Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

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

Post by bigrich » 05 Sep 2018, 5:51 pm

Breadroll wrote: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.


post some results mate :thumbsup:
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by green_comet » 28 Sep 2018, 7:31 pm

Hey guys, just wanted to touch base and thank everyone here for their comments and suggestions.

I went down to my local gun store earlier today and was able to shoulder the new Steyr Zephyr II and a Tikka T1X (albeit in 17hmr), both were nice but didn't really blow me away. I did make a decision though and finally put a deposit down on this Weihrauch HW60J.

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I really liked this rifle when I shouldered it a few weeks back, it's on the heavy side but I just couldn't stop coming back to it and I found myself comparing every rifle I'd hold to the HW60 in some way. I know this sounds silly, but every time I was holding the HW60 it felt like I was holding something special. It just oozed quality, the build looks and feels top notch, the two stage trigger was excellent and the bolt throw/action for me was the best of the bunch. I'm extremely happy and can't wait to get my hands on it.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by ClaytonT88 » 28 Sep 2018, 7:41 pm

That is one beautiful looking rifle! Very interested to see that you shouldered both the T1 and Zephyr, lots of good news about both but great to see you found one you fell in love with! Did you shoulder the HW66 side by side with it? Did the open sights sway you towards it?
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by green_comet » 28 Sep 2018, 9:12 pm

ClaytonT88 wrote:That is one beautiful looking rifle! Very interested to see that you shouldered both the T1 and Zephyr, lots of good news about both but great to see you found one you fell in love with! Did you shoulder the HW66 side by side with it? Did the open sights sway you towards it?


Thanks mate. Yeah my local store (Gunco) had both the T1X and the Zephyr II there, The T1X felt pretty much just like the T3X (no surprise there) which was nice, I really wasn't a fan of the synthetic stock though. The Steyr was nice, very lightweight and well made. I wasn't a big fan of the action of the bolt, which did slide smooth but was quite hard to lock and unlock. It was almost the same price as the Weihrauch too, but just didn't feel like it was in the same league build wise.

I did shoulder the HW66 Production and quite liked it too, I just preferred the stock on the HW60J. It was more comfortable and had nice checkering which the HW66 didn't, the fact the HW60J came with open sights also helped sway me to it over the HW66.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by ClaytonT88 » 29 Sep 2018, 7:24 am

Awesome. Thanks for the feedback. Happy shooting!
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by allan » 29 Sep 2018, 2:28 pm

I think you will be very impressed with that HW60J and I will be interested to see how it performs for you.
I have one - Finish, design and build quality right up there with the Anschutz 17XX sporters IMO.
Might be a bit heavy for some as a "carry" rifle but an excellent hunting rifle regardless.
Take care with that two stage trigger - Can be adjusted very light!
Bit hard to control well in a BR situation due to the narrow tapered fore end and cheek rest but a little practice will go a long way towards over-coming that!
Enjoy!!
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by bigrich » 30 Sep 2018, 9:49 am

seeing that hw60j reminded me of how nice my one i had in 22 mag was. you have bought a very fine rifle there. i've got the hw66, it has taken a while and about 1000 rounds to settle in, it impressed me greatly how it shot in windy conditions yesterday. one thing that did make a difference was the tension on the action screws. both set moderately firm, not tight. thinking about pillar bedding mine just to get that bit more out of it. post some photo's of ya groups when you get going. SK match and eley sub sonic hollow points shoot well in mine :thumbsup:
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by green_comet » 27 Oct 2018, 12:06 pm

Picked it up earlier in the week and got my Tract 3-9x40 fitted, also got an 8 round mag and swapped over the swivel studs. Planning to put a bunch of rounds through it next weekend. Can't wait.

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

Post by allan » 27 Oct 2018, 1:38 pm

Nice looking outfit for sure - Hope it shoots well for you - Any of the SK offerings should perform well on paper.
Interesting scope - Just read their "About us" comments on the web site - Must admit I've never heard of that brand. Did the mounts and bases come with the rifle?
With basic maintenance, that rifle will last a VERY long time - Very few well built, traditional looking rim fires around these days - You will pay a lot more to buy anything else of that quality.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by green_comet » 27 Oct 2018, 3:53 pm

allan wrote:Nice looking outfit for sure - Hope it shoots well for you - Any of the SK offerings should perform well on paper.
Interesting scope - Just read their "About us" comments on the web site - Must admit I've never heard of that brand. Did the mounts and bases come with the rifle?
With basic maintenance, that rifle will last a VERY long time - Very few well built, traditional looking rim fires around these days - You will pay a lot more to buy anything else of that quality.


Thanks mate. Yeah I'd never heard of Tract either, I was reading up about the Leupold Freedom Rimfire 3-9x40 a few months back and a few people were recommending the Tract 22 Fire. I did some reading up one their products and people were highly rating them, so I thought I'd give them a try. The glass on it is excellent for an entry level scope, the guy at Gunco had never seen one but seemed quite impressed by it.

The dovetail rings were provided by Gunco, who fitted the scope and bore sighted it for me. They're nothing fancy but they came recommended, if they're no good I'll swap them out in future.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by bumpy » 03 Nov 2018, 7:43 pm

Im looking at getting a CZ 452 Vermint for my first rifle..... when I finally get my licence paperwork etc. Plan on using it for hunting, plinking, and some target shooting at the local range.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by green_comet » 02 Jan 2019, 6:25 pm

Finally got some time out at the range a few weeks back, had heaps of fun and ran a bunch of different ammo through it after sighting in.

The Weihrauch shoots really well and didn't give me any issues for the 4 hours I was there. It was quite windy all day and I only took one photo of some of the groups I shot early on, they got tighter as the day went on as I got used to everything. I don't have much experience with shooting so I'm certainly the weakest link at the moment. lol

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I'm going out again later this week so I'll see how it all goes.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by Sawyers » 03 Jan 2019, 10:40 am

green_comet wrote:Finally got some time out at the range a few weeks back, had heaps of fun and ran a bunch of different ammo through it after sighting in.

The Weihrauch shoots really well and didn't give me any issues for the 4 hours I was there. It was quite windy all day and I only took one photo of some of the groups I shot early on, they got tighter as the day went on as I got used to everything. I don't have much experience with shooting so I'm certainly the weakest link at the moment. lol

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I'm going out again later this week so I'll see how it all goes.

How you liking the optics?
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by green_comet » 03 Jan 2019, 12:25 pm

Sawyers wrote:How you liking the optics?


Excellent so far, tracks well and the glass is very bright/clear. I only had my cousins Bushnell Rimfire Optics 3-9x40 on his Savage B17, and a Leupold VX-1 3-9x40 on his Browning T-bolt to compare it to on the day. I found it much clearer and brighter than both of them, even he much preferred the Tract over his two scopes.

If you're interested in getting one, the Tract cost me $239US shipped ($174US for the scope and $65US postage) so about $345AU at current exchange. So price is about on par with the Leupold VX-1 here in Aus, but like I said we both found the Tract much nicer. You'll need to email them for a better $65US shipping price though, as their website will quote you $141US.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by allan » 03 Jan 2019, 1:23 pm

Nice pics - I really like the metal finish and blueing on these rifles. I think you will find the various SK offerings will give you decent target accuracy at an affordable price.
I notice you said you had no "issues" during the first outing but I'd appreciate a few comments about how you found the overall function of the rifle - Did it feed, extract & eject to your satisfaction? Did you find the bolt lift a little heavy? Did the trigger come adjusted to your liking?
I put just under 6,000 rounds through my two last year - Not one malfunction of any kind and you have to move up to the full on target rim fires to find better triggers than the Weihrauch options.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by deanp100 » 03 Jan 2019, 3:15 pm

allan wrote:Nice pics - I really like the metal finish and blueing on these rifles. I think you will find the various SK offerings will give you decent target accuracy at an affordable price.
I notice you said you had no "issues" during the first outing but I'd appreciate a few comments about how you found the overall function of the rifle - Did it feed, extract & eject to your satisfaction? Did you find the bolt lift a little heavy? Did the trigger come adjusted to your liking?
I put just under 6,000 rounds through my two last year - Not one malfunction of any kind and you have to move up to the full on target rim fires to find better triggers than the Weihrauch options.

But not better than a sportco 63. I think that’s what you are trying to say :D
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by green_comet » 03 Jan 2019, 4:37 pm

allan wrote:Nice pics - I really like the metal finish and blueing on these rifles. I think you will find the various SK offerings will give you decent target accuracy at an affordable price.
I notice you said you had no "issues" during the first outing but I'd appreciate a few comments about how you found the overall function of the rifle - Did it feed, extract & eject to your satisfaction? Did you find the bolt lift a little heavy? Did the trigger come adjusted to your liking?
I put just under 6,000 rounds through my two last year - Not one malfunction of any kind and you have to move up to the full on target rim fires to find better triggers than the Weihrauch options.


I had a few feeding issues early on which ended up being caused by one of the eight rounds mags I purchased. One feeds fine and the other gives me issues, so I stopped using the faulty one. After that it was perfect for the rest of the day, no feed or ejection problems. The bolt seems fine to me, a couple times it felt a little stiff but it's new and I put that down to needing to wear in a little.

The two stage trigger is a joy to use, weight seemed excellent to me right out of the box, I used my cousin's t-bolt for a while which felt horrible in comparison. He used my Weihrauch for a bit and loved it, he has since sold his t-bolt and ordered an Anschutz 1416.

So yeah, I'm super happy with it and can't wait to take it out again this week.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by allan » 03 Jan 2019, 6:20 pm

deanp100 wrote:But not better than a sportco 63. I think that’s what you are trying to say :D
Deano


Ha...Yes, the old 63A would hold its own as a field rifle with any 22 I've ever owned, Deano. You do know I sold it last year - Owned that for 47 years and it had a lot of sentimental value. Also recently sold my 65 Anschutz 222 - I reckon that thing cost me the price of a new Landcruiser as it started a love affair with "high end" German rifles which is still on-going. Not getting any younger and have the 22 collection down to eleven now - Most collector grade stuff or customs so not sure where they will finish up. I've sold off quite a few these past couple of years but reluctant to let any more go.

Green-Comet - Only reason I mentioned the bolt lift is that both mine were fairly stiff to cock when new but settled in nicely with a little lubrication and use.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by deanp100 » 03 Jan 2019, 8:53 pm

allan wrote:
deanp100 wrote:But not better than a sportco 63. I think that’s what you are trying to say :D
Deano


Ha...Yes, the old 63A would hold its own as a field rifle with any 22 I've ever owned, Deano. You do know I sold it last year - Owned that for 47 years and it had a lot of sentimental value. Also recently sold my 65 Anschutz 222 - I reckon that thing cost me the price of a new Landcruiser as it started a love affair with "high end" German rifles which is still on-going. Not getting any younger and have the 22 collection down to eleven now - Most collector grade stuff or customs so not sure where they will finish up. I've sold off quite a few these past couple of years but reluctant to let any more go.

Green-Comet - Only reason I mentioned the bolt lift is that both mine were fairly stiff to cock when new but settled in nicely with a little lubrication and use.

Yeah mate , I knew you sold it but it’s memory lives on.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by Queenfan59 » 02 May 2019, 10:57 pm

Mate i am also thinking of getting the anschutz 64 mpr, let me know what you think of it cheers
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by bladeracer » 04 May 2019, 1:12 pm

Queenfan59 wrote:Mate i am also thinking of getting the anschutz 64 mpr, let me know what you think of it cheers


My brother has what we believe to be the 64MSR, really tough trying to identify bloody Anschutz rifles.
It's lovely to shoot offhand - it's designed for Silhouette competition - but I have not been impressed otherwise.
If you want one because it's an Anschutz it's fine, but if you want an Anschutz because of its reputation I think you have to spend for the Model 54.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by ScottyD » 28 Jul 2019, 11:52 pm

Congrats on the Weirauch Green_Comet, that is one gorgeous rifle. I'm getting closer to my first gun, and the Lithgow has been leading the pack but your 60J has just been thrust into the lead as a strong contender. I was interested to hear your comparison with the Zephyr II. I'm looking forward to actually shouldering each of these when it comes time to buy.

It's been a while now, are you still smitten with your purchase? Any new observations?
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by green_comet » 29 Jul 2019, 8:01 pm

ScottyD wrote:Congrats on the Weirauch Green_Comet, that is one gorgeous rifle. I'm getting closer to my first gun, and the Lithgow has been leading the pack but your 60J has just been thrust into the lead as a strong contender. I was interested to hear your comparison with the Zephyr II. I'm looking forward to actually shouldering each of these when it comes time to buy.

It's been a while now, are you still smitten with your purchase? Any new observations?


I still love it, it's a joy to shoot (the trigger is amazing) and i'm a sucker for the quality feel/build it has. I'd definitely shoulder one if you can, it's quite a heavy rifle also you can see if you like fit/feel of the hog back Bavarian stock. The stock is certainly geared more towards hunting over bench shooting. I find when I bench shoot I often put my left hand on the stock and then rest my cheek on it to get comfy. The forend isn't wide/fat like a bench gun, it's quite narrow which feels great to hold but can make it easy to move about on bags, the way it tapers to a point near the schnabel also makes it very hard to fit a bipod. That's really the only things I've noticed, I still love it and really enjoy shooting it, but it's just these things imo you need to think about if considering one. If you'd prefer an american style stock (like the Lithgow) you can look at the Weihrauch HW66 Production.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by ScottyD » 30 Jul 2019, 2:24 am

green_comet wrote:
ScottyD wrote:Congrats on the Weirauch Green_Comet, that is one gorgeous rifle. I'm getting closer to my first gun, and the Lithgow has been leading the pack but your 60J has just been thrust into the lead as a strong contender. I was interested to hear your comparison with the Zephyr II. I'm looking forward to actually shouldering each of these when it comes time to buy.

It's been a while now, are you still smitten with your purchase? Any new observations?


I still love it, it's a joy to shoot (the trigger is amazing) and i'm a sucker for the quality feel/build it has. I'd definitely shoulder one if you can, it's quite a heavy rifle also you can see if you like fit/feel of the hog back Bavarian stock. The stock is certainly geared more towards hunting over bench shooting. I find when I bench shoot I often put my left hand on the stock and then rest my cheek on it to get comfy. The forend isn't wide/fat like a bench gun, it's quite narrow which feels great to hold but can make it easy to move about on bags, the way it tapers to a point near the schnabel also makes it very hard to fit a bipod. That's really the only things I've noticed, I still love it and really enjoy shooting it, but it's just these things imo you need to think about if considering one. If you'd prefer an american style stock (like the Lithgow) you can look at the Weihrauch HW66 Production.


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Ah nice one, I'm glad you're still enjoying it. I take your points about it's features lending it more to hunting than target use. I do want to do a fair bit of target work, but ultimately my rifles' main purpose will be hunting, so its not a deal breaker by any means. And I'll definitely be looking at the HW66 as well. I am a bit of a traditionalist, but I do also like the Lithgow offerings (and I like the idea of being able to buy Australian if I can)
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by green_comet » 30 Jul 2019, 9:15 am

ScottyD wrote:Ah nice one, I'm glad you're still enjoying it. I take your points about it's features lending it more to hunting than target use. I do want to do a fair bit of target work, but ultimately my rifles' main purpose will be hunting, so its not a deal breaker by any means. And I'll definitely be looking at the HW66 as well. I am a bit of a traditionalist, but I do also like the Lithgow offerings (and I like the idea of being able to buy Australian if I can)


I'd probably also be checking out the new CZ 457's, only the 455 was available when I was looking but I'm really liking the look of the new 457's. Either way you really cant go wrong with any of the rifles you're looking at, just shoulder them and go with the one that feels best for you. Also take into account parts and magazine availability, aftermarket stocks, bore guides, etc. The Lithgow and CZ are easy to find parts and information on, the Weihrauch not so much.
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Re: Buying my first firearm, any 22LR suggestions?

Post by ScottyD » 31 Jul 2019, 9:39 pm

green_comet wrote:
ScottyD wrote:Ah nice one, I'm glad you're still enjoying it. I take your points about it's features lending it more to hunting than target use. I do want to do a fair bit of target work, but ultimately my rifles' main purpose will be hunting, so its not a deal breaker by any means. And I'll definitely be looking at the HW66 as well. I am a bit of a traditionalist, but I do also like the Lithgow offerings (and I like the idea of being able to buy Australian if I can)


I'd probably also be checking out the new CZ 457's, only the 455 was available when I was looking but I'm really liking the look of the new 457's. Either way you really cant go wrong with any of the rifles you're looking at, just shoulder them and go with the one that feels best for you. Also take into account parts and magazine availability, aftermarket stocks, bore guides, etc. The Lithgow and CZ are easy to find parts and information on, the Weihrauch not so much.


———

Hmmm yes, good thought about after market farkles. I hadn’t really thought much about that.

And yes, the CZ will certainly be worth a close look. Seems to be plenty people singing it’s praise.

Thanks for that :thumbsup:
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