which LR rimfire for UK shooter

[mick milton]

Hi all,
i am new to the site and hoping to contribute to this forum.
I am living in the Uk(south wales)57 years young,and have alot of experience with shotguns and air rifles.
I have applied for a FAC and am waiting for the police checks.
I have got plenty of land for shooting and have five farmers that have granted me permision for FAC for vermin control,rabbits corvids pigeons.
These farms are mainly sheep farms on hill sides and this means lots of heavy walking,and shooting out to 100yds
I am looking to get a bolt action lr 22 rimfire with easy access to the safety catch.
But heres were i need some help in getting the right rifle.
My friend has a Browning cz with silencer.but this rifle to me seems long, i dount like the trigger and the safety catch is louder than the gun firing
So until i get my fac licence so i can try some rifles out,i wont to narrow down my search.
Any advise please.
Regards Mick

[jack404]

G'day Mick and welcome !!

ok UK based , you like UK rifles?

try to find a older parker hale in .22 trainers are great too

a bit shorter as they where for cadets mainly but had actions and bores that would last a lifetime and as they are used the price is not too bad

some of the early BSA sporting .22 rifles also stack up but not all these had chrome bore so do check the bore's well

savage have some nice rifles in .22 if new is what your after

i'm not sure what you have available there but a mate in Liverpool UK got onto some East euro rifles cheap via a gun store there who imports , good quality copy's of the Baikal rifles ..

cheers

[hardluk1]

CZ 452 classic or varment would be my choice. If your looking at premium accuracy, there is no benifit to go over the 16" barrel on the varment and a fine a bsic match grade ammo like SK or Wolf ammo. But the classis is so fine looking and very accurate.

You have options on models we don't have here. -http://www.nsac.co.uk/brno.htm The CZ line can be capible of under .500" with some well under.300 50 yard groups with just good ammo.

[GLS_1956]

Since you specified the bolt action, I'll suggest, if it's available, the Ruger 77/22. I particularity like the bolt mounted safety.

[CJ_56]

Personally I would want a light rifle for carrying all day and a cheaper rifle so I didn't have to worry about damage from getting caught in the rain etc.. I might even suggest the Marlin XT-22TR. It's got a synthetic stock which makes it light and more water resistant and it's plenty accurate for the kind of hunting you talk about. No it won't match what a CZ will do but my CZ looks too good to beat up hauling it around all day. They are pretty light in the right configuration but I like my hunting rifles as light as possible if I'm walking on my hunts. If I'm sitting still waiting on the game to come to me then I probably would want my CZ with me. But to carry all day a pound here and there can make a lot of difference. There is the CZ 452-2E ZKM which weighs about the same as a XT-22TR but most CZ's weigh more because they have nice wood stocks on them.

I like the TR because it will shoot shorts, longs and LR's. That may not be a factor for you but it will hold 25 shorts and with CCI Short HV shorts you have a round that is pretty much the same power as an LR and has enough bullet weight to kill the stuff you mention. I shot quite a few of the Short HV's yesterday and I rarely missed my target which was only a 4" target at 45 yards but that's with iron sights and my old eyes. With a scope I'm sure it would be very accurate. But I have other .22's with scopes so I'm keeping mine the way it is for a while.

It's just a thought. We pay $200 for these rifles in the US which is pretty low. I don't know what you would have to pay. If you can get a CZ for not much more that may be a better way to go. If you really want great quality you might even consider a Sako. The one's I've seen shoot more accurate than my CZ and the other CZ's I've shot.

BTW my CZ is a 453. Yeah it costs more but having that light trigger available for that accurate shot is a good thing IMO. You don't have to use it every time.

[BETH]

i have a marlin 60 tube fed with a shorter barrel and love it

[CJ_56]

I do too Beth. I would have suggested it but I believe they are limited to bolt action in the UK. I find myself shooting that 60 more that any other rifle I own just because it's semi-auto and accurate and I like the glass on it. It's well balanced too and not too heavy. That all says fun shooting to me but I do shoot my CZ's, Savages, etc.. Accuracy is fun but I find myself getting really wrapped up in making tiny little groups or shooting good targets instead of just having fun.

[BETH]

thanks did not know that cj