bolt action 22's, what would you get?

what would you choose?

  • Total voters
    129
pointandshoot

pointandshoot

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
35   0   0
Location
richmond, bc
ok guys, the million dollar question. looking for a fun to shoot bolt action 22. not wanting to break the bank (up to $250), but something reliable and fairly accurate out of the box is important. there are a few choices so i wanted some ideas, and hopefully some direction. i was looking at the savage mark II, but then stumbled across the winchester wildcat and henry mini bolt...im sure there is a lot more out there so lets here it. the cz would be nice but a little more than i'm willing to spend. is the savage worth it just for the accutrigger? thanks for the help!
 
Wait an extra month or two and save the extra dough for a CZ. I was impatient, got a Savage Mark II FSS (well, 3, returned for warranty service/replacement twice), and kept trying to convince myself it was a good second choice. Savage took their rifle back, and I have a CZ now, and it's not even in the same ballpark. It's great! It is, as you say, a bit more money than you want to spend. But, it isn't that much more. I'd suggest exercising a little bit of patience (it's cold out there right now anyway! hehe) and get a CZ. I wish I'd done that to begin with. Nine months of aggravation that I could have spared myself if I'd only waited a couple weeks to order a CZ rather than walking out of a local store with the Savage. (And, yes, I'm aware that many, many, many people have had nothing but success and satisfaction with their Savages. I'm just sharing my experience, which is as valid as anyone else's. If you luck out and get a good example, great. I had three, all bad.)
 
I voted for the savage. But that's because you can never have too many rifles. You will enjoy a CZ one day, that I promise. I own a pre-accutrigger MKII. The rifle is fairly accurate, and I think pretty nice to look at. ( I refinished the stock) I have never had a problem with mine, minus a sticky chamber. That is easily remidied with proper cleaning. The rifle isn't much, but it has taken plenty of critters. Buy your rifle, and enjoy it. Just be sure to start your CZ fund so you have one before Spring.
 
I agree with looking in the EE... some fantastic high quality rifles... may be a bit older, but you will be able to find a rifle of higher quality and lower cost than buying new

EB
 
I have a CZ but also owned Savages, Marlins, Rugers. I would say get the Savage - they are a great company and frankly it is up to you to figure out how much you want to spend. Don't let others convince you that you "need" a more expensive rifle - remember you need to get optics, rings, and ammunition. If this is your first .22 I would recommend you spend more on your optics then on the rifle itself. .22's aren't heavy recoiling guns but you probably will put the more rounds down your .22 then any other firearm you will ever own (maybe even combined) and nothing is very fun than straining the old eyes trying to see the target. I have learned (the hard way) to put money into the things that will make a difference in your shooting. Optics and ammunition will probably pay more dividends to your shooting skill then a fancier stock or finish.
 
I didn't get a CZ for a fancier stock or finish. I got it so the thing would shoot. All three of the Savages I had had crowns that looked like they were cut by sticking the muzzle into 40-grit sandpaper and twisting. Two of them had pits in the bore about 3" from the muzzle, a ring at one fixed distance. That screams worn out tools. One of them had the same pitting at the chamber end. One had bad chatter marks through the whole bore, presumably from a worn out button to do the rifling. None of them shot very well. The CZ, however, does. Very well. I think, based on three bad ones in a row from all different production runs, it is just too much of a gamble when going with a Savage.
Glock4ever said:
Optics and ammunition will probably pay more dividends to your shooting skill then a fancier stock or finish.
Click to expand...
 
Sounds like you got some lemons there. My Brother got his savage abut a year ago, and no problems like that.
 
Most definitely. Which is why I'm surprised to hear of so many happy owners. Obviously some must turn out well, but mine sure didn't. The last of the three was even taken care of by their head of quality assurance, and still turned out crap. Oh well. Happy CZ owner now.
 
Shorty not slagging your experience (Lemons happen) - I also personally agree with you as I have a 452 Style and just sold my extraneous Silhouette. I am just saying that if you have a limited budget - for any sort of shooting gear, it is always best to put it into optics. You can always upgrade parts on rifles and make them shoot better you can make optics any better. Savages for the most part are excellent rifles. They frequently shoot well and save money on the stocks/fancier parts. I honestly believe that they are one of the best value products on the market (I don't even own a single Savage right now) so that is why I frequently recommend them. Marlins are good value too but can be hit or miss. I like to frequent gun stores quite a bit and I see a lot more used Marlins on the wall then Savages and definitely more Rugers then CZs (which speaks to their quality)
 
I have a theory on Shorty's experiance. I read some time ago that barrels that are button rifled use tools that are easily replacable. The cutting tools wear frequently, and come off every so many barrels. Perhaps you got the last run of barrels off that particular cutter? If you got three, all the same style, it only makes sense that they were the same batch of x amount of barrels. That was the first time I've ever heard that. If it's the case, I would be curious to see a barrel like that for myself.
 
.... Well, firstly, you'll never shoot out a .22 barrel! Just as long as you are interested in any of the shooting activities, you'll never not have a use for the lowly, .22 LR ! So, look at high quality, used rifles, and if not interested in used, get a little more high end than you think you need... it's a lifetime purchase, so don't be cheap ! Any of the quality manufactures' offerings will serve you well ! Bang for the Buck, probably a Brno/CZ, but there are others !! ..... David K. ....
 
My vote would be for the Savage as best bang for the $$ new in that price range...

But I've shot EB's Bruno per below and he picked it up off the EE...


ebruder said:
I agree with looking in the EE... some fantastic high quality rifles... may be a bit older, but you will be able to find a rifle of higher quality and lower cost than buying new

EB
Click to expand...

If you have the patience ... some good advice!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom