I have owned more mid-price and high end rimfire bolt action rifles than I care to recall and in My experience have noticed that it's not uncommon for these $1000+ rifles to have functioning issues, it might be feeding, extraction or ejection but it seems every time I invest My money in a new rifle it has issues of some sort or another, My latest headache is a very expensive Cooper Mod 57M, at $1450.00 you would think the thing would at least be able to feed the last cartridge out of the magazine without jamming, but evidently I'm expecting too much cause it can't, My last headache before the Cooper was a brand new Weatherby Mk XXII (Anschutz 1416) that half the time couldn't even eject a spent case, it would just flip the case straight up and more times than not it would settle in the ejection port and cause a jam when I try to feed the next round out of the mag, this was My 5th try with the 64 action so I knew going in that the 64 was a notoriously bad ejector, it had been several years since my last try at one of these and I had hoped that Anschutz had dealt with this problem by now, wrong!. I have owned Kimber rifles (both Oregon and New york) three CZ 452's, all of these rifles had ejection problems. I have owned a few Sako finnfire and a couple Quad rifles and never really had any issues but I just learned recently that Beretta (in all their wisdom) decided not to import the Sako Quads anymore. What I'd like to have is rather simple, in My opinion anyway, I want a super accurate bolt action rimfire that simply does it's job and functions without issues. I'd like to read some opinions on this subject, maybe I can get some kind of consensus as to what I might try next.......Thanks VaHillbilly.

I've heard the Winchester 52s are hard to beat, I couldn't afford an original, so I went with the reproductions that were being produced in the 90s.

So far so good.

They are still available on the secondary market.

You might want to check out the forums on Rimfire central, there seems to be more discussion going on over there on these types of weapons.

Rem 541's are pretty dam good IMO

I have a Remington 40X and it is built like a 700 and we all know those are tuff as nails.
I have had two 541's and have to agree with Passport, they are good as well.

Another gun that I have (2 in fact) are the Ruger 77/22's. They feed and preform great.

I can tell of one that isn't reliable, a Kimber. I shot it all day yesterday in a gopher field and had several malfunctions where the brass didn't eject and the next round out of the magazine jammed as I tried to close the bolt. The gun did, however, shoot fantastically.

The guy I was hunting with was using a Ruger 10-22 and that was a real mess. I wouldn't want one of those for any reason. I know there are millions of them out there and people that like them, but between his incessant rapid firing and constant complaining from jamming, I couldn't take much more.

Lately, I am not too impressed with any Remington rifle product that I have purchased or looked over.

I would go with a Browning bolt rifle (older manufacture date), Brno, or a CZ (which you have already excluded) for out of the box accuracy and function. My experience with CZ rimfire rifles is solid performers accurate, well made, and function everytime. I have a Zastava with a Remington stamp from a few years ago, has the ugliest stock, but shoots tiny single hole groups with Federal red/black box ammo all day long for an out the door cost of $130. Really like my Kimber Hunter, but it only shoots match grade ammo in tight groups everything else is a 3" pattern.

Ruger 77/22...you might have to tear the magazine apart and clean it up every ten thousand rounds or so...


Ingwe

Another + on the Ruger 77 rimfire.

I have a 77-17 that I've owned for several years. It has NEVER malfunctioned or jammed.

I've also got a Sako Finnfire that has never jammed.

Do have a Weatherby MK XX11 that will on occasion "dribble" an empty case when the bolt is worked slow.

Virgil B.

Never had a problem with my CZ452 but it has only had about 500 rounds through it so far. My Ruger 77/22 .22 WRM has accounted for about 3,000 prairie dogs so far and the durn thing has NEVER malfunctioned in any way...except it goes "click" instead of "bang" when it is empty. Sometimes I have wished for a 30-rd. magazine for it when the PD's are dumb.

Rifles with bullet proof actions that I own now, or have owned are:
Anschutz Model 54
Suhl
40x
541
Swindlehurst
Win Model 52
CZ 452's

The 40X is the best in my opinion

Quads can still be found. I picked up a nice used one in 17 HMR and am just tickled. That and my 77/22 mag has the gophers in tatters.

I had two magazines for my Cooper,one fed perfectly,the other occasionally would not feed the last round properly.My dealer replaced the defective magazine,and my Cooper now feeds perfectly with both magazines.

Never had a hint of a problem with my CZ452.

Va Hillbilly,

Buy a used but not abused Ruger 77/22 and send it to Clark Custom in Louisiana. Have them install their mid-weight barrel cut to 18-21 inches depending on how you like your rifles to balance. Have them do a trigger job to your requested pull weight. Put on a high quality scope, sight it in with the ammo of your preference and live happily ever after.

Cheers, RS

Ingwe, You are right about a Ruger 77/22 being reliable, I have owned at least four of these and they have all been bullet proof in the functioning department but the other qualification I want in a 22lr is that it be super accurate which none of My Rugers were, I did have one that would shoot .5" at 50yds after shooting almost every high grade 22 lr ammo I could think of and spending a pile of money on ammo, this is the very best it would do though, I've also tried a few Remington 504's with good functioning results, I just never found a real "Tack driver" .......VaHillbilly.

VA,

My Ruger experience is about like yours. I had one of the first ones made in 1985.. Really the whole design is /was pretty good but the gu only shot 5/8" groups at best, most were 1"+ at 50 yards- pretty mediocre. The problem was the bolt desgin and toldances are pretty sloppy, IMHO. They always have been and it's a big reason whay many of those guns don't shoot for beans right out of the box.

I think if Ruger retooled the m77/22 action , and tightened up the tolerances like they did with the Mini -14, they would truly have a world class rimfire hunting rifle.. Until that day, I will avoid them as there are better options for the $$, IMHO.

BTW, VA, exactly how well did your Rem 504 rifles shoot? Any function issues?

Another + on the 77/22. Just finished shooting the first case of ammo at beldings ground squirrels this spring. And still don't have the field cleaned out. I tend to shoot in single shot mode. If I use the magazine, I forget to count and snap the firing pin on an empty chamber. Never an issue when single loading.

I agree with You on the Ruger Jim, they would have a world class rifle with a little tighter tolerances, the 504's I owned had zero issues as far as function, after several thousand rounds through each rifle I can't recall even one fail to feed, extract or eject with either rifle, the accuracy I experienced was good but not great, both would shoot .5" at 50yds but they had to have the exact right ammo to do it, most ammo would produce .6" to .75" groups at this distance, acceptable accuracy in a hunting rifle for sure but still not what I would consider a "Tack Driver"..............VaHillbilly.

I had a Remington 504. The key word is HAD. The action was good but the accuracy was not worth a hoot. Mine would only do about 1 inch at 50 with about 10 types of ammo and tried every trick I new.
You could not run fast enough to give me another 22lr unless you put an aftermarket barrel on it. I hear good things about the 22WMR, and 17's, but after the 22lr I would have to see it first hand to believe it.

IMHO the 77/22 is dead nuts reliable BUT it costs too much for a rifle that is merely "usually adequate" in the accuracy department and leaves a lot to be desired so far as trigger pull. I'm on my 4th or 5th, tried a bunch of different aftermarket triggers, done some home gunsmithing when those were still unsatisfactory. Have not been really happy with one yet.

10/22 triggers can be fixed up NICE for about $200. I have a Jard 1 lb aftermarket unit which you cannot pry even from my cold dead fingers. It's vastly superior to anything i've found in 77/xx rifles including Jard's 77/22 trigger which I would not recommend to anyone on a dare ... it sucks.

Tom

TOM,

My second m77/22 was a blued iron sighted mode gun with a walnut stock.

It was chambered in 22 mag. Even with the reciver bedded well and the barrel free floated, it was tough to get it to shoot under 1" at 50 yerds with anything other than the 50g federal loads. Is would shoot into a dime at that distance.

One thing I did to to that rifle was a trigger job. As I remember, I very carefull ground out most of the sear engagement to get out most of the creep out and then took about a coil off the return spring to get the weight down to around 2lbs.

Then I guilded the lilly by drilling and tapping the front of the trigger housing for an over travel adjustment screw. The Ruger recivers ae so hard that I broke two ^%$$# taps getting it theaded..LOL

BUT- when I was done I had a trigger than truly broke like glass.

I later sold the rifle to a buddy in WV who hunted turkeys with a rifle. He loved it and the 50g Federal loads for such work.

I think a lot of the problems stem from the poor quality of bulk .22 ammo these days.
That being said, I have had very good experiences with the CZ rifles and Ruger 22/77s.

Winchester 94-22? Marlin 39-A?

I bought a Winchester Mod 52B when Winchester cataloged them again around 1994, to this day that rifle is the most accurate 22lr I have ever owned and as I remember it had no function issues to speak of, the only issue I had with the rifle was it's rather heavy weight, I got tired of lugging it around the squirrel woods pretty fast so I sold it, then thought what a fool I was for selling such an accurate shooter so a year or so later I ran across another NIB mod 52B and promptly bought it, sadly I could never get the new rifle to duplicate near the accuracy of the first one so I sold it too. I think accuracy in any given (quality) make or model rifle has largely to do with the luck of the draw, some real shooters are out there and there's also some real dogs, I wonder if it would help if I sent up a small prayer the next time I choose a new rimfire ..............VaHillbilly.

Jim62 -

I appreciate your input. I'm sorry, I wasn't real clear. Most of my centerfire shooting involves Jewell HVR -equipped Remington 700s with triggers set in single digit ounces. I've got my 77/17 at about 1.5 pounds, same as I had my last 77/22s, but its real disheartening to shift from the 4 ounce trigger on my .204 over to a 1.5 pound trigger on the rimfire. I don't believe it is possible to SAFELY get a 77/xx trigger where I, personally, need it to be ... in the half pound range.

Tom

I have a Stevens Buckhorn 66-B and have never had an ounce of trouble out of it. I just can't figure out how to put a scope on it....

Only fooled with a couple of Coopers, but both were as nice a rifle as I've ever seen and could shoot better than I could. Not much of a sample, though.

The Anschutz' 64's produced in the 80's were terrific, but needed to be shot a bunch before they would reliably feed. The one I have now was like this, but I wouldn't part with it for love nor money. It will shoot nearly anything into a 1/2" at 50 yards and RWS under 0.4".

I would have to say single shot bolt actions are the most "bullet proof actions". That said, I have a ruger 10-22 that I bought new about 30 yrs ago that is "bullet proof". It lives on a JD Gator and is my farm gun.

I have 4 rimfires: a 1950s era bolt action JC Higgins (got it when I was 10 years old), a 1960s era Beretta semi-auto pistol, a new 10-22 & a new Henry 22 mag. I've never had a misfire or failure to eject on any of them except the 10-22 & that was because of the ammo I had. I'm convinced most failures are either cheap ammo or poor gun maintenance. Keep your gun clean and use the ammo that it likes.

I went through the same thoughts recently and ordered a single shot NULA. Reliable and accurate.

ddj

I like my old Remington Bolt action, love tubular magazines, and think the old Steven's Single shot bolt guns would survive a Nuclear war.

They just might at that siskiyous..............Hillbilly.

I have a Mauser 210 22 Mag bolt gun with a one piece bolt with front locking lugs, it never has had a feeding issue.

Actually Keith.. I beg to differ on the "one peice bolt" of the Mauser 201s..

Actually, the bolt design of the Mauser m201 is the SAME two peice design as any other rimfire rifle. Basically they just extended the rear bolt section that rotates with the bolt handle foward with the locking lugs. It is a sleeve which is wrapped it around the non rotating center section of the breech bolt. Examine it closely and you will see.

The m201s are accurate ,nicely made guns and feed pretty well. I have owned two .22lr m201s in the last 20 years. One a deluxe walnut stocked version and the other plain beech.

I sold both as they do have a design flaw in them that is ,IMHO, the reason they were discontinued. When you work the bolt, notice the floating spring loaded case ejector arm that rides underneath the bolt.

That part is a hardened ,stamped sheet metal part. Many of them are brittle and DO break in use I have seen several do it.. No more case ejection. Try finding a replacement part..

Iv got 7 22s & iv never ever had a feed problem ever,sorry for your bad luck.

I like old remington scoremasters.iv got 2, one was made in 1940,[80 bucks]the other in 67[150 bucks].They work every time
& shoot very well.I love old 22 rifles

Like the others say--
Bolt gun-Rem. 581 (same gun as 541, but cheaper (the poormans 541)--every ammo always goes 'bang'
Therefore, the Rem 541 as well
Also very accurate and with adj. trigger.

Any Savage bolt 22--very accurate too
Semi;
Ruger 10/22--not very accurate, you'll get maybe 1 1/4" at 50 yards, but eats every ammo I've ever fed mine-an International model from 1998.

The old Remington 521-T that Dad bought new for $48 in 1948 has never burped and is dead nuts accurate. The Anschutz 141 I got in the '60s, likewise. Two of my boys have had 77/22's (one stainless/boatpaddle, one blue/walnut) since the mid 80's with no problems. My Nylon 66 just keeps chugging them out, but probably not a precision rifle by most standards. My Sako Quad is extremely accurate and has given me no problems beyond the fact that the .22lr barrel has a tight chamber and if you chamber a round (with some ammo) you should be prepared to shoot it.

I have a Browning A-Bolt 22 purchased new in 1986 and it is a great rifle. No functioning issues and very accurate for a rifle in it's price class.

Also, me and my wife have Kimber 22s...hers is a Classic model and mine is the Hunter/Silhouette. I can't say that they've been a promblem either...no ejection issues with ours. More accurate than the A-Bolt, but more expensive too.

Larry,

Exactly how well do your Kimber Classics shoot? I assume they are Yonkers, NY made rifles?

I have a lot of .22 rim fires that have not given a lick of trouble. out are made more than 35 years ago, some closer to a hundred years ago. My favorite just for casual plinking I would say are all my old WINCHESTERS. The ones I hunt with the most are clearly all my Marlin 39's. I don't know if any of this answers your questions or not?

Jim,
I have both a kimber classic and a classic varminter both yonkers, NY guns. Both guns will shoot .5 at 50 yards with several types of eley's. I have shot many groups in the .3 to .4 range at 50 yards (all 5 shot groups).

The only high speed ammo I can get to shoot is eley white rabbits. Mine will shoot cci standard velocity ok but thats it for cci stuff.

Dink

Dink,

Thanks for the reply. I did know that Kimber tested their rifles with the Remingont Imported Eley ammo and Federal Gold mdela match rounds. So I figured ,as with most any other rimfire most of the best groups would be shot with match ammo.

I went ahead and bought the K22 Classic I was looking at, so in a few weeks we shall see. I also wound up with a H&R m12 Target rifle to use as a shop rifle to build some stock patterns from so I guess I will be wringing that puppy out as well.

It's been about tow years since I have had some new rimfires to wring out at the range..

The Winchester 52 Sporter or the Browning 52 always fed and were spot on accurate. Only reason I sold mine was because of the high bolt throw required high rings...just could never get the proper cheek weld...

If looking for a new gun..CZ...I have a Scout, 453 Varmint and 452 American with the 17" threaded barrel...even with junk ammo they shoot better than most can hold...and with match ammo it gets truly astounding.

Can't go wrong with an Anschutz 54 either...

Bob

I would like to try a anschutz but I hear there quality control is also slipping.
I have had a couple of cz's and liked them except for that damn backwards safety. Since I have little boy that is going to start shooting soon I said to hell with it and sold them. I don't want him to get confused and make a mistake.

Dink

Never had any problems feeding or ejecting with my old BL-22

I have been through three Kimbers, and the last one (Yonkers Classic)is the best. It functions flawlessly, the trigger is superb, and it shoots under .5 inches with the right ammo. I had a Cooper and a Dakota, and had issues with each of them.

My most accurate and reliable .22 is a Sako Heavy Barrel Finnfire. It shot well out of the box, but I have since cheated and put on a heavy Lilja barrel and installed a Jewell 2-ounce trigger. WOW, does it ever shoot! The Kimber Classic serves as my squirrel gun and the Sako as my backyard bench gun. Been through a zillion .22s over the decades, but these two are my most often used now (except for pure plinking where my 9422 will always rule).

I have an old (old) BSA Martini model 12. Had to clean it once it started to misfire every now and then. Cleaned out the firing pin spring trigger assemble. Works fine and has done so for a very long time. No idea the round count, for me several thousand. Before 1984 when I bought it who knows. I would call it bullet proof. The most accurate 22LR (cartridge 220.) I have owned. Had lots of fun winning several competetions against 77/22's etc with 10X plus scopes with the micrometer iron peep sites on the BSA. Not a carry rifle, 11#'s with a 29" barrel but as accurate as I can be. Only issue would be wind, that affects all 22's.

Smith..

I bought a little 12/15 BSA off of Thad Scoot about 7-8 years ago..
I shot it in some 2/5 scaled BPCR Silhouette matches over the years..

Even with a bit of work, the trigger is a kind of gritchy 3-4 lbs.. And yet, I can hammer the little silver dollar sized chickens with it offhand at 80 yards with the PH tang sight..

I have plans to stock it up like an 1880 Martini Long range rifle someday just for grins..

Martinis actually work much better than they look and they are so homely they are actually kind of cute.. Like a Bulldog puppy.

My trigger is about 3-4# but smooth. Got it from a small gun shop in MN. I have the BSA sights, correct would be either Parker Hale or BSA. No idea of it's history other than honest wear and a nice patina. I love the gun for the fact that I know if I miss it is me not the rifle. If I remember correct I paid $250. If the wind is not up it will hit at 100 yards+ if I do my job.

Can't comment on how bullet proof it is, but the accuracy of a new Nula .22lr I just received is impressive. 6lbs 8oz with Leupold 3x9AO and it is consistently shooting .5s at 50yards even with some of the HV ammo. Mostly will be used for field practice, but nice to know it does great off the bench when one wants to do so.

Been wondering about one of those. Does it use a Remington 700 centerfire trigger mechanism like NULA's centerfire rifles? That would make it pretty attractive to me ...

Don't quote me on this, but I think Mr. Forbes uses a Timney or Jewell trigger the same as on his CF rifles. He set it at 2lbs and it is sweet.

It is on the same length action-model 20-as the .308W class of rifles and balances almost the same. Essentially a .22lr in a BG rifle format. Great for practice.

Interesting, I've never seen one of the NULA's.............Hillbilly.

Most accurate I've had was an Anshutz. Damn close is the NEF handi-rifle I have in 17m2. The simple H&R action is hard to beat, or break. The Anshutz had a typical German trigger, lots of little parts that wouldn't stay put.

Not the same as having one in your hands:

Battue.

Neat rifle!

Single shot or repeater?

Thanks.

Repeater. If I had it to do over it would have been a single shot, but no complaints.

Shot it again early this afternoon. Just buried the target ammo into 0.5s. Didn't do as good today with the HV stuff, but still kept them around .75. Can't tell the difference when standing or sitting.

+1 though I now only have 1 rimfire rifle- a Ruger 10/22 (which I bought new several decades ago. It has never given me any trouble, though I do keep it fairly clean. I remember working with someone years ago that had an old rusty (and I do mean rusty) Remington Nylon 66. This rifle was amazing in that it always seemed to function and hitting crows at around 50 yards or so was never a problem. With all this being said, the rimfire rifle I had many years ago but foolishly sold was a Winchester 9422. That rifle had the smoothest action of any rimfire I have ever held.

I don't know if any of the above rifles can be claimed as the "most bullet proof" but any of them will last for a long time (assuming reasonable care).

Battue.

That's plenty good shooting considering the weight of the rifle.

What exactly don't you like about it being a repeater?

Any feeding issues?

No feeding issues, just that I'm not in that big of hurry. Just as easy to feed a round into the chamber and shoot as it is to remove, fill and insert the magazine. No big deal, but I will use it as a single shot most of the time. I'm sure the magazine will be an advantage when using for squirrels, but again no big deal.

Have 4 groups I shot with it today. Will post late this evening when I get home.

Battue why did you have to post pics of that fine rifle? Now I want one. Very nice rifle.

Dink

I've had a Ruger 77 for about 8 years and it has not failed to feed a single round. I have pulled the magazine apart and oiled and tightened the tension spring - not that it really needed it.

Here are four groups it shot today, 50yards. Three are 5shots and the lower right is 6shots. Now there are many .22lr rifles out there that with the right ammo will do as good or better. However, these are just an indication that Mr. Forbes is making a pretty good .22lr.

Is it bullet proof? Time will tell.

Anschutz

I've had trouble with them all. I thinke the 10-22 has given the least.

LOL!! You are so full of chit.

Dat about wraps it up!!

Ingwe

Beautiful rifle Battue!! that thing looks like a squirrels worst nightmare ..............Hillbilly.

Ha!! Get real!!!.......................Hillbilly.

If you like the high end rifles try the Anschutz 1717D. This rifle will not feed hollowpoints however. I have an early version. I've never had any other problem with mine in any way. The SAKO Quad has had extraction problems for me. I own the four barrel version. My son has a Ruger with no problems whatsoever as well.

I can't get any of the high end .22s to feed, extract, or eject on a regular basis. I wish I could.

Bullchit.

Oh, geez..and Swampy's been so good lately....

Ingwe

I would imagine that the Anschutz 54 action rifles are very good functioning guns, the only Anschutz rifles I have owned had the 64 action and they didn't function worth a damn, I've owned 5 1416's that I can remember and not one would eject a case reliably, a few were very accurate though.....I agree on the excellent dependability of the Ruger 77/22 I have also owned several of these with no functioning issues whatsoever, but I never had one that I would call a real Shooter either.............Hillbilly.

The usually need an aftermarket barrel. I wish GM would start making the sporter weight barrels again.

If wishes were fishes......You'd have a pocket full of fish odors eminating from you.........

Gotta stick with my CZ453 American. Not ugly -- functions flawlessly -- shoots like a laser guided missle. And it doesn't break the bank.

Sounds like You found one You really like, congrats!........I had a few CZ 452 Americans and they shot fair but both had ejection issues, I now have a 455 on layaway at a gun shop so I haven't given up on CZ yet, I'll no more in a couple weeks when I get this new rifle out of layaway and on the range............Hillbilly.

Ditto the 452 issues.

Well, mine is a 453, and they are different in more ways than just the trigger. The bolt is also different. Mine feeds TC, HP, RN, Dynapoints -- bulk and not so bulk. Must have got the only good one they made according to you guys, but some folks over on rimfire central think otherwise. To each his own. Mine has shot one hole groups consistetly at 25 and 50 - haven't tried it further out yet.

The different bolts used on 452 vs 453 models is news to Me, I thought the only difference was the trigger...................Hillbilly.

Someone said that that the set triger required a changeto the bottom of the bolt. Haven't done a side by side, but I saw some pictures on rimfire central.

Anyway, mine is laser guided accurat.e . . . really.

Sounds like You got a good one, better hold onto it....................Hillbilly.

Battue That stock LOOK"S a little to star war's for me. I'll take a wood stock anytime!!!

You think I'm going to worry about the view of someone who can't bring a raccoon down off the rafters with a 12ga.?

You can grind your belly button off on the belt and it won't bother me none.

Addition: Just to let you know, Rhonda hung around awhile yesterday. A Southern Women scorned is not a pretty sight.

I ain't scared of a scorned Southern women! Hell I'm use to em.Good to see your catchin up with time's with one of those Buck Rogers lookin stocks.

I've never had any problems with:

Remington 580 single shot
Remington 581 clip fed
Marlin 880
Ruger 77/22
Ruger 10/22

All shoot and function well so long as kept moderately clean. I have never found 22LR to be as difficult as some make them out to be.

Another classic example of internet bravado!!!!

So what's wrong with the Anschutz?

Maybe nothing with the top of the line models that use the 54 action (I have never owned one, they are too heavy for Me) but I have owned 5 different Anschutz rifles that use the 64 action and not one would reliably eject a spent case....that's way too many rifles to have just gotten hold of a bad apple, I think the Anschutz 64 action is chit!.............Hillbilly.

I have had very good luck with my Remington 541T.

I did own a few 541T's in years past and I can't recall any functioning issues, you may be onto something here...........Hillbilly.

Anschutz 1712 Fwt.
Cooper JSR
Win. 52 re-issue

I have recently considered an Anschutz Mod 1712 since Anschutz changed to the new side safety for 2010, but I have zero experience with these 1700 series rifles, I don't even know a soul that owns one, do the 1700 series Anschutz rifles have the "bullet proof" action I'm searching for?...............Hillbilly.

I have one in 22 Mag. The Bolt is massive with two front locking lugs, never a glitch in feeding from the magazine. This gun shoots 3/4" groups at 100 yards, fantastic trigger to boot.

I think the new 1712 might be just the ticket, My only fault with it looking at the specs is that it is quite a bit heavier than I like for a 22lr..................Hillbilly.

Watch for a 1712 Featherweight. It has a McMillian stock if, you don't mind synthetics. Some of the early 1712 Fwt's would make the 7 1/2 pound weight limit with a scope. The 1712's are a favorite on the Smallbore Hunter Silhouette Ranges. I have one with a wood stock and one in a McMillian. They are my favorite using rifles. They have 2-stage triggers and pull about 1 1/2 pounds, come to a stop, then 8 to 10 ounces more to fire it. This is because of the 2 pound trigger pull rule for silhouette.

I love synthetic stocks but in IR 50/50 competitions 7.5 lb class they are not allowed, with this rifle it doesn't really matter anyway, I just want a super accurate rifle with a bullet proof action that performs without problems, the only real draw back I can see with this rifle is it's rather hefty weight. Will Anschutz build a featherweight model for 2010 with the new side mounted safety? the only reason I'm considering the 1712 is because Anschutz changed the safety to something more conventional, I really detest the old safety................Hillbilly.

I had problems with my Cooper in 17 Mach 2. Feeding out of the magazine problems. Send it back, they will make it right.

Since you seem to like the Ruger, you might be interested to know that Ruger is reputed to have changed the barrel attachment method to the usual thread instead of the clamp. I say reputed because I have not yet laid eyes on one.

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=334060

Do you think that change would make the 77/22 more accurate?...............Hillbilly.

Threaded or clamped to the action, it is still a Ruger barrel. IMHO, the only thing that would make Ruger 22 rifles consistently accurate would be if Green Mountain started making and chambering all their barrels.

And, if Ruger would embark on a tolerance tightening/retooling regimen as they did with the Mini -14 a few years agoIf they did that, a new m77/22 mightactually be worth what they currently charge for them.

One thing is for sure, going to threaded barrels was a dumb move from a marketing stadpoint by Ruger. I know whay they did it- Liability. but still it was a marketing advantage for Ruger. The whole easy barrel drop in was a selling point for the m77/22 rifles. It also gave owners with poor shooting turds a gracefull way to save their rifles. Now, the Ruger faithfull have no other economical choice but to send the gun back to the factory if it does not shoot well( and many of them do not)...

In truth however, that is justice, in the end. If Ruger builds $500++ bolt rimfire that don't shoot worth a damn, then THEY should pay the tab to make them right.

I agree Jim, and I laughed out loud at the part about the turd ....I wonder how hard it would be to find one of the old clamp in type barreled 77/22's NIB? I think this may be the way to go if the Green Mountain barrels are accurate enough and with a new trigger of course..I know the action is a solid performer, I'm glad this was suggested, this set-up never occurred to me before but I like the idea..........Hillbilly.

That's basically what I've done, got a s/s model 77/22 and added a walnut stock, trigger assembly and a 20" s/s green mountain fluted barrel.

Looks great, and shoots excellent for the most part; 1/4" to 3/8" at 50yds, but then throws fliers out to a 1/2" or so. Beats me why it does that, I'm stumped.

Sounds like a very nice rig, I have been looking and so far had no luck finding a NIB clamp in barrel model 77/22, I'm not ready to give up yet though...................Hillbilly.

And you know VA, I LIKE the Ruger m77s as a basic rifle.

Back in the Early 1980s, about the only really high grade Rimfire bolt rifles were the Anschutes and the then new Kimber m82s.

I actually wrote a letter to Ruger asking for them to build a riomfire version of the m77 bolt gun. I asked for a ,77 style tang safety, Ruger scope mounts and their rotary clip. About two years later, they came out with the little m77/22.

rifles.And they were deftinely a dream come true. I bought one the second year they were out and while that particular rifle shot OK, I never could get used to the sloppy fit of the action .

Over the years I have owned several other m77/22s and still disliked the lack of precsison fit in that action. I DO hope that the barrel thread change means that Ruger is embarking on a tolerance tighteing /tooling rework on the m77/22 rifles.

With the cost of all European rimfires going up - even the CZs- Ruger can still compete at the price point if they offer the same overall accuracy and precision in an American made package. If they do, I will surely give them another shot.

Jim, I'm afraid the threaded barrel change on the new Rugers will just make it that much harder to get one that shoots, at least with the old system you could make a simple barrel change and have a barrel made to match grade tolerances, now we are at Rugers mercy to build an accurate 22lr sporter and I like You have owned several 77/22's and none were what I consider good shooters, so I have little faith in Ruger tightening up tolerances in these latest rifles, I will be actively searching for a NIB old model 77/22 which I have had zero luck in finding so far..............Hillbilly.

I have a wood/blued 77/22 that just changed the barrel out to a Green Mtn 20" sporter fluted one....took a year to get the barrel up here and now I just need to get out and shoot it. Really hope the wait was worth it! I really like the action on them and the way they feel personally...but it would be nice as said above if Ruger could put one out that would shoot consistently. I dont think you can beat the mag system Ruger offers however....

I agree Harv, Your Ruger should be hard to beat..I hope it's a shooter, Good luck...................Hillbilly.