22LR Bolt Action Recommendations For Precision Rimfire

Sniffer

Sniffer

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With the upsurge in Precision Rimfire I've got the itch for a suitable 22LR bolt action.

For those that have experience what should I be looking for (barrel length & profile / does overall weight of the rifle matter / standard or aftermarket MDT style stock etc etc)?

I assume a magazine fed gun is important (is there a limit on magazine capacity for Precision Rimfire?) Obviously a larger magazine would result in an advantage.

On paper the Ruger Precision Rimfire fits the bill and I like the look of it but the accuracy reports I'm seeing vary. If CZ made something similar I`d be all over it. I guess I could swap the barrel out for something better if it wasn't as good as I was hoping.
 
Sniffer said:
With the upsurge in Precision Rimfire I've got the itch for a suitable 22LR bolt action.

For those that have experience what should I be looking for (barrel length & profile / does overall weight of the rifle matter / standard or aftermarket MDT style stock etc etc)?

I assume a magazine fed gun is important (is there a limit on magazine capacity for Precision Rimfire?) Obviously a larger magazine would result in an advantage.

On paper the Ruger Precision Rimfire fits the bill and I like the look of it but the accuracy reports I'm seeing vary. If CZ made something similar I`d be all over it. I guess I could swap the barrel out for something better if it wasn't as good as I was hoping.
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In my opinion, alot of this comes down to personal preference. The overall rifle weight will make a difference when shooting from standing and I prefer an MDT style stock for ease of configuration.

Magazine fed is pretty well mandatory with 10 rounds being the typical limit. Often they are 10 round stages that occasionally include a magazine change (or two) part way through.

My experience with the Ruger Precision Rimfire thus far has been very positive. I topped it with Vortex Diamondback Tactical 4-16x44 and it is shooting 0.5" groups at 50 yards, with consistant accuracy out to 100 yards (although I dont have any group sizes available). I dont have any experience with CZ but have heard good things. Aswell as the positive reviews of the Tilka T1X. Alot of the negative reviews on the ruger come from people who expected too much. Not to say Ruger has no quality control issues, they do. But my experience has been very promising and any accuracy deficiencies come from me as the shooter.
 
RobHL said:
In my opinion, alot of this comes down to personal preference. The overall rifle weight will make a difference when shooting from standing and I prefer an MDT style stock for ease of configuration.

Magazine fed is pretty well mandatory with 10 rounds being the typical limit. Often they are 10 round stages that occasionally include a magazine change (or two) part way through.

My experience with the Ruger Precision Rimfire thus far has been very positive. I topped it with Vortex Diamondback Tactical 4-16x44 and it is shooting 0.5" groups at 50 yards, with consistant accuracy out to 100 yards (although I dont have any group sizes available). I dont have any experience with CZ but have heard good things. Aswell as the positive reviews of the Tilka T1X. Alot of the negative reviews on the ruger come from people who expected too much. Not to say Ruger has no quality control issues, they do. But my experience has been very promising and any accuracy deficiencies come from me as the shooter.
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So you run a Ruger Precision? I know some people are anti Ruger but I aint - I have a RPR in 6.5 CM and its been amazing for me.

The length & weight of the barrel and overall weight of the rifle are big considerations owing to the fact that some shots will be standing unsupported (which I suck at). As I see it there is a trade off between longer / shorter barrel lengths (short would handle better for standing but longer would probably make better velocity for the longer shots but I guess I could just dial more for a shorter barrel)

So magazines are limited to 10? So even if the rifle can use or comes with 25 round magazines they still can only be loaded to 10 - correct?

Im also liking the look of the CZ 457 with 16" or 20" barrel

457VarmintMTR_??_??-1.jpg
 

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Sniffer said:
So you run a Ruger Precision? I know some people are anti Ruger but I aint - I have a RPR in 6.5 CM and its been amazing for me.

The length & weight of the barrel and overall weight of the rifle are big considerations owing to the fact that some shots will be standing unsupported (which I suck at). As I see it there is a trade off between longer / shorter barrel lengths (short would handle better for standing but longer would probably make better velocity for the longer shots but I guess I could just dial more for a shorter barrel)

So magazines are limited to 10? So even if the rifle can use or comes with 25 round magazines they still can only be loaded to 10 - correct?

Im also liking the look of the CZ 457 with 16" or 20" barrel

View attachment 284243
Click to expand...

Agreed on the cz mtr, is my gun, tried them all, liked them all loved the cz. I did pick up the 16 inch it is light accurate beautiful trigger right out of the box. The chassis guns are what most guys want but I prefer a stock. You can pick up match barrels pretty cheap, but the mtr will shoot with a far more expensive gun any day and it feels like a real gun, not a toy
 
The shorter mtr barrel actually has just over 100fps on a 20 inch. People forget that 22lr runs out of powder around 14 inches and the last 4 is not helping speed like centre fire. Not necessarily a good thing. When I run sv ammo I am actually almost at 1200 FPS which a lot of people think makes the bullet pass through the speed of sound and throw turbulence, once I figured out my speed I can make very consistent hits at 300 yards. If the transonic barrier was as big of a deal as people think I wouldn’t have a chance of hits that far out and anything beyond about 125 would be a crap shoot. Last weekend I think I went 8 straight at 300 once I got speed right
 
I would suggest that you consider the entire package and not just the original rifle.

What I mean by that is, for PRS you will probably want to upgrade at least the stock, so I would make sure you have selected the stock as well as the rifle. Even if you aren't planning on getting both at the same time.

CZ makes a nice accurate rifle and I have a very accurate CZ452, but stock options I like are limited.

Tikka on a KRG Bravo is cool and accurate.

Ruger Precision 22 are alright if you get a good one, but if you go that way, plan on a barrel upgrade in case it isn't very accurate, and there's a good chance it wont be.

Either way, plan on upgrading the stock or the barrel, but in the end you will spend about the same cash.
 
Sniffer said:
So you run a Ruger Precision? I know some people are anti Ruger but I aint - I have a RPR in 6.5 CM and its been amazing for me.

The length & weight of the barrel and overall weight of the rifle are big considerations owing to the fact that some shots will be standing unsupported (which I suck at). As I see it there is a trade off between longer / shorter barrel lengths (short would handle better for standing but longer would probably make better velocity for the longer shots but I guess I could just dial more for a shorter barrel)

So magazines are limited to 10? So even if the rifle can use or comes with 25 round magazines they still can only be loaded to 10 - correct?

Im also liking the look of the CZ 457 with 16" or 20" barrel

View attachment 284243
Click to expand...

I will be shooting my first matches this summer and will be running the RPRimfire yeah. There are lots of people who are anti-ruger, even more so recently. Pretty sure it's due to their garbage quality control. I have yet to see a RPRimfire with a barrel centered in the handguard. It's not really a big deal, just a pain in the ass and laziness on their part.

Weight and barrel length are definitely something to consider but also preference. Some folks find handling a slightly heavier rifle easier, whereas shooting from standing would be more comfortable with a slightly lighter rifle. Personally I dont find the RPRimfire too heavy, although it does weigh more than my Savage.

I also agree with Maple57. In all likelihood, you are going to upgrade either your barrel or your stock depending on the route you decide to go and if you want the adjustability of a chassis. I received a good shooter in my RPRimfire but many guys replace the barrel with one from Green Mountain or Shaw. Whereas many shooters of Savage, Tikka or CZ replace the stock with a chassis system. Either way, you are likely to replace one or the other and after having this battle myself, I settled on the RPRimfire with the chance of replacing the barrel in the future. I just fell in love with it and figured I'd take the chance.

There is another thread on this topic that I started a month or two ago if you search for it. Lots of good advice from people there too.
 
I picked up a NITB from a member here a Anschütz 1416 D KL Classic G-20 (.22 LR) (23") (Walnut) Rifle, that shoots a lot better then I do.
Great looking as well. :)

6214_a_.jpg
 
scuba52 said:
The shorter mtr barrel actually has just over 100fps on a 20 inch. People forget that 22lr runs out of powder around 14 inches and the last 4 is not helping speed like centre fire. Not necessarily a good thing. When I run sv ammo I am actually almost at 1200 FPS which a lot of people think makes the bullet pass through the speed of sound and throw turbulence, once I figured out my speed I can make very consistent hits at 300 yards. If the transonic barrier was as big of a deal as people think I wouldn’t have a chance of hits that far out and anything beyond about 125 would be a crap shoot. Last weekend I think I went 8 straight at 300 once I got speed right
Click to expand...

x2... I was surprised by my chrony numbers for SS and SV out of my 16" MTR. All were faster than stated on the packaging and confirmed when I entered my data into Strelok Pro.
 
scuba52 said:
The shorter mtr barrel actually has just over 100fps on a 20 inch. People forget that 22lr runs out of powder around 14 inches and the last 4 is not helping speed like centre fire. Not necessarily a good thing. When I run sv ammo I am actually almost at 1200 FPS which a lot of people think makes the bullet pass through the speed of sound and throw turbulence, once I figured out my speed I can make very consistent hits at 300 yards. If the transonic barrier was as big of a deal as people think I wouldn’t have a chance of hits that far out and anything beyond about 125 would be a crap shoot. Last weekend I think I went 8 straight at 300 once I got speed right
Click to expand...

I don't follow - are you saying that the 16" MTR is 100fps slower than the 20" MTR?

If the powder is used up by 14" why even bother to make the longer 20" barrel? More time to twist / stabilize the bullet before it exits?
 
The 16 inch runs faster, from my take on it, the last 4 inches helps with consistency, and probably just fools us as we always think that a longer barrel is better. Iron sights it does help but scoped does not. Keep in mind the transonic argument. Not sure how I feel about it as I have had great results with this shorty, short and long range have been great once I got numbers right.
On the weekend I had a 12 inch plate spin sideways at 225, was able to hit the 1/4 inch plate and spin it back in 4 shots. Was incredible luck but if you know the lead is going where you tell it than you have a shot.
 
Every caliber will have an ideal barrel length that will depend on the amount of powder that needs to burn and the powder burn rate.

A 22 LR has very little powder and it is fast burning, so it would not see the benefits of a long barrel that you would see with center fire.

I'm sure someone somewhere has done a study on the ideal barrel length for 22s.

But it is true that once the barrel is longer than the ideal length, (whatever that is) velocity will begin to slow down because the bullet resistance in the bore will start to drag velocity down after pressure fades.

Target rifles (like Anschutz with peep sights) typically have long barrels but not so much for increased velocity as to the extended sight radius that provides a better sight picture for the shooter. Some guys will even add a bloob tube to the front of the barrel to extend the front sight even further forward than the end of the muzzle for a better sight radius. It does reduce the click distance on sight changes though.
 
I heard on an RPR 22 the accuracy problems may be from bullet damage from feed and not the barrel.

You should polish the bottom of the bolt so it does not file down bullets in the mag

Polish the feed lips on mags

Weak mag springs work better than stiff

If you have an RPR that does not shoot well, you should try single feed by hand and see if it shoots any better. Then you can better isolate what's wrong.
 
Maple57 said:
I'm sure someone somewhere has done a study on the ideal barrel length for 22s.
Click to expand...

A few people have, and the consensus seems to be around 16" to 16.5", for maximum velocity. Of course, velocity alone will not determine ultimate accuracy.
 
So a buddy has an RPR... not one of the "good ones"

Shoots no better than 3" at 100 yards.

Anyway he sent it back to Ruger hoping they would help sort it out.

He was told that Ruger does not have an accuracy guarantee and to try a barrel tuner.

I thought you guys should know what to expect with Ruger.
 
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There's room for more clarity in this thread. What is "ideal barrel length for a .22LR" all about?

Is it to get maximum velocity out of the ammo? Is it to get maximum accuracy out of the rifle/ammo combination? Is it to have a rifle that balances well for a particular shooter for a particular purpose? Does the weight of the rifle matter or is it irrelevant? Is it some combination of these?

Maximum MV doesn't mean anything unless accuracy is part of the equation. And depending on the use of the rifle, sometimes a longer barrel is more desirable, sometimes it's a shorter one.
 
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