Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Best looking rimfire under $600

I found this Kimber Hunter Silhouette in the used gun rack for around $600. It shoots as good as it looks. I also have a CZ 452 Varminter. It shoots well for what it costs but the trigger is no match for the Kimber.

It's not hard to make that 452 trigger very nice with either a Yo-Dave kit or the poor mans trigger job found in the stickies in the CZ forums at rimfirecentral. The Yo-Dave kit cost me $20 shipped a couple years ago and in 15 min. it made my 452 trigger as nice as the trigger on my 1416 Anschutz.

I have an Eric Brooks kit in the CZ and while it helps it is not in the same league as the Kimber trigger.

Here is my CZ with the Brooks kit. It really performs for all the more it costs.

I think the Yo Dave Kit is the newer name for the Brooks Kit . The Parts sure look the same . Brooks was a Gunsmith near Cooperstown , NY as I recall . I must have the only CZ where the thickest Brooks "tube" which slips over a Trigger Pin was not quite thick enough ( I think the thickest Wall thickness was 0.020 Inches ) to get rid of all the Creep . Wish I could buy those "tubes" with just a little more wall thickness and in Steel not Brass . I tried the Aluminum Tape they use on Furnaces to get the extra few thousandts I needed , but it did not hold up . Wish I knew someone who could Plate 0.005 or 0.010 Inches of tough Metal on that Brass for me . The Pull Weight Springs supplied with the Kit go well below what I like , and I like Light Triggers.

A Model 52 Sporter in a pawnshop for 599.

My Remington 504 looks damn good and shoots even better!

Love cz452 American

Spend the extra cash on a 453! The set trigger function set at 8 ounces and standard at 1.5 lbs is a blast. Easily my most prized firearm. Stock American short of having it professionally pillar bedded and floated. With cheap CCI SV I can shoot the nuts off a squirrel at 50 yards.

I would not get rid of the blued 77/22 ...

that being said, the 455 american I have doesn't look too shabby.

The only way I would get rid of the 77/22 is if I was moving waaaay up, like a nice Cooper.

I got my 52B sporter out of the local Ad bulletin for $375 several years ago when they were $550 - $600 at gun shows.

CZ but for $100 more you can get a sako quad.

My father in law had one of those little wasp-waisted Browning autos that carried the tube mag in the butt like the vintage Winchesters. I always liked the looks of that rifle.

I have a couple of Marlin Mounties that absolutely shoot, two "wasp waisted" Brownings, and a 10-22 (that one misses on good looking). I found a Remington 510 in my FIL's store room after he passed away. No finish, but that little single shot flat out shoots. Then I stumbled into a 511 repeater in a pawn shop for forty bucks a while back, that is really nice. Not as nice as a 541, but the same gun w/o the glitz. It is a keeper.

A couple of Anschutz 54 sporters were as good looking and shooting as I ever had. I cannot live with the rollover stocks (all they came with back then) so they went. Tried a 52 sporter a few years ago. Disappointing accuracy. XXII look good, functioned not so well on two tries.

Beautifully stocked 541S was a sad story. I scoped it. I always leave the rings finger tight until I get to the range to make sure the reticle is right. This one was and I started shooting. Got two distinct groups a couple of inches apart of about a quarter inch @ 50. Floated it- same. Glassed the action-same. Full glass bed same. Pulled the scope and rings and sent the rifle packing. A few months later I noticed the scope was unemployed and I needed it. That is when the light came on. The rings were only snug. I had sold a really good shooter with outstanding wood. The shopkeeper kept it and still has it in his .22 collection. Jack

Mnimz: I second the contention that the Kimber Model 22 Hunter/silhouette would be tops for looks (AND for performance!) at the just under $600.00 price.
My Kimber Model 22 H/S shoots superbly and the trigger is repeatable and sublime.
I also enjoy the medium heavy barrel and over-all mass of the Rifle.
You will have to look for these on the used market only though as Kimber is so busy building pistols they had to shut down their rimfire Rifle line for now.
The CZ rimfires shoot well enough its just the hangdown magazines and bass-ackwards safeties that keep me away from them.
None of the CZ's (in my beauty gauging eyes) come anywhere near the Kimber Model 22 H/S's for looks!
Best of luck with whichever you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
P.S.: And welcome to the Camp Fire by the way.

Have maybe a dozen or so .22 rfs. Really like the looks of my CZ 452FS in .22rf and 455FS in 22 WRM. Am partial to full stocks. If I were to choose a self loader it would be my Dad's old Win. 63 with a 20" barrel, still take it out and shoot it on occasion, slide action would be my old Rem. 12C, only pump I've got though.

Looks don't mean to me, I will take a very accurate ugly rifle any day but my CZ 512 .22 WMR is in my opinion super accurate and very good looking.

I am convinced that the CZ 455 is the best value for your money in rim fires below
$800.-.
The American 455 has classic sleek lines, decent to nice wood, all steel and walnut with polymer clips that work very well. The older steel magazines are still available but are in my opinion not any better. No plastic or pot metal in any action or rifle parts.
Best of all, with the right ammo, they are tack drivers and can do routinely .5 inch at 50 meters. My .22lr, loves Winchester PowerPoint and CCI stingers.l
I also have the new Browning T bolt in .22lr, although as accurate as my CZ rifles, I hate all the plastic in the action parts. On top of it all, the T bolt is $150-200 more.
In my opinion Browning should have just reproduced the old T bolt.
I think the CZ is the equal or better then the Browning counter part in every aspect.

My older Brno model 4, a fore runner of the CZ also loves Winchester power points and stingers, shooting it in ragged 50 meter holes.
I use my Brno/CZ on gophers 95 percent of the time. Can not wish a better rifle for it.

Cz455 or 452 or 453 if you can find them IMO best gun for the money