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Affordable (okay -- CHEAP) .22LR bolt action?
- Thread starter Aguila Blanca
- Start date
FrankenMauser
New member
I just picked up one of the new Springfield 2020 Rimfire Target rifles.
Seems like a shooter. Just needs a few tweaks to meet my (high) standards.
I could go over some pros and cons, but you aren't going to get one for under $250.
And most people here would probably turn their noses if I mentioned that they're Turkish, made by Retay.
Seems like a shooter. Just needs a few tweaks to meet my (high) standards.
I could go over some pros and cons, but you aren't going to get one for under $250.
And most people here would probably turn their noses if I mentioned that they're Turkish, made by Retay.
tangolima said:Cheap bolt action 22lr are rare.
There are a lot of bolt action .22 LR that'll cost the OP less than his $250 even after shipping and FFL fees. So I wouldn't say they are rare.
Rock Island 14Y
Citadel Trakr
Savage Mark II OD Green
Rossi RB22
Mossberg 802 Plinkster
Savage Mark II Wood Stock (might go a little over $250)
Rossi Gallery (pump for variety)
FrankenMauser
New member
I had not heard of the Rock Island M14. I was intrigued.
Clicked the link, and was not surprised by the appearance of the rifle.
Then I saw the magazine. "Oh my god. They're still using that horrible ArmsCor magazine design from the sixties."
*Mossberg Plinkster 802 and Rossi RB22 are the same gun; just as the Plinkster 702 and RS22 are the same gun. Made by Rossi, since Mossberg sold them the rights to the 702 and 802 a while back.
Fun oddity: Precision rimfire guys have found that the Rossi parts are often upgrades to original Mossberg-made 802 parts. Somehow, that collection of Rossi garbage, that feels unfinished and barely works in its original form, ends up often being superior as individual components, when swapped into an older Mossberg.
We have several local and regional shooters that have rebuilt their Mossberg 702s with Rossi parts and swear by them, and I have heard of quite a few 702 shooters doing the same, nationally.
Anyway...
In my opinion, the best bang for your buck is going to be found on a used rack.
My personal preference would be for a Marlin 780/880/980/XT-22. The 980 and XT-22 will have better triggers, but overall quality may be diminished, as they were mostly made by Remington in Mayfield, KY. For any of them, you'd need to pick up magazines quickly. They are only available used or as NOS items, and the supply is dwindling. They are not likely to be produced again. Repair parts are easy to get, but magazine supplies will dry up (as stainless sight hoods [for 880SS/882SS] have already).
If willing to go "old", you can find a million Savage/Stevens/Springfield/Revelation bolt guns from the '20s to '60s for under $150; often under $100. Detachable mag, tube mag, single-shot, they made them all. I haven't found one with a half-decent-looking bore, yet, that doesn't still shoot great. Obtaining magazines for certain models can take time, but all are obtainable - or can be modified from later styles.
Some models are easily scoped. Some require drilling and tapping. Some really can't be reasonably scoped, at all. Shooter's preference drives the decision.
In June, I fired a 3/8" 10-shot group at 50 yards with iron sights on an a Stevens 66 (estimated to be ~1930-34 production, based on original sight option and changes noted in catalogs from 1929 to 1935).
It seems like every Savage/Stevens rimfire barrel was just so much better in the '20s, '30s, and '40s; and still superior to modern barrels through the '60s.
Clicked the link, and was not surprised by the appearance of the rifle.
Then I saw the magazine. "Oh my god. They're still using that horrible ArmsCor magazine design from the sixties."
*Mossberg Plinkster 802 and Rossi RB22 are the same gun; just as the Plinkster 702 and RS22 are the same gun. Made by Rossi, since Mossberg sold them the rights to the 702 and 802 a while back.
Fun oddity: Precision rimfire guys have found that the Rossi parts are often upgrades to original Mossberg-made 802 parts. Somehow, that collection of Rossi garbage, that feels unfinished and barely works in its original form, ends up often being superior as individual components, when swapped into an older Mossberg.
We have several local and regional shooters that have rebuilt their Mossberg 702s with Rossi parts and swear by them, and I have heard of quite a few 702 shooters doing the same, nationally.
Anyway...
In my opinion, the best bang for your buck is going to be found on a used rack.
My personal preference would be for a Marlin 780/880/980/XT-22. The 980 and XT-22 will have better triggers, but overall quality may be diminished, as they were mostly made by Remington in Mayfield, KY. For any of them, you'd need to pick up magazines quickly. They are only available used or as NOS items, and the supply is dwindling. They are not likely to be produced again. Repair parts are easy to get, but magazine supplies will dry up (as stainless sight hoods [for 880SS/882SS] have already).
If willing to go "old", you can find a million Savage/Stevens/Springfield/Revelation bolt guns from the '20s to '60s for under $150; often under $100. Detachable mag, tube mag, single-shot, they made them all. I haven't found one with a half-decent-looking bore, yet, that doesn't still shoot great. Obtaining magazines for certain models can take time, but all are obtainable - or can be modified from later styles.
Some models are easily scoped. Some require drilling and tapping. Some really can't be reasonably scoped, at all. Shooter's preference drives the decision.
In June, I fired a 3/8" 10-shot group at 50 yards with iron sights on an a Stevens 66 (estimated to be ~1930-34 production, based on original sight option and changes noted in catalogs from 1929 to 1935).
It seems like every Savage/Stevens rimfire barrel was just so much better in the '20s, '30s, and '40s; and still superior to modern barrels through the '60s.