Thread: Looking for a .22 bolt action setup that can be as accurate as possible for rabbits

What brands etc should I look for, and does anyone have a setup they are looking to part ways with

Whats your budget? Accurate 22s start (with a bit of risk that the first one or two wont shoot) at $300 but you can easily spend $3000 for "certainty".

Out of the Box Tikkas are hard to beat, I got a rabbit at 164 M with T1X, you got spend on a decent scope as well though.

Ideally $500 range for something second hand. I understand with guns the ceiling can be very high haha

These are nice I had one years ago but the mags were quite rare back then if you wanted extras
https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....%24490-109859/

I like Tikka and CZ but Ruger is OK too.
with $500 budget, you might get lucky with a good 2nd hand Ruger.

That’s an inch square at 75m using bulk Winchester ammo.
$299 Norinco JW15 that was bought back around 2000. Wearing a $650 3-9 40 Leupold.
Yes it was a fluke, but good glass has as much bearing on accuracy as does the rifle.

There is a scoped Voere .22 for sale in the Buy/Sell section that would be in your price range and do the job. They are accurate little rifles

Originally Posted by No good names left

These are nice I had one years ago but the mags were quite rare back then if you wanted extras
https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....%24490-109859/

Snap

He's not in retail anymore but Richard Wilhelm was selling spare mags once, I think. A quick google found this: Voere magazine

Older wooden norinco is very hard to beat....fullstop.

Do you need an accurate rifle or do you need brand snobbery.

The budget for accurate is potentially modest , not so for the latter

Pickup a cheap 17hmr, like a Rossi. Less than $400 new and will be more accurate and have longer legs than you can get with the flashest of 22s.

Never thought of that. Thanks!

Originally Posted by vulcannz

Pickup a cheap 17hmr, like a Rossi. Less than $400 new and will be more accurate and have longer legs than you can get with the flashest of 22s.

True.....but 0.80c vs 0.20c a bang. Depends on use, and actual accuracy of rifle.

But also it is very satisfying to line up on a rabbit or hare at 175m with basically top of head target and watch it fall over with the 17

I own a lot of 22s, and shoot almost exclusively 22s. Here is my take.

1. People tend to hang on to their accurate 22s, because there are always opportunities to shoot them. Accurate second hand 22 sporters exist but you need to be lucky. A few times a year someone in the forum would come up with genuinely good deal. I would say that they are more reliable than TradeMe as far as accuracy claims go.

2. If you want some certainty and buy new, you only have 2 choices around $1k. T1X and CZ457, with T1X a bit more certain. If you want spend no more than $600, get CZ452.

3. If you shoot 100x 3-round groups with any gun, you will be end up with a few 3-shot 1 hole groups. The better measure is whether the gun can produce 3x 5-shot 1-MOA groups on the same piece of paper. I go to several 22 sporting rifle clubs (just finished the 2024 inter-club series between 5 clubs in Auckland), and have been to competitions for other disciplines such as silhouette and PRS and seen many 22 guns in action. I just do not see the fabled "1-hole JW15" or "0.75 MOA Marlin", "sub-MOA-all-day-long Ruger American" competing. Most budget competitors shoot T1X and CZ457. High end shoot Vudoo or Victrix.

4. Do not buy Ruger 10/22 if you want accuracy. The fastest way to waste money is to buy a Ruger 10/22 and upgrade it. If you want an accurate 10/22, go with one-stop option, and the best in that category is KIDD. Be prepared to pay $1700+ for a secondhand and 3k for a new one.

5. Accuracy is not just in the barrel, it is also in the trigger. More so if you shoot free hand. With many low end gun, while you could get a lottery barrel, you will not get a lottery trigger. They all have heavy, gritty, creepy, and/or inconsistent pull. You have to pay good money for a factory light, smooth, consistent trigger. There are after market triggers cost 700+, people buy them not because they are snobs, but because they really improve shooting a lot.

6. I only shoot free hand when I go rabbit and possum hunting. You cannot expect to go prone every time you see a game, it is too slow and the terrain do not always permit prone shooting. This is why good trigger is super important.