Entry level .22LR for target/field?

[in2anity]

Ruger American

Lithgow La 102

Keystone 722

Just a couple I and some mates shoot and habe 0 issues with

FYI the la102 is the center fire big brother of the la101 - I presume that’s what you’re referring to.

[Hangfire]

For a quality entry level at a good price hard to beat a Ruger American there's also a target version aswell.

[Hoot]

Where is your "local" club? What matches do they shoot? Are you prepared to travel to compete?
Your answers to these questions will influence the advice that you receive.

I'm in Orange, NSW, the local range does Field Rifle, 3-Positional, Benchrest, general target and several just ad hock matches that are just informal at the range itself, like rapid fire and offhand.

G'day Hoot,
There is a Lithgow Model 12 on usedguns at the moment for $300. It will fulfill all your requirements, a mag fed repeater for hunting, and a heavy barrel for target work. The Model 12 is renowned for it's accuracy, and is drilled and tapped for side mounted diopter such as Lithgow Model 57 or 58 sights, or Parker Hale 17. They can be fitted with a scope quite easily also. A good, low cost entry level rifle, Cheers.

PS: My Model 12 is just as good as my Enfield No8, for 25 to 50 yard target work.

It certainly fits the budget, I'll check that out - thank you! I have no idea what a side mounted diopter is however! The rule of thumb everyone used to tell me when I was younger is spend more on the optics than you do on the rifle, a $300 entry would certainly make that possible!

[Supaduke]

Expensive optics can be wasteful if you are not utilising their advantages. Most comps are held during the day. And being rimfire you won't be going past 200m, probably less. Much more than x12 optics on a .22 is not necessary. A good Nikon prostaff or Vortex Crossfire is plenty for a .22.

[Hoot]

Expensive optics can be wasteful if you are not utilising their advantages. Most comps are held during the day. And being rimfire you won't be going past 200m, probably less. Much more than x12 optics on a .22 is not necessary. A good Nikon prostaff or Vortex Crossfire is plenty for a .22.

I wouldn't even attempt to shoot past 200m with a .22, as far as I'm aware most of the comps happen at 25 or 50 meters!

[Supaduke]

Expensive optics can be wasteful if you are not utilising their advantages. Most comps are held during the day. And being rimfire you won't be going past 200m, probably less. Much more than x12 optics on a .22 is not necessary. A good Nikon prostaff or Vortex Crossfire is plenty for a .22.

I wouldn't even attempt to shoot past 200m with a .22, as far as I'm aware most of the comps happen at 25 or 50 meters!

That's what I mean. I know they occasionally do speciality shoots at longer ranges but the far majority are at 50m or less. No need for high powered optics. Nor does a scope's low light performance have much relevance. Nor does it need complex long range reticles.

[Bushie]

Ruger American

Lithgow La 102

Keystone 722

Just a couple I and some mates shoot and habe 0 issues with

FYI the la102 is the center fire big brother of the la101 - I presume that’s what you’re referring to.

Yeah my bad

[Gamerancher]

We shoot .22rf @ 200m with iron sights. .
22BPCR silhouette.

[Hoot]

We shoot .22rf @ 200m with iron sights. .
22BPCR silhouette.

Odds of me ever hitting anything at 200 meters with anything.. slim to none!

[brett1868]

My son recently turned 12 and got his juniors permit so I had a similar decision to make as in what to get him, a Lithgow or a Anschutz. After much thought I went with the Lithgow mainly because he's a lefty and I couldn't get an Anschutz within a reasonable timeframe. If he shows some passion and talent then I'll invest the dollars in a top level competitive rifle but for now he can use the Lithgow and be reasonably competitive while still being able to hunt with it. I'll keep in mind sungazer's advice about buying used and re-barreling.

[in2anity]

And x12 optics is definitely not necessarily too much for the 22; it all depends on the intended application. Rimfire silhouette demands AT LEAST x12, preferably more. You basically start at x12 and work your way up the magnification as your skills improve. Plenty of the guys I shoot with use x20 and one even has his set on x30! You gotta remember the chickens are less than 3” across the widest part; bloody small for standing offhand.

Also there is a 200m rimfire event routinely held at Silverdale called “fly on the wall”; you aim for a blowfly target at that distance! Do you think a x12 would be “overkill” for that? Hells no. That event is all about reading the mirage and flags to dope accordingly and lob em in there. Record is something crazy like 5 rounds in a 2” group.

Point is it’s dumb to generalize and say “a 22 should have scope X” horses for courses.

So basically I 100% agree with gamerancher - you should be buying according to the discliplenss your local club has to offer.

[bigfellascott]

The Savage HB Mk2 are great little shooters that cost little, both mine run rings around my Brno Mod 2 in the groups stakes.

[Apollo]

The Savage HB Mk2 are great little shooters that cost little, both mine run rings around my Brno Mod 2 in the groups stakes.

There must be something wrong with your Brno Model 2 or you aren't using the right ammo.

[Apollo]

And x12 optics is definitely not necessarily too much for the 22; it all depends on the intended application. Rimfire silhouette demands AT LEAST x12, preferably more. You basically start at x12 and work your way up the magnification as your skills improve. Plenty of the guys I shoot with use x20 and one even has his set on x30! You gotta remember the chickens are less than 3” across the widest part; bloody small for standing offhand.

Also there is a 200m rimfire event routinely held at Silverdale called “fly on the wall”; you aim for a blowfly target at that distance! Do you think a x12 would be “overkill” for that? Hells no. That event is all about reading the mirage and flags to dope accordingly and lob em in there. Record is something crazy like 5 rounds in a 2” group.

Point is it’s dumb to generalize and say “a 22 should have scope X” horses for courses.

So basically I 100% agree with gamerancher - you should be buying according to the discliplenss your local club has to offer.

The Silverdale shoot at 200 Yards is just called a "200 Yard Fly Shoot" ...no flies on the wall...

It is held as a State and National Competition on a regular basis. You do need a powerful Scope to set your mark, 20x is just the starting point so from there up and up to 40x plus.

A lot of the custom rifles are built on actions of Anschutz specific models and Brno typically Model 2's. Custom grade barrels. 5 shots in like a 2" group, well think about half that but the last shot didn't make the grade, just. I sat beside someone at a 200 Yard Fly Shoot at Batemans Bay and the first 4 shots he did were all touching, then the 5th was 15mm away... you should have heard the swearing.

My standard Brno Model 2 that day out of 50 shooters using custom built rifles rated at 6th`until I stuffed the last target and dropped down to 12th just by a few points. Never heard of a Savage based rifle being any good in State/National competition. The best is a fully custom build but who has 5-10 Grand to spend on a Rimfire...

Modern day rifle in my view would be a Anschutz 50 or a Brno Model 2... BTW.. The rifle I have seen that BFS keeps showing Pic's of is a Brno Model 2E not a Model 2 which is a lot different....

[bigfellascott]

The Savage HB Mk2 are great little shooters that cost little, both mine run rings around my Brno Mod 2 in the groups stakes.

There must be something wrong with your Brno Model 2 or you aren't using the right ammo.

Yeah it's never been tuned or had any work done to it other than the trigger spring. I've tried quite a few brands of ammo in it and it used to love the orange box winnies but sadly they are no more and the newer version isn't quite as good in it but I really don't care as it and the Savage are only used for hunting not poking paper and they both get the job done just fine

[Supaduke]

The title of this post is asking for entry level.....

3-9 and 4-12 are entry level and affordable.

[in2anity]

The point is if he wants to target shoot, he needs a set of sights exactly appropriate for his chosen discipline, not some arbitrary 3-9x hunting scope. which gets back to the suggestion that he needs to investigate what’s on offer at his local clubs. Buy once, cry once. No point in rushing out and impulse buying something only to realize he’ll have to upgrade to be competitive (for target shooting)... I’ve made that mistake before

[Apollo]

Yeah it's never been tuned or had any work done to it other than the trigger spring. I've tried quite a few brands of ammo in it and it used to love the orange box winnies but sadly they are no more and the newer version isn't quite as good in it but I really don't care as it and the Savage are only used for hunting not poking paper and they both get the job done just fine

My Brno Model 2 loves those Winchester Power Points in the Orange Box and luck has it I still have a full brick in reserve but chasing bunnies I prefer something quieter and it's a lot more accurate with Lapua Centre-X. More expensive but they don't frighten the bunnies back into their holes.

It really is a matter of finding the right ammo that a certain rifle loves and sticking with it.

[Hoot]

I'm not opposed to spending more in the future, but I have a habit of strong, short lived passions that my wife has learned to help me deal with.. by not giving me any money! If I can poke little holes in paper as a starting point, I figure I can go from there based on the feedback here

[Gamerancher]

BrNo Mod 2. Earlier built the better. In a custom stock with a bit of trigger work and the right ammo those things are tack drivers.

[Apollo]

BrNo Mod 2. Earlier built the better. In a custom stock with a bit of trigger work and the right ammo those things are tack drivers.

Someone knows his Brno Model 2's...

Mine is a 1965 Model and in "As New" condition.

Took it too my Gunsmith some time ago to have a "Lowey Trigger Kit" installed as I wanted it done correctly and checked over. He discovered that someone had tried to polish the Sear incorrectly as it wasn't correct, rectified. Cost me 50 bucks on top of the trigger kit. Gunsmith comment was... either this Brno has been stored since new, or extremely well looked after as it doesn't have hardly a mark on the Stock and the Bluing is 100% or it's been re-blued professionally. The next comment was that it is one of the best examples he has seen of a Brno Model 2 in his 60 odd years of being a Gunsmith.

Tack Driver it is and I have thought of a Custom Stock for Target but since I only shoot Target once a year I never bothered. One rifle I would never consider selling. With the Lapua Ammo it will put 5 shots in a one hole group at 50 metres and pretty tight at 100 metres. It's usually sighted in for zero at 75 metres unless I'm shooting a 200 Yard Competition.

I have a mate that also has a Brno Model 2 but his is a 1975 Model, it's a different rifle, different Dovetail and Receiver (Action) build plus a couple of other minor differences. I used to have a 1985 Brno Model 2E as well but it wasn't anywhere a match for this Brno Model 2.

Great Rifles, always have been and a treasure to own if one can find one in absolute top condition.