My wife has never been much of a shooting enthusiast, but lately she seems to be more interested. Doesn't want anything too powerful, so I thought a 22 caliber rifle might be a good choice for an almost first time shooter.
What are your suggestions (make & model) for a better quality .22 caliber?
Depending on how your wife likes to shoot, these would be my choices... in this order...
http://www.cz-usa.com/product_detail.php?id=1
Opt for the 453 if you'd like the set trigger.
Although a sporting rifle, I've found that this rifle can deliver performance close to that of a target .22... not AS GOOD as a target .22 but close! If you plan to shoot 200-300 rounds in an hour, your wife's hands may get tired of loading single rounds or from loading the clip.
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/22Rifle/Golden39A.asp
Pretty good shooter. Easy to load. Fun to operate the lever. The Henry may be a nice choice here too. I don't own one and have never shot one... but some people on this forum speak highly of them.
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/SelfLoading/60.asp
Not quite the same accuracy as the lever gun, but still decent. Would be great for shooting several rounds at cans or whatever. Easy to load. I get really tired of loading the clips of semi-auto .22's. I actually own no .22 semi autos with clips.
I would actually be interested in hearing opinions on why some people choose a clip fed .22 semi auto as opposed to a tube fed. I'm sure there are some advantages to a clip... but I can't think of any. (Woops, just thought of one... maybe easier to unload if you are hunting with it???)
Remington's bolt and pump gun are really nice too. I think they are a little pricey and don't deliver anything extra for the extra buck.
I would explain the advantages of each action and loading choice and let her decide. I don't think you can get a bad .22. Maybe someone out there can tell you what to stay away from rather than tell you what to get. I have no idea what to stay away from.
Keep us informed, I'd love to hear what you and your wife decide on.
Not sure what you mean by "better quality" firearm. It is open to a lot of imagination.
I find it difficult to make too many distinctions for someone who may only be using this gun for an occasional plinking trip. Will weight and or method of shooting be an issue? I mean by that will she/you be using this gun off of a bench rest or in some other way supported or will it be used more for off-hand shooting? will she want to scope the rifle or shoot it as is with the open sights of the factory?
How about the size of the rifle overall and the stature of your wife as well as her ability to handle the firearm. If she is uncomfortable in any way, your intro to shooting for or with her may be short lived.
One thing in your favor is the recoil and noise of the 22 regardless of manuf. are nearly non existant. Some perhaps will be quieter than others but for the most part the 22 rifles in particular are usually very quiet and have little or no felt recoil.
I am certain you are well aware of all of this, I am more or less thinking out loud but would want to have some more ideas in order to provide you with better recommendations.
I, for one do not put too much influence in price or quality for someone who may never realize the true value or recognize the accuracy of the finest of accuracy tuned models as opposed to a gun that is accurate in its' own right but not necessarily a competition model, olympic style of target shooter and the price therewith.
Something like the Ruger 10/22 is a wonderful starter rifle and never break or wear out and for most people who just like to plink are very affordable and will deliver accuracy beyond the capabilities of everyone other than a world class competitor.
One could hold out for a Winchester mod 52 of one suffix or another also and have both a keeper and a very accurate rifle as well, but hard to find and very pricey. But again, wouldn't we all like to have a c model to take to the range on occasion?
How about a Remington, Nylon 66 for both accuracy, price, (affordable) and longevity, (you cannot break or wear them out). I own 9 of them and have given one to my wife, my daughter and to my daughter-in-law and I have one for each of my grandkids as they each become old enough for mom and dad to say it is OK for Gpa to take them to the firearms safety course and then present them with their first rifle. It has already been approved by each of the parents. I just happen to believe with good authority that they are one of the best and perhaps most accurate plinkers out of the box, ever made by anyone.
YES there are much more accurate 22s but not for the price and remember, it is almost impossible to damage one of these guns.
Some others to mention and to look for are the Winchester mod 06 Gallery guns or the Winchester model 62s both of which are the same pump actions and very accurate as well as light weight and easy to handle and shoot. They can also be had for reasonable prices as well.
Marlin makes some good rifles and Browning made some good semi auto rifles as well but again they are or can be pricey.
For me and for my recommendation, I would go with the CZ for a bolt gun as mentioned, a Nylon 66 or the ruger 10/22 for the semi auto. Remember you can get the hammer forged barrel or the tapered light weight barrel for the 10/22. The hammer forged 10/22 is a very hard act to follow for either price, availability or accuracy.
Just a few more ideas to perhaps help you with your decision.
If you have a range in your area call to see if they have a rental program where you may be able to take your wife to have her actually try some of these guns.
I have owned and operated an indoor range with a rental program for over 20 years and I have found no substitute for actual handling and shooting guns before you put your money down and even more so when we are trying to fit and satisfy our ladies.
Take her to the gun store and have her start picking guns up and holding them. She'll let you know what one she likes the best. She will fall in love with one sooner or later. And let her get what she wants not what you secretly want. Hey, she might like that 243 win remington that you want. And if she doesn't find one on the first day, go back another day or try another store. She'll like the gun more and it gives you a good reason to go back to the gun store.
That's what I did with one of my buddies. He only intended to shoot targets so caliber choice wasn't too big of a deal. (It didn't matter whether it was a .17 rem or a .338 win mag I mean) He also makes decent money so buget wasn't too big a deal either. He ended up loving a Browning A-bolt .223 and bought the most expensive scope he saw in the store (partitially due to my recommendation that if you only had only so much money to spend you might want to save it for the scope. I find that the practical quality of all guns to be about the same (within the same type) but I have seen huge difference in scopes.) Now he has a tack driver that he loves more than anything ('cept his car and computer I suppose.) We spent about 4 hours in Gander Mountain, but I didn't mind it. Better than being in a shoe store.
I would definitely go with a CZ Trainer 452. The are very nice shooters, very accurate, little or no recoil, very inexpensive ($400), and have some of the best iron sites around. If you put a scope on, consider a Meuller APV scope. You will not be sorry and she will impress everyone with her marksmanship.
Ruger 10/22 is what I had my wife learn with and now I have upgraded it slowly as she uses it more and more it now has been changed over to a thumb hole stock in her faverit color I put a bull barrel on it and changed the triger to a lighter triger pull it also has a Bushnell 22 scope and she can hit a fly at 20 yards I hate to admit it but she does better then me with it LOL but she sure enjoyed learning and realy got into it as it was upgraded to her taste try it she might like it and the cost is real reasonable
Hi
though it is not to everyones taste this may be worth looking at if you want something different.
Try the Walther G22, it is of the bullpup design so you get a long barrel but still keep a short gun. I have found mine to be accurate and not fussy on ammo. Being of German design it also seems to be quite well made.
I think they are sold by Smith & Wesson in the US but can't be sure
I make suppressors so have fitted one to mine and also the light and a scope.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
The Firearms Forum
2.2M posts
71K members
Since 2003
A forum community dedicated to all firearm owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about optics, hunting, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!