* THEE BEST Bolt-Action 22LR $300-450 *

[.40Cal]

Hi guys,

Here goes...a question probably asked before. Looking for the BEST bolt-action 22LR under 300-450 ish. I am considering Savage accutrigger, CZ for the most part. Purpose: Bench/Target shooting (long range accuracy) important.

I've never been a huge fan of Savage in general, but it does have very good reviews. This was at Big5, lovely gun - threaded, heavy-fluted barrel, nice color job, and a free (cheap) scope. Was 299, now 350. http://www.big5sportinggoods.com/sto...0#.WCTa3i0rLio

Dayum Good price/Pkg - http://www.cabelas.com/product/MARK-...12&WT.tsrc=AFF

CZ has some great reviews too. But they have too many models which confuse me. http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/brows...&WTz_stype=GNU

NEED your help in giving me advice, which one, and why?

Thanks!

[Bainter1212]

I have a CZ 455. Fit and finish is great for a .22. Smooth bolt too.

Haven't shot it yet so.......can't help you there

[.40Cal]

I have a CZ 455. Fit and finish is great for a .22. Smooth bolt too.

Haven't shot it yet so.......can't help you there

How much and from where did you buy?

[Bainter1212]

How much and from where did you buy?

$300ish? From Sportsman's Warehouse.
Used my rewards points to buy it.....otherwise I would have shopped around.

[.40Cal]

$300ish? From Sportsman's Warehouse.
Used my rewards points to buy it.....otherwise I would have shopped around.

Niiice

[madbeans88]

marlin xt-22, ruger american, both are worth the money, believe they are in 250 price point. With the cash you have left over, you can invest in some nice glass

[guest1]

CZ 452 Ultra Lux, the best CZ 22lr IMHO

[joe47]

If you are wanting it for bench/target shooting your best bet would be a CZ 452, 453, or 455 Varmint. It has a heavy barrel and a wider stock that makes it ride a rest much better, plus it is a little heavier than the rest of the CZ's. As far as accuracy, all CZ's are in the same neighborhood..

Check with Buds gun shop, Kentucky guns, or Whitakers guns before going with Cabalas.

[as_rocketman]

If you want a scope too for < $450, probably not CZ. Savage is good, Marlin is good. Marlin fits me better. Your mileage will vary. Ruger RAR is worth a look but it's not designed to be anybody's "best" rifle, it's designed to be a highly functional tool, which is a worthwhile niche.

If you can also afford a good scope, CZ is probably the winner. 455 American or Varmint depending on what you want to do with it.

If you want irons, CZ 452 Lux is back on the table. I don't like open sights, though, so this wasn't on my list.

But also consider used... you might find and fall in love with an old Remington, Sako, or a Zastava... my brother-in-law fell into an Izhmash biathlon rifle for not much more than that.

[guest1]

....If you want irons, CZ 452 Lux is back on the table. I don't like open sights, though, so this wasn't on my list.

I have a leupold 4-12x40 scope on my Ultra Lux and it works like a charm but a bit heavy. Its the coolest thing to see the actual projectile go up and fall down into your target through the scope

[SavvySlug9]

+1 CZ 455.

I have a varmint model. I've put 5,000+ rounds through the 22 LR barrel, maybe 300 through the 17 HMR barrel. I haven't had a single failure, no FTF FTE FTL.

I love the interchangeable barrels. Once I got bored of the 22LR I bought a fluted 17HMR barrel (on sale from CZ-USA, free ship). Basically, you are given flexibility. Lilja match grade drop in barrel, no problem. CZ-USA 28" ultra lux barrel, go for it. Also you know the action will hold up, it is engineered to withstand 17HMR/22MAG, so you could shoot 22LR all day.

Trigger is good out of the box. Mine has a crisp trigger. Many CZ 455 owners also have a crisp trigger. $10 kit from DIP products lets you swap out the trigger spring to make it a lightweight trigger, while keeping that crispy-ness. I recently did this trigger spring swap. I wish I had done it sooner, now it's a great trigger.

Heirloom quality but no heirloom price. This is a nice feeling rifle.

Safe to dry-fire. If you want to practice target shooting that will be a plus.

If you're interested in more bench style shooting, look at a model with a heavy barrel (varmint is the main name, tacticool might be another name for the heavy barrel), but I always get this feeling that heavy barrels for 22lr are kind of gimicky. But what can I say, I think they look cool.

Cons? You gotta be careful with scopes. The bolt handle can interfere with many scope rings. Also I believe it is an 11mm dovetail, double check this. You will have fewer scope ring settings unless you change the rail.
Be careful about torquing the action screws, you'll probably need a torque wrench as it is sensitive due to how the action sits in the stock.
And it's got no iron sights, so you gotta have a scope.
Magazines are expensive, 30+ each.
But she's a keeper.
Try starting off with CCI Standard, Wolf Target, SK, Norma Tac 22, for the lower end of the accurate 22 rounds.

Good luck and have fun, shoot the thang!

EDIT: Oh I should talk about accuracy too. I consistently get 1MOA (I'm an average shooter, and I'm not cherry picking my best groups) with lower end target ammo at 50 yards. But yes under great conditions this rifle may go under MOA. At 100 yards...ugh. I've only had one cherry picking 5 shot group under 1 MOA at 100 yards. But where I shoot it gets windy, that's my excuse anyways!

[Jarhead]

CZ455

[TexasJackKin]

My pet .22 bolt rifle is a Ruger 77-22, not sure if they still even make it. It has a light center fire feel.

[Felix 808]

My pet .22 bolt rifle is a Ruger 77-22, not sure if they still even make it. It has a light center fire feel.

I agree & love my 77/22, but it's going to break over your budget you have listed, & yes they still make it. I built mine out to mimic an M-40, did I mention that I love it.

[Skeez]

Another note for CZ here. Once you handle one at your LGS, you won't buy anything else.