Looking for Rifle Suggestions

[Waspinator]

Hi,

I got the hankering to buy a rifle. I was looking at the firearms I own and decided that since there is not a rifle, of any kind, that it was time to remedy that.

So far my (meager) collection consists of:

Ruger SP101 .22lr (4", full lug, 6-shot)
Ruger SP101 .357 Mag (2.25", spurred, 5-shot)
Bersa Thunder Pro UC 9mm (duo-tone)
Mossberg 500 12 gauge (18.5" and 28" barrels, with upgraded Hogue stock/forend)

I would like to add a rifle to that list . I do not hunt and all my firearms are for defense or fun times at the range. Since I have the defense part covered, don't hunt and already stock the caliber.... I'm thinking a .22lr is just what the doctor ordered.

I was thinking I want either a bolt action or a lever gun. I'm not really a "semi-auto guy", the only exception I made was for my Bersa. So, the usual 10/22 suggestions do not come into play here.

I have two that I'm considering right now:
CZ 455 trainer (Link to product page)
Henry H001T Frontier Model (Link to product page)

These two models appeal to me because they apparently both have good reputations for reliability and accuracy out of the box. They also both sport nice iron sights (CZ= hooded front with the quick-set ladder type rear, Henry= brass bead front with adjustable Marbles semi-buckhorn rear). They both accept scopes as well (don't know if I'll scope it, but I'd like the option to). All this I've found from my own research and not hands-on experience with the two mentioned firearms. Also, they both fall within my $300-$400 range I was thinking about spending.

So, I wanted to ask your opinions on those two rifles. pros/cons kind of stuff... if you own either or both, what do you like/dislike? Are the companies good to deal with if problems arise? Any thoughts good or bad appreciated.


Also, I'm not apposed to looking at other rifles, new or used if I find the right rifle. So, if you can think of a good bolt or lever gun, that has good iron sights, accepts scopes, has good parts availability (if used), falls within the $400 and under range (realistically, not some crazy low price you or an acquaintance once bought it for). Then please make suggestions and I'll keep my eye out at the used racks when I go shopping. If bolt, I would like it to have either a magazine or tube magazine, no single shots please. I think, looking at the two rifles I mentioned above, you can get an idea of the aesthetics, looks wise, I'm going for.

I've learned a lot since I joined this forum and I appreciate the time and effort the members put in. so, thoughts, suggestions? Lets discuss!

Thanks!

 

[badlander]

A .357 Mag rifle Would fit in there nicely.

 

[jimbob86]

.22lr is hard to come by .....

If you handload, I'd recommend a .223 bolt gun.

CZ make a nice one.

 

[MrBorland]

IMHO, the CZ 452/455 Trainer is about the best all-around .22LR one could buy. Use a scope, the excellent iron sights, or install some BRNO apertures. Add a good sling, and you can learn a lot about rifle shooting with it.

As far as other brands, check out some of the Savage bolt action rimfires, too.

 

[Savage99]

Waspinator,

Of course our first rifle logically is a .22 LR!

Go to some range near you and see what they are using. This is a great time of the year for it what with the warmer weather.

We shoot .22's in matches in CT all year around both indoors and in matches at the range.

Look on the NRA website for a range near you or ask at a gunshop.

 

[big al hunter]

CZ will not disappoint you. But if the lever is what you want the Henry is a great gun. I don't have that exact model but I am very happy with mine. I also enjoy my Savage Mark II . I will echo that you should check out Savage models.

 

[Waspinator]

badlander Wrote:
A .357 Mag rifle Would fit in there nicely.

I did initially look at a .357 Mag rifle. For bolt, all I found was the Ruger 77/357 and I wasn't to crazy about the plastic furniture that came with it. The price was kinda high as well. I also found that .357 Mag lever guns are either hard to find or expensive! I was thinking about a Rossi, but I'm very hesitant since they have so-so record and now do not sell any parts at all. The Marlins are nice, but new ones have spotty quality and impossible to find... and older ones are priced stupid high now. Winchester, Uberti.. ect are all $1000+ rifles, so they are out. Trust me, if I could find a .357 lever gun for under $500 that was a good one, no doubts, then I would probably go that route. But, chances are that is not happening, so I decided that getting a good .22lr is probably a safer bet.

jimbob86 Wrote:
If you handload, I'd recommend a .223 bolt gun.

CZ make a nice one.

Nope, I don't handload. Maybe some day when my children are a bit more grown and I have the extra time and extra money to set-up a reload station. I did consider a CZ 527 lux in .223, but in the end, all I'm doing is putting holes in paper. I know .22lr is hard to come by, but it is out there... and even if you pay the inflated prices online, its still about 1/3 less then I can buy .223 per round. So, it was hard to justify the larger cost of the rifle and the larger cost of the ammo. So, I came back to .22lr as a choice.

MrBorland Wrote:

IMHO, the CZ 452/455 Trainer is about the best all-around .22LR one could buy. Use a scope, the excellent iron sights, or install some BRNO apertures. Add a good sling, and you can learn a lot about rifle shooting with it.

As far as other brands, check out some of the Savage bolt action rimfires, too.

Thanks for the endorsement of the CZ. I did get a chance to shoulder some of the CZ's a week or so ago and the euro-style stocks really felt comfortable. That's when they shot to the top of my list. I really liked the Trainer, the Lux and the FS when I was looking, so if I go bolt, it will probably be a CZ.

I did check out some Savages, but wasn't to thrilled with the Iron sights they had (the few models that actually have them). I was also hoping for some nice wood stocks on the rifle I'm going to buy, but most Savages are synthetic. I did read about how they have great accuracy out of the box. I will keep my eye out though, thanks for the suggestion.

Savage99 Wrote:
Look on the NRA website for a range near you or ask at a gunshop.

I'm actually not too far from a large local range (Blue Trail Range). Of course, I live out in the woods, so most everything is at least 30 mins away, Blue Trail is about 45 mins. My usual place I go is an indoor range that is only 15 mins from my house. Not to big, 12 lanes, about 20 yards and they allow any handgun, shotguns and any rifle up-to .308. I was thinking that a .22 would be fun at my close indoor, then when I want to stretch its' legs for distance shooting, I could hop in the car and go to Blue Trail.

big al hunter Wrote:
CZ will not disappoint you. But if the lever is what you want the Henry is a great gun. I don't have that exact model but I am very happy with mine.

Thanks for the CZ endorsement. Also, thanks for the feedback on the Henry. to tell the truth, part of me knows I WILL own a lever action, I just don't know if I want one in .22 or something else. I had a Red Ryder BB gun growing up and I used to shoot bumble-bees off of the dandelions and cans would tremble at the sight of me with my trusty rifle. Lever guns remind me of watching "The Duke" movies with my father who recently passed, so I know a lever action is in the cards.. Just trying to decide.

Thanks for the feedback thus far!

 

[Mystro]

How about a good old lever action 30-30???? It was the ultimate defense gun for those on their own.
Ammo is cheap and is fun to shoot. It also is so versatile that you can use it for home defense to hunting and everything in between. Find your self a good old pre 64 Winchester and you will know why they set the standard.

 

[10-96]

I too pitch my vote for the CZ lineup. I have the 452 Mil. Trainer. Man, what a ride! I took a small round fine stone and cleaned up some of the machining burrs in the receiver so the bolt would slide a little smoother, and I set the trigger to it's lowest setting. I use it pretty much strictly for 50m Running Target- and for Sporter Class, it keep me right up in the top of the heap.

I had wonderments about that funky european stock shape- but I too have to admit that it shoulders and handles great.

 

[Westcoaster]

Waspinator,

I have a CZ 452, the model before the 455. The quality and accuracy is outstanding. As others have mentioned CZ will not disappoint.

 

[dakota.potts]

I have a CZ 452 trainer. It's stamped the CZ 452 ZKM but I haven't yet figured out which exact model that makes it. It's got a wood stock, blued finish, open sights, etc.

Anyways, it is a very sweet rifle. Fires great. I haven't figured out the accuracy potential yet because I'm not quite up to par shooting it myself, but I do very much enjoy it. I also mounted a scope on it - a Nikon P22. Very easy to mount, just had to find some special 11mm scope rings. I ordered some off of Amazon for what I remember to be around $12 after shipping. They're see-through so I can still use the iron sights.

I wanted a rifle that I was going to enjoy owning as much as shooting. It was my 18th birthday present and it's such a fine rifle I'm sure I'll treasure it forever. From what I've been told, if you're a paper puncher, the CZ supposedly rivals the Anschutz and other top end competition firearms. I haven't had the opportunity to fire any other top end firearms, but I do love mine.

 

[Waspinator]

Thanks for all the feedback on the CZ Trainer.

If I go with a bolt gun, then I decided it will be CZ hands down!

But.....


I say IF because I was bored today and decided to go look for that old Red Ryder I talked about in my response above. I found it in the basement, in a box ... where it has sat since I pulled it out of a closet , where it sat for a decade, put it in the box, and moved to my house (10 years ago).

It was kind of rusty and needed a bit of oil to get it moving again. I found a very old bottle of Copperhead BB's in the box and figured... what the heck!



So, I set up a mini "Hickock45" range at the back of my property and shot my trusty old lever action. That thing does not shoot straight anymore.. at all.. and it wouldn't even penetrate the target. The BBs has just enough power to know the bottles down (with hardly a dent). But man, what fun that was, lol. even got my young son involed and he hit a bullseye on his 6th shot!



So... that little bit o' fun with my old Red Ryder makes it a hard decision between the CZ or the Henry. I'll have to think hard on this one, lol.

 

[BingoFuel]

If you're are set on .22lr's then the CZ is a great choice. A bolt rifle, for any cartridge, really forces the shooter to slow down and concentrate. It is a great way to study and learn the art and science of shooting and the slow pace preserves ammo.
But for some (myself included) the limited power and accuracy of the .22lr creates the desire to shoot something more powerful. I've have a .223 bolt (Tikka) and a .308 (also Tikka) that I use at the range and thoroughly enjoy. The price/performance of the .223 might be the perfect balance because there is so much ammo out there. I spend more of my time at the range shooting my Tikka .223 than any other single gun I own.
I'm not a lever shooter, though I wish I was, but the lever seems like the center point between bolt and semi-auto. Fast but not too fast. Though not as accurate as a bolt, they are beautiful guns that just holding in your hands would heighten the shooting pleasure.
B

 

[big al hunter]

"The Duke" would say," Get a Henry, then get a single action revolver to match."

Ruger makes the Single Six.....I shouldn't help you spend your money like this but i just can't stop myself.

 

[Waspinator]

big al hunter Wrote:
"The Duke" would say," Get a Henry, then get a single action revolver to match."

Ruger makes the Single Six.....I shouldn't help you spend your money like this but i just can't stop myself.

Yeah, I actually went out to buy a Single Six and had every intention of coming home with one. But, while at the LGS, I walked by the used case and found that 1991 SP101 full lug, 6-shot 22lr for a very good price. That one came home with me instead. I don't regret it as it is a shooter in DA and SA and it is kind of a rare bird (they didn't make very many full lug models before they were discontinued in the early 90's).

Don't worry about helping spending my money, I'm as guilty of that as anyone I suppose (It's always more fun spending money when it's not yours, lol). Besides, you think that this forum is full of enablers? You should go check out the acoustic guitar forum I belong to.. those guys are brutal, lol.

 

[MrBorland]

Don't worry about helping spending my money,

Well, then...if you decide to go the lever route, I'd recommend a Marlin 39A instead of the Henry.

 

[CLC]

If you like the CZ I say get it. But you have lots of 22 rifles out their for a fraction of the price. With the saved money you can spend it on ammo.

 

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Don't own either. Have no intentions of buying either. Reason: IMO. I think both rifles are overly priced.
Since all you require is targeting rifle. Why bother with the continuous on going dwindling supply of modern ammo. For a small bore targeting rifle think beyond the norm. There are a lot of really nice air rifles now. Compared to the old Benjamin's & Daisy brands made years ago. Most compressed air arms made today far surpassed in technology, materials, and efficiency, anything applied just a few years back. Or you could get yourself a flint-lock. Make your own B/powder, learn to hunt and nap flint, cast your own lead projectiles and be shooting when so many others don't dare too. Because of limited components or here today and gone tomorrow supplies of manufactured ammo.

 

[JWT]

Go with the CZ if a bolt action is what you want. My CZ 455 .17HMR is amazingly smooth and accurate. I'm sure the .22 versions are the same.

Can say the same about a Henry if you want a lever gun. My .17HMR Golden Boy is the smoothest action lever action I've ever handled. And it is very, very accurate.

Won't be disappointed with either a Henry or CZ.

 

[10-96]

I don't know that you would find one in your price range- or even if a used rifle interests you, but have you looked into the Marlin 39A's?