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Best 22 Rifle for Plinking and Hunting
Am Shooting Journal ^ | 6/10/2019 | J Ellis

Posted on 06/10/2019 5:04:00 AM PDT by w1n1

Debates have come across stating that the .22 rifle is not a serious caliber for those into guns. The .22 caliber doesn’t have the knock down power to take down a medium size game or let alone stop an attacker inside your home.

From a survivalist needs, the .22 caliber is one of the many invaluable source to have when feeding yourself and family. For small game like rabbits and squirrels, the .22 caliber is perfect. Using a larger caliber is just a poor choice of tools for this task. The availability and pricing for the .22 caliber is on the cheap side.

On the recreational side of the house, the .22 caliber serves many things to a wide variety. Beginner shooters will find starting with this caliber helps build a solid foundation in marksmanship. For the target shooter and plinker you can have lots of fun shooting many rounds at a lower cost.

There are many good .22 caliber rifle out on the market. Getting one would be based on what you are going to use it for. Here are some key features to look out for:
Magazine Capacity - A good magazine section to look for is the rotary type under the stock of the gun. The magazine can hold 5 to 35 rounds. For hunting you probably don’t need a high capacity magazine, but for plinking and target shooting the more the merrier. Be sure to follow your state legal limitations on this.

Sights – Most plinking are probably done without any special scopes. Not to say that using an optical system isn’t worth it – its your preferences. Getting a specific type for plinking and hunting is beyond the scope of this article.

Ruger 10/22 - Ruger makes some really top notch rifles in big calibers and the .22 is no exception. Its great to see Ruger invest its time into our American classic. (since 1964) The 10/22 historically is a favorite among hunters, this was design with practicality in mind and able to maintain under field conditions.
Henry AR-7 Survival Rifle - Originally designed in 1959 for use by the United States Air Force but is now a favorite among civilians for all the same reasons it was popular with military pilots. The AR-7 Survival Rifle is lightweight (only 3.5 lbs.), reliable, and compact. Read the rest of best 22 sniper rifle.


TOPICS: Hobbies; Outdoors
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1 posted on 06/10/2019 5:04:00 AM PDT by w1n1
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To: w1n1

I bought my kids each a Savage and added a scope for them to use at Appleseed. They worked well and at half the price of a ruger 10/22. They were both practiced shooters but I could not afford the Anschutz 22’s they learned on at the boy scout camp.


2 posted on 06/10/2019 5:12:22 AM PDT by scottteng (Why fight it out lets split up the country peacefully now)
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To: w1n1

I have a Ruger 10/22 Takedown that I bought at Dick’s before they went woke. Pretty fun little rifle that can be shot all day for cheap. It comes apart with one twist and can be discretely packed into a large backpack.


3 posted on 06/10/2019 5:18:59 AM PDT by MountainWalker
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To: w1n1

ImVho, the Remington Model 572 Fieldmaster pump-rifle is “THE CLASS of rimfire rifles”.

I bought mine used over 3 decades ago & it, after THOUSANDS of SHORTS, LONGS & LONG RIFLE rounds or many sorts, it still shoots FINE for small game, targets & “pest control”.

Yours, TMN78247


4 posted on 06/10/2019 5:21:04 AM PDT by TMN78247 ("VICTORY or DEATH", William Barrett Travis, LtCol, comdt., Fortress of the Alamo, Bejar, 1836)
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To: w1n1

Probably the slickest .22 rifle I ever owned was a Remington model 341. Action was just plain perfect. Mine came with a simple yet excellent peep rear sight. No way to easily mount a scope but I did not want one on it.

The Ruger 10/22 deserves it’s popularity.

Another slick one was the Stevens Crackshot.

If money is not scarce, probably one of the CZ .22 bolt actions. Also if you can find one, A Winchester model 52 sporter.

Many, many really good .22s out there.


5 posted on 06/10/2019 5:22:14 AM PDT by yarddog
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To: w1n1
Ruger 10/22 - Ruger makes some really top notch rifles in big calibers and the .22 is no exception.

Yes it is an exception because .22 is not a large caliber.

"Ruger 10/22 - Ruger makes some really top notch rifles and the Ruger 10/22 is no exception."

6 posted on 06/10/2019 5:22:50 AM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (Elitist Liberals have no idea the hunger and strength of the beast they have uncaged.)
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To: MountainWalker

Yep... Ruger 10-22s. We have three and we shoot the crap out of them. My boys and the wife are dead eyes out to 75 yds with them.


7 posted on 06/10/2019 5:22:51 AM PDT by Mathews (Ecclesiastes 10:2 (NIV), Luke 22:36 (NIV))
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To: w1n1

FWIW I have to go with a 22 magnum round after using it forthe first time. amazing what that little round will do.


8 posted on 06/10/2019 5:29:05 AM PDT by know.your.why
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To: MountainWalker

We have two 10-22 rifles. One is the Take Down. The other is the standard Carbine model. Both are scoped with Nikon BDC glass. They’re shockingly accurate for $300 rifles. At 75 yards we can cover a 3 shot group with a half dollar. Even the Take Down shoots like that. Amazing for a 2 piece gun.

And those Ruger 25 round magazines are utterly reliable. We have 4 for each rifle. They’re great for keeping up on the fundamentals. And we can fire 300 rounds without busting the budget.

I’m of the opinion that every house in America should have at least one 10-22.

When the Zombie Apocalypse comes they’ll be our go-to rifles.

Best,

L


9 posted on 06/10/2019 5:31:03 AM PDT by Lurker (Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is.)
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To: scottteng

I just picked up an old Savage MK2 at a gun show for $50.

It’s a lot of fun to just plink around with.


10 posted on 06/10/2019 5:31:08 AM PDT by cyclotic
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To: cyclotic

Marlin .22 lever action “Golden Mountie” is my plinker.


11 posted on 06/10/2019 5:35:17 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Baseball players, gangsters and musicians are remembered. But journalists are forgotten.)
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To: w1n1

I have a Winchester 9422 Takedown that I bought a a gun show about 30 years ago fo $100. It’s a great gun.


12 posted on 06/10/2019 5:37:36 AM PDT by aomagrat (Brains have been washed. Wheels have been greased. Fear has been mongered.)
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To: w1n1

So you say the ruger 10/22 and the AR-7 are a feature of .22 rifles?


13 posted on 06/10/2019 5:40:36 AM PDT by Redcitizen (Tagline not secure.)
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To: w1n1

I get the idea that English is not the first language of whoever writes this. It reads like Steve Martin and Dan Ackroyd’s wild and crazy guys.

Love my 10/22 tho.


14 posted on 06/10/2019 5:45:50 AM PDT by AloneInMass ("It's a great day in America everybody." - Craig Ferguson)
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To: w1n1
There are many good .22s for plinking and hunting small game. The best is the one that you are comfortable with, familiar with, and like. Everyone is different. There is no one "best" that suits everyone.
15 posted on 06/10/2019 5:52:09 AM PDT by sport
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To: w1n1

Remington Apache 66 .22 autoloader. Wow. The perfect all around rifle for play. I bought it in 1980 - it’s never had any problem at all. God only knows how many rounds have gone thru it. Thousands upon thousands


16 posted on 06/10/2019 5:56:06 AM PDT by atc23
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To: AloneInMass
Jon Hines, 'w1n1', says he's retired Air Force. So one would think he has some idea about English.

I think he just copies and pastes stuff and posts it here, without even reading it.

17 posted on 06/10/2019 6:03:44 AM PDT by real saxophonist (One side has guns and training. Other side's primary concern is 'gender identity'. Who's gonna win?)
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To: w1n1

Although it uses a tube magazine fed from the rear, like a carnival rifle, the Remmington Nylon is a fantastic gun, rugged and well balanced.


18 posted on 06/10/2019 6:03:49 AM PDT by PUGACHEV
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To: w1n1

You/nobody asked about a scope for your .22 rimfire rifle but I suggest that you NOT buy a “.22 scope”.

IMO you need a decent 4X scope that would normally be used for a deer rifle.
(At 72YO, I scope all of my rifles & PREFER scopes by LEOPOLD & REDFIELD.= I just don’t “see open sights well anymore.)

Yours, TMN78247


19 posted on 06/10/2019 6:05:08 AM PDT by TMN78247 ("VICTORY or DEATH", William Barrett Travis, LtCol, comdt., Fortress of the Alamo, Bejar, 1836)
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To: w1n1
I own both the 10/22 and an original Armalite AR-7 (not the current Henry iteration.)

The 10/22 is the best all around semi-auto .22 rifle around, if for no other reason than there are so many accessories available for it, you could build a complete 10/22 and not purchase a single Ruger manufactured part. That kind of aftermarket support means you won't end up with a $200 rifle that needs a $400 extractor from Gun Broker.

The AR-7, at least in its original Armalite guise, is a P.O.S. When the receiver is attached to the stock, it is offset to the right, so it is a right hand only shooter. Shooting left hand requires a very long reach around the semi-pistol grip stock to reach the trigger.

Speaking of the trigger, it is rough, gritty, and has a pull weight that makes the double action trigger pull of a revolver feel like a 1911. Magazines are expensive and semi-hard to find, and in the original form only one magazine can be stored in the buttstock. (The latest Henry version has storage for three magazines, one prepositioned in the receiver, and two more in the buttstock.

And lastly, the sights are horrible. A rear "peep" sight that is a ghost ring big enough to drive a Mack truck through, and a front blade with no brass bead. It's not much of a survival game-getter if you can't hit your small game.

Were it not for the novelty of breaking down and storing in the buttsotck, the AR-7 never would have lasted as a .22LR in the marketplace.

20 posted on 06/10/2019 6:06:09 AM PDT by Yo-Yo ( is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
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