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

Perhaps you can help me find my new .22 LR? I have been using a BSA Martini action for years and years as my target rifle. I have been using a Marlin M39A Mountie as my squirrel rifle, but I am going to give that to my nephew for Christmas (I gave him my pre-64 Model 94 .30-30 for his birthday, so he will need a lever action .22 for practice and squirrels). I want to get a high-quality bolt action .22 LR. I am having a very hard time picking out the right one. Part of my issue is that I haven't ever had to ship for a .22. My dad gave me the Marlin when I was 5. My budget is $500-$600 for the rifle. I could be persuaded to go higher, but part of my problem has been getting acclimatized to current rifle prices. Some things seem to be about the same price they were 20 years ago. Other things are astronomically high. I recognize that the almighty dollar doesn't stretch as far as it once did, but I have been picking up very nice centerfire hunting rifles for less than the prices I see on many .22 LRs.

I am very partial to older rifles with nice wood and blued steel. I plan to mount a scope on it, so iron sights are not a necessity. I don't want a single shot. I want at least five round magazine capacity. I am looking for a hunting and plinking rifle. I'd prefer something that looks nice, but has some signs of honest use. I am right-handed.

Rifles I have been considering, in no particular order, include:

Browning T-Bolt - one of the old ones made in Belgium. I have several FN Commercial Mausers.
Sako 54 - I have a Sako .243 and I love it.
CZ 457 - are there other CZ models that are "better?" My older brother loves CZs, but I have never had a bolt-action CZ.

Are there any others that I should be adding to the mix? Are any of the three above particularly "better" in some way than the others? Thank you for any opinions or assistance you can offer.

A little above your budget but comes equipped with a nice scope:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...s/19390844/ruger-77-22-22lr#Post19390844

Get a Tikka and pretend the stock is made of wood. Shoot it for a while and you’ll learn to overlook it’s faults. It’ll be like dating a plain girl who never stops trying to please. 🤔

I think most would be very happy with a CZ457. They are nice looking, feed and operate very smoothly, and tend to shoot well. They may not be the most accurate, but their function makes up for that. I personally like the looks of the American models. Some guys like the Lux model, but the European humpback stock does nothing for me.

There are a number of potions out there. Tikka does make a walnut stocked T1x Hunter in 22 LR that may be above your stated budget but I never seen one for sale second hand. The CZ 457s are accurate and frequently available on the used market at decent prices.

Quality Sako, Remington, Kimber and Winchester RFs are out there but definitely at higher price point. Personally, I went the CZ 457 route but don't over look older BRNO or CZ 452 and 455 rimfire rifles.

The world is your oyster.

I have a CZ 527 in 22 Hornet….bought new many years ago and now has been discontinued, and is a great rifle, very accurate beautiful wood. Not a 22LR, but the CZ line in 22LR is one you need to get one in hand before you decide. As BSA said above, I would buy the CZ 427 if looking for a 22LR. Just holding one in your hand speaks quality throughout and lt you could shoot one would be even better.

Another voice of support for the CZ 457. It is plenty accurate for your stated uses of hunting and plinking. New prices run about $600.

Winchester 320 or Remington 541S/541T.

I have these rifles, like them, and think that they are good understudy rifles, particularly the 541T because its weight makes it feel more like a comparable size centerfire hunting rifle.

My current preferred understudy or warm up rifle is a Tradewinds 311A, a house brand Krico 302. Simpson LTD in Galesburg, IL, usually has several Kricos for sale.

^^^^ +++1

drover

Strosfann: I have owned all of the rimfire 22's you are considering - I still own the CZ 457 and a couple of Browning Belgian T-Bolts.
I would rate them as follows:

#1 = Browning Belgian T-Bolt
#2 = CZ 457
#3 = Sako 54

I traded the Sako 54 in on an amazingly accurate Sako P94S with heavy barrel and Leupold 12 power scope.
Yo might need to up your "budget" just a tad to obtain a fine condition Browning Belgian T-Bolt or the Sako P94S but I am sure you would be happy with either.
Best of luck with whichever you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Tikka T1X gets my vote, my will shoot with my best, win 52, rem 40x, it won't out shoot my Sako P94 finnfire, tikka should make a heavy barrel T1X

I love my 320, but they seem to be hard to find. Mine outshoots my new CZ457. I'm talking consistent accuracy/precision, not the occasional bragging "wallet group". On a consistent basis, tit for tat, the old Winchester shoots better. The CZ, however, makes up for it by how smooth and comfortable it is to shoot. As an example, though, the Winchester 320 can be had for under $400.00 most times, but you have to find one first!!! No flies on the old rifles either, like oldgrouser said.

All based on samples of one.

I like my CZ, but IMO, my Cooper is the best.

Not cheap.

DF

The wonderful thing about all those “samples of one” is that I can aggregate them to make a reasonable decision. There are a lot of nice options out there, some of which are easier to find than others. And hearing people’s subjective favorites and individual experiences has helped open my aperture some.

I really appreciate everyone who has weighed in on this question so far. I really enjoy hearing your experiences, preferences, and opinions. If I had to make my decision today, I’d probably get a CZ 457. But part of the beauty of my inclination trending in that direction is that I don’t really have to shop for the perfect rifle. I can just go down to my LGS and get a 457 whenever I want. My LGS also sells Tikka, so I can handle a T1X Hunter (which has a wooden stock) before I make a final decision.

Still open to more opinions.

Tika or CZ. Neighbor has a Tika and I do a CZ. We swap in the squirrel fields once in a while, and accuracy is about the same. The CZ hangs right in there with an Anschutz and a Ruger 77/22. Were I a bit richer, I'd do a Cooper.

I have a P72 and M78 Sako, they are both tack drivers. The P54 is a little older that I want for a plinker if I am putting a scope on it. The problem with the older 22 Sakos, they usually start at the $1200 range unless you fine one at a local pawn shop.

I’ve never seen a Hunter, only the synthetic ones which don’t appeal to me. They are by all reports very accurate, and one of my friends says his is his most accurate .22. I’ve had four CZs, currently a 457 Premium I put together from parts. Those, and the Royal, have oil-finished stocks which I prefer over the often gloopy-looking other versions which hides the wood grain. All have been good shooters. The 455 and now the 457, can be easily changed over to other calibers with a simple barrel/magazine swap, at modest cost, and different stocks are available as well, though availability is spotty. I don’t think you can do better for the price, unless you get very lucky in the used market. Personally, I’m too old to wait around for miracles…..

AND you cannot find spare
magazines anywhere. Whe they do rarely surface ,they are $100 or more.

I bought my first Sako m78 brand new in the Spring of 1980. It cost $325 plus shipping- that was dealer cost at the time. It was the first of 4 different m78s I owned jn the 1980 & 90's. They all shot and functioned superbly. Their looks were another matter..

I ordered that first rifle through a little local country store that sold a few guns and had an FFL. The owner was astounded anyone would pay that kind of money for a .22 rimfire.

In.2024 dollars- the grand total for that rifle (gun ,shipping and transfer fee) would be about $1200 now.

The point is moot because all Sako/Tikka will make now is plastic infused over-rated and priced rimfire rifles that neither shoot OR function as well as the old Sako guns. And yes- I have owned Sako p94 Finnfires and a Tikka t1x. So, I am not talking out of my arse about things I have never owned.
.

I bought a Winchester Model 75 Sporting for about $650 ten years ago. Much lighter and trimmer than a Model 52 and less expensive to boot. Put a vintage J4 Weaver on it in a 3/4" N mount and it shoots 1/2" at 50yds with CCI 40 gr solids. Nice piece of fiddleback walnut too. Like my Model 43 in 22 Hornet better, though.

I have a Winchester 69A that was like new when I bought it many years ago. With a 4X scope on it will shoot 1/2” all day….same design as the Winchester 75 Getting hard to find on sites that are in great shape but are out there if you look around.

I've had a CZ452 and a Tikka T1X. The CZ was more accurate and the Tikka did not feed consistently. Samples of one.

I'm old and note that older isn't always better. Except for dedicated target models, they had the same quality control issues that are seen today. Back in the day my girlfriend bought a Winchester 320 for her son. The bore was rough as an old sewer pipe. Sent it back to Winchester for a new barrel. My son's Remington 700 Classic circa 1980 was one of the roughest factory rifles I have ever seen. Stock finish was like pig skin, flutes not aligned, rough metal under the stock, bent firing pin, metal chips in the bolt body.

There wasn't a different business model in the past. Garden variety firearms weren't intended to become collector items. Those wonderful old finishes may have been produced by stain, dunking in a barrel of oil, maybe sprayed on varnish.

Another good accurate rimfire would be the Remington 581. They sell in the price range the OP posted.
A favorite of mine is the Sako Quad, another excellent shooter.
I have 2 CZ 457's Americans and both are very good shooters. One of them is a 17HM2 but it has a $2000 Lilja barrel on it.

HA HA HAAA

I have a 581 that I got for Christmas in 1967. Somehow I managed to hold onto it through a number of purges, probably because it wasn’t worth much. Need to give it some exercise, but don’t intend to futz around trying to improve it. They were cheap guns and look it, but I carried that one a lot and at times it was all I had.

They were very low cost in there day as the 788 s were and like the 788's darn accurate.

These are valid points. I recall hearing about the QC issues that Winchester had with the initial run of M14s and the impact that contract had on the company and it just makes my mind boggle. The advantage of the old models that did become classics or collector items is that they are often ones that have "stood the test of time." On the other hand, particularly for something like a Winchester pre-64, you usually end up paying a premium just based on that fact alone. It might have been Winchester's cheapest model available, but if it was made before 1964, be prepared to pay dearly.

This was good for a chuckle!

Part of the reason I love rifles so much. You can start with something nice enough and then go completely over the top chasing that last bit of accuracy. It's often the endless pursuit of perfection that keeps people coming back to it.

Any thoughts on a CZ Model 1? I had my eye on one before I started this thread. If it stays within my budget, is there any reason to prefer it over the CZ 457?

I think the best rifle on the market right now in your price range is the CZ457. I would not be afraid to buy a used 452 or 455. They come in several different stock options and configurations. Pick the one you like best.

Q;
Good morning, I hope wherever this finds you that you're warm, well and dry.

Regarding the CZ Model 1 vs. the Model 2, while we see both up here from time to time, whenever that question comes up I've yet to hear anything remotely close to agreement on the answer.

I want to say there weren't many changes from the Model 2 to the Model 5 which is pretty close to the Model 452s that I've looked at.

When I've shot friend's rifles or talked to them, it seems like the Model 452s and new Model 457 will usually run neck and neck with a Tikka T1X.

A buddy's new heavy barrel Varmint 457 MTR seems like it might be a bit less picky than my T1X as far as ammo choice goes. It is a shooter alright, but he's spent more on the rifle and the scope than my Tikka or it's offshore budget Bushnell 4-16 so there is that. It's heavier too and that's not nothing for bench work.

My old 1958 CZ Model 5 is my favorite .22, but there's a lot of sentiment attached to that, as well as a Lakefield Mk II which is the grand daddy of the current Savage rimfire line.

Speaking of them, we've seen quite a few of those which absolutely will shoot wonderfully small groups.

My heart lies with a Brno CZ build of some kind however, so that's where I'd go if starting over.

All the best.

Dwayne

On older rifles/discontinued models:

The thread has already touched on quality control. Some of them were high quality rifles, especially European models, some weren't. The biggest segment of American .22's up until the last 10-15 years, not counting all out target rifles, were made for more budget conscious buyers although even the cheap ones will probably have a nice piece of walnut on them. The carriage trade models - Winchester 52, Remington 541S (a gussied up 581), Kimber of OR and so forth will cost way more than the $600 range today.

Lots of them made before the 1960's had no way to mount a scope. Those that do will have a grooved receiver. Triggers weren't all that great. Not bad, they may or may not be crisp, but most all are not as light as what's commonly available today.



Of the modern models the CZ457 and Tikka T1x are really the only contenders in your stated price range (IIRC previous posters have mentioned this ), so here are my left brained, picky opinions/experience with two 457 Varmint models, a 457 American and one T1x. My Varmint model CZ's were/are the standard versions, not the MTR.

Both have truly excellent, crisp and light triggers which can be made very light - 1 pound safely - with a $12 spring widely available from many sources. Said spring is super easy to install on a Tikka and only a tiny bit less so on a CZ.

The 457 Varmint models and the T1x are equally accurate with a good variety of target and hunting /plinking grade ammo. My 457 American is pickier than those but fed the ammo it likes (cheapo Federal Automatch of all things) it will shoot just as well as the others. Objectively, that means all of them can put 10 shots at 50 yards into the .4's or maybe the .3's if the wind is cooperating. Note "can", not "always will"; the shooter and wind conditions are the deciding factors. Before I forget here, fed ammo it doesn't care for the American will still put 10 shots into the .6's or .7's, so it ain't terrible.

The CZ 457 Varmint is a heavy, weight forward rifle, the T1x is well balanced and the 457 American has excellent handling with a hand filling pistol grip. Personal preference but I really like the way the American feels and handles the best.

I have not seen a T1x Hunter in person but based on the picture on Tikka's website and having owned a T3x Hunter model, the wood will be same/same on either brand. I.e., ranging from plain to maybe a little grain showing. Finish seems to be same/same on both as well, ranging from a pleasant brown to muddy.

The Tikka has a flat top receiver with lots of scope mounts available. CZ sticks to their 11mm grooved receiver - rings and a couple of picatinny rails are available for it so it's not a deal breaker but Tikka wins this one.

The Tikka has a 60 deg. bolt lift so it's heavier than the CZ. Not a lot heavier and not a big deal but just noting it. Bolt travel is equally short and smooth. Both are equal in functioning reliability.

The nice thing about comparing these two is that you are not going to get a bad rifle with either one, it really comes down to subjective preference.


And that's all I got to say about that.

Also, the Savage Mark II will shoot right alongside the CZ and Tikka and has a trigger only a bit less as nice as those. If you get a cheaper one you can replace the flimsy plastic stock with a Boyd's and still be in the same price range as the others - the wooden Savage stocks are all from Boyd's anyway. Put some lapping or polishing compound on the bolt and action at the friction points, work it several hundred times and functioning will be nice and smooth. It's the "dating a fat girl who cooks and f***s great but you don't wanna show her off to your friends" rifle.

Get on youtube, and you'll see a lot of guys having issues with their CZ's having "fliers". Random and first shot fliers. I've also shot with guys that have CZ's, Winchester 52's, Remingtons of all makes, Ruger 77's and American rimfires, Savage, Kimber, Ansuchtz, and others not mentioned. Do a search, and you will find that the Winchester 320 shoots above its price point. As does the one I recently bought. I can also guarantee that the CZ457 American, I have, shoots better than any CZ American you have. Post your results with your rifle. That could get funny. This is something I KNOW from experience. If you can not add anything to a good thread, I suggest you go elsewhere.

Thanks to the current rage of long range 22 competition the CZ457 is blessed by the after market. You can get in at whatever price point you are comfortable with. The 457 comes with a quite good trigger but there are many more options along with a barrel you can change at home and semi available magazines. Hard to go wrong and since they are easy to find you get the time you would spend looking for something no longer produced shooting!

Good catch on the Savage MK rifles. I have the MK1 single shot and it shoots pretty well. The MKII I had also shoots lights out. A buddy of mine is going to go and buy that rifle, since he knows how well it shoots. I probably shouldn't have traded the damn thing on that new CZ American, but they are 2 totally different rifles. Those cheap Savages tend to shoot better than most CZ's, or like you say, "shoot right alongside" them.

Good write up Jim. For a couple years, I drug my feet, trying to decide which rifle I wanted. I asked questions about the CZ and Tikka. Most guys said the Tikka shoots better, but I liked the looks of the CZ American model better. While I knew I'd be giving up a little in precision, I was getting the better looking rifle. Figuring I could deal with the slightly less accurate CZ. I have been very impressed with the function of the CZ. It feels more like my old Winchester 52 in function. That's a major plus in my book. I'm sure the OP will appreciate your input.

CZ and forget the Tikka.

Consider the Bergara BMR. It comes in either a steel or a carbon wrapped barrel.

Most of the Savage varmint 22rf rifles will shoot just as good or better than most rifles mentioned. And at 1/2 the price

Those old Winchesters are super cool. And they generally will surprise ya how well they shoot.

Agree it’s not easy finding one in pristine condition. They so good, they get used and used a lot.

DF

I still have my childhood Winchester Model 72A — the same as the 69A except for a tubular magazine. It’s a great rifle. I shudder to think how many rounds I’ve put through it in the last 70 years or so. It’s very accurate. I don’t quite get 1/2” at 50 yards, but I think that has more to do with the shooter than the rifle.

I looked at the Savage site. There are some options that are 1/2 the price. But if you want a wood stock, you aren't getting that for half the price. They are a bit cheaper on average though. I appreciate the suggestion.

Salvage rifles generally shoot pretty good.

And if one has no pride and if showing up at the range with one doesn’t bother you, you probably good to go.

Me, I’m too prideful. Guess I gotta work on that.

Haven’t gotten one, yet. I never say never.

DF

Posted this in a separate thread but just to throw it out here.

Link to Savage Timber series

Those look interesting. Basically a worked over A22? Although, the OP was looking for a bolt action. I still agree with you about the MKII rifles. Very underrated and accurate rifles.

Well, some guys really get their feelings hurt, when they get their azzes beat with a cheap Savage too. So there's that..


When I say "accurate/precise", this is generally what I'm talking about. Had to shoot that group, before I got rid of it. That rifle always wore it's factory irons, but scoped it to see what it could really do.

I used to shoot factory benchrest with/against a retired Wall Street lawyer who shot a bone stock cheap Savage off a bipod. He did very well.

Never said they didn’t shoot.

DF

Some will really surprise you. At least the ones I've been around have all done well. The trick is in finding one that is really smooth in operation. Or knowing how to at least smooth them up, if the bolts run gritty. My single shot is awesome, much like my Winchester 52, but my MKII was very rough. It took some work polishing stuff out, but right before I got rid of it, it was damn smooth.

I have a 457 (wood) and a Tikka (plastic). With my off the shelf, non specialty ammo, they both shoot the same (and its very good). Neither one is as good as my TC contender, but that isn't a bolt action like you specified. I ended up liking the CZ more and I gave the Tikka to my kid, who likes it more. And she is very good at grouse head shots with it...

Since your brother has CZ's and loves them, you should see if you can shoot some of his rifles. Ask him why he "loves" them. It might be more obvious after you shoot them though.

I shot my brother's 527. It's a nice little rifle. The question wasn't really, "are modern CZ's nice", but rather, "are there nicer/better rifles at the same or similar price point?" The array of responses in this thread have been really helpful. I have to wait a couple of months before I make another rifle purchase (or put in a ton of extra hours this month, but the weather outside is so nice), but barring a deal popping up on an old T-Bolt, I am going to check out the T1x Hunter and a CZ 457 at the LGS (they are dealers for both).

Nice. I don't think you can go wrong with either one. However, I bet the wood stocked Tikka is going to be a lot harder to find. I was at Scheels the other day, and they had a real nice CZ for $549. I only saw plastic stocked Tikka's, and plastic stocked Bergara's. All really nice rifles, that are known to shoot well. For an older CZ, I saw a 513, at a different store, for $350.00 as well.


That little Anschutz would be nice too, and it's in your price range.

I have Remington, Winchester, Marlin and CZ rimfires. I hate to say it but I would go for a cz that you like.