Seeking advise in selecting a .22lr for benchrest shooting.

mikeystew

mikeystew

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I recently got hooked on 50m benchrest shooting at my club, but im competing with a borrowed BSA martini :redface:

So im saving my pennies for my own and would appreciate some input from people who are more seasoned to the sport than i am.
I really like the martini and would like to get one when the funds are sufficient (2-3 months), but i don't know how available they are, as they are an older gun... so im open to gun suggestions as well as suggestions as to where i would look for a BSA martini other than the obvious EE.

My budget will be in the $600 range, and im looking for something with a long heavy target barrel, tang or reciever rear sight and globe front. i know the budget is low but thats all i really want to spend for this particular project. The kids are getting too darn tootin' expensive to do much better than that.
 
you will outshoot everyone with a Thompson Center R-55 semiauto believe it or not within that price rane. Its the only gun in that range that has a match grade barrel.
 
mikeystew said:
I recently got hooked on 50m benchrest shooting at my club, but im competing with a borrowed BSA martini :redface:
Click to expand...

First, check out Rimfire Central, as well as Benchrest.com. Both those sites will have extensive discussions that will be useful to you sooner rather than later.

Second, there is a thread on benchrestforum.ca about one shooter's experience converting a CZ 452 into a *true* benchrest rimfire.

Third, for the price, a new CZ 452 Varmint is a good deal and will be a decent factory shooter. Have the barrel free-floated and bedded if you can. Adding a quality (but not necessarily expensive) scope will only make things better.

Fourth, forget about a custom barrel for now. A CZ 452 can definitely shoot. It won't be world class competitive, but mine usually holds its own at club level matches (if I do my part). After a while and you find you've got the bug bad, then save up for a new *custom* rimfire action, barrel and stock. That will be competitive everywhere.

Finally, make sure you have your front and rear rests properly set up. If you don't have those, go the sites I suggested and read up.

-- L.
 
mikeystew said:
My budget will be in the $600 range, and im looking for something with a long heavy target barrel, tang or reciever rear sight and globe front. i know the budget is low but thats all i really want to spend for this particular project. The kids are getting too darn tootin' expensive to do much better than that.
Click to expand...

I am curious why you would want to use open sights for this?

Do you have a class that is only open sights because if not, high mag scopes will really improve your aim.

I can understand the desire for a long barrel to get as long a sight radius as possible but rimfires tend to shoot best from 16 to 20". There is not advantage to going long and it might actually hurt performance due to increased bore drag/reduced velocities.

Adding a bloop tube will get the sight radius as long as you want without compromising the barrel.

for your budget, I would also include a look at the Anschutz offered at Tradex. No idea what condition these are in but the parameters sure sound great for the money involved.

I have shot Bruno #4 and really like these rifles. Some were cadet type refurbs that didn't shoot so good so again, you need to do some snooping.

I have no idea what the designations are but have shot several CIL/Anschutz rifles, all of which performed superbly. They were also dirt cheap on the gunshow tables.

The CZ425 is a modern Bruno and priced accordingly. Nice rifle but you can find good used for way less or way more gun for the money.

I have yet to see any real market price for target rimfires built in the 70' and 80's at gunshows. However, many of these shoot way better then the new stuff we get today.

Another modern option is to modify a Savage 93. I can offer you Shilen match 10/22 - 77/22 barrels that are supposed to be an easy mod to work on these rifles. Shilen is making one of the best match barrels used in 50BR today and winning their fair share of big matches in the US.

Will fit in your budget.

I am in the process of converting a 10/22 for one of these barrels to use as a winter practise rifle. Initial performance has been very promising.

I am sure you have heard this already, try and find a wide range of match quality ammo and test in whatever rifle you get. Rimfires are picky and there is no rhyme or reason why one brand/type shoots great vs another.

However, you will have more success with the match brands like Eley, Lapua, RWS, even Fed GM and CCI Greentag/stand vel.

Sounds like a whole lot of fun.

There are some guns of the week on 6mmBR.com that really impressed me with how far rimfire tech has gone. Absolutely fantastic gear. But a wee bit over your budget.

Jerry
 
The competition is iron sights only which is why I'm so interested in it. I think I'm going to hold out for a nice BSA martini as long as I can and keep saving cash until I find something decent I can afford. Thanks for the replies guys, tomorrow is the next match and I'm pretty stoked, mind you I feel I'm at a slight advantage being one of the only shooters who dosent have to look through bi-focals
 
I shoot 3 position for score with a 22 and use a Winchester M52 with Redfield sights, the market has all kinds of sweet deals you have to be patient and things turn up, although they usually come up at the wrong time so my suggestion is put away your little stash and wait. Some great rifles are the Win M52, Anschutz, Walther and perhaps one of the best deals ouut there is a BRNO #4, thay have good sights and shoot very well something in your price range shouldn't be hard to find in a BRNO.
Good Luck
bb
 
bigbull said:
I shoot 3 position for score with a 22 and use a Winchester M52 with Redfield sights, the market has all kinds of sweet deals you have to be patient and things turn up, although they usually come up at the wrong time so my suggestion is put away your little stash and wait. Some great rifles are the Win M52, Anschutz, Walther and perhaps one of the best deals ouut there is a BRNO #4, thay have good sights and shoot very well something in your price range shouldn't be hard to find in a BRNO.
Good Luck
bb
Click to expand...

X2 :cheers:

Keep checking the EE, Tradex and a few of the other sponsors. Also do google searches for the above rifles with the word "Canada" behind it.

Although very rare, I have bought a few rifles that are exactly as described above. A few Walthers come to mind. There were a few at Tradex as well, however those and the Walther rifle were bought pretty much on the first day they were listed.
 
mikeystew said:
The competition is iron sights only which is why I'm so interested in it. I think I'm going to hold out for a nice BSA martini as long as I can and keep saving cash until I find something decent I can afford. Thanks for the replies guys, tomorrow is the next match and I'm pretty stoked, mind you I feel I'm at a slight advantage being one of the only shooters who dosent have to look through bi-focals
Click to expand...

hahahaah don't let the bi-focals fool ya i get my butt handed to me every second weekend shooting silhouette and most those those guy wear glasses
 
Well i finally got out to the first "official" shoot today at the range but the BSA that i was hoping to use was spoken for, and i had to improvise with the only available spare that could hit the paper.
I shot 2 96's in slowfire and a 94 in quickfire with a borrowed 1941 stevens 416, and it made me really want my own gun. the rear sight elevation knob was broken so i had to aim for the top of the target to compensate for the 1.75" drop at 50m... kind of irritating, but considering the obstacle i was fairly happy with my scores. Great fun, im really liking the iron sight sports.
 
There's still a beauty Martini International, tight as new, sittin' on my wall, in the Single shot section. I think i bought it for the Unertl scope on it.
 
Done :dancingbanana:
BSA martini international mk4 is on it's way baby! i can hardly contain my excitement... it's literally making me sweat and push everything else out of my mind ... does that make me an addict?:D
 
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