Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Pick a $600 22 rifle.

Bipod on the front, a bag in the rear, 50 yards, barnyard money shoots amongst friends.

My bud is leaning CZ 457V. I can't disagree, but mentioned the Bergara. Doubt he'll drop much coin to scope or trigger it appropriately.

Other options?

CZ 455, bag rest, 5 shots, 50yds,1" squares, standard trigger, OVERpowered scope, NORMA TAC-22:

If you can find them for $600

CZ all the way, for me.

CZ trigger springs guy in the Classifieds here, can't be much for a spring.

My dozen year old CZ 452 Style shoots spectacular, ragged holes at 50 yards.
Killed lots of squirrels/crows/coons off my feeders at 100 yards, off of a benchrest type set-up shooting house.

Did you say with irons?



That's 10 shots, not 5..

Here's another fun group I shot right before a Know Your Limits shoot, with a MKII:


I used a scoped rifle in that shoot, but pulled this iron sighted rifle out and shot a couple times. I could hit the 1/2" target, but not the 1/4" target!!! You scope one of these and you have a major sleeper. I like sleepers myself.

I've been very happy with the performance of my Tikka T1x, so I would encourage your buddy to look at that rifle.

Used Anschutz, Krico, or Winchester 320 is you want a bolt gun.

It is hard to beat a 10/22 tuned by CPC when you're on a limited budget.

CZ is very good.. I like Marlin and Savage from the 90’s and early 2000’s. They tend to be super accurate and can be had for less than new CZ’s

T1X

Tikka T1 - no brainer. Good trigger out of the box, if he wants it lighter a 5 minute spring change takes care of that, for $15 he can purchase a vertical hand grip if wanted.

drover

Thanks guys, I'd forgotten the Tikka. But it's looking like one might be hard to find. I'll try to lead him to water.

I had (but have since sold) a 1930s Stevens 416 target rifle (for which I paid essentially $0, having purchased it with a Redfield Model 3200 24x scope for the price of the scope) that would average 0.51" for ten 5-shot groups at 50 yards with ammo it liked. Given that I'm an abominable bench rest shooter (my technique would have to improve substantially to suck), I thought it an extremely accurate rifle, particularly given its age.

The Remington 40x single shot which replaced it would average 0.37" for the same ten 5-shot groups at 50. And as you might imagine, that 40x cost a bunch more than that 416 and scope combination - in a range of $30/0.01 inch improvement.

I have a CZ455 and Bergara BMR Steel. Both sporters, both excellent shooters even with cheap Fed AutoMatch.

Winchester 75 Target. If you shop around you should be able to find one in your price range.

I like the CZs, but there are plenty out there that will fit that price range, if you shop really hard. I recently sold two stainless 455s, and they went for considerably less. My favorites are the Scout model CZ 455s, which shoot better than you'd expect out of a "kid's" rifle. I restocked them to fit me, with CZ's synthetic stocks. Short, light, handy, great iron sights (if wanted), and available.

Sportsman's Warehouse was blowing out the new model 457 Scouts a couple of months ago, they might still be available. They are supposed to be better than the 455s, but I don't care for their appearance. They are/were selling for less than $400, leaving money for a decent rimfire scope (Burris Droptine Rimfire 3-9s are pretty good for the money).

Shop wisely, I like the Winchester 75s and the plainer 69 model, too. Good shooting rifles, the Model 52s retarded little brothers.

Knew I'd see my bud at a gathering tomorrow & waited to talk to him about the options he could have a look at. He stopped at the house a couple hours ago & told me he'd just ordered a CZ 457. He surprised the hell out of me buy not getting the varmint & turning loose of more of his dusty cash for the adjustable stock model. But dang it, I was hoping he'd want to make a road trip to Buds, Centerfire Systems, Sportsmans, & Ky. Gun Co. to view models & take me as advisor. That way he drives & I wouldn't have to split the gas bill, & maybe he'd even buy my lunch.

We went over a ton of scope models & I couldn't help showing a March or 2. No go! He might turn loose of up to $450 or 5, we'll see.

But thanks again for the help guys. I would have really liked to have tried his new Tikka or Bergara.

Nothing wrong with a good CZ. They make great firearms and their 22lr's are damn accurate.

I've got a 452 V that's floated with a trigger job & can't fault a CZ choice for sure.

But ya always have to wonder about all the others from time to time.

Having tested a Tikka T1X, CV 457 Varmint, Savage Mk II heavy barrel and a Ruger 10/22 with a .920" target barrel and good trigger - each with four or more types of run of the mill and target grade ammo - my take is that given the ammo each one likes, there isn't a tenth of an inch difference between the bunch. On any given day the wind conditions and the shooter's ability to read the wind and squeeze the trigger consistently will be a much greater factor than any difference in the mechanical accuracy those rifles are capable of.

Good sensible post Jim. I agree.. I've seen the same thing.

+2 , I stressed to my bud today. Test ammo, find what rifle likes, & get plenty of it. DON'T go changin schit due something cheaper or on sale.