Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Looking for a bolt action 22LR

I am looking for a bolt action 22LR for squirrel hunting and target shooting. I would really like stainless but willing to buy blued as there are more options. I am looking at the Bergara BMR, Tikka T1x, Bergara B14R, Savage Mark ll. What have you chosen and why?

Can’t go wrong with a T1X for that IMO.

Of that group the T1X would be my choice...

There are still CZ452 rifles available if you shop. Get one, you will not be sorry. Old school steel, hammer forged barrels and all the accuracy you could want. I use my lux to hunt with, at the range it is the catzazz.

When the T1x first came out, some were having issues with the magazine and feeding issues. If that has been corrected, I'd sure pick the Tikka. However with that being said, If they are still spotty, I'd pick savage. For the op, don't discount or overlook the Ruger american rimfire either. Those have been great rifles for a few of my buddies and club members. They handle very well in the field and shoot well. However, they are not as accurate as most savage rifles, they still shoot well and use the tried and true 10-22 type box magazines.

I have a Bergara BMR (steel) and a Cz 452 American. The CZ is a 17HM2. I prefer the Bergara. I do 100 + squirrels a year. I and my wife eat all of them.

None of them but my personal bias is hating rifles with the magazine hanging below the stock. All will certainly be accurate enough for squirrels but in that price range go take a look at gunkbroker or guns international for a nice used CZ 452 or 455. You won't be disappointed.

Pugs,

I don't like a magazine hanging below the stock either but I don't know of many bolt actions that have a flush fitting magazine. The only one that I can think of is the Ruger 77/22 and Ruger American.

I am not limiting the discussion to the ones that I listed in my opening post. I am open to others that you have chosen and why you chose them.

It kind of depends on price range. The CZ's are not truly flush but close - When you start to go up in price there are others like the Winchester 52s, The Coopers and Kimbers and as you mentioned the 77/22.

What bolt action .22s are in my safe? CZ-455 full stock, Cooper m52. Winchester 52 (couple) (and don't discount the excellent Browning repro), Remington 531 Scoremaster and Anschutz.

Can't go too far wrong with an Anschutz. I have a 1710HB and it's somewhat better than a CZ452 that I used to have.

If you want a quality bolt action, flush magazine, accuracy, and easy to carry in the field , that just about perfectly describes a Winchester 69A, 72A, or 75 Sporter... you can find these used on most gun auction sites and often in LGS , pawn shops, and places like Cabelas used gun racks. Look for the latest models with the grooved receivers so you can easily mount a scope if you so choose and you'll be a happy camper. My 69As and 75 Sporters will hang with just about everything in my safe short of my 52B and 40X Target rifles and are extremely light and trim , which makes them really nice for carrying in the woods all day long...

I will warn you, once you have one or two of these they become an obsession... you'll be looking for all the different versions of them and you'll need a bigger safe soon....

Bob

I have 16 rimfire rifles, so i am no help, but my favorite bolt 22 is the model 67 my late father gave me, still waiting for my 77/22 to arrive that i got in an auction, will see how i like it.

Sound advice Bob!

So many interesting and accurate rimfires out there.

There is a lot of great information and rifles. Thread's like this are awesome.

I've had several bolt-action 22s and my current favorite is the Volquartsen straight-pull 22lr. It uses a 10/22 rotary mag and is very fast and accurate!

Volquartsen SWR Athlon CCI

I'd like to handle one of those, Nebraska. The straight-pull action is cool on the Browning T-Bolt, which also has a flush mag if the OP can find one to check out.

Come on out!

Nice! Now you’ve fueled my fire for a 69A..,

If I could only have 1, it would probably be a 75 sporter. Looks like the op opened this up for discussion for different rifles other than what he listed. So with this being said, I'd pick the 75. This is or course because he's wanting a good hunting weight rifle and now it looks like he prefers a rifle with a flush mount magazine. The reason I say 75 instead of a 52 sporter or cooper, is because the 75 is going to be less expensive and probably easier to find. Even those 69's are great rifles and even easier to find. In my own personal experience. The last 2 69's I've seen were priced right at $400... Once the op shoots a rifle like my 52B or your 52, he'd be hooked and realize what a very well built rifle feels like.

Flush magazine does change the search, but I agree 100% with him, also one of the reasons I never bought a Tikka and don't own a CZ. You've named some excellent ones BSA so I'll thrown in my personal favorites. The Mauser 201 that PennDog recently bought or the original Kleingunther K22. I own both of these and they are quality and boy do they shoot. Then there's the Kimber Hunter or the Kimber HS (Hunter Silhouette) which I've installed a Kimber Varmint stock on. The Sako Quad (synthetic stock) or the Hunter (walnut stock) are just fantastic shooters and give you a switch barrel ability. The Sako Quad in my opinion is what Tikka was trying to copy, but failed with the extended magazine nor are they a switch barrel, but they are a bit cheaper than the Quad, although I bought my Quads new at a price you can't buy Tikka's for.
One of the ways to eliminate some of the competition for the top spot in a Squirrel/semi bench rifle is to have more of a classic look, i.e., walnut stock, blued metal, and then maybe they must have no or close to no plastic parts.