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best 22 mag rifle?

115K views 71 replies 56 participants last post by  Tripplebeards 
#1 ·
I find my cabinet full of 22 mag ammo and nothing to shoot it with. Would like to buy a rifle chambered for it. Any suggestions?
 
#4 ·
The new Savage A-22 Magnum Semi-Auto is pretty darn sweet. I am truly pleased with mine 100%. Very accurate, super fun to shoot. I've put a couple hundred rounds through mine and very much enjoy it.

If you can find one, the older Marlin 883SS bolt action is a smaller than a dime shooter at 100yards.

The Marlin will out shoot the Savage, but BARELY. The Savage is a solid dime shooter in a semi auto, pretty darn nice.

DR
 
#6 ·
Best .22 mag?

With about a dozen .22 mags in the safe, I'd say (from my experience anyway...) that the Savage M93 BVTSS is the most accurate for the least amount of money. My Volquartsen will outshoot it any day of the week but for quite a bit more $$. I really like the 9422M's, both of mine shoot very well and are nice to carry & shoot. Henry Octagon pump, a CZ 512, Browning A-bolt and a couple of CZ455's are all decent shooters but the CZ's are probably best of the current production guns in .22 mag. I think if I was in the market for a working .22 mag, I might have to find an old Winchester M61 with a grooved receiver....dang, now you've got me thinking again!! :)
 
#7 ·
I really, REALLY like my RUGER 96/22 mag lever action rifle.

I put a Green River octagonal barrel on it (.22 LR barrel re-chambered to .22 WMR B/C the Green River .22 mag barrel was way too long).

Now it shoots 3/4" groups at 50 yards with 40 gr.CCI ammo. Simply amazing.

Eric B.
 
#10 ·
I have a 10/22 Magnum and My wife has a Chief AJ 96/22 Magnum. Both are decent shooters five rounds in a 50 cent piece at a 100 yds. Fun to shoot and do a good job on Coyotes at a 100 yds. Recently bought a Savage left handed bolt in .17 HMR. I really haven't been able to see what it is capable of.
 
#18 ·
a ruger 77/22mag blue walnut stock, shoots very well. a h&r single shot full wood stock,shoots very well. a marlin 882 is a super shooter(only one i realy worked with). a new browning A- bolt that i have not got to work with yet. for the money i agree the marlin .22 mags(880 series) may be the best bet, i paid 175.00 for mine with a cheap 3x9 scope. CCI maxi mags are my shells of choice.eastbank.
 
#19 ·
The Op words "best 22 mag rifle". I will start with good.

Good: Ruger American Rimfire - good walking around hunting gun.

Better : CZ 452,discontinued - I found a used example

Best: Anschutz, expensive - I found a used one.

All the above will hold 1 inch at 100 yard with right ammo.

For a lever winchester 9422 no question, no comparison to the Henry.

I had a Marlin and it is not in the same class as any of the three listed above for design reasons. What I see of savage is same problem. Saying either of these are best, is a stretch. These guns were designed back in the day when most 22's were very cheap. And I dont refer to price. The Ruger is a great design. The other two Cz and Anscutz are very well know for strength, quality and accuracy.
 
#20 ·
I like to follow up. The better the gun the more home work is needed prior to purchase.

Anschutz has been imported for over 50 years in many models and variations. Current production in 22mag is both 54 and 64 based actions. there is a steep learning curve to all this.

The CZ is easier you have the discontinued 452 and the current 455. The two logical options for mounting a scope are the American and the Varmint. In practical terms, 4 guns. The 452 vs 455 will merit some study. Got to have it now in 22mag, leaves only the 455.

The Ruger is easy, pick a gun you like off the shelf and buy it. Barrel length and weights vary.

BTW, there are other options noone mentioned yet. Cooper, Browning, Sako are three have a loyal following. They probably dont post in the 22mag forum.

In retrospect, I dont know what 'best' means? Popularity contest? Fit & Finish? Accuracy? Is there a price range?
 
#22 ·
If I were to walk into a place and buy one off the shelf today. CZ455. Some have discredited it over the 452, but my .17HMR is lights out. I would suspect if you got a bad one, it would shoot like the average Marlins and Savages do. If you get a good Marlin (if there is such a thing new) or Savage, then you'll be happy as well I imagine.

Not sure of the cartridge accuracy difference between the .17 and the 22 mag, but rifle to rifle, I had a Marlin 17 thats best group in the year that I had it is similar to what I do with the 455 without much effort. New stock, built pillars, glass bedded it. And then sold it to get the 455 that I should have bought to begin with. Rifle to rifle is always different though. Many 452 loyalists will never accept the 455. My 455 in .17 shoots better than my cousin's 452 in .17. Story of 2 rifles I guess.

Only 22 mag I have much experience with is an older Marlin (10yrs old maybe) that I did manage about an inch and a half from 100yds with a crappy BSA scope.

And of course all of this is under $500. I'd go with the Anschutz to answer the original question.
 
#23 ·
Lot of good choices

The savage series suffers from poor quality magazines that will bend at the lips and then start sending all your rounds out the action when you open the bolt and you have to bend them back from time to time.

The Marlin 882 series is similar but seems to have a better build quality and mags are sturdy. If you want a cheap beater and older JM marlin 882 would be decent for around $200. I had an 882SS cut back to 16.5" and crowned and it's a great all round rifle. Before it was cut it wasn't that great a shooter.

CZ's are great but the magazines are expensive if you want extra mags and the safety works backward compared to most U.S. bolt guns.

Ruger's have relatively cheap magazines that work well but some spotty quality as of late in their production guns. If you can find an older 77/22 magnum they are pretty good guns. The VBZ "varmint 77/22 is really heavy and long but the 20" sporter models are very trim and nice to carry. I have a 17 HMR pencil barrel stainless 77/17 with the threaded in barrel and it shoots great but fit and finish is not as good as the older 77/17 series rifles with the V block that lock in the barrel.

Ruger American compact and standard and Ruger American Predators are available in 22 mag and have had a lot of great reviews. I have 2 American predators and they are a good solid value but the bolts don't lock when you sling them and that big handle will open when it's slung. Only the CZs and 77/XX rifles will lock the bolt closed so that's just something to consider. My 17 HMR will stick cases in the chamber from time to time but it shoots good. The 22 mag is more reliable.

So there are some good options for you in bolt guns and which one you choose depends on how much money you want to spend, the level of quality you want and the end use of the rifle. If you just want to "shoot up" your 22 mag ammo any of them will do. If you plan to hunt with it, what kind of hunting will it be. If it's a porch or bench gun, a big honking varmint gun might be the ticket, if it's a truck or camp gun, get a short compact model. If it's for a walk about rifle, a light sporter with 20" barrel may be your best choice.

Don't forget there are convertible 22LR/22Mag ruger single action revolvers available that would also be good to shoot up some 22 mag ammo.

I'm sure others will suggest a good lever or pump, but the 22 bolt action is in my opinion the best platform for 22 magnum. The nice thing about 22 magnum is there are a lot of great choices in new and used guns available. Please let us know what you choose.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Like most things for most people, it all starts with your budget.

A limited budget starts at Marlin/Savage and goes up from there.

An unlimited budget starts at the Anschutz 141M and goes up from there.

I live in an area that tends to be hot and humid in the summer months, so not particularly friendly to blued CM firearms that actually get carried and used. Despite my preference for stainless firearms, the .22 Magnum rifle that I shoot the most is probably a Remington 597 with a sporter contour barrel and green lamnated stock. It is my favorite rifle to shoot when I'm calling predators, particularly 'cats, in tight cover.

I have a couple of Marlin 982S bolt guns with Weaver RV9 scopes on them that I keep at my MIL's ranch to shoot smaller predators at shorter ranges.

I have long thought that the old Savage 24 combination guns in .22Mag over either 410 or 20 gauge were awfully useful and were what a basic utility gun should be. I have an old 24DL in .22Mag over 410 that is a great woods loafing gun, being reasonable light and handy. It has a Bushnell Banner 4x20 mounted via B-Square adapters and Leupold QRW 1" rings. That set up allows me to dismount and remount the scope if conditions and targets of opportunity present themselves in a manner that is more suited to using open sights.
 
#26 ·
My Marlin 882, I think is the number, shoots around 1/2 " at 50yds which is as far as I walk with our heavy stands. The gun has a walnut stock and looks insanely nice after buying some Danish oil. I really know very little about oils but coated all my rifles, before the Great Submersion :) and this one actually looked like a different gun. Tung oil also did wonders on others.
 
#27 ·
My Marlin 882 has never been shot from a good sandbagged rest.
The trigger pull is pretty stiff-- I'm guessing about 5.5 lbs-- and that would interfere with really good groups.

Shooting it from an improvised rest-- prone position, with a sling for support, and resting the stock on my range bag too-- I got 5- shot 100 yard groups about 2.2"

(Shooting only 40-grain ammo, which it strongly prefers over lighter hyper-velocity stuff)
(and with this rifle wearing a 4x-12 scope, cranked up to at least 9X when shooting targets at 100 yards).

That's good enough for my purposes.
 
#29 ·
I was on a budget, so I bought the Savage Model 93. The Accutrigger is fair. It shoots decent for a hunting rifle. The magazines aren't worth diddly, they'll open up and all of your rounds fly out. I have 2 magazines out of 4 that work correctly.

If I can find a CZ 452 American that I can afford, I'll buy it. I have one in 22LR, it's GREAT.
 
#30 ·
Best? What does that mean?

CZ and Ruger 77-22's in magnum are nice rifles and probably where I would start looking if I wanted a 22 mag bolt gun

Might consider an Anschutz if I wanted a No Holds Bared- Cost be ****ed BEST .22 Mag.....

But to me the Volquartsen 22 mag is a Cadillac

Best?

I like it and it's my favorite 22 magnum
 
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