First .22, any recommendations?

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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).

 

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?

 

My BSA Sportsman cost £2.

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

Leaves plenty of scope for a scope!

 

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.

 

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.

 

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?

 

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.