolt action as rough as a badger's rear. Go through the gun shop's stock and work the bolts until you find a good one. If the gun shop won't let you, go elsewhere. My 16" varmint was quite light enough for the field, and was quite accurate enough for the range. The Range owner mocked it at first as a cheapie (only rates Anschutz), but after trying it himself admitted he was impressed.

 

[ugly]

Ive seen one with a fair amount of machining marks in the boltway and one with scabs of steel missing from the bolt face!
Difficult to change e==when you have already had it entered on your ticket and written to the plod! Usually means a 1 for 1!

 

[EX_STAB]

Ive seen one with a fair amount of machining marks in the boltway and one with scabs of steel missing from the bolt face!
Difficult to change e==when you have already had it entered on your ticket and written to the plod! Usually means a 1 for 1!

I tried one of their 223's where the sear seemed to have just been hacksawed out and not finished.
It was like pulling on the ring of a tin of sardines, wondering when it was going to go as the saying has it.

 

[ugly]

But they are still good value rifles, I'll be checking my next purchases very closely!

 

[vandyke]

Sorry to hijack the thread but what is peoples opinion on the 10/22?
I know it can be modified to the hilt but as a standard rifle are they any good?

 

[Concrete_Marmoset]

10/22 are ok, i've had a few also Brno's as well, Currently have a Marlin b/a with a heavy barrel for rabbits. But if i had to chose again I'd go with a brno for bunny's.
The 10/22 is a good bunny plinkre but a sod to get to work with subsonic's, very very ammo fussy. Saying that log onto rimfire magic website & have a look at what you can do to one.

 

[Hobgoblingobbler]

Anschutz 1712 or similar. Given your dual role it would be better to opt for a silhouette rifle (heavy barrel but light overall). Good to 150m prone or 50m standing and will group as well as 98% of 'pure' target rifles.

The inaccuracy of any scope over open sights will be the greatest accuracy loss factor here, not the inherent accuracy of the rig.

 

[Not_Whistlin_Dixie]

Sorry to hijack the thread but what is peoples opinion on the 10/22?
I know it can be modified to the hilt but as a standard rifle are they any good?

I've put a lot of rounds through 10/22s and I like the weapon.

Best-selling .22 lr autoloader in the USA.

Heavy "bull" target barrels, aftermarket stocks and other such goodies available in abundance.

 

[Not_Whistlin_Dixie]

I've shot Remington, CCI, and Federal ammunition through 10/22s with no problems except for a few dud rounds.

 

[AAGF]

Finest .22 rifle I ever owned was an Anschutz 1413 Supermatch, Used to do competitive shoots around Scotland (club was Glenrothes based). I once took 2 bob off Alistair Allen in Perth! Heh!

 

[Montigny_La_palisse]

Anschutz 1712 or similar. Given your dual role it would be better to opt for a silhouette rifle (heavy barrel but light overall). Good to 150m prone or 50m standing and will group as well as 98% of 'pure' target rifles.

The inaccuracy of any scope over open sights will be the greatest accuracy loss factor here, not the inherent accuracy of the rig.

The 1712 has been mentioned to me, struggling to find one close to 500 notes though. Still tempted by the Sako Quad....