Thread: semi auto rimfire for hares and bunnies ?????

Originally Posted by dannyb

is there a better option as far as semi auto goes in 22lr or 17hmr ?

Am I just pouring money into a tacti-cool hole that will be less than accurate @ 5x the cost ?

we keep the meat off the hares so accuracy is important, I like to head shoot them wherever possible.

looking for advice on rifle, setup, optics from those that may have been down this rabbit hole before, was looking at mounting a reasonably powerful torch on this setup as well hence the chassis direction with picatinny rails etc (or am I misguided ?)
thanks

17hmr never worked well on semis, it used to explode. The new Savage A17 solved the explosion problem but in all reviews I see, its accuracy is very average, arguably below-par compared to what you would expect for a 17hmr. So if you want 17hmr - which is not a bad idea at all - stick with CZ455, maybe get a aftermarket barrel such as Lilja.

If you want an accurate, good looking, reliable semi 22LR with a trigger better than sex, get a KIDD with 2-stage. It is a bit expensive, you would be looking at about $2000 for a full rifle, but you will never look back. it really is the ultimate 22LR semi. you can use it for target shooting and hunting.

If you want to save a bit of money, get a secondhand 10/22 and swap out the trigger to a KIDD unit and get a lightweight bull barrel from whistlepig, magnum research, or KIDD. You end up spending about $1.2K but it will be almost as good as a full KIDD. I have such a hunting rig.

KIDD is so good that secondhadd full rifle and 2-stage trigger very rarely come up for sale. That should tell you something. I have 2 KIDD full rifles, if we ever come cross path I am happy to let you shoot it a bit to see for yourself.

If you go to gun shops they tend to push for Volquartsen because that is what they stock. Volquartsen is also quite good but in my view not worth the money they charge (about KIDD price). Their carbon wrapped barrels are not that light. their trigger unit is just a better made unit based on the same Rugger design.

Lastly, in my view there is no need to spend a lot of money on a fancy tacticool stock with fancy rails. I use an el cheapo plastic mount that mounts the torch on the scope, works like a charm at only 4 bucks and next to no weight.