Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters "Accurate" 22 WMR

Boat loads of them. They are big dark brown water rats. Farmers hate 'em. Which is good for me 'cuz I get to shoot them.

BMT

I think I would move from the .22LR to a .223 or something along those lines. I guess it depends on the age of your kids though.


SS

Your kids will get used to the extra pizzazz of a .22 mag in about an hour, so let them keep on with the .22 LR until they're old enuf to hunt. Now, for you a field rifle, you can't beat a 9422M with a receiver sight. Carries like a stick, shoots like a dream.

At least that's what I would do. Like you, I live in the East and have very little use for a heavy bipod-mounted rifle.

Well, of the two still at home, one is 10 and the other 16. The 16 year old thinks the 6mm Remington is the neatest thing since sliced bread. The 10 year old is not ready for the fast recoil of the 6mm. He is pencil thin with no fat anywhere. He has mastered the bolt on the 22 and still loves to shoot it, but I can see him looking longingly at the day he can shoot the 6mm. I don't want him to become afraid of recoil, and don't want to play around with padding on the shoulder or any of that stuff. Even the length of pull on the 22 is a bit too much for him but he gets by. So, what I am looking for is something to fill the gap between the 22LR and the 6mm, something fun to shoot, and capable of taking larger game than the .22

Man, that is one gorgeous CZ!! Local shops are stocking them in 17 HMR but not 22WMR.

Interesting recommendation on the 223. My 10 year old's ears are so sensitive to the noise from muzzle blast that I have to stuff his ears with the yellow foam ear plugs as well as the ear muffs. Last time at the range I could tell the AR15 a few benches down was bothering him. Sitting behind a 223 I would think would be a little quieter...

If you got a .223 with a longer barrel the muzzle blast should be minimal. At least less then the 6mm. I've never shot an AR or even handled one for that matter, but I am under the impression that they have shorter barrels which may contribute to the noise generated. Something with a heavy barrel and a wood stock should absorb enough recoil that your youngest would be comfortable shooting it.


SS

Dogger, From your more recent post describing the stature and of your younger son, you might consider a couple of things.

First, Get TWO .22 bolt action rifles , one for each boy which will be their OWN to shoot and pass onto THEIR sons(daughters)
IF you want to formally give the ld Glenfield to one of them and they LIKE it..that's one down.:)

Something about a boy having his OWN rifle(and helping pick it out so it fits him) will capture their imagination and renew their interest.
Just shopping, looking at catalogs, looking at manufacturers literature online and prowling gun shows and pawn shops is alot of fun too..:)

Unless I'm mistaken, what hunting you have for the lads will be birds, rabbits, groundhogs, squirrels and maybe an occasional racoon, fox, possum or coyote..

Next thing is get OFF the shooting range and get afield where you can set up your own challenging targets..like clay pigeons in the grass, swinging steel gongs, bottle caps on a log against a creek bank..small game.

Range shooting and paper gets old FAST for most kids..and many adults..

Nothing much better than a-roving for cottontail rabbits, squirrel hunting, chipmunk stalking or rat or pigeon shooting at a farmer's feedlot.

And don't forget turkey hunting..Most will use a shotgun, but a man or boy with a .22 rimfire who can head-shoot chipmunks with a .22 single shot will do fine..:) jim

222 or 223

My buddy's Marlin magazine-fed bolt action shoots very well, but 22 WMR ammo costs as much as 7.62x39, so I don't have one yet.


Okie John

I used a 77/22 mag for a number of years with great results. Prior to that it was a 9422mag. It shot great, but I couldn't keep the rust off it. So, down the road it went. Lately I've been using a Marlin 1894 22 mag with a Leupy 4x rimfire scope. It's a very good shooter, but I can't seem to hold levers as well as I do bolts. Might be going back to a 77 or maybe a CZ if I can find one that looks as good as the one in the post above!