best .22 rifle?

[eZero]

for a semi-auto, definitely a Ruger 10/22. You can upgrade it and customize as much as you want.

For a bolt action. CZ 452/3/5 is a good choice if you are willing to tinker with it a bit. CZ makes a great gun but the stock trigger has a bit of creep. Also on mine the accuracy was sub par until i bedded the stock and then the accuracy was excellent. To fix the creep you can buy a trigger shim from Yo dave for 10 15 bucks. After those 2 tweaks mine shoots like a dream.

I got a 455 with 22LR barrel and 17 hmr barrel. Planning on getting the 22 WMR barrel soon.

[Te Anau]

for a semi-auto, definitely a Ruger 10/22. You can upgrade it and customize as much as you want.

Or just buy a nice rifle that doesn't need to have half its parts replaced to be decent to begin with.My Savage semi,bolt and Remington 597 were great shooters out of the box.

[Bamashooter]

So was my Ruger 10/22. Both of them. People who complain about accuracy must not be good shooters because I have been shooting them for 20+ years and they have always been accurate. I have yet to replace a part on either one. I dont know where this replace half the parts to be accurate garbage is coming from. Must just be ignorance or lack of experience with a 10/22 or just someone who doesnt like them and runs around badmouthing them. Either way saying they need an overhaul to be accurate is wrong.

[Braatzy]

Marlin model 60 is rugged, customizable, very accurate, and just a good all-arounder

[Antique Shooter]

Unless you are going to buy an older rifle, Anschutz is right at the top for new .22's. I've had mine for a while, and have nothing bad to say. If your going to buy an older rifle, I have a Mossberg 42 M that shoots pretty darn close to the Anschutz. 5 shot group in one hole easy at 25yds. Somebody mentioned a Remington 581 another good choice. Older Marlins shoot pretty well also, and you can usually find them for under 200$

Antique Shooter

[JACK308]

either Savage or Henery

[tahunua001]

I've owned 2 22s. one was a marlin model 60 I could shoot empty 22 casings at 50-60 yards but it had a nasty tendency of jamming. I have a 10/22 now that is crazy reliable but I have an archangel ar15 type stock on it that kindof ruins the accuracy. the 10/22 is the best for aftermarket parts and ruger has the best customer service but slightly lacking if you ever get the aftermarket stuff

[NWCP]

For the best .22 ever made the 10/22 sure needs a lot of upgrades in order to work well. Pre '64 Winchester Bolt action .22s are really nice shooters. As for modern .22s I like the Browning Semi Auto .22LR breakdown and any of the CZ rimfire bolt actions. JMHO

[Picher]

The Savage Mk II BRG and other heavy-barrelled bolt actions with accu-trigger are pretty darned good for the money.

That said, every shooter should have at least one accurized 10-22! That doesn't mean it has to cost $600 to get there. You'll need a good match barrel, like the Green Mountain HB, and Volquartsen trigger parts.

If you're handy with tools and if you get, preferably, a good used Deluxe model, and use my bedding/metal working system, you can do it all to the remaining factory parts and get it to shoot half-inch groups with good ammo. It's a lot of work, but many people are enjoying fantastic rifles without spending much money. Check out the 10-22 Tips and Tricks Forum at RimfireCentral.com for some really great techniques.

I've seen lots of impressive-looking, expensive "put-together" 10-22's, but if the bedding and metal work isn't done correctly, they can't hold a candle to a carefully-modified "mostly" factory Deluxe model (or 10-22T).

JP

[223 shooter]

That said, every shooter should have at least one accurized 10-22! That doesn't mean it has to cost $600 to get there. You'll need a good match barrel, like the Green Mountain HB, and Volquartsen trigger parts.

Agreed ,I added a $150 Volquartsen barrel to a 10/22 Deluxe , an upgrade that turned the 10/22 into my best shooting 22lr rimfire rifle. The upgrade total - barrel + plus rifle was right in the range of rifles like my CZ American or Marlin 39.

For the best .22 ever made the 10/22 sure needs a lot of upgrades in order to work well.

Seems to me the 10/22 was selling remarkably well long before the aftermarket craze started.

No one seems to make a great fuss over a shooter customizing a 1911 and most of the work has to be performed by a pistolsmith. Yet when someone upgrades a 10/22 , feathers seem to get ruffled on these boards.

[chucknbach]

So was my Ruger 10/22. Both of them. People who complain about accuracy must not be good shooters because I have been shooting them for 20+ years and they have always been accurate. I have yet to replace a part on either one. I dont know where this replace half the parts to be accurate garbage is coming from. Must just be ignorance or lack of experience with a 10/22 or just someone who doesnt like them and runs around badmouthing them. Either way saying they need an overhaul to be accurate is wrong.

Could be your standard of accuracy is alot lower than some of us. I sold my 10/22 'cuz it couldn't shoot. I expect and demand 1 hole at 50 from a .22 out of the box, then I want to go from there to get a smaller hole.

[shurshot]

I have owned MANY .22's over the years, from the Ruger 10-22 to the Marlin 60, to an old Stevens semi-auto .22 and Winchester lever action and SS model 67. Bolts, semi's, SS, levers. Tried them all. The best???????? Easy...........

REMINGTON NYLON 66.

[Bamashooter]

Well chuck I sure wasnt shooting one hole groups with my 10/22. What I was doing was shooting quarter sized groups with green tag ammo and either one of my rugers. Thats good enough for me. So I guess maybe Im not up to your standards. I do think its funny that you sold your 10/22 because it wouldnt shoot one hole groups.

[cajun47]

my 10/22 malfunctions every kind of malfunction quite often even with factory mags. from brand new to the 10,000 round mark. not saying they all junk but mine is and my brother's 10/22 malfunctions pretty regularly too.

my sig 522 works 99% perfectly with any ammo. super accurate too. imo thats the best semi auto .22lr rifle. my brother in laws s&w 15-22(?) is pretty good but the trigger isn't up to sig standards.

[ltc444]

Best 22 is my fathers Springfield manufactured in 1922. he took crows at 300 yards with open sights off hand.

When he told me I didn't believe him but didn't say anything. we were walking across a field. he saw a crow on a fence post and shot it. The fence line was surveyed at 300 ft.

[Crazy Carl]

Marlin. Cheaper than the Ruger & IMO, more accurate out of the box.

My CZ452 was amazingly accurate, as well, but there is a SUBSTANTIAL (to me) price difference between a Marlin 60DLX with TechSights & a CZ452 American with good glass.

Try a few. See what blows yer skirt up. Buy it.

[hooligan1]

Bo howdy that Kimber and those CZ's shoot well,,,, I used to shoot a 40X, 22 LR Match rifle for the Mo. Army National Guard that would shoot same hole on scaled targets at 50 ft. But the family's best .22 is got to be the Winchester Mod# 67, with the right ammo it shoots same hole at 25 yds easy, despite me doing everything I can to mess it up!

[Abel]

Best 22 is my fathers Springfield manufactured in 1922. he took crows at 300 yards with open sights off hand.

When he told me I didn't believe him but didn't say anything. we were walking across a field. he saw a crow on a fence post and shot it. The fence line was surveyed at 300 ft.

So. Which was it? 300ft or 300 yards. Help me out here.

[adbramsay]

this argument has been had a million times with my customers, honestly it depends on purpose of use and how much you want to spend.

I find that I get the fewest complaints on the Ruger 10/22 and Remington 597. Each have their respective faults and upsides, I bought the Ruger 10/22 because of the aftermarket support for them. I am dissappointed though with the polymer trigger assembly on my gun so I bought an all metal one from ClarkCustomGuns for about $35, well worth it too.

[Telgriff]

CZ all the way. Or if you want something more expensive and more dedicated to target shooting, then Anschutz.

Though at my range, every rimfire comp is dominated by CZ owners - most of them 452's including myself. The trigger is a bit heavy but you can get that swapped out for a better one if you want. Having shot both CZ's and Annies, I prefer the CZ.

[tony101]

cz 453 that has the single set triger.that way you dont have to worry about the creep in the 452 triger that some complain about.

[scottycoyote]

seems like i read a lot of 22 competitors use the cz, id love to pick up one some day if a good deal floats my way. Barring that i think the marlins are accurate as heck, either the 60 or the bolt action.

[Wuchak]

The best for me is the Marlin 39a. It has been in continuous production for over 100 years for a reason. I get smaller groups out of my 39a than I do with my 452 with Brooks trigger kit. As a bonus the 39a breaks down for easy cleaning and transportation.

If you are a tinkerer than the 10/22 is where it's at.

[tulsamal]

I have to admit that CZ on page one sure looks tempting. But it brings up a pet peeve..... I've picked up CZ .22's before and I'm always interested until I turn the rifle over and look at the trigger guard. How come CZ is still using some kind of bent sheet metal for their trigger guard after all these years? Looks like something that would have come on some inexpensive utility .22 rifle from the 20's or 30's! Somebody must make a replacement but CZ really should design and produce something a little more modern looking right from the factory.

Gregg

[PoorRichRichard]

My marlin 795 has been great outta the box. I put a little cheap Walmart scope on it, and I can hit clays at 200 yards from a rest.