Favourite .22 Rimfire Rifle

[achjimmy]

Just curious, if any forum members shoot/ own a Winchester Wildcat .22

I have been asked a few times what's a good .22 rifle for a kid to start on when he gets his Junior Firearms Permit and you want to train him/ her up on the range in safety to start with. There are alot of .22 around the $700 - $1000 mark. But for kids you want something reasonable, safe and a bit cheaper.

I had been looking the nice little .22 Marlins in a wood stock, the Savage .22 rifle, unfortunately as great the CZ 's are they have jump a fair bit in price over the last 10 years.

I purchased a brand new Winchester Wildcat .22 and for $450 it came with a nice stock, 3 x 10 round magazines and a 5 round magazine. It uses the Russian Toz barrel short 18-19 inch barrel and I have to say a nice little gun to shoot on the range and very light as a walk around rabbit gun. For $450 with 4 x magazines, I considered this a pretty good deal and yes they shoot pretty good too. I'm thinking this would be a great starting gun for any junior shooter as a first gun.

Cheers

Campfire

Campfire I looked closely at the wildcat a few years ago for my son, before picking up the Lakefield/savage. I thought they were excellent, but they were more than $450 iirc. The wildcat is the Toz, to my knowledge winchester (just about nobody)no longer manuafatures any .22 in the US. The difference between the wildcat and Toz was the wildcat had open sights and the Toz only came dovetailed. The Russians build supberb guns generally, plenty of steel and reliable and would be much better than the Chinese options IMO.

Campfire I might add I purchased the Lakefield / savage used and it was the economies of this that made my mind up. I would have prefered the Toz/wildcat over the savage.

[scottrods]

How did you manage to keep your 10/22.
Johnny Howard took mine when autos were "outlawed".
Gave me only half it was worth with no comeback to appeal value.
Also "took" a custom 8 shot Mosberg semiauto 12G scrub  shotgun and a mint Berretta 302 12 Guage.
The 10/22 was a custom built with stainless barrel, polished action,with a carbon fibre pistol grip stock.

Talking about ammo, can you still get Z LONGS. Low velocity rounds

that's cos I live in New Zealand and I've got a nice silencer on it too. 

[sparksy]

The 10/22 is a great gun. I had it fitted with a 25 shot mag and a 4x40 bushnell "lite site" scope. it had a led on the crosshairs so easy to aim in low light.
Other gun I regret selling was a Marlin 375 winchester. Great gun for pigs with 250 grain handloads.

[Campfire]

The Winchester Wildcat is a great little .22 to shoot, I certainly enjoy shooting mine and it's so light to use.

[Campfire]

Guys,

I don't want to start another thread, but would like to put another question out there.

What's your favourite .22 ammo and why ( target or hunting) especially with all the high tech loads out there these days.

Cheers

Campfire

[gurules]

campfire know  im only new but a trip away would be good if work permits,time etc. as i said ive just taken my son shooting and we had a ball.its a great bonding session and the girls(well most of them) just dont get it.i also shoot deer down our way,thats a great pass time,mostly for meat and some trophies. glad to see so many peple share the passion.also had plenty of hand guns till i had to hand them in but now my lads is keen will join another club and get him to it. cheers 

[heathydee]

Guys,


What's your favourite .22 ammo and why ( target or hunting) especially with all the high tech loads out there these days.

Cheers

Campfire

Winchester Sub-Sonics for both targets and game . They seem to kill rabbits particularly well out to 100 metres or so and the Brno plonks them into three quarters of an inch at 50 everyday . Sometimes even better . I have one five shot 100 metre group of under an inch taped to my gun safe .

[Campfire]

Winchester Sub-Sonics for both targets and game . They seem to kill rabbits particularly well out to 100 metres or so and the Brno plonks them into three quarters of an inch at 50 everyday . Sometimes even better . I have one five shot 100 metre group of under an inch taped to my gun safe .

I went for a time there I preferred to hunt with Winchester sub sonics more so than any other brand or type of bullet, I use to buy a big brick of them in the white box and use them on the rural property where I was living, the noise wasn't as bad and I liked the big soft lead hollow point cavities which certainly did a number on the rabbits.

Campfire

[Ricey]

Ive got 2.
A husqvarna and a Mossberg SS.
Both great guns and really accurate well as good as the user on the day anyway.

Just for interest.
I had an older bloke do some ferreting on my property going back 15 years or so ago and he used to shoot up around Yunta for many years.
He used to make a living out of Rabbits.
Average of 900 Pair a week. Yeah before Calici.
His best week was 1800 pair in about 4or 5 days.
Used many different ways to get them even had a dog trained to go and pick them up for him. He used to fence off water points and rabbit warrens and catch them in an area with a long tunnel in similar to an Opera House yabby net.
He used to buy 22 ammo in lots of 30,000 rounds every year.

He had 2 x .22 rifles and each one had 2 or 3 barrels on them.
This is the only person that I have heard of that has shot out numerous barrels on a .22 LR.

Cheers

[sako]

My sako .22 loves Remington sub sonics the best, with the winchesters a close second.

[scottrods]

here she is. And over here I can use it to shoot possums and magpies 

[Jon]

My nephew lives in Palmerston north and he went possum shooting one night, only had his .243 as the 22mag was in the shop for some work.
He tells me there was possum mince but that's about it.

In case anyone doesnt know, possums are a plague species in NZ.

[Campfire]

here she is. And over here I can use it to shoot possums and magpies 

What a great looking set up, I was given a Ruger Semi 10/22 for my 21st Birthday many years ago off my parents ( best birthday present ever had), I used it on Rabbits heaps, until Jonny decided I wasn't allowed to have it anymore as part of the gun buy back. Still wished I had it.

You Kiwis's are very lucky.

Great looking set up you have there and I bet she has a few notches on the belt also.

Campfire

[scottrods]

definitely does.

[SUPA105]

Have a few rimfires, BRNO's & a JGA......which i am fond off....but have some serious fun with a little known lever action ERMA-WERKE. This is my knock around camp gun i take if we are chasing a bunny for the pot, light and tuff with open sites.

Cheers

[sparksy]

Posted by: scottrods
Insert Quote
here she is. And over here I can use it to shoot possums and magpies  Evil

I agree, a nice setup, great rifle the Ruger 10/22.
My one that Johnny took off me was a similar setup (except we werent allowed suppressors) Mine had a pistol grip stock   great for shooting bunnies  out of the work ute. Used to work on the Perth to Kalgoorlie water pipeline and used to bag bunnies on the rabbit proof fence road on late night callouts.

[jetcrew]

I love my sportco 10 shot pump action MOD 93 .22. but i have a broken triger housing ,anyone know of any places that might have spares for this . I had to look pretty hard to find a firing pin a few years back.

I have had a cheapy norinco .22 for  few years and it's not a bad gun for the $$

and I have a  winchester M 9422M leaver action. I've yet to a put a round through it though.

I think buying these days depends on intended use and $$ to spend . If it goes bang and hot stuff comes out the end it works and you don't need to spend big for that.

Jetcrew

[Boesman]

I got my BSA from my grand dad when I was 7.

Shot many birds and 'dassies' with it at first. Also shot a couple of Springbucks.

I had to leave it with a trusted friend when we came over, but I would like to find out if it would be possible to bring it into the country some how.



a Dassie

[rodw]

I got my BSA from my grand dad when I was 7.

Shot many birds and 'dassies' with it at first. Also shot a couple of Springbucks.

I had to leave it with a trusted friend when we came over, but I would like to find out if it would be possible to bring it into the country some how.



a Dassie

Pretty sure you can. Why not give Customs a call?

[Boesman]

That would be awesome. I saw the other day that there is a shooting range near Wangara. I think it was called White Man Park.... or something like that.

Or, do you also have pests around on the farms that needs culling every so often?

[rodw]

That would be awesome. I saw the other day that there is a shooting range near Wangara. I think it was called White Man Park.... or something like that.

Or, do you also have pests around on the farms that needs culling every so often?

You should check with the Police in your state but I think it is pretty generic across the states. Basically you need a reason to own a firearm (shooting club or recreational, vermin control etc) In QLD if recreational, you need written landholders permission. You'd need to do the course to get a weapons license. Oh and you'll need a gun safe too. Over here they do spot audits of firearms storage. I got one.

So once you have the license, I think there are import provisions but it's ages since I checked this out.

Awesome to see a Martini action. Over here there was one used for military cadet training. Years ago I had one, a Martini Cadet as they were called which was .310 calibre, like a pistol round. Massive projectile lumbering along at .22 speed. Sold it to a family friend who still has it. Some were rebarrelled to .22 for target work. Looks like I had the Model 4 from this page.
http://www.adamsguns.com/martini.htm

[Campfire]

Martini  Cadet, what an interesting topic, especially when you think about it's link to both Australian military and hunting history/ culture.

You could easily go into a whole new thread on this little beauty.

I've had a go of one on numerous occasions and seen them used at a pistol club I frequent on occasion. Alot of old blokes re-living their youth and shooting this gun for nostalgia.

Other reasons I like apart from it link to Australian Culture & History.

1. Open site rifle , simple to shoot and more challenging on the range than a scoped firearm

2. Can be used at pistol club with downloaded shells so it shoots similar to a pistol cartridge.

3. Manual single loads means longer range time for shooting before you run out of ammo, plus the safety factor of the Martini action is a big vote winner.

4. Can make lead projectiles and develop your own hand loads for variable use and results.

5. Have seen a bunch of old shooters form social / shooting groups ( informally), based on their interest for the Martini Rifle and meet on a regular basis to shoot off against one another ( targets
 on range).

6. If your a historian this gun has plenty of reference , historical reading material.

7. Cheap to shoot

8. Makes a great hunting gun with open sights, light to carry, cheap to load, and once again the single action makes for great hunting safety.

9. There are collectors out there who find them highly desirable

10. Easy gun to modify if you want to change it around for hunting/ target shooting.


Anyway that's my 5 cents worth, if you have one in good condition, then consider yourself very lucky...

Cheers

Campfire

[scottrods]

I used to shoot 25m indoor target comps at uni. These were the rifle we were brought up with. Very accurate and reliable.
I'd buy one for the kids to learn, anytime

[christofurry]

Great thread, actually went for a walk on Sunday night in victoria with a Stirling 22LR and an old single shot CZ heavy barrel. Nabbed a few bunnies for my trouble, a couple of rats (they are everywhere at the moment) but didnt see any fox's though.

I find the CZ WAY WAY WAY more accurate than the Stirling especially with Remington subs or Winchesters. I can out shoot the stirling maybe 3-1.

Im thinking of buying a .17HMR, anyone have and experience with these?

[rodw]

Martini  Cadet, what an interesting topic, especially when you think about it's link to both Australian military and hunting history/ culture.

8. Makes a great hunting gun with open sights, light to carry, cheap to load, and once again the single action makes for great hunting safety.

Um you forgot to mention that it is single shot which is one disadvantage as I seem to recall. Used to carry mine in a rifle scabbard down the front fork of a motorbike while mustering. I missed a pig once and he charged, had to lift my leg as he hit the bike. Second round would have been handy...

Looking back, I should have kept it. I only paid $30 for it from a disposal store I seem to remember back in about 1975. It'd be worth a fortune now