Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires $1000 .22's - Lets dream a little here, What's your pick?

I know $1000 is not what it used to be, but still a pretty big chunk of $ for me and should be plenty for a very nice .22. For me it would have to have a nice piece of wood and be an excellent shooter 1/2" or better at 50 yards. For $1K it should not require a trigger job or gunsmith tinkering to get it to shoot. I'm not sure what the options even are any more but guns like the Anschutz 1416, Sako Finnfire II, Old Kimber, Rem 547 come to mind. Cooper would be awesome but that would double the price tag. So, what is your pick?

add a Win 52 to that list, or a Rem 40X

I should add that I would want a sporter style gun that can be carried.

I have a LH Kimber of OR Model 82 that fits just what you're describing. Trigger pull around 22 ounces, accurate as all get out. Beautiful stock in both design and finish with polished metal. With a Leupold straight M8 4X compact I used it to win several 100 yard .22 silhouette matches against purpose built full blown silhouette rifles with high power target turreted scopes - much to the chagrin of their owners.

There are a couple of .22's that survive in its presence (a very old 10/22 carbine and a 3 year old 10/22 Tactical) but it drove away all the other .22 rifles I've owned, including one or two Winchester 9422's.

For your criteria a nicely stocked 1416 is about the only choice I know of in current production.


My dream is a nicely stocked 1712 or 1710 but it's double your budget.

If you could find a CZ 452 or 453 with good wood, that would fit the requirements also. The 452 would require trigger work but it's an easy 15 minuet job for a novice and the 453 just requires that you adjust some screws.

Buy a CZ 452 or 453,if it doesn,t have the wood you want then buy another stock.Take money left over and buy ammo .

For my money, it would be a CZ452/455. FYI, I also own and shoot an Anschutz 1700 that I love. However, the prices on Anschutz rifles (both 54 & 64 actions) have gone sky high so I'll not recommend them for that reason.

I have owned some of the 64 series Anschutz rifles and while they shot very well, none of them had any better wood than my CZs. No experience with the Finnfires.

By old Kimbers, I presumed you mean the Oregon guns. I had three, and two shot OK while the third one (late production) was crap, but they were pretty. But my CZs outshoot them - hands down.

The Yonkers Kimber rifles had too many QA/QC problems for my money. I saw several at rifle silhouette matches that had misfires and extraction problems.

I only saw one Rem 547, again at a silhouette match, and the owner claimed it shot mediocre. However, I seen, handled and shot several of the Rem 541 rifles, both the S and T versions. Their owners all bragged about the accuracy while noting the triggers could use some work. Some of them had nice wood, too.

So, I come back to the CZ 452/455 rifles. Yeah, the CZ needs a trigger job but you can buy a kit from YoDave Products (http://www.yodaveproducts.com/) and install it yourself for approximately $25. You mentioned nice wood and some of the CZs come with decent wood, you just have to look around and be patience. Or look around for a nice clean Rem 541S or 541T.

Good luck with your search!

DD,

You recommend CZ 45x over others for accuracy. In your experience does the heavy barrel of the varmint models deliver better accuracy than the standard weight bbls?

Anschutz

Thanks MT DD - The hit or miss on an accurate Kimber is why I never bought one back then. The CZ is probably what I'll end up with. Kind of surprising that there are not more options for a nice .22 - I guess everyone wants a plastic stocked auto loader.

Not necessarily. For $300 bucks you can get perfectly good wood or plastic Marlin or Savage. For almost double, the CZ looks better and probably shoots better. Based on reputation, no guarantee. I got a great little 223 by cz and plan on a 455 next. Thats becasue its under $500. For a $1000, I would go Anschutz, for sure.

You did say out of the box trigger- right? Should be equally accurate in a much better fit and finish gun.

Some may argue the extra 600 not worht it. But; plenty of savage owners think they made the 'smart' choice for the buck. The Anschuetz is in another class. I dont want one, but it is a finer gun. IMHO.

here is one on GB for $1000 (its not semi auto, or plastic)

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=404453989#PIC

I would buy a used rimfire for $200 and use the $800 to buy a box of ammo....

Note: In my experience, my Anschutz rifles have shot slightly better than my CZs, especially with high quality Euro-target ammo. However, the OP had a dollar limit to work with, so I dropped the Anschutz rifles out of consideration due to not enough 'bang for the buck' performance - not pure accuracy.

As for sporter vs. HB CZ rifles, sorry, but I don't have any experience with the HB CZs, mine all have sporter barrels. But I suspect there would be more variations in accuracy due to how well an individual barrel were made, and how carefully the rifle was assembled, than what would be due to barrel weight/thickness alone.

Thank you. that's two opinions along those lines. And the American is much easier to carry, even if I dont plan a lot of that.

Here is an Anschutz in 17hmr new for as low as $815. At that price point, he still has $200 toward a scope. That one makes the budget, while many others are hovering near $1100.

http://www.gunsamerica.com/937750014/Anschutz_1517_Special_Version_Rifle_17HMR_17_HMR.htm#

And another for $1000 in 22 mag.

http://www.gunsamerica.com/966723904/1516D_KL_22_mag_NIB.htm

If you are going 455 and have a $1000 budget, I would get a Lilja barrel. I would buy the CZ in the second caliber I wanted and go 22 LR HB match grade on the Lilja.

fourbore I Like the Anschutz .17hmr, what does it typically cost to have an FFL receive it?

I've got about a grand, total, in my CZ453 American, including a Leupold 3-9 EFR and rings. It shoots everything I've tried okay, and in the 3's for 5 shots at 50 yards with the stuff it likes. One of these days, I'm going to replace that crappy trigger guard with a milled one for another $120. I don't think they're importing them right now, but they can be found without too much trouble.

X2 on the 453. If I were getting a CZ, I would look for the 453 first. It's 90% of my Anschutz 1416 in the fit and finish and just as accurate. I gave something like $550 for the 453. When I bought my Annie it was $600 out the door. I don't think I would buy one today given the price, my experience with CZ's and the other options.

I would not spend $800 or $1000 on an Anschutz 64 action. If you haunt the internet and sites like rifirecentral you can probably find a 54 action for $1000-$1200 which would be a lot more for your money than a $900 64 action.

Look high and low and find you a Mauser 201 or Kleinguenter k-22. Hasbeen

Whatever you get shoot it first BEFORE you throw any money at it.
You may find it shoots fine and doesn,t need a different barrel .