Best 22LR for sports shooting?

this really isn't the site to get accurate info lots of options
maybe go to rimfire central and check on specific models that have been tested that would be a better place to start
 
Parts Only Canada said:
For sure. And your experience is valid just like anyone's.

Like I said, I think there will be a lot of opinions on what "the best" is. In my opinion the 10/22 is "the best" semi auto for a beginner because they tend to work properly out of box, the accuracy is fine (unless you get a dud), they are everywhere, affordable, and highly customizable. With a sprinkle of modification, the 10/22 can become almost anything that anyone needs out of a .22LR.

I also probably have a more new-school/modern preference on sport shooting. For those of us who are pre-retirement age, the Mossberg 151 ceased production before we were even born haha.
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10/22 are like Jeeps. Will work stock, but better modified. But by time you mod them, you could gotten something else. You still are forced to the single bolt take down screw, that effects accuracy.

10/22s were fun when you had high cap mags and 15$ bricks. I only kept my 10/22 if I ever want to do maple seed. And I accidentally JB welded my action in bedding it, that I took the finish off and broke the stock trying to get it out. So ain't work selling it.

Im not that old. I got mixed of new and old. But rimfires are lays chip. You cannot have 1.

So the whole best, it won't be your last.
 
Parts Only Canada said:
I'm going to read this as "best all around". To me that means best mix of reliability and accuracy, for the price.

I would suggest a Ruger 10/22 if you want a semi automatic. They are affordable, the quality is decent, most of them are not picky about ammunition choice, and they are accurate enough. The aftermarket is also massive if you ever want to upgrade or change something on the rifle. The downsides are the stock trigger not being great, and the quality of the stock on basic models being poor. But there are factory models available where both of these components have been upgraded.

I have owned a number of them and for me they have simply just worked.

There are also a plethora of clones of various quality and price.


If you want a manual action gun, it's easily the CZ457 for me. It is a bolt action. Super smooth, accurate, very reliable, and a good trigger out of the box. In my opinion these offer the best mix of affordability and performance without having to tinker. Just pick the one you want; there are lots of factory versions. The aftermarket is not as big as the 10/22 mentioned above, but is still decent.

These also, in my experience, seem to just work. Getting a dud is pretty rare.


Firearms are kind of like cars. What is best is highly subjective and highly situational. The answer you get depends hugely on who you ask.
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You realize you used the words reliable and accurate while describing the 10/23 yes? I too had one from the early 70s. Today's shouldnt share the same model #
 
Best? I own 2 cz, one with a ibi barrel in a bravo chassis, the other with a lilja in a acc premier gen 2, also have the tikka T1x upr and a 1761 anschutz, anschutz the very best out of the box…..
 
Hardhammer said:
Best? I own 2 cz, one with a ibi barrel in a bravo chassis, the other with a lilja in a acc premier gen 2, also have the tikka T1x upr and a 1761 anschutz, anschutz the very best out of the box…..
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I own 2, owned a bunch over the years. Down to 2 CZs, the cream of the crop for me. A 452 Lux walnut stock, and a highly modified 455 in an Oryx. I have two others for fun, a Zastava M22, and a Nork JW15 shorty; these are just for fun. I also have a Cooey model 78 with factory peep sight, and TOZ I modified with a micrometer peep and front globe for target shooting. The one I take the most pride in, and love handling the most, is the factory stock 452.
 
270AB said:
You realize you used the words reliable and accurate while describing the 10/23 yes? I too had one from the early 70s. Today's shouldnt share the same model #
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I have one of the new production ones. In nearly ten thousand rounds I have had one failure to cycle due to very dirty, and three or four failures to fire due to dud round. That's it. It just works.

Is it a sub MOA gun? Probably not. But it has taken every pest I've aimed at, and regularly rings the large gong at 200yds.

That's reliable enough and accurate enough for me to recommend as my favorite semi auto option for the price. Your mileage may vary.
 
Longstud said:
You can never go wrong with an Anschutz. Old or new, they are fine firearms!!
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you can also keep watch on the EE here and funpost for the budget focused hillbilly cousin line of vintage CIL rimfire rifles. these rifles were a joint effort between CIL and Anschutz to bring a very nicely priced plain but very accurate rifle to the canadian firearm enthusiast. find one with a minty bore and you won't be disappointed.
 
270AB said:
You realize you used the words reliable and accurate while describing the 10/23 yes? I too had one from the early 70s. Today's shouldnt share the same model #
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to put a fine point on it, he said “MIX” of reliability and accuracy.
I own and have owned a fair few ruger 10/22’s and a fair few clones as well.
Some of the bougie clones are impressively accurate. Some of them have occasional feeding or extraction issues.
My ruger 10/22’s sacrifice a wee bit of accuracy for absolute reliability.
They fire. They cycle. They fire again.
Of the ammo is any good it’s as close to 100% reliability as it gets.

Most people think of them as plinkers and feed them garbage.
Its actually a badge of honour that they are as reliable and “accurate” as they are considering the junk most people feed them.

After a point 22lr accuracy is all about the ammo anyway.

IMO, For a first 22, you cannot go wrong with a 10/22.
 
barsik said:
you can also keep watch on the EE here and funpost for the budget focused hillbilly cousin line of vintage CIL rimfire rifles. these rifles were a joint effort between CIL and Anschutz to bring a very nicely priced plain but very accurate rifle to the canadian firearm enthusiast. find one with a minty bore and you won't be disappointed.
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The only part CIL was the contract to allow import of a German manufactured rifle. During the 60s and the 70s Anschutz gained access to the canadian market through the distributor CIL which was a way around costly import barriers. They did the same across the pond with Savage. Your correct that these are very fine rifles and a helluvah steal for the price verses the quality. Ive owned at least a dozen over the many years.
 
Beeron said:
to put a fine point on it, he said “MIX” of reliability and accuracy.
I own and have owned a fair few ruger 10/22’s and a fair few clones as well.
Some of the bougie clones are impressively accurate. Some of them have occasional feeding or extraction issues.
My ruger 10/22’s sacrifice a wee bit of accuracy for absolute reliability.
They fire. They cycle. They fire again.
Of the ammo is any good it’s as close to 100% reliability as it gets.

Most people think of them as plinkers and feed them garbage.
Its actually a badge of honour that they are as reliable and “accurate” as they are considering the junk most people feed them.

After a point 22lr accuracy is all about the ammo anyway.

IMO, For a first 22, you cannot go wrong with a 10/22.
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Per your last line.. IF you're ok with burning a whack of ammo needlessly vs a bolt, because you will. And let's be honest, thats why most buy them.As for Accuracy, Reliability and Quality of Build? In order, They're OK - Suspect. No matter what ammunition is used - Cheaper built by the year.

I own or have owned 4 of them. All bought new. Early, mid, and last 5 - 6 years production. First from the late 70s was very good reliability and accuracy wise. Second was horrible for reliability with constant issues no matter how I tweaked it. Can't comment on accuracy because I couldn't put a decent quantity of rounds through it. Last 2 bought together 5 years ago and same issues as second. Both had similar issues to #2.

The Anschutz 520 & 525, and the Brno 581, CZ511, and 512 as well as Gevelots destroyed them in every way and in their day were not a big step up $ wise.

Old Ruger 10/22 fine. Last 10 - 15 years a total crapshoot, and if Im not mistaken the words STOVEPIPE and STOVEPIPING were created by Ruger to describe the 10/22.

As far as ammo goes I run exclusively CCI Mini Mags through my currently owned 14 CZ bolts, 3 Tikka T1x and 1 CZ 512. Flawless and both brands love them reliability and accuracy wise. Never put cheap greasy/dirty, fouling causing ammunition through any of the Rugers, Brno, Anschutz, or CZ semis. I'm picky and well aware of the potentials.

Didn't matter with the Rugers. 3 of 4 were putrid and it seems 100% related to generation manufacture timing.. Cost per unit spent means Nada. If they arent functioning properly they arent worth owning imo. Rugers are great for tricking out and accurizing if thats what you're into and ok with spending $$ to get them that way. They're a crapshoot as I mentioned and seldom renowned for their accuracy, over and above competitor brands unless you sink money into them.
 
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barsik said:
you can also keep watch on the EE here and funpost for the budget focused hillbilly cousin line of vintage CIL rimfire rifles. these rifles were a joint effort between CIL and Anschutz to bring a very nicely priced plain but very accurate rifle to the canadian firearm enthusiast. find one with a minty bore and you won't be disappointed.
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I never paid more than 600 for my Anschutz 64s. The one in the half inch club cost less than my 1022.
 
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