Thread: 22 Upgrade

I wouldn't bother spending heaps more on a 22LR to pop a few bunnies. Not necessary.

We had a team meeting couple nights ago - boys who've been together for 13-17 years. All of them have shot umpteen thousand bunnies (plus the deer, wallabies etc), and only one uses expensive brand equipment - and then occasionally. All of them tend to go for their proven efficient range/field 22s - and by heavens they know how to use them. Amongst them a number of Marlins, JWs, Savage, Zastava, Winny 69A, early CZ etc - none of them expensive - but all range tuned to really shoot. And importantly, also ok for the bumps that years shooting from truck, quad, wandering rocks/matagouri etc will bring. You will not outshoot these little rifles out to 100m by buying a $1000 hunter 22LR.

Thoroughly agree with comments above on older model 22s also - the Remingtons eg 511,512, 541, 550 Speedmaster etc - and Sportco, some Winchesters, Lithgow model 12 - lots of them. Always room in my gunsafe for them. Just be cautious re parts supply esp if using them alot. If people have a real hankering to buy a more expensive hunter 22 for themselves - that's entirely fine too. 100%. But... one thing I've learned from long decades.. for hunter rifles, price is not necessarily an indication of accuracy, of performance in the field.

Norinco JW15/27s can be very effective - deadly to 100. JW15 modelled on Brno One, and a little polishing brings out that Brno DNA. Just doing another mudz JW15 project. This is a very tidy 30 year old wooded JW15. I'll polish up bolt/trigger etc, range test/tune it thoroughly, and I expect it'll prove another sub half inch shooter (at best). At $300-350 or so it will most certainly match any $800-1000 22s in the field - and at fraction of cost.

All good fun