Most accurate factory .22lr?

J

jdk81

New member
I am looking into getting a new .22lr for varmint/target shooting. This gun will see a ton of range time as well as a ton of squirrels and rabbits. I currently own 1 .22 because of a house fire 2 years ago. It is a Savage Mark II G. It is a decent shooter and is fine on rabbit sized targets, but the best group I have shot is like 2-3" at 50 yards. I want one that I can spend $400 or less (preferably less) and get less than 1" at 50 yards. Hopefully.

Models I am considering at the moment:
Savage Mark II BTV.
I am considering this rifle because it seems to be well accepted online. It comes with the heavier barrel and accutrigger.

What do you guys recommend?
 
That savage will be a good gun. Also, look into the new Ruger American .22. It has a great price point, comes with a trigger similar to an accu-trigger, and I believe its free floating.

Also, a 10/22 should achieve 1" at 50 yards.

Does your $400 include price of a scope?
 
With the $400 limit, are you planning on putting an optic/scope on it as well???...or is that just for the price of the rifle?? You might want to look through some local pawn and gun shops to see what's available in older .22s, as they are seldom hurt by shooting...unless severely neglected....

While not from a commercial business, one of the more accurate .22s that I've picked up in recent time was a 1946 Remington pump action from one of the members here and I think it will hold it's own against any new one and it only cost me $350...I got what I feel was a great quality firearm...made back when most firearms were all steel...

I have a 1940s Walther single shot that I'd looked at in a pawn shop for over a year and while I paid a little more than the $400 because it had a nice scope on it, it's a match grade rifle and extremely accurate. All I had to do was clean a few years of crud out of the chamber and trigger...not from real neglect, just lack of use and the lubricant had hardened...
 
It is for just the rifle. I have a Nikon ProStaff 3-9x40 Rimfire scope to mount on it.

I have heard lots of bad things about stock 10/22s. I hear they need a lot of work. I am not at all interested in a semi auto anyways.

I have heard that the bull barrel on the .22 will help a lot. Is that true? Or will I not get too much more accuracy?

Thanks!
 
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A lot of shooters are generally happy, at least for awhile with the stock 10/22, but that's dependent on their needs and expectations...One of the first things that usually get changed is the trigger/fire control group and then the barrel as the desire for optimal accuracy seems to take hold...both are easy 'drop in' improvements, but not necessarily inexpensive...

If you are satisfied with a 1" group at 50 yards, i don't think you will have a problem achieving that standard, but it may, as with many .22s, be dependent on the ammunition you use, before considering any upgrades...Most seem to have preferences...

My 10/22 has several upgrades, but my standards are much tighter than the stated one you listed...I expect 5-10 shots all touching at 50 yards in under 1/2"...
 
My Savage MKII BV straight out of the box outshot my tricked up 10/22 that had close to $1000 into it. If you're looking for accuracy, FORGET about a 10/22. It will need massive aftermarket parts to achieve consistent accuracy, at a minimum a new barrel and trigger or at least trigger parts like the hammer and springs.

For about $400, your best bet is a Savage MKII or a CZ 455. The CZ costs slightly more but is a little nicer looking and has a better quality feel to it.

Of course, for best accuracy, ALL .22lr's require good ammo. My Savage shoots Blazer and Winchester 555 acceptably well for hunting and plinking, it shoots CCI Standard Velocity and MiniMags even better, and Wolf Match Target is frickin' amazing on a calm day!

I intend to send my Savage to Scott at SavageGunsmithing for a rimfire accuracy job (about $200 and 6 months wait) but first I need to decide on a replacement stock. My BV stock is ok but I dislike the light colored wood, I want something darker.

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100 yards on a calm day, Savage MKII BV .22lr shooting Wolf Match Target:
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What bipod is that gun sitting on? That looks really awesome and makes me almost change my mind on wanting the thumbhole stock.. I just cannot decide on that. It costs an extra $40.. Is it worth it? or is it just which you prefer?
 
That's a Harris type-S bipod.
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I dislike thumbhole stocks, mostly because of the look, but also because they don't fit my big hands. Some are ambidexterous but most suck if you ever need to shoot off hand or if a lefty is shooting it (kid, friend).
 
Savage MKII BV straight out of the box testing at 50 yards with "inexpensive" ammo. It clearly likes Blazer the best for bulk type ammo. Match grade ammo shoots great but it's too pricey for my needs when Blazer shoots this well.
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I have a few 22lr my cz452 varmint will group better than my 2 Anschutzs 1712 but the trigger has to be worked and the stock is not as nice for offhand shooting. You see a lot of the cz's at silhouette matches.
 
I have a Marlin XR-22TR, its like the ultra accurate all steel bolt version of a model 60. It groups around 0.5" @ 50 yards with cci tactical, a little less than 1" with cci mini-mag 36gr & 40gr versions, and around 1" with bulk remington or federal. I also have a marlin 917vt that groups 0.5" @ 100 yards but this is a 17 hmr with Hornady ammo. The new 22lr version would be the XT-22VR. The only thing I don't like about the XT stock is the swivel is molded plastic. I added a steel front swivel for a bipod. The plastic one would work for awhile but I could see some wear. The trigger on the XT rifles is almost like a savage. Actually both guns are very similar since whenever one company comes out with something in the other adds it to their gun line. They sell the XT-22VR for $192. You can get a nice laminate stock for $99 from boyds or just add a steel swivel for less than $5.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/produ...+22+BA+HB+7+SYN

Think the marlin and the savage are about equal as far as accuracy but can save a little on the marlin most of the time.

The 1.5" groups do seem to occur more often than you would like with the few 10/22s, a Remington 597, and a couple marlin 60s that I have tried to make more accurate.

Just so you know the thumbhole stock takes some time to get used to. I like it better if lying down but I cycle the gun slower with it. Also it really only works right handed comfortably.

The DNZ mount like DiRTY DOG has is my favorite for rimfire rifles. Never rely on that 3/8" rail for accuracy it will fail you.
 
I had a Savage Mark II BV with a Rifle Basix trigger that was an excellent shooter. I sold it to my neighbor when I was looking to get a 17HMR (which I still kinda regret). My suprise 22LR is a 1936ish Winchester Model 60. For a 77 year old single shot it shoots amazingly good, around 1 inch or better at 50 yards and it's light as a feather. Like OT said, it's pretty hard to ruin a 22 short of blatent neglect so a good quality used rifle may fit your needs well.
 
I have to go with the CZ 452. I have a cz 452 Ultra Lux with long barrel and its very accurate. I'm sure the savages are very accurate as well. I would go over to Rimfire Central and check out the classifieds. There are always rimfires for sale on there and you can find some great deals. Good luck with the hunt.
 
I'm not sure "most accurate factory 22lr" and "$400 or less" go together.

As for the "most accurate factory 22lr" I can think of many. KDF, Anschutz, Sako, NULA, Rem. 40X, ect. , but they are over $400 new and used, but they will shoot way under .5" at 100yds. Even some the CZ's will do that.

"$400 or less" ? You better stick with the Marlin, Savage group.
 
I have a Marlin model 60 that shoots one inch groups at 100 yards with an occasional flyer. It was $160 bucks at Walmart and has a $59 dollar scope.

I wouldn't consider another 22. I can't believe how good that gun shoots and how little I paid for it. It really [beeep] me off when I think about some of the money I have spent on guns, scopes, rings, bases, gun smith work and ammo on some of my center fire rifles. The Model 60 is a no brainer.
 
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I see a few winchester m75 targets around at gun shops and gun shows prices vary from $250-$500. They are not as collectible as there big cousin the m52 target so not a big deal to have out and shoot. Both the m75 and the m52 will hold there own against annies,40x, etc. Remington target masters are great shooters as well and are in the same price range. Most of the Winchester and Remington rimfires from the 1930s-late1950's are great shooters and I wouldn't overlook a gently used one. As far as new rifles go I would stick with savage or cz. But truth be told my m75 target shoots rings around my savage 17hmr at fifty yards so I'm slightly biased towards the older rifles.
 
Originally Posted By: OldTurtleA lot of shooters are generally happy, at least for awhile with the stock 10/22, but that's dependent on their needs and expectations...One of the first things that usually get changed is the trigger/fire control group and then the barrel as the desire for optimal accuracy seems to take hold...both are easy 'drop in' improvements, but not necessarily inexpensive...

My 10/22 has several upgrades, but my standards are much tighter than the stated one you listed...I expect 5-10 shots all touching at 50 yards in under 1/2"...

So what you're saying is that if you buy a 10/22 and then replace all the parts that matter, you end up with a rifle that's close to as good as the one you could have had off the shelf and for less money had you NOT bought a POS 10/22?
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Awesome.

10/22s are junk. Every "recommendation" of a 10/22 always seems to include, "Just replace the barrel, trigger, and stock with readily available aftermarket parts and your 10/22 will be a real shooter." Ummmm, yeah.

How much do you have into the 10/22 that produces 10 shot touching groups at 50? It's a bit more than 400. And if you're actually telling the truth, it'll also be a big more than any of about 4 high end bolt guns will cost even though they can do that out of the box.
 
I have a Savage TR. It shoots extremely well, most of the time. Looks like a mini tactical rifle. It has the accu-trigger which in this rifle kinda needs help but it works pretty good. With match ammo, it stays in the 1/2 in range at 50yds pretty easy with several bug hole groups thrown in. All in all, very pleased.
 
Grouse,,,You apparently didn't really read the section of my comment that you quoted...You seem to be more interested in ignoring the facts and taking issue with my standards and upgrades...

Comment from OPs initial post...Quote: I want one that I can spend $400 or less (preferably less) and get less than 1" at 50 yards.
My comment:Quote:My 10/22 has several upgrades, but my standards are much tighter than the stated one you listed...I expect 5-10 shots all touching at 50 yards in under 1/2"...
Quote:A lot of shooters are generally happy, at least for awhile with the stock 10/22, but that's dependent on their needs and expectations..it may, as with many .22s, be dependent on the ammunition you use, before considering any upgrades.
A stock 10/22 is easily capable of performing to his expectations and since he already has his optic, his cost for the stock 10/22 should be slightly under $200 and stay within his wishes...
 
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