Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Best 22 Bolt rifle under $1200

What is the most accurate, best functioning 22 LR bolt rifle currently made that can be had for $1200 or less. What about on the used market? What kind of accuracy is expected in a SPORTER- not a BR50 rifle.

Anschutz 54 action sporter. Used. Easier to find than a Cooper for that price. .25" @ 50y with very good ammo.

Well I'd probably say the Anschutz 1416 if you want the rifle to take the whole 1200. You can get a HB paired with a match trigger on it here for 1199.99. https://www.creedmoorsports.com/shop/Anschutz-1416-hb-22lr-Walnut-Beavertail.html

Not sure if you was wanting the rifle and scope for both under 1200 or just the rifle. If you don't want the rifle to eat up the whole 1200... I'd go with the CZ455. Particularly this model for 549 and slap a good scope on it. http://cz-usa.com/product/cz-455-varmint-thumbhole-fluted/

What are you wanting to do with this rifle? If it's just a hobby or hunting for you the the CZ will be plenty accurate enough for you and arguably you probably wouldn't notice a big jump in performance/accuracy by opting for the Anschutz.

Anschutz,Cooper,Kimber,CZ,Reminton 40X, 541

First off I'll admit to having way too many 22 rimfire rifles. That said, my CZ 452s and 455s are great, my Rugers strong, etc. I'll also throw out a disclaimer for not having any higher end 22s like Anschutz or Coopers. Therefore I can't say that any I have are better.

Point of this mess is to urge you to take a look at the Browning T-Bolts. I picked up a new T-Bolt on an impulse buy and am loving it. It is just as accurate as my CZs and it has a nice walnut stock with wrap around checkering, recessed crown, externally adjustable trigger and tang safety. The "double helix" magazine allows for a very slim fore end and the rifle is very light weight and balances perfectly with a Burris FFII 3-9x40 mounted in Talley lights.

The T-Bolt felt a bit rough at first but is smoothing out nicely with use. It can be operated very quickly.


I am currently resisting the urge to get another in 17HMR.

Only negative I can come up with is the cost of spare magazines, but that can be said for most rifles these days.

i would also throw in a Win 52 Sporter, but it could get tough finding one at that price if in great shape. i don't think a guy could go wrong with any of the three in this list.

I have three CZ 452s and they are not what I would call a high-end rifle. They shoot pretty good but I don't think they are capable of a .5" group @ 50 yds; at least mine aren't. Didn't realize that I could get an Anschutz 1416 for that price point.

Dennis,
How familiar are you with the Mod 37 Remingtons?

If it were my money I would buy a CZ 452 then an assortment of high quality ammo plus a really good scope. Have someone who knows what they are doing modify the trigger and make sure the barrel is free floated. Then make some wind flags and head to the range. I would bet $100 you will find some ammo the CZ likes and be able to shoot 5 shot groups at 1/2 inch or under at 50 yards if you can do your part.
No more than $1,200 for the entire rig including glass.

Once you have a rimfire rifle capable of MOA or better most people do not want to admit the shooter has more input into how well the rifle shoots than the capability of the rifle.

The two CZs I have experience with, a 453 American and a 452 Varmint, would both do better than .5 with good ammo, i.e. Eley or RWS HPs or Aguila Rifle Match.

I like the looks and action of the 77/22, but so far mine falls a little short of that standard, but it's still early in the testing process. At .75 or so with hunting ammo, it's still okay for my use.

I bought this Savage Anschutz M 184 a couple weeks ago, put a Nikon Prostaff EFR scope on it and have been very impressed. It shoots about any old High Velocity ammo into 1/2" @ 50 yards and once in a while a group with all 5 touching. Trigger is great, stock is a nice sporter shape and handles very nice. I looked at Anschutz 1416D's HB's and found them to be very big and heavy rifles. They would be fine for target work but too big for me to carry as a hunting rig. I have been considering CZ's for a few years but everytime I actually held one, I ended up passing. I also have a 77/22 Boatpaddle but this one has quickly became my favorite. Got a little over $600 in the package.

My inclination is Anschutz. A two-stage trigger down in the 1-ounce range is really fine. A friend's CZ seems to shoot quite well, but takes a bit more effort to get it to perform.

These are nice little rifles, they have a decent trigger on them and are generally accurate. They are a little to the light side and the lock-time is slow but overall a decent rifle, the biggest thing I have against them is that they feel more like a youngsters rifle.

With a little patience you should be able to find a used Cooper for your $1200 limit and they feel more like a full sized rifle but if I ran across one of these for the dollars that centershot is talking I would have to think seriously about it.

drover

Anschutz, Cooper, Kimber, NULA

+1 Anschutz54, Cooper, Kimber NY, Own all 3 and more than 1 of each. Never had a NULA but have heard good things. The first 3 can all be had for less than 1200.00, used of course. All 8 of mine will shoot less that 1" 5 shot groups at 100 yds. if the wind is not blowing with good ammo.

.5 @ 50? Hell, my Zastava Remington 5 will do that. I guess I could commission a purty $900 stock to go with my $200 rifle and $79 Bushy Banner with Weavers and a B-Square adapter. Hmmm ... come to think of it, that would be a pretty fine rig ...

$1200 will give a bunch of options, target type Anshutz, older ones even a Winchester Model 52, Remington 37 etc. Current Sako, Cooper, Kimber. CZ are great for the money, my 452 will do 1/2" and under with many different types of ammo. That would let you pick a stock and glass with money left for ammo when you can find it..

A Browning 52, which you still should be able to find for at or under $1200. Mine will shoot 3/8" 10-shot groups with the right 40 gr subsonic.

Anschutz 54. 1710 or savage import 54 sporter. The Bavarian style stock fits like a glove. Cooper 57, Kimber 82 or k22, winchester or browning repro 52, NULA, Nobody's mentioned them but the A-bolt .22's are sweet too. I have a gold medallion 22 and a standard 22wmr. Shoot great and nice looking. Remington 541S are good shooters also.

I have a lot of people tell me their 22s will shoot a 1/2" group ( I use 10-shots for 22) but none of them can ever do it. I have 3 CZ 452s. I guess I can replace the trigger on the varmint model. It already has a 15X target scope with AO on it. I haven't seen any of the Kimber super Americas for under $1200. NULAs are $2500 and Coopers are over $2K.

Butch, I never considered the 37 as it is a big, pure target rifle. I wonder if there are many of them left out there that haven't been cannibalized for their barrels?

You got really lucky getting an A-bolt .22 that shoots well. From what I've read from other owners, they are a real crap shoot. Mine won't shoot worth a darn. I finally found ammo that shoots halfway decent at 50 yards, but it took a variety of brands, and even then I'm getting around 1" groups.

I'd go with a used anschutz 54. Can realistically be found in that price range.
You gotta keep in mind some people shoot one 1/2 inch group one time, post a pic..then claim their gun is an "easy half inch gun all day long"....
I don't claim to be Even remotely close to a rimfire expert but I shoot Annie 54 and 64, kimber 82, cz 452, win 52 and 75, RAR in .22 and mag And a few others. They will all without fail make me look bad if given the slightest of chance.
I tend to think 25 yards will tell you what the gun can do and 50 yards will tell you what you can do. Ammo is huge, wind is the devil.

Playing around at 200 yards blew my mind as to what the wind can really do to a .22..

Just throwin' this out there for those that may have tried it ... What can you expect from a 77/22 V-block with a premium, tight chambered barrel?

I definitely agree with those who post that one group is not "all day long." When I really want to know, I pick a day with no wind, or pay to go to an indoor range. I then shoot five 10-shot groups at 50 yards. It is also true that 1 MOA shooting, regardless of the rifle or range, requires pretty good bench technique.

Also, 10-shot groups are pretty tough sledding for any rifle. In reality, we are getting into an area where a better measure is Average to Center (ATC.)

well that depends from what i have seen. meaning besides the premium tight chamber barrel, is the 2 piece bolt tight, both locking lugs lapped to the receiver and is the bolt head & barrel milled and squared to the receiver? i don't have a premium barrel on either of my 2 M77/22's but my all weather model, bedded in the factory walnut stock shoots some stuff at 1/2" and some a bit more at 50 yrds. i have not checked the play in my bolt halves nor have i lapped the lugs any. i have a older blue & walnut model that shows some real use that i may play with down the road and swap a barrel or two into it to see what difference it makes if any. i haven't shot that one much yet so i really don't know what it is at 50 yrds consistently. too may other projects going on right now.

I have an off the shelf walnut stocked 77/22. I was near a rebarrel as it was not meeting expectations when I came across some notes on putting a shim in the split bolt to tighten up headspace. A 0.007" shim was the cat's meow, and it's a toss up between taking the Ruger or Anschutz to the squirrel fields. Ammo that works in one also seems to work in the other as well.

Thought there was word of changing the 77/22's to a threaded barrel, but I've not seen any or heard any reports on such. I think a reworked and tight chambered 77 would be a good unit, and their triggers are a piece cake to tune up as well.

All M77/22's made after Nov of 2011 or there abouts have threaded barrel to receiver fit. however there is still some new old stock out there and just because you buy something in the box new from a store does not necessarily mean it will be a threaded barrel to receiver model. most likely it will but not 100%.

.22 ballistics. 10mph wind at 200yds has about 18" of drift and 40" of drop! Wind is a huge factor in .22 accuracy. At 100 yards the drift and drop are about 5". Cut that in half for a 5mph wind and half again for a 50 yard shot and you still can mess up a nice group with a slight breeze. It makes it very difficult to tell what a .22 can really do in real world conditions. It also makes them very fun to shoot because it requires a lot of the shooter.

Centershot:

Yes for sure on the wind factor. I wish I could dope wind for my center fires with the same confidence I have using my 22's. But then again I'll do 8 to 10K 22 rds in a good ground squirrel season. If one can see or feel any breeze at all, it for sure has an effect.

There are conditions when one favors one side or the other on squirrels, and times like you mentioned where one is 4 or 5 inches off to lob in a hit. Then there are the truly rare days when one can actually aim at his target.

I ordered a Rifle Basix trigger for my CZ and will give it a whirl.

This is one of 2 groups shot @50y with a CZ 452 17hmr while cooling off my NULA center fire that I cannot get to group worth crap. Not a once in a lifetime group from the CZ. It can do this fairly often with CCI TnT's. I had a CZ 455 with a timney trigger and it did not shoot with my 1422's. The CZ 17hmr has been bedded and had the trigger worked over. I owned 3 Annie 17hmr's that were not as good of shooters as the little CZ. Goes to show that you never know. I looked at my old targets and my 54 sporters both shoot under .35" average for 5 shots @50y. This is with Lapua or Upper tier Eley ammo. I paid 900.00 for one of the 54 sporters.

Anschutz makes a fine little rimfire, but...

I inherited my dads Remington 511, drilled and tapped it, mounted a scope and just barely outshot the Anschutz sporter.

You never know.... I have owned 2 541s rifles that did not shoot with my Annie sporters. A Cooper, nice Remington, Win. 52 sporter, Oregon Kimber, kleingunther k22 or CZ 452/5 might individually be the best shooting .22lr ever. I think one would have better chance for exceptional accuracy with a 54sporter or a Cooper.

There is a group of mostly older guys at our club who shoot informal .22 benchrest at 50 yards. Most of the rifles are fairly ordinary sporter or varmint models. Savage, CZ, Anschutz, etc. Most of the rifles are capable of .5" groups at that range, with good ammo of course. That is not to say that all of the groups are that good, just that they are not unusual.

As others have noted, it takes a number of shots and multiple groups under controlled conditions to truly determine a rifle's accuracy. Three shot groups might tell something in a hunting rifle if they are repeatable on demand. Most are not. And most shooters are blissfully unaware of such things as sampling and probability, so the inferences and conclusions from their testing are questionable.

I'm considered the oddball in our bunch because I find shooting at 50 yards from the bench boring, so I shoot my .22s at 100 and 200 yards. 200 is very doable, challenging and fun. It's mostly about dealing with the wind, and good flags and learning how to use them is a must.

Dennis, go for that Rifle Basix trigger for your CZ. I got one, and it works well. Had a glitch with the first one, but the company made it right. Great CS, I'm happy to say.

Paul

Had the same experience with the 1 I once had. Was a pretty rifle, but No Bueno on the accuracy with about 15 different types of ammo I tried with it.

Had a Browning T-Bolt that was an average shooter too.

For the money being mentioned, I would definitely look at Anschutz or Cooper first and foremost. I had bad luck with a Kimber Hunter but I know there are some that shoot fantastic.

My CZs always shot well. (Laffin, hint, water)

That a 5 or 10 shot group?

Yeh, the triggers on my CZs are not so good. I will see if this RB trigger helps any. When I first got this rifle it seemed to shoot better than it does now. It has maybe 1500 rounds through it tops. I didn't think you could wear a 22 out?? Maybe I will check some bedding etc.

This is a 10-shot group shot with my Browning 52 at 50 yards using Fiocchi Exacta Super Match 40 gr at 1050 fps. Other SV brands do nearly as well. Even CCI HV HP, which I use for squirrel hunting, will shoot around .75" in this rifle.

My RB trigger came today. Too bad I am going out of town in the morning and won't get to install it until next week.

That Browning looks like it can shoot!

I have been able to coax a number of sub 1" groups out of my CZ at 100 yards and sub 1.5" groups at 150. With the rifle basix trigger and a bedding job, I can consitantly shoot those sub half inch groups at 50 yards now. I still wish I had something a step better.

What optics do you guys run on your rimfires?

Might not be the most popular for some, but all but one of those swfa's are 16x

I won't claim a Cooper 57M is the most accurate but mine is very accurate and I have no complaints. The Cooper replaced a Winchester reproduction 52B that was also very accurate with the old, maybe original Gold Medal Match ammo. A buddy bought it and I think he preferred shooting some flavor of Eley.

I have random 22LR's and many have not really been tested. The surprise is my Remington 580 single shot that has shot 1/2" five shot groups at 50 with the preferred ammo, SK Standard+.

The rifle was a gift from my Dad when I was 6, about 47 years ago and he probably paid 35.00 for it new.

Certifiable has a nice spread of rifles, looks like fun!

I made a similar choice a couple weeks ago. I chose a 455 Varmint. I have yet to try any expensive target ammo but if you find the right cheap stuff it is impressive. I have a Nikon Prostaff Target 3-9X40AO on it and am at 1/2 your original budget.

22's can be a crap shoot.. in your price points I would say an Anschutz, Winchester 52, or Remington 40X used. For a basic rifle with money for good glass the CZ 452 is hard to beat. Mine with ammo it likes, will do under 1/2" for 10 shots at 50 yards regularly. Just got a Remington 541S, will see what it will do.

One thing I have learned with trying to shoot 22s at 150 and beyond is that ammo becomes vitally important. Shooting a 1/2" group at 50 yards doesn't guarantee a 1" group at a 100 even if there is no wind. Some ammo was noticeably more accurate at 150 yards but was NOT the best ammo at 50 yards. I have tried possibly every type of quality ammo available and some of the really expensive stuff shot like crap in my rifles and some of it shot lights out!

a shame to me that the 504 sporter wasnt more reliably accurate. it was a svelte rifle, and now theyre gone.

the 504-T, which i own, is not svelte in any sense of the word. but it will shoot slug after slug into the same hole at 50. can shoot 1-inch 5 shot groups with it at 100 ... wind permitting. thats with the wolf MT ammo, it hates non-target ammo.

the ruger 10/22 target is surprisingly good, bone stock, at 50 yds with CCI standards. not a bad trigger, either.

i like more slender rifles these days, and the CZ 452/455 and ruger 77/22 seem to be the best remaining options.

and the 77/22's have been discontinued......

Got lucky with my 504. Shoots pretty good and definetly prefers wolf. Agree that it is the perfect size little package..

Subsonic shoots best at 50yds and can be the most expensive. It may die and hit the ground before 150.
I like my mod 37s for accuracy and my 40x as a tote around rifle.

What I have learned about shooting at 100 yards with a .22 is that I should be using my .17hmr........17 just picks up where the .22 runs out of steam and is a much better round for the 100-150 yard shots.

Anschutz or Cooper if you can find one for the price you stated

For me, it's the Cooper.

I've had Annie, 40X repeater, Win 52, Kimber, all sporters, all since gone down the road.

Still have this one, Cooper Classic with Kahles rimfire 2-7. It's a keeper.

About perfection, IMO.

DF

Butch- I have had best luck at 150 with Eley Tenex and Eley Match. Next best is RWS R50. Lapua Midas and other $20 a box stuff stunk at 150 yards. I can't beat Wolf Match Extra at 50 yards even with the Eley stuff.

I don't even shoot high velocity stuff anymore except when hunting. Wish I could find a nice clean 37.

Kimber of Oregon.

Best bolt action 22 I've ever had was a Remington model 512.

You have never owned a really good 22 then

I tried a few scopes on my Cooper, right now it has a VX2 3x9 CDS with the parallax set at 50 yds although 75 would probably be better for my use that is paper and squirrels.

I completely forgot about Lapua, Midas-L and M shot very good in the Win 52B.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a Cooper .22 for <$1200 bucks.
I know it's not a bolt action, but, if I were spending a grand + on a .22, I'd strongly consider a Kidd 10/22 http://www.coolguyguns.com/RIFLES_c_10.html

VX-2 3-9 CDS is a lot of scope for the buck. To me, the new VX-2 series is pretty darn close to the VX-3. In fact, I find it hard to tell much difference. I like the 2-7, as well.

Can you post photos?

DF

Where do you get one of these for $1200?

For you folks that are familiar with a Kleinguenther k-22 it is a real good choice. It's first cousin made by Mauser the 201 is the exact rifle. These are very light sporter rifles. They are known for their accuracy and show up on GunBroker pretty often. Hasbeen

Shop around for a good used one.

.22 LR's barrels last and last. If the gun looks OK, the barrel will probably be OK.

I traded for this one.

DF

[quote=Dirtfarmer]For me, it's the Cooper.

I've had Annie, 40X repeater, Win 52, Kimber, all sporters, all since gone down the road.

Still have this one, Cooper Classic with Kahles rimfire 2-7. It's a keeper.

About perfection, IMO.

DF


I am with DF on this one, I have owned all of the above also and now my go-to is my Cooper 57M Classic.

It will take some patience and careful shopping to find one within your self-imposed limit but it can be done.

My second choice for a sporter would be an older Sako Finnfire or at a lower price level a CZ 452.

drover

I have 3 mod 37s left.

Sure, tomorrow when I have daylight.

I used to think a gun HAD to be a bolt action to be super accurate.

I was wrong.

Dirt they sure don't. But we'd most likely squabble as a group over what "super accurate" meant;)

A finely tuned, custom 10-22 can push a good bolt gun on accuracy. Some are pretty amazing.

DF

A buddy at work and I bought Anschutz 1407 repeaters a few years ago. Groups have been easily under 0.5, with 0.2-0.3 not uncommon. These are 54 target rifles though, not sporters.

Shortly after getting the rifles, he made us some targets from angle iron. The goal is to shoot into one of the holes, which causes an L-shaped piece of steel to flip up. If you miss, the splatter shows up outside the hole. You can see the target in the images below (ignore the chickens and orange thing).

Anyway, the smallest "target", or hole is 1/2". At 50 yards, you can put every shot into that hole with the 54 rifles. It's so easy that it gets boring really fast and we don't even bother using that contraption anymore. That buddy has also made lollipop targets from small washers. He puts green painter's tape on the back. You thread the bullet through the hole in the washer and can see the hole in the tape. If you miss the hole and hit the washer, the whole thing spins.

Since getting the Annies, he's come up with all sorts of tiny targets. It's been a hoot.

That target contraption in my post above has been handy for "weeding" out other rifles. We both have 10-22 rifles that can place most bullets into the 1/2" hole. Sometimes 10 out of 10, but not always. My rifle has a Kidd trigger and Clerke bull barrel. His has a tensioned ultralight barrel. Both have Hogue stocks. I think the light weight of our 10/22 rifles is what holds us back more than anything.

That's pretty cool Jason..

I'm hoping Barrett keeps their word and builds a 22lr.

https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/ba...ion-new-fieldcraft-rifle-shot-show-2017/

How does that end up in a 22 thread? Barrett is building CENTERFIRE rifles from what I read.

I wouldn't consider 1/2" at 50 yards super accurate for a good 22.

How about .28" at 50 yards?

The Sako Quad would meet the criteria along with the KDF K22 and Mauser 201 that Hasbeen mentioned.

Coopers do pop from time to time for around the $1200 mark, this one was here the other day for a short time before someone jumped on it -
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/11839659/Searchpage/2/Main/813199/Words/cooper/Search/true/Re:_WTS:_Cooper_57M_Classic