22lr bolt action rifle

[LuvDog]

Makes that much difference? Even at shorter distances? I have been shooting the aguila ammo forever because it's cheap. I bet I have 30K rounds sitting around. But in my defense I have a 22 revolver, Mark III, M&P sport, Henry silver eagle, and now a Bergara. We like 22s. just good inexpensive fun.

Yes. Even at 50 yards it can make a difference. But I think it’s really about once you see how precise it can be you get disappointed with holes that don’t touch

 

[paul73]

and one more - this is 300 yds results of sk long rifle. probably not too great, but, it is what i had.
an ultimate fun as you can see through the scope how it flies down there.
i tried it with aguila se - no luck. may be 1/2 of hits to the plate at best. here an every shot landed.

 

[peterk123]

and one more - this is 300 yds results of sk long rifle. probably not too great, but, it is what i had.
an ultimate fun as you can see through the scope how it flies down there. also sk long rifle.
i tried it with aguila se - no luck. may be 1/2 of hits to the plate at best. here an every shot landed.
View attachment 817608

That's impressive at 300. My daughter and used to shoot those flat colored lollipops at 75 yards with her 10/22. We do it at a 100 as well but wind, like any, would start to really play a huge factor. Very hard at a 100 with our setup and ammo. So much fun though.

 

[paul73]

That's impressive at 300. My daughter and used to shoot those flat colored lollipops at 75 yards with her 10/22. We do it at a 100 as well but wind, like any, would start to really play a huge factor. Very hard at a 100 with our setup and ammo. So much fun though.

it is fun, and with the rifle you got - you can push it to the limit. the only obstacle is you, not the gun, and it makes it so much fun.
the trick is to buy good ammo, as you need to buy those 22lr in bricks of 500, usually a couple, then test and see it your gun loves it.

i had one miss with SK, then got 2K of SK long rifle that it liked, and i think it will last me now a VERY long time. plus 3K of normas - but i shoot it also from ruger that also seems to like it well, but does not like SK that much. tricky shit, but you got to find some balance.

i have a shitload of aguila se now that i do not want to sell, but, at same time - not shooting it at all. go figure. i was hoping to get my kids into it all, but, they did it several times and now just go 'meh' on me offering a range trip - so much to do with 22lr ar15s i made and other things.

 

[Lucus]

I have the Marlin and the Ruger 77/22 both are very accurate. If I had to pick one it would be the Ruger 77/22 with the 10 shot clip/magazine. Of all the guns I own I shoot the Ruger SR22 plinker handgun more than any of the rest. Ruger gives you the best bang for the buck IMO...

 

[ridleyman]

I have been reading up on the Bergara. Seems like great quality. Couple of nice Savages to choose from too.

I vote for Savage, the most accuracy for your buck.

 

[Broc]

it is a benefit, not an issue. it does not affect zero. only makes it simpler to have scope working longer.
i think i have 30moa on my cz right now as well, and it is zeroed to 50.

i recommend to zero it at 50, clock the speed, get data for the load/bullet into strelok pro, get a proper dope for 100 and then go to 100 and zero it there to that dope, if it makes sense.
like mine is supposed to be 1.8 mrad at 100 for the SK long range rifle, and i made sure it is set to 1.8 at 100 - as initially it was more like 1.6 after 50 zero.

after that it is still perfect at 50, but will also be very good at 100 and 200, 300 using the same table.

I am confused. What?

 

[paul73]

I am confused. What?

C’mon. . You use 50 zero, zero it there first - but confirm its accuracy at a 100. StrelokPro says my scope needs to be at 1.8 mrad at a 100yds, so I went to a hundred and zeroed it there and set turret to 1.8.

 

[LuvDog]

Too bad you can’t install strelok pro anymore

 

[Broc]

C’mon. . You use 50 zero, zero it there first - but confirm its accuracy at a 100. StrelokPro says my scope needs to be at 1.8 mrad at a 100yds, so I went to a hundred and zeroed it there and set turret to 1.8.

Your first explanation was confusing.

Why do you care what Sterlok says? that is used as a way to get on paper. Sometimes it might be spot on, sometimes it might not be.

 

[paul73]

Too bad you can’t install strelok pro anymore

it is not going anywhere after it is installed. and for those on android i think it can be installed directly.

 

[paul73]

Why do you care what Sterlok says? that is used as a way to get on paper. Sometimes it might be spot on, sometimes it might not be.

huh? it is math, and it works. i got all those 300 hits just fine from the strelok provided dope value. when done correctly - it all works like it should.

Literally- here below is what strelok is needed for. It has my Arken scope reticle and show all drops.

 

[Ron Jablonski]

the torture of great quality 22lr rifle is that you no longer will tolerate mainstream .22lr ammo.

i settled now on 2 brands - the SK long range rifle for real deal and norma tac-22 for plinking.

I did some ammo testing with my voodoo in the spring with some different SK and Lapua rounds as well as norma tac-22. The norma shot a lot better than I expected it to and cycled better than the SK ammo. If I found a good deal on some tac-22 I'd grab it.

 

[paul73]

I did some ammo testing with my voodoo in the spring with some different SK and Lapua rounds as well as norma tac-22. The norma shot a lot better than I expected it to and cycled better than the SK ammo. If I found a good deal on some tac-22 I'd grab it.

there are at least 2 variations of tac-22 and they are not same. i think black box worked a bit better for me but when you buy online - it is almost never stated which one you gonna get.





on a larger sample, like if you shoot 30 rounds or so, SK groups overall tighter, but, to what degree does it justify the price delta - it is up to you.
i would only say that tac-22 is surprisingly reliable, that is all.
as of all those SKs below - only rifle match and long range match worked better than tac-22 for me.
stabdard plus was not good, and biathlon was inconsistent, not sure why.

 

[Ron Jablonski]

there are at least 2 variations of tac-22 and they are not same. i think black box worked a bit better for me but when you buy online - it is almost never stated which one you gonna get.

View attachment 817715

View attachment 817716

on a larger sample, like if you shoot 30 rounds or so, SK groups overall tighter, but, to what degree does it justify the price delta - it is up to you.
i would only say that tac-22 is surprisingly reliable, that is all.
as of all those SKs below - only rifle match and long range match worked better than tac-22 for me.
stabdard plus was not good, and biathlon was inconsistent, not sure why.
View attachment 817717

The black box is also what I have of the norma. The Lapua center X was the best overall ammo I tested so I'll use that as primary and keep the norma for reserve. I'll also add for the OP that my experience is just with the voodoo action which is pickier with the ammo it likes, I think they actually designed the chamber for the Lapua ammo. The other quality 22 actions should be a little more forgiving and the center X is probably overkill unless your shooting matches.

 

[LuvDog]

I still need to actually do a range session to ammo test. But last weekend I took what I had left of standard plus and a box of long range match.
My vudoo did not like the LR Match and shot the standard plus better.

My son was shooting plain federal champion standard velocity from his 457 and he was shooting tighter groups than I was. LOL.

So I can agree that the vudoo is a bit picky

 

[APFSDS]

Savage Mark II is my favorite .22LR bolt action. Heavy barrel. No iron sights. My wife uses it as well. Accutrigger can be fully adjusted. Mount a fixed 4X scope, dial it in and enjoy!

I like everything about the savage MK II except the stock. It is total junk. Slippery, non-existent cheek weld etc. But 30 bucks makes it totally awesome. I put a 10 dollar amazon recoil pad (so it doesn't slide off my shoulder prone) and a 20 dollar adjustable riser and it's great now. I added a witt machine linear comp too, with subsonics it sends all the (minimal) sound downrange. I can't wait to see how it does with my SWR Spectre II when I move back home.

 

[peterk123]

Had to post a couple pics of her new Bergera. God what a pretty gun. And so light. The vx3i is the perfect lightweight companion.

So what would you guys set zero at, 50, 75, or 100 yards? I've only used iron sights on 22s.

 

[paulleve]

I like everything about the savage MK II except the stock. It is total junk. Slippery, non-existent cheek weld etc. But 30 bucks makes it totally awesome. I put a 10 dollar amazon recoil pad (so it doesn't slide off my shoulder prone) and a 20 dollar adjustable riser and it's great now. I added a witt machine linear comp too, with subsonics it sends all the (minimal) sound downrange. I can't wait to see how it does with my SWR Spectre II when I move back home.

I'm a real fan of the MKII FVSR. I put a Boyd's Varmint stock on mine and it completely changed the feel of the rifle. I've got a 40MOA rail on there which allows me to zero at 50 yards and then dial up elevation to almost 400 yards for some long range fun. With CCI SV I max out the elevation on the scope and then have to hold over to make up for the 27 foot drop!

 

[paulleve]

Had to post a couple pics of her new Bergera. God what a pretty gun. And so light. The vx3i is the perfect lightweight companion.

So what would you guys set zero at, 50, 75, or 100 yards? I've only used iron sights on 22s.

With a .22 it's common to zero at 50 yards. You can then either use holdovers in your scope or dial up additional elevation for longer distances. For example, with a 50 yard zero, you'll be about 6" low at 100. (This depends on the ammo you're using.)

Ammo consistency is important if you're looking for accuracy. For most of my life I went plinking with whatever was cheap and available, but a bucket of Remington Goldens isn't going to provide you with the best group sizes! I've tried Eley, SK, and Lapua, but my go-to for a balance of accuracy and cost is CCI SV and MiniMags. I've got a 10/22 that loves Lapua, but I tend to shoot 200 or so rounds at my club's long range in an afternoon. MiniMags cost me about $13 vs $70 for 200 rounds of Center X, and I get plenty enough hits on the gongs to make for a fun day!

 

[Broc]

Are there any local stores that carry the good .22 ammo?

 

[peterk123]

Are there any local stores that carry the good .22 ammo?

Oh I'm sure. Plus, I can order from anywhere.

 

[grey]

Are there any local stores that carry the good .22 ammo?

Dicks used to carry Elley but I just order these days. Wolf 22 match is pretty amazing stuff. Especially since Wolf steel case is bottom shelf

 

[paulleve]

Dicks used to carry Elley but I just order these days. Wolf 22 match is pretty amazing stuff. Especially since Wolf steel case is bottom shelf

Wolf is the importer. Their .22 ammo is actually made by Eley, so it's good stuff!

I can't say I've really shopped locally for more expensive .22. Even online it can be tricky finding Lapua and specific SK offerings since COVID.

 

[Lank]

I own a Ruger American .22 mag bolt gun that's a blast to shot. Worth a look

 

[peterk123]

We sighted in my wife's new 22. That Bergara is a shooter. Sighted in at 50. But relatively easy to shoot near one inch groups, even with our cheap Aguila ammo. I think we need to take this out to 200 yards next. The trigger on this thing is awesome.

 

[Woodsloafer]

We sighted in my wife's new 22. That Bergara is a shooter. Sighted in at 50. But relatively easy to shoot near one inch groups, even with our cheap Aguila ammo. I think we need to take this out to 200 yards next. The trigger on this thing is awesome.

Having a good trigger on a rifle is an absolute necessity IMO. I bought (with lawn mowing money) one of the first Ruger 77/22s that showed up in a local gun shop after they were introduced in 1983, first thing I did was trim the trigger spring and clean up the mating surfaces. My father thought I was nuts "hacking it up" but it ended up being the most accurate 22 we had at that time, and that was because of the trigger. Foolishly sold that gun but picked up several more over the years, all have needed trigger jobs.

I think that Bergara has a Trigger Tech trigger in it, which are very nice, that's what is in my Bergara Mountain 2.0.

 

[peterk123]

Having a good trigger on a rifle is an absolute necessity IMO. I bought (with lawn mowing money) one of the first Ruger 77/22s that showed up in a local gun shop after they were introduced in 1983, first thing I did was trim the trigger spring and clean up the mating surfaces. My father thought I was nuts "hacking it up" but it ended up being the most accurate 22 we had at that time, and that was because of the trigger. Foolishly sold that gun but picked up several more over the years, all have needed trigger jobs.

I think that Bergara has a Trigger Tech trigger in it, which are very nice, that's what is in my Bergara Mountain 2.0.

I think it will be a great little rifle to train with as well. Maybe set up a steel gong in the mountains then hike up, down, sidehill etc. and shoot from all different positions using packs, trekking poles, tripods, etc. Lot cheaper than ripping off 308s and 6.5cm all the time. And if we see a rabbit or something, boom, dinner


Speaking of tripods. Don't know if you guys haul one around while hunting. But this year I committed to taking it on every single hunt, no matter how far or how high we went. It was worth its weight in gold for use with the binos and as a shooting rest for my wife. But it's weight. I use a Siruis ST124 with a fluid panhead. The total weight is 3.5 pounds. I just bit the bullet on a Siruis traveller tripod, the AT-125 and a tiny panhead made by Tricer called the Tricer LP. Combined weight of 1 pound 11 ounces. The panhead came out recently but some of the hunting guys on Huntalk have put it through its paces and loved it. Ya, not as stable as my original setup, but for binos it should be excellent. Aytime the big Kowa 88 comes out though I will stick with my original setup. But that only comes with me if I am not carrying a rifle. Anyway, if you do use one, check out both the tripod and the panhead.

 

[paulleve]

We sighted in my wife's new 22. That Bergara is a shooter. Sighted in at 50. But relatively easy to shoot near one inch groups, even with our cheap Aguila ammo. I think we need to take this out to 200 yards next. The trigger on this thing is awesome.

Shooting .22 at longer ranges is a lot of fun! You probably won’t find much info online about elevation adjustments beyond 100 yards with .22. I’ve used a ballistic calculator for a general idea of drop then worked up dope settings from there. For Minimags at 200 I dial up 19.25 minutes of elevation. Yes, that‘s 77 clicks in the + direction on your elevation turret, and more if you‘re shooting standard velocity rounds.

Depending on the scope, you may run out of adjustment before you dial in that elevation. That’s why rails are made with 20, 30, or 40 minutes of cant built in. They tilt your scope a little and give you more room for elevation adjustment. I started with a 20 MOA rail and now Use 40 MOA rails on both my long range .22s.