Assorted 22 questions

[Tubs]

Am fairly new to rifles - have a few questions regarding 22's.please.

1. Im left handed, I didnt mind shooting a right handed bolt action Saving Private Ryan style. Anyone have an opinion - should lefties invest in left handed rifles?
2. For a mixture of hunting and target shooting whats thew best value 22 rifle/scope combo? Im hearing good things about CZ and Tikka.
3. Is 22 HMR worth a look? I have a 22 pistol so figure its just easier to sticking to the same calibre.
4. For target shooting is the bean bag kind of cheating? I was able to shoot a 2.5 inch group @ 50 using a mate's Tikka T1X with a bipod but without out the bag/rest - I refused to use it held up the stock with my trigger hand. First time beginners luck I think
5. Was considering getting lever action everything but everyone tells me its less accurate?

Thnx

[bladeracer]

Am fairly new to rifles - have a few questions regarding 22's.please.

1. Im left handed, I didnt mind shooting a right handed bolt action Saving Private Ryan style. Anyone have an opinion - should lefties invest in left handed rifles?
2. For a mixture of hunting and target shooting whats thew best value 22 rifle/scope combo? Im hearing good things about CZ and Tikka.
3. Is 22 HMR worth a look? I have a 22 pistol so figure its just easier to sticking to the same calibre.
4. For target shooting is the bean bag kind of cheating? I was able to shoot a 2.5 inch group @ 50 using a mate's Tikka T1X with a bipod but without out the bag/rest - I refused to use it held up the stock with my trigger hand. First time beginners luck I think
5. Was considering getting lever action everything but everyone tells me its less accurate?

Thnx

1. Personal preference, sometimes watching lefties shooting right-handed rifles leaves me wishing I was left-handed

2. Again, what sort of rifle do you prefer? I prefer Ruger but there a number of budget rifles that all do a great job. Scope-wise, to do field and range work I'd want a scope with about 4-power at the bottom for snap shooting, and 18-24-power at the top for seeing bullet holes out to 100m or so.

3. HMR is a 17, the .22 is the WMR. Neither will fit a .22LR handgun.

4. For making the smallest possible groups you will want a rear bag, but it is cheating Some people also use a rear bag for field shooting, like varminting.

5. Levers can be decently accurate, but generally the mechanical design is not conducive to target-rifle accuracy. I'd be very surprised to see anybody shooting paper competition with a lever-action rimfire.

[marksman]

its what you feel the most comfortable with
a good friend is a lefty (can you believe that ) sry about the joke
anyway he can cycle and shoot a right hand bolt action rifle off the shoulder faster than anyone l know
he has always had right handed rifles and cant use a left hand action

[rc42]

A few thoughts.
You might get people quoting that it's eye dominance that determines whether you should shoot left or right handed, for shotguns where you shoot with both eyes open it seems reasonable, for rifles it's BS, your dominant eye is the one that you have open and looking through the sights/scope. Choose right/left handed based on comfort/preference but if you can adopt right handed shooting you'll have more choices for rifles and accessories in the future.

Lots of great 22 rifles available, CZ, Tika are good, the Australian Lithgow 101 is a great hunting and target rifle, try to work out what target shooting you are doing and get something good for that, just about any rifle can be used for hunting too.

22 HMR? do you mean WMR? doesn't matter that its still '22' the bullets aren't compatible, if you have a rifle chambered in 22 Magnum you can't shoot 22LR through it. Lever actions with tube magazines can work with 22 LR/Long/Short but standard magazines need a specific round to work.

'Cheating' is doing something that's not allowed in the rules and gives you an advantage, in a competition you'll likely be using the same as everybody else, things that make non competition shooting easier probably mean you aren't learning as much as you could be, maybe that's just cheating yourself. 22 rimfire shooting at distance is about reading the wind, that's where the skill is, centering the scope on the target in benchrest is the easy part.

Lever action is more fun than any other rifle for plinking, even better than a semi-auto and most will take over 20 short rounds in the tube, those are so quiet that you don't need hearing protection. They usually have iron sights so are best for lever action competitions and fun, bolt action with a bull barrel is always the best for accuracy.

[in2anity]

w.r.t to rear bags - mate it depends what kind of target shooting you see yourself doing. If you want to compete in benchrest style events, then no, of course it's not "cheating", quite the opposite. It just depends on what the rules dictate, and what tickles your fancy. Those 22lr 200m fly shoots are an absolute hoot!

Me, well I find shooting with a sling, or from the standing offhand position the most challenging, and thus most engaging, long term. The way I see fully supported shooting: "well yes, if I lay my gun on this bed of sand, then touch the trigger - then yes, the round is more or less going to go where the darned thing is pointed. that's a known outcome.". But to be fair, each to their own. There are other aspects that come into account with precision, like reading the wind, making quality ammo, buying expensive gear. Different areas of applying effort.

I think pretty much anyone with half a brain could bipod group a 22lr into 2.5" at 50m. If you're putting them under an inch at 50m without a rear support - now that's probably "above average", I guess.

You wanna see some good shooting, here's a string of 10s from 50m without a jacket https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkwr4kU12Ro 10 ring Ø = 10.4 mm. He shoots Service also, and he's not even at the top (yet!), giving you an idea of how "skilled" our very best shooters are.

[rc42]

You wanna see some good shooting, here's a string of 10s from 50m without a jacket https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkwr4kU12Ro 10 ring Ø = 10.4 mm. He shoots Service also, and he's not at the top (yet!), giving you an idea of how "skilled" our very best shooters are.

With no jacket to assist support and the way those wind flags are flapping around that's exceptional shooting for 50m prone.

[SCJ429]

What did you think of the Tikka? It is one of the better budget rimfires.

I don't rate any "magnum" rimfire, the ammo is pretty expensive. I think you would be better off with reduced loads from a 223 or 222.

[Tubs]

What did you think of the Tikka? It is one of the better budget rimfires.

I don't rate any "magnum" rimfire, the ammo is pretty expensive. I think you would be better off with reduced loads from a 223 or 222.

The Tikka was a fine piece of engineering. Really enjoyed it.

[Jarhead]

Am fairly new to rifles - have a few questions regarding 22's.please.

1. Im left handed, I didnt mind shooting a right handed bolt action Saving Private Ryan style. Anyone have an opinion - should lefties invest in left handed rifles?
2. For a mixture of hunting and target shooting whats thew best value 22 rifle/scope combo? Im hearing good things about CZ and Tikka.
3. Is 22 HMR worth a look? I have a 22 pistol so figure its just easier to sticking to the same calibre.
4. For target shooting is the bean bag kind of cheating? I was able to shoot a 2.5 inch group @ 50 using a mate's Tikka T1X with a bipod but without out the bag/rest - I refused to use it held up the stock with my trigger hand. First time beginners luck I think
5. Was considering getting lever action everything but everyone tells me its less accurate?

Thnx

Hey Tubs,

I am a lefty too- all my bolt guns are left handed. When shooting off a bipod or front rest, cycling the action with the right hand allows you not to move your head or trigger hand. Very comfy and an advantage.

Without a bipod or front rest, you need to support the forestock with your right. Cycling a right handed action with your left hand destroys the natural point of aim that a real sniper (not a hollywood one) works hard at establishing before taking a shot. Have another look- you can see Private Jackson lift his head off the comb and move the stock in his shoulder when he cycles the action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgHRj2-vvs8

I had to do the same left handed cycle with an M40A1 (there are no left handed USMC sniper rifles) and I watched with envy my peers smooth cycle while I went into contortions. I don't think I ever looked as cool as Private Jackson though......

So consider what type of shooting you will do- front rested or not-before you decide.

You also need to consider the position of the safety switch and mag release. Some mag releases are ambidextrous, some are not.

[Ricochet]

I'm right handed but left eye dominant and freehand I shoot lefty. If your hunting shoot left. If your shooting off rested setup either bags or bipod or whatever you should be able to cycle the action easily enough with your off hand.

Edit,
Shoot left handed if that's the most natural for you. Don't try and change your style to suit a rifle, pick a rifle to suit your style. What I meant to say is free hand you'll probably be better off with a left handed rifle, but you could still use a right handed rifle.

Personally as a right hander with left eye dominance shooting left handed off bags with a right handed rifle would work better for me than with a left handed rifle.

[rc42]

You can temporarily make your right eye dominant whilst rifle shooting, simply adopt a right handed hold on the rifle, look through the scope/sights with your right eye, then close your left eye. Works every time.

[in2anity]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj1NyPvb1Lw for a string, dropping the rifle fully out of the pocket generally isn't recommended, but bringing the rifle back to a consistent hold is more or less achievable, with practice. Poor leftie service shooters are at a bit of a disadvantage, and must work harder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5og71a7WMs see how this guy's keeping the rifle pocketed, and only moving his head enough to cycle the bolt - it lends itself to a consistent cheek weld, and thus a more consistent shot.

[ausbushman]

5. Was considering getting lever action everything but everyone tells me its less accurate?

Thnx[/quote]

I have a rimfire collection, brno 1,2,3's and plenty of others, my favourite and most accurate (just) is a Marlin 39a Lever action.
Do yourself a favour and have a look at them and winchester 9422
Your chances are not good in getting one, people snap em up really quick, and they don't come up that often, because they are so good

[SCJ429]

5. Was considering getting lever action everything but everyone tells me its less accurate?

Thnx

I have a rimfire collection, brno 1,2,3's and plenty of others, my favourite and most accurate (just) is a Marlin 39a Lever action.
Do yourself a favour and have a look at them and winchester 9422
Your chances are not good in getting one, people snap em up really quick, and they don't come up that often, because they are so good
[/quote]

I think you are misleading the OP when you tell him that lever actions are more accurate than bolt action. Most lever actions are woeful in the accuracy stakes and the best ones would be described as adequate. Buy a lever action because you love the action design and not because you are chasing accuracy.

[Tubs]

Someone is talking it up a bit lol.

[in2anity]

The older JM era 39a, with its long sight radius is indeed among the most accurate 22 lever gun. Very popular in Smallbore Lever Action Silhouette Rifle, and much more accurate than most from off hand. But yeah, they group like just an average bolt gun.

[bladeracer]

I have a rimfire collection, brno 1,2,3's and plenty of others, my favourite and most accurate (just) is a Marlin 39a Lever action.
Do yourself a favour and have a look at them and winchester 9422
Your chances are not good in getting one, people snap em up really quick, and they don't come up that often, because they are so good

I have the Norinco JW21 licenced copy of the 9422, and it does shoot very well, 10rds into about 60mm scoped at 100m pretty consistently off the bench, occasionally a little better, but I've never managed 1MoA from it at 100m. I also have two Ruger Americans, the Ruger Precision, Henry 001, BSA Sportsman 5, and a few more .22's. I would expect your Brno's to out-shoot all of my .22's, and my Rugers can fairly consistently hold 30-40mm 10rd groups at 100m. What sort of groups are you seeing from the Marlin that it out-shoots your Brno's?

[RoginaJack]

1. short answer, Yes invest in a L.H. bolt action rifle. Nowdays, there are a great choice compared to back then......

[ausbushman]

hahahaa maybe I got lucky, we will never know. Hopefully some more interesting posts come up on here.

[SCJ429]

hahahaa maybe I got lucky, we will never know. Hopefully some more interesting posts come up on here.

Yes you are lucky to have a lever action that shoots well, on the downside you have the three most inaccurate Brnos on the planet.

I have seen some Brno rimfires that are very impressive.

[deye243]

My experience with the Bruno cz variety inaccuracy issues usually stem from excessive headspace easily fixed with a small shim that goes on the bolt body just before you slide on the cocking piece handle ......