Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

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Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by green_comet » 18 Aug 2018, 11:30 pm

Hey guys,

I just sorted my firearms license here in Vic and I'm looking to buy my first rifle. I've decided on a 22LR as it seemed like a great starting point until I get more experience.

I'm just after some suggestion on which .22 rifles people highly recommend on here. It'll be used at the target range along with plinking and bunny hunting. My budget is about $700-1200 (just rifle), just wanted something that's good quality, accurate, reliable and easy to maintain.

I've been eyeing up the CZ 455, Lithgow LA101, Browning T-Bolt, Weihrauch HW66 and Tikka T1X. I shouldered the CZ earlier today and quite liked it, was a good size/weight and seemed well made. I haven't had a chance to look at the others.

Any advice or suggestions on others rifles I should be looking at would be much appreciated. :thumbsup:
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by keenstalking22 » 19 Aug 2018, 1:37 am

You cant go wrong with a CZ or a Lithgow, get it in stainless synthetic and take it anywhere. Im not going to judge the Browning or the Weihrauch because I have never touched them, or even know anyone that owns one but it surely is a great rifle, but most people just get the CZ or the Lithgow. The Tikka t1x, if its even half as good as other tikka rifles then its gonna be a great gun but I dont think theres any of them in Australia yet.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by keenstalking22 » 19 Aug 2018, 1:38 am

You cant go wrong with a CZ or a Lithgow, get it in stainless synthetic and take it anywhere. Im not going to judge the Browning or the Weihrauch because I have never touched them, or even know anyone that owns one but it surely is a great rifle, but most people just get the CZ or the Lithgow. The Tikka t1x, if its even half as good as other tikka rifles then its gonna be a great gun but I dont think theres any of them in Australia yet.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by Rowan » 19 Aug 2018, 2:29 am

I'm going through the same thing, new rifle licence / 1st .22. I went with a Anschutz 64 MPR. It's a bit more cash, but it's quite accurate from all reports. Mine is yet to arrive. I'll report my findings here once it arrives.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by JimTom » 19 Aug 2018, 8:01 am

I have owned CZ and Lithgow and can’t fsult either. Tikka should be a good bit of kit when it arrives too. Can’t go wrong with any of them.
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Post by eddahenry » 19 Aug 2018, 8:13 am

Nah it’s true
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by JimTom » 19 Aug 2018, 8:28 am

Ain’t that the truth.
All starts with a .22LR, then you will want a .223, then a .243, then a .308, then you will decide to fill in the gaps and get a .22Hornet, etc etc etc.
Gotta spend your money on something I suppose and rifles are bloody good fun.
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Post by bigrich » 19 Aug 2018, 8:32 am

weihrauch gets my vote. have owned cz 452 supermatch , bedded 12 groove barrel and all the trimmings, bought a 1960's german krico that with a wobbly trigger that outshot the cz. weihrauch 66 is a more modern version, has a really good trigger straight out of the box. just my two cents :thumbsup:
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by green_comet » 19 Aug 2018, 11:46 am

Thanks for the tips guys, I'm going to head down to a few shops next weekend and try to shoulder them all. I'm very interested in the Tikka T1X as I shouldered a few T3X's yesterday and quite liked the feel/action. I think I'm probably better off waiting till I can check the T1X out before deciding on a rifle.
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Post by SCJ429 » 19 Aug 2018, 6:50 pm

Anschutz make some very nice rimfire rifles but the Lithgow or Tikka would be very nice too. I wish my first rimfire was one of them instead of the old Slazenger I used as a kid.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by NUTSACK » 20 Aug 2018, 6:53 pm

More bench shooting get a CZ varmint! More carrying and knock around maybe a Ruger American..
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Post by TBJ » 20 Aug 2018, 8:57 pm

Mate personally I think CZ are the best budget .22's they're very accurate, great quality and very easy to modify if you want to as heaps of people make parts for them I love them as shown by the 4 I own, the 452/3 is better than the 455 in my opinion, with the 453 having a factory set trigger, but the 455 is still an excellent gun. Anschütz make awesome guns the cheaper ones are in your budget or close too, Weihrauch are also very nice, they compare well to the Anschütz Match 64 action like in the 1416 DHB.
Honestly in your budget just get a CZ 452/3/5 and a good scope and you'll have a perfect first rifle that will last you forever if you take good care of it.
Have: .17H .22LR .204R .222REM .223REM .22-250 .243WIN .270WIN .308WIN .300WM 7.62x39 30-06SPRG .303BRIT 30-30WIN 9.3x62 45-70GOVT 44RMAG 45LC 20GA 12GA .410GA
Want: .220SWIFT 6.5CREED .260REM .375H&H .416RIGBY .444MARLIN .458WIN 16GA 28GA
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by PaddyT » 21 Aug 2018, 9:19 am

Love my Lithgow
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by green_comet » 21 Aug 2018, 9:22 am

TBJ wrote:Honestly in your budget just get a CZ 452/3/5 and a good scope and you'll have a perfect first rifle that will last you forever if you take good care of it.


It's definitely up there with my choices, I'm trying to be patient and wait for the T1X to land though before making a decision. With the CZ I really liked the grippy finish on the synthetic stock, it felt great and came as a surprise after shouldering all the centre fire rifles with hard slippery synthetic stocks that just felt cheap and hollow.
Last edited by green_comet on 27 Aug 2018, 1:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by green_comet » 27 Aug 2018, 1:29 pm

On the weekend I shouldered a Browning T Bolt, CZ 455 Stainless, Lithgow LA101 and Weihrauch hw60. Out of them all I think the Lithgow felt right for me, I loved the look/build quality for the Weihrauch but I found it very heavy, even compared to the Lithgow.

I need to find a Weihrauch hw66 to shoulder now and I'm also looking at the freshly released Steyr Zephyr II, anyone know much about it? It looks quite nice, here's a YouTube review of the Steyr.

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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by Wm.Traynor » 27 Aug 2018, 1:48 pm

Sorry to inform you that theCZ455 is not all that easy to clean with a rod, from the breech in the "proper" fashion. You might be able to find all the discussion on EnoughGun. It has been pretty well thrashed out. FWIW, mine is still a nuisance and I will be putting the finishing touches to my "fix" in a few minutes.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by in2anity » 27 Aug 2018, 9:16 pm

Wm.Traynor wrote:Sorry to inform you that theCZ455 is not all that easy to clean with a rod, from the breech in the "proper" fashion. You might be able to find all the discussion on EnoughGun. It has been pretty well thrashed out. FWIW, mine is still a nuisance and I will be putting the finishing touches to my "fix" in a few minutes.

I haven’t read that thread WM - what’s the limitation with cleaning the 455? Curious as my mate is looking for a silhouette rifle and is considering the 455 varmint.
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by Wm.Traynor » 28 Aug 2018, 10:27 am

in2anity wrote:
Wm.Traynor wrote:Sorry to inform you that theCZ455 is not all that easy to clean with a rod, from the breech in the "proper" fashion. You might be able to find all the discussion on EnoughGun. It has been pretty well thrashed out. FWIW, mine is still a nuisance and I will be putting the finishing touches to my "fix" in a few minutes.

I haven’t read that thread WM - what’s the limitation with cleaning the 455? Curious as my mate is looking for a silhouette rifle and is considering the 455 varmint.


Briefly, the ejector fouls/ rubs against the rod, forcing it into contact with the rifling. Has been discussed at length on RimfireCentral.com in the CZ/Brno area. Some recommend a bore guide while others caution against them. Isn't that always the way :? I am in the process of filing the ejector. Who said the CZ wasn't a project gun?
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by in2anity » 28 Aug 2018, 11:05 am

Wm.Traynor wrote:Who said the CZ wasn't a project gun?

lol. you are a bolder man than I WM. thanks for the tip good to know :thumbsup:
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
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Post by Gwion » 31 Aug 2018, 8:29 am

WM. What's the issue with a bore guide?
Also, filing the ejector sounds a bit rash: how well will the rifle eject after this?
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by Wm.Traynor » 31 Aug 2018, 10:10 am

Gwion wrote:WM. What's the issue with a bore guide?

I will have to look up a topic on RimfireCentral.com to answer that, reliably. Won't be until this pm earliest.

Also, filing the ejector sounds a bit rash: how well will the rifle eject after this?


It won't.
In a manner of speaking, there are two ejectors. One seems to be part of the magazine housing. I am experimenting with removable ejectors. One is part of the magazine; something that I epoxied to it. The J B Weld does not seem to be hardening and I have no confidence in it. Have made two wooden prototypes, one with aluminium inserts. Both untested so far. Have to go to Bris this am. Will resume tomorrow.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by Farmerpete » 31 Aug 2018, 7:19 pm

Have you considered a pump or lever action make for a good fun plinking rifle and faster shots on bunnies
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Post by Wombat » 31 Aug 2018, 7:57 pm

There are three different unfired BRNO model 2's for sale at the moment.
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Post by Wm.Traynor » 31 Aug 2018, 9:37 pm

Gwion,
You will find a discussion on bore guides here
https://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/s ... 289&page=2
The third line of reply #11 is mildly interesting but reply #17 by PABEAR got my attention. In addition, I long recall being told or maybe just hearing that it does not matter how well made the guide is. If both the rifle's bore and the action's axis are not concentric then there will be rod wear, owing to misalignment.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by bigfellascott » 31 Aug 2018, 10:09 pm

They are all good rifles so go with what feels good to you and happy to pay for. I like my Daughters little Savage HB, it can shoot tiny groups and isn't overly heavy compared to some (I find the lithgows a bit on the heavy side for a 22, which I think would be a PITA to carry around all day out bush (I could be wrong) my little Brno Mod 2 is a great little hunting rifle, nice and light and shoots nicely too.

End of the day if you buy something and you find it's not quite to your liking you can always sell it and try something else.

Good luck with your decision.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by bigrich » 01 Sep 2018, 5:03 am

bigfellascott wrote:They are all good rifles so go with what feels good to you and happy to pay for. I like my Daughters little Savage HB, it can shoot tiny groups and isn't overly heavy compared to some (I find the lithgows a bit on the heavy side for a 22, which I think would be a PITA to carry around all day out bush (I could be wrong) my little Brno Mod 2 is a great little hunting rifle, nice and light and shoots nicely too.

End of the day if you buy something and you find it's not quite to your liking you can always sell it and try something else.

Good luck with your decision.


you raise a very important point BFS. i have a weihrauch hw66 that's extremely well built and accurate. but i just got my old krico 22 back from the smith's yesterday, and it's a LOT lighter. which was the reason i used to like my cz 452 so much. out in the paddock a light to carry , quick to shoulder 22 is probably more important than one hole accuracy. :thumbsup: :drinks:
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by bigfellascott » 01 Sep 2018, 5:36 am

bigrich wrote:
bigfellascott wrote:They are all good rifles so go with what feels good to you and happy to pay for. I like my Daughters little Savage HB, it can shoot tiny groups and isn't overly heavy compared to some (I find the lithgows a bit on the heavy side for a 22, which I think would be a PITA to carry around all day out bush (I could be wrong) my little Brno Mod 2 is a great little hunting rifle, nice and light and shoots nicely too.

End of the day if you buy something and you find it's not quite to your liking you can always sell it and try something else.

Good luck with your decision.


you raise a very important point BFS. i have a weihrauch hw66 that's extremely well built and accurate. but i just got my old krico 22 back from the smith's yesterday, and it's a LOT lighter. which was the reason i used to like my cz 452 so much. out in the paddock a light to carry , quick to shoulder 22 is probably more important than one hole accuracy. :thumbsup: :drinks:


That's pretty much how I see it BR, all you need in any hunting rifle is one that consistently places that first shot where you intend it to go or as close to the POA in any case, as I say we don't shoot groups on fur so don't get all hung up on one hole group accuracy in a hunting rifle. I like to put those little orange stick on dots on a sheet of cardboard and just take one shot at each do, you'd be amazed how consistent the results can be, yet if I sat there trying to shoot say a 5 shot group at one dot and the groups was say around 1" I'd be disappointed as we all think we have to shoot tiny groups to have a decent hunting rifle, it really isn't the case at all.

My little Brno Mod 2 ain't no target rifle yet it manages to hammer rabbits in the head out to around the 80m mark with good consistency if I do my part right, what more do I need from a hunting rifle if I can get good consistent results whilst out hunting? :unknown:

It's all good a well having a rifle that can shoot tiny groups on a range where distances are static and you know then, you have a wonderful rest to shoot off and can take your time to fart around reading the wind and waiting for the wind to be in your favour etc etc, those things don't really exist in the real world of hunting where it's see something, get in a position to get the best rest you can to take a good shot and ya go for it before the little bugger buggers off. :D

I really think people confuse the two types of situations and the way they both work in real life. :drinks:
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by bigrich » 01 Sep 2018, 5:59 am

i think your absolutely right with that last line in your post BFS.i live /work in the outer suburbs halfway between brisbane and the gold coast, rarely go to either of those places, city life/people can give me the sh@ts at times .i have mates who live/work rural, so i get to hunt about a dozen times a year when i can get the time and my mates can get the time off work. a lot of my shooting is done at ripley (stewartdale ) SSAA range on the weekend. it's in a rural setting and much more freindly and laid back than belmont in brisbane i'll tell ya ! it's enjoyable reloading , shooting groups and i like the social aspect and talking to other people about their guns ( met a bloke who had a barvarian full wood anschutz in 270 with the twin triggers, man what a great old rifle ). but in the feild shooting at moving targets on the fly is a vastly different circumstance. the rifle that works well at the range may not be the best in the paddock . hopefully i'll win the lotto and buy a big block in the tenterfeild reigon where i get to hunt. :drinks: :thumbsup:
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by cracker » 01 Sep 2018, 10:52 am

Find your self a FN "browning trombone" 22LR pump action.
They handle great, point really well and shoot super well.
quality made belgian gun designed by god him self.

Can be had rough for as low as $200-$300, and better examples around $500-$700.

Wiki - >

he FN Browning Trombone is a pump-action long takedown rifle designed by John M. Browning in 1919, patented on 1 August 1922 and manufactured by Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal Belgium from 1922 to 1974. Models manufactured post 1969 had a product code W.

The rifle has a .22 caliber chamber, a tubular 11-round magazine, 24-inch round barrel, wooden semi-pistol grip stock. Models made in the late 1960s featured a dovetail notch for mounting scopes.

The stocks of early models were susceptible to cracking, sometimes attributed to the shape of the receiver; later models, such as the dovetail scope variant, appeared to solve this problem. The pump grip of all models is susceptible to cracking, the wood between the magazine and barrel being especially thin, this rarely detected unless the rifle is disassembled.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by Breadroll » 04 Sep 2018, 11:04 pm

I have just bought a Savage Mark II G as my first rifle. While it isn't as tight on groups compared to the Lithgow that I have shot a few times at Springvale SSAA Range, it was great fun to shoot, and not too expensive to start off with.
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