Target 22LR Rifles today vs the Past

[harbormaster]

My "first round fired" was from a bolt action 22LR in an indoor range at a target panel with 5 little bullseyes at about 50 feet I think it was. I was age 11 about to turn 12 and taking a Hunters Safety Class and we had to shoot at this; and I learned the old timers had lots of competition going on these small targets with fancy 22 LR's. Mostly Winchester 52's I believe. There were some others. I had an offer to buy a 52 when I was 18-19 from one of the old timers and its a regret I didn't.

I know there are some German rifles made in for small bore shooting today but I'm asking about the 10/22 "high end" guns that now seem to be routinely available in every gun shop. I never thought about $800 for a 10/22 but is that what people are using these for - small bore competition or ?

https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting-gear-gun-supplies/rifles/ruger-1022-competition-blackstainless-semi-automatic-rifle-22-long-rifle/p/1532768

Why will I like this over a regular 10/22 and a case of ammo?

[Calif Hunter]

I don't think you will see any 10/22s at ARA benchrest competitions. Primarily custom rifles now with the Anschutz, Win 52 and Rem 40X also there.

[divingin]

I don't think you will see any 10/22s at ARA benchrest competitions. Primarily custom rifles now with the Anschutz, Win 52 and Rem 40X also there.

Nor will you see any at ISSF matches. Those will be tweaked factory purpose-built smallbore rifles costing upwards from $2-5K.

[smoothy8500]

is that what people are using these for - small bore competition or ?

Ummm, I guess for plinking competition...Not really for NRL22 and definitely not NRA or ISSF/Olympic smallbore. Maybe smallbore "run n' gun" matches.

[ChampCarStar]

Nor will you see any at ISSF matches. Those will be tweaked factory purpose-built smallbore rifles costing upwards from $2-5K.

You won't see any Winchesters or Remingtons anymore in ISSF, everyone stopped using those decades ago.

Even Anschutz now has fallen by the wayside.

IF you want to compete and be competitive in ISSF you will need one of the following:

Walther KK500 $5000 to $7000 per rifle
Bleiker Challenger $8000 to $10,000 rifle
Grunig and Elmiger Racer $12,000+ per rifle

I had an Anschutz and switched to the Walther. Walther is a far superior rifle.







But yeah, not what OP is looking for.

[3006]

I have a model 52c it's as accurate as I will ever need. The 1022 is more accurate then 95 percent of shooters off hand and probably more accurate then most off the bench .
The 52 is at least 60 years old the 1022 at least 40.

[RandyD]

You won't see them in smallbore competition either.

OP, I got my start in shooting at a 50 foot range using a couple of the gun club's Remington 513T. I shortly afterwards bought a Winchester 52C. I sold that to get an Anschutz 54, and still have my Anschutz 2013.

[Mac Attack]

[Peahi2]

When I was returning to the 22 world recently, I was looking past the 10/22 of my childhood that was still residing in the attic of my parents house. I briefly looked at the current ruger 10/22 variants (especially the takedowns) ...and then the alternatives caught my eye: TCR22, Bergara BXR, and Kidd rifle.

After researching for a while, I ended up looking more closely at the Tikka T1x Bolt action vs a CZ 457. I didn't know much about low cost, accurate, and popular bolt action 22 rifles. I hemmed and hawed for a long time and ended up with a CZ. It has been a blast. The first time shooting it, I was laughing at how good it was. Last time at the range I shot a few mags of 556, and then just shot 22 the rest of the time. And I've definitely slowed down on shooting my 9mm and 45 pistols...they're basically in hibernation to preserve ammo.

Pairing up a low cost, accurate 22 with a good optic and high quality ammo is fun, and a good bit cheaper than firing centerfire. All of these benefits are especially significant in light of our ammo shortage.

I have to admit though, I'm enjoying shooting 22 so much I might entertain buying a Kidd 22 at some point. And I'm purposefully not looking at any Vudoo Gunworks YouTube videos or their website.

[heidad01]

You won't see any Winchesters or Remingtons anymore in ISSF, everyone stopped using those decades ago.

Even Anschutz now has fallen by the wayside.

IF you want to compete and be competitive in ISSF you will need one of the following:

Walther KK500 $5000 to $7000 per rifle
Bleiker Challenger $8000 to $10,000 rifle
Grunig and Elmiger Racer $12,000+ per rifle

I had an Anschutz and switched to the Walther. Walther is a far superior rifle.







But yeah, not what OP is looking for.

So, those rifles have a ton of bling on them. But, do they shoot any more accurately than a bolt action CZ that sells for around 6 or $700 bucks??

[jarhead714]

You won't see any Winchesters or Remingtons anymore in ISSF, everyone stopped using those decades ago.

Even Anschutz now has fallen by the wayside.

IF you want to compete and be competitive in ISSF you will need one of the following:

Walther KK500 $5000 to $7000 per rifle
Bleiker Challenger $8000 to $10,000 rifle
Grunig and Elmiger Racer $12,000+ per rifle

I had an Anschutz and switched to the Walther. Walther is a far superior rifle.







But yeah, not what OP is looking for.

That getup is more impressive than any rifle you could ever show up with. You got style....flash....pizazz. Get down, man!

[smoothy8500]

But, do they shoot any more accurately than a bolt action CZ that sells for around 6 or $700 bucks??

If they did, you'd see CZ's at the events....Even at the entry level you won't see them.

[slamfire1]

So, those rifles have a ton of bling on them. But, do they shoot any more accurately than a bolt action CZ that sells for around 6 or $700 bucks??

I enjoy shooting the old relics, I took this rifle and scope, to an Indiana Regional, and shot this in the 100 yard match, prone with a sling







100 yard stage targets. I was actually tickled to find that I was high shooter during this stage.



A different M37 shot off a rest and sand bags, before the club had F Class targets. This was during a match and this rifle is of stock configuration, except for the Eric Johnson barrel.





I have been shooting BSA MKIII's and a BSA MKII recently in small bore prone competition



MkIII 100 yard targets, shot in competition



this is a particularly good group, probably a statistical fluke, but I claim I do it all the time.



seldom do with with irons, so I might as well as brag



This rifle went out of production late 1950's, still very accurate









nice 100-10X. I keep my 100-10X targets, 100 yards is a long way with a 22lr and I shoot 10X scores once in a blue moon.



My opinions on the old relics, sure they can and do shoot well, but the triggers up to the mid 1960's were 3 pound to 3.5 pound things and the stocks resemble a type C stock on a M1903. This is because the Army controlled the rule book, and the Army wanted you to shoot something similar to a 1903/Garand. Marksmanship was sold as training civilians to become military riflemen. If needed.

Only when the US shooters were getting their butts whipped in International Competition, by the Russians, were the rules relaxed. If you remember those days, the Olympics were the ultimate competition between Godless Communism, and Godless Capitalism. There ain't no God in greed, Christ was all about love, charity, and giving. He would have failed as a Corporate CEO.

Given good ammunition, assuming the barrels are not worn out, and the bedding is good, you can shoot an outstanding score, once in a while. Consistency is extremely hard with the things. Consistency is what wins matches. A typical smallbore prone match is 160 rounds for the day, and I shoot in four day, 640 round matches. At the end of four days, the top guys are separated by a point of two, maybe X count. They are so far above me I get dizzy looking at their scores. With old match rifles, the triggers and ergonomics suck. Modern rifles, you can adjust the things in time and space (har, har) and make the things fit you. That is extremely important.

In so far as intrinsic accuracy, a shooting bud took his Win 52 or Win 52B, (1920's vintage rifles) and had it tested at the Laupa test range in Mesa Arizona. He said, off the rest it shot as well as his Anschutz. Given good ammunition, and eliminating the human, the things can shoot. However, given the ergonomics and trigger, you will never be consistent enough to compete against the guys with modern rifles. You are surely going to do horrible with the ladder sight of the period. And, and you will probably dismiss this, given a good barrel, good chambering job, ammunition has more variability than the rifle. There are reasons the good shooters have their rifles lot tested to find the best ammunition. Match ammunition varies a surprising amount. If you are not shooting match ammunition (in a match barrel) than you might as well be shooting spit wads and making decisions based on the texas sharpshooter fallacy. Over the counter, Walmart ammunition is crap. And even the cheaper match ammunition, you get drop outs, and weird things.



The best vintage smallbore actions were outstanding designs. The Win 52 action was an excellent design, and the CZ452 I handled, is clearly derived from the M52. The M40 Remington action, which is a post WW2 design, shooters are using custom, newly made actions, and the 2019 National Smallbore Champ used one in 2019.

Next to me at the ASSA Nationals, a junior was shooting a Fenwerkbau, might have been a 2800. It cost "Bank of Dad" multiple thousands. It was an amazingly advanced design, the loading port close to your face, the bolt could be configured left or right, the stock very space age. Technology wise, it was amazing.

I have a couple of Win 52D's and a H&R M12





The H&R M12 is an improved M52D action. I cannot understand how any firm would introduce such an obsolete configuration of a match 22lr in 1981. It has the 3lb trigger for one thing. This might have been competitive in 1955, but the game had really changed by 1981 and no one good was going to be using that stock on a competition rifle.

I think the M37 action an excellent action, it is thick walled, they stiffened it with a rectangle under the action, the firing pin fast, bolt life easy, and great access to the loading port. It was dumped post WW2 for the Rem 40X, and probably due to the cost of machining the thing.

When I shoot my relics, I do great in spurts, but my X count is always higher with the Anschutz. My face placement, hand placement, finger orientation on the trigger, adjustable buttplate and cheekpiece, all better on the Anschutz. So I will be more consistent in nice weather. When the wind blows, my score is unaffected by choice of rifle: it will be bad to very bad. I am a terrible wind reader.

[ChampCarStar]

That getup is more impressive than any rifle you could ever show up with. You got style....flash....pizazz. Get down, man!

That's just your standard shooting jacket and trousers needed for International Rifle competition. Everyone wears them.



But style was my job! I was a wardrobe stylist in Hollywood for several years.

Me and Joan Rivers when I was doing some work on Fashion Police

[smle-man]

I shot prone competition .22 with a 52D did as well as any of the targets posted here. The 52D was a great shooting rifle. Of course my eyes were only 18 years old!