Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires .22 Mag

In the market for a .22 Magnum rifle. Budget is about $1000 including a good scope. I have a really cool older custom Mauser single shot .22 Mag that has been misfiring more and more lately. Been to two local gunsmiths with no positive results. I love that rifle. Dad gave it to me when I was 18. Lots of ground squirrels, tree squirrels, and jack rabbits have been taken with it and I’d like to get another rifle like it. Any suggestions?

Tikka T1x would be my first choice.

I do not own any of these, but I have read enough to be confident in them giving good service.

CZ Varmint: https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting...tion-rifle-22-wmr-22-mag-205in/p/1542879

Bergara: https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting...-bolt-action-rifle-22-wmr-20in/p/1688520

I doubt someone willing to spend 1K would settle for a Savage Heavy barrel, but they will perform right there with the above 2. I have owned one of these.

I own a Ruger America Predator 22 magnum. It's good with its favorite ammo but does have some FTE issues.


If I am spending your money, I am spending it on the CZ Varmint.

I didn't know they were making one in 22 magnum. If so, it surely deserves consideration.

Might give a thought to a T/C Contender chambered in .22 Hornet.

Winchester M94 22mag is an excellent choice in my experience

I'd suggest looking for a used CZ 455, if you can find one. Mine shoots pretty good, WAY better than the Ruger American Predator I had, and doesn't give me extraction issues like that RAR did. Just a nice little rifle. I've also got the CZ autoloader, which shoots equally well. Much fun with either or both of them.

Ruger American with SWFA 6MQ sets you back around $700. Mine does just barely over 1" for 5 at 100 yds with Winchester 40 gr HPs. No ejection issues.

CZ would absolutely be my first choice.

Thanks everyone for your input.

My Hornet, along with some mediocre performance from a couple of .22 mag rifles, is keeping me from further pursuit of that notion. OTOH, I'm taking the plunge with the latest .22 mag autoloading pistol from S&W. We’ll see how that works out.

That's curious Pappy. I shoot 4 different barrels/cartridges from my carbines and none required modification to shoot like this:

.22 Short, 25 yards. It's my go to hog whacker


.22 LR, 50 yards:


.30 Sneezer, 50 yards:


.30-30, 100 yards

I sold this one a few years ago and it shot quite well for me and the buyer as well.

I suggest a BRNO ZKM 611. I gave $800 for this one a couple of years ago with two magazines (critical). It shoots.

I'll give the nod to a Bergara BMR in.22 WMR. Bought one last November and love it! I've only run Remington 40 gr. softpoints, but shooting right around an inch at 100 yards. I've had a few groups I could cover with a nickel.

This may seem like a far left field suggestion, but an H&R Model 700 is a fantastic 22wmr rifle. It is smooth to shoot. And beautiful. Accuracy, at least in my example seems to be very good at about quarter size groups out to about 50y with most ammos I've tried, on a junky no labels 4x(?) scope, plus my astigmatism.

Box magazine fed, and additional mags are readily available (usually).

The action is just ultra smooth, and also just a handy rifle. They typically sell around 500 lately, so you get to put q bit of extra money towards a scope. I suggest a nice old gloss blue or silver Weaver or such. But a modern scope will obviously be better just not as "classic" looking.

I own a Marlin 883S 22 WMR that is a solid 1 MOA (or UNDER) rifle with almost any brand of ammunition I feed it.

Tube magazine gives plenty of ROH and can never get misplaced.

You can put a really nice optic on it and come under your price point.....


Frog---OUT!

Had a 94/22M for a spell that shot well. It had a distinct preference for WW ammo, perhaps because it used lead bullets rather than the jacketed version used by CCI. That said, the CCI ammo was more than adequate for hunting, averaging around 1" at 50 yards. The WW ammo's smallest group at 50 was 1/4" for 5 rounds.

My mags were a 9422 and a CZ 455. Shot okay, but not up to what I’d hoped. This was after I’d read Mule Deer’s praises of his 9422. Apparently he got very lucky with that one, though IIRC someone wanted it more than he did and he let it go. Now I think he has a RAR, also a standout. One of those in SS has tempted me a bit, and I’m on a notification list for a CZ barrel for my 457, but my Browning Low Wall Hornet is just outstanding in every way, with handloads anyway. I have loads worked up for 40gr VMaxes, 30gr Varmint Grenades, and the latest, a 46gr Speer Flat Point. With hundreds of cases and a few thousand of those bullets on hand, with powder and primers to match, adding yet another rifle would probably be excessive (did I actually just say that?😱). Rather than acquiring another gun what I really need to do is load up a bunch and shoot ‘em up, rinse and repeat.

Really up to you....bolt, lever?
I have found that rimfires tend to be Individuals so far as an ammo preference for max accuracy. I have a Savage 24 that also does really well with Winchester sub-sonic. Not so hard on squirrels nor as expensive as 22 mag ammo

Huh! I have a mod 783 Marlin but can't tell you how well other than I simply shoot at stuff and it falls down. Been a good rifle. Best 22 mag I ever owned was an anschutz but don't remember the model number. ad an adjustable trigger and boy was it light! Incredably accuate too but again, long ago. Never was one for wasting ammo in a 22 mag on targets to see if it shot well. If I didn't hit what I was aiming at it was obviously the rifle!

Maybe the scope you want will dictate which rifle you get with left over money.

Retiredmech: A couple years ago I found a great deal on a used but as new Browning T-Bolt Varmint model in 22 Magnum.
It shoots great (reliably and accurately) has a rather good trigger and the beavertail forearm walnut stock is very pleasing.
I love the heavy barreled rimfires anymore.
Give one of these a look see.
Best of luck with whichever you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

CZ, lots of aftermarket barrels. My first 22 mag rifle was a 77/22 and was quite accurate. Lots of coyotes. Now it’s harder to like the 22mag. 17hmr shines

I have a .22 Mag Annie, but my favorite walk around .22 Magnum is the 9422M. It has a faster twist than others. Better if you want to shoot 50gr bullets.

But, your going to spend more than $1000

CZ’s a great guns. Older Marlins or great shooters and some models are very good looking. If not considering wood and blue, I would easily recommend stainless Savage. Again, great shooters

I also have a 94-22mag. as my walking varmint rifle, and have heavy barrel Ruger American W/SWFA 10X scope for sill hunting small stuff.

Very happy with both! Virgil B.

I had a CZ that shot very well. I sold it to fund a Cooper as I have them in 22 LR, 17HMR and now the 22 Mag. Browning makes a great T-Bolt in 17 HMR but I don't remember if it comes in 22 Mag as well. I have one in the 17 and it shoots right up there with the Cooper and has a 10 shot rotary magazine.

I have several rifles chambered in .22 MAG, in bolt, combination, pump, and semi-auto. If I could only keep one, it would be the Marlin 983S. My "adopted brother" is a subsistence hunter/fisher/farmer whose everyday carry is a well work 883. He shoots everything that is legal to take with a rifle with that rifle and whatever 40 grain factory ammo he has at the time. I've given him other rifles and shotguns over the past 40 years, but he prefers the Marlin .22 MAGs in the 783/883/983 series. I even gave him a 883S with a Nikon Prostaff 2-7x32 shotgun scope a few years back, but he would rather use his well worn older blued CM and walnut rifle, 'cause he says that it fits him better.

I'm covered.........CZ457, 9422M and Contender 14"

I have a Charles Daly Zastava that is comparatively inexpensive but more accurate than my CZ 455 American 22WMR, CZ 512 22WMR and CZ 457 Lux with American 22WMR barrel installed. It is the only 22WMR I've been able to shoot sub 1" groups with at 100 yards consistently.

Have had a number .22 Magnum rifles, including some already mentioned by others such as a Winchester 9422, CZ, Marlin and my present one, a Ruger American sporter, not Predator.

My experience is that finding a .22 Magnum that shoots a wide variety of ammo tends to be the luck of the draw. Most are very specific in what brands/types of ammo group well--party because .22 Magnum ammo, unlike .22 LR or .17 HMR,is made in a wide variety of bullets, from the original 40-grain Winchester load that essentially uses Long Rifle-type bullets to plastic-tips.

This tendency for many .22 Magnum to have specific preference in ammo not only limits choices, but when the Great Obama Rimfire Shortage occurred, .22 Magnum ammo was one of the early casualties because every rimfire manufacturer started cranking out .22 Long Rifles as fast as they could. Unless you were stocked up with the ammo your rifle "liked" you were pretty much SOL.

I bought my Ruger American during that shortage--which why I got such a good deal: It was brand-new at half price, because .22 Magnum ammo was unobtanium. I had a wide variety of .22 Magnum ammo on hand, and it grouped every kind just about the same, five rounds into around and inch or less at 100 yards. It shot so well, in fact, that a local friend I went gopher shooting with was so impressed he bought one just like it--and it shot the same way.

But I think that was somewhat lucky, because not all Ruger American .22 Magnums shoot as well. In fact I e-mailed Ruger's head of product development, asking if they used a different chamber reamer for their rifles, or if there was some other factor that might explain it. His answer: "Luck?"

John

Being a 22 mag. lover, I have several and I've sent several down the road. The 3 that have stood out from all the rest is a Sako Quad, A Savage Anschutz 164M, and a Ruger American that is not the Predator model. Accuracy is outstanding in any of those 3 with the Sako holding a slight edge. The Ruger using Hornady 30gr. blows my mind as to how accurate it is.
Two that I sent down the road was a Browning A-Bolt that had terrible accuracy and a CZ bolt that was mediocre in accuracy but wouldn't feed worth crap.

Was out shooting gophers (Richardson's ground squirrels) with my wife 3 weeks ago, and decided to use my Ruger American sporter, since I had a lot of the 30-grain ammo on hand. That time of year they're mostly the little ones born this year, which aren't very big targets, but when one was occasionally missed at ranges out to around 120 yards it was my fault, not the rifle's.

H&R 700 listed in the classifieds.
Not mine.

It might be possible to find one of these within your price range.

That looks pretty slick…

That ZKM is the ultimate in my mind. I sadly recall the only one I ever saw, gently used in an LGS for $450, at a time when I was heavily invested in getting children through school. Tom Knapp had a fancy gilded presentation version IIRC.

There is a SS/walnut special run RAR out there that looks promising, given some of that luck Mule Deer mentioned.

The 22 inch .22 mag MGM barrel for my Encore is very accurate. Great practice barrel for my .50 muzzleloader.

I went Bergara BMR with an on sale SWFA 6x MQ, with the trigger hack. No complaints yet but haven’t shot it a lot

BTW, Midsouth has Hornady VMax 30gr ammo, $125 for 500.

The Cz looks very nice but I have had a marlin .22wmr since I was a kid and have had several other .22mag that were twice the price and ended up moving them along to fund other wants none of them come close to shooting as well

Cz 457. Shoots anything you feed it.

Marlin 882SS. Shoots anything you feed it.

Savage thumb hole with heavily barrel and spend the rest on glass.

All of the Marlin rimfires in the 700, 800, 900, and XT series tend to be rugged, accurate, and reliable. Plus, they have man-size stocks.

They don't (17HMR & 22 LR only).

Wish they would... I'd definitely buy one.

Jerry

Ruger American they’re ugly but I love mine

This one is my favorite. Known by many as a "mini sniper" rifle. The Mossberg Chuckster 640KD:


I've seen some very accurate and nice Marlin 882's, owned a very accurate RAR. It actually shot so well that a couple buddies ended up buying the Ruger RAR models. The Savage 93's are very good shooting and functioning rifles.

I actually saw a very nice 22wmr yesterday, that I'd like to buy. It was a now discontinued fancy maple stocked Browning T bolt 22WMR. It was priced at $700.00, so falls within the OP's required budget. That one felt great in the hands, and probably shoots lights out.

Everyone has listed some of their favorites, but one thing about it, it's not very hard to find a nice 22WMR for under $1,000.00..