Best .22LR bolt action bang for the buck? CZ, Savage, Ruger?

[Nfdbrian]

Looking to get a bolt action in .22LR just to have some fun precision 50-100 yard shooting with. Been looking at the following rifles: CZ 455 and 457 Varmint, Ruger Precision, and the Savage Mark2? Was just looking for some opinions from different people who have shot and own the various rifles. Kinda leaning towards the CZ, but they are a bit tough to find at the moment? Any particular scope combo you would recommend? And any particular ammo you guys recommend? I have a brick of Wolf Match Target to try out in whatever I end up buying. Thanks and am looking to everyone's insight!

 

[Boghog1]

I'm a huge fan of the savage FV-SR. at $275msrp it is one heck of a bang for your buck.

 

[Upland]

Savage is probably best value,CZ is built like center fire rifle. Those are the ones I’m familiar with.
I don’t think you can go wrong with any of your choices.

 

[JRT]

CZ is the bang for the buck. Anschutz is the best of the best. Buy once, cry once.

 

[Deleted member 67409]

The CZs are very popular for people primarily interested in bench shooting. I've handled a number of them over the years and I find them to be a bit heavy.

Normally, Kittery Trading Post has a wide variety of the CZ .22 rifles. I've been there once or twice since the pandemic's begun and I've heard that they're struggling to maintain inventory, like everyone else, and that they've switched to a deli counter system. What you used to be able to do was walk through the racks of rifles and handle anything there. They would normally have some CZ .22s you could pick up, handle, then buy.

Another option would be a Zastava MP 22, which is also very accurate and around the same weight as the CZ 455-type rifles. I'm going to buy one of these soon simply because I want to round out my Zastava bolt gun collection. There's a fair number of MP 22s on Gunbroker currently; I've never had luck finding anything Zastava locally.

 

[Marty McFly]

Can I vote Marlin xp22?

 

[AJK129]

Vudoo would be the most buck per bang, but it would be nice...

 

[Scuderia]

The CZ rifles are beautiful but accuracy can be hit or miss. I had a pretty accurate CZ 455 Varmint that I sold when I recently picked up a Tikka T1X. The Tikka is a step up in accuracy and action feel IMO. Get a Tikka and drop it in a KRG Bravo...

 

[hminsky]

I got a Savage B22 which has a very good trigger. I had to upgrade my Ruger 10/22's with aftermarket triggers to get decent
performance, but the Savage is quite nice out of the box.

I got the wood stock one with iron sights, and it has scope mount points, but they also make one with a rail on it and more modern type of stock

B22 Precision | Precision Series | Savage Arms

Savage built the B22 Precision to take full advantage of the 22 LR rimfire rounds and opened up new possibilities for long range precision rimfire shooting.

www.savagearms.com

 

[mac1911]

Can I vote Marlin xp22?

No

 

[Marty McFly]

No

Well I did any way so neeeeyeeahhh

 

[mac1911]

I got a Savage B22 which has a very good trigger. I had to upgrade my Ruger 10/22's with aftermarket triggers to get decent
performance, but the Savage is quite nice out of the box.

I got the wood stock one with iron sights, and it has scope mount points, but they also make one with a rail on it and more modern type of stock

B22 Precision | Precision Series | Savage Arms

Savage built the B22 Precision to take full advantage of the 22 LR rimfire rounds and opened up new possibilities for long range precision rimfire shooting.

www.savagearms.com

I have a savage rascal and I can say for the price point that savage trigger is the balls.
If the B22 is a better or more refined version it has to be pretty darb good

 

[mac1911]

Well I did any way so neeeeyeeahhh

K , good enough

 

[mac1911]

Vudoo would be the most buck per bang, but it would be nice...

Crazy $$$

 

[Marty McFly]

K , good enough

K thanks.

 

[xtry51]

Savage Mark 2. We have one thats I think 12 years old now. Just the stock iron sights. My wife and I have killed many a chipmunk and squirrel at 15-30yds when they try to shuttle out all the chicken food from the run. My 3 kids learned to shoot with it. In the winter my daughter would spend hours in the basement shooting at a target trap I made for fun.

 

[mac1911]

Looking to get a bolt action in .22LR just to have some fun precision 50-100 yard shooting with. Been looking at the following rifles: CZ 455 and 457 Varmint, Ruger Precision, and the Savage Mark2? Was just looking for some opinions from different people who have shot and own the various rifles. Kinda leaning towards the CZ, but they are a bit tough to find at the moment? Any particular scope combo you would recommend? And any particular ammo you guys recommend? I have a brick of Wolf Match Target to try out in whatever I end up buying. Thanks and am looking to everyone's insight!

It all comes down to end use and expectations. looking to shoot small groups at distance. Set up for that.
If your willing to buy ammo in the wolf match extra price point its my opinion your wasting ammo on anything less than a CZ with a heavy bull barrel.
Scopes get tricky. For 100-200 yards I like my Mueller BUT I needed to get a 20moa mount and Burris signature rings to get enough adjustment to do so ..... keep that in mind if your going to be dialing in elevation with your turrets.
the mueller only had 40 minutes or 20 from center. Im running my mueller on 24x out of the 32x ....its just clearer at 24x
Now my Sightron 8x32x56 is huge on my 22s but its great love that thing for 200 yards.
For my other 22s I know im shooting 50 yards and in I run average 3x9 or fixed 4,6 or 10x scopes.
I also like putting Match sights on my 22s
One of my favorite scopes is a plain old leupold rim fire scope. Holds zero , clear and crisp and set parallax for 50 yards
If your going to run cheap bulk box 22lr any 22 will do

edit: If your looking for a target rifle there has been some great deals on older Anschutz rifles.

Me, Im waiting for a nice LH straight pull match rifle with nice match sights to fall into my hands for less than $1000

I would take me chances on a LH one of these

CZ 457 Varmint MTR​

 

[LuvDog]

The 3 rifles that come up when you go down this rabbit hole are:
Tikka T1x
CZ 457
Bergara B14R

I got my son the CZ and myself the Tikka. Both are very accurate. Its really a toss up between the two

Bergara just announced they are releasing a lefty this year... I’ll get one when it hits the market

 

[mac1911]

The 3 rifles that come up when you go down this rabbit hole are:
Tikka T1x
CZ 457
Bergara B14R

I got my son the CZ and myself the Tikka. Both are very accurate. Its really a toss up between the two

Bergara just announced they are releasing a lefty this year... I’ll get one when it hits the market

Bergara LH 22lr would peak my interest especially if the stock is decent . Shot friends bergara in 308_and its a nice rifle for the money IMHO
just odd they dont offer the HM R stock with the steal barrel. Im not ready for carbon fiber. i have one on my tacsol 22lr AR upper...or should I say lightweight barrel with the steel tube insert. Maybe its aluminum barrel ? Any how good old steel , i like.

 

[mac1911]

Looking to get a bolt action in .22LR just to have some fun precision 50-100 yard shooting with. Been looking at the following rifles: CZ 455 and 457 Varmint, Ruger Precision, and the Savage Mark2? Was just looking for some opinions from different people who have shot and own the various rifles. Kinda leaning towards the CZ, but they are a bit tough to find at the moment? Any particular scope combo you would recommend? And any particular ammo you guys recommend? I have a brick of Wolf Match Target to try out in whatever I end up buying. Thanks and am looking to everyone's insight!

Here why not have fun and get all the accuracy you could ever use

Pardini USA – Pardini USA

www.pardiniguns.com

 

[Nfdbrian]

Damn you guys! Now that I have been looking at the precision rimfire shooting in the competition shooting section that has really peaked my interest! Now I guess I need to look a bit more and open up the wallet. The Bergara B14 really peaks my interest. What do you guys recommend for a reasonably priced scope to shoot in these style of competitions? Will something in the 25x max work or do you recommend a 32x? What kind of distances are these competitions set up for as far as maximum distances? Again thanks for everyone's input it is well appreciated. The CZ Varmint Precision Trainer looks pretty nice too with the Manners stock...got one of those on my .308 and is very nice!

 

[mac1911]

Damn you guys! Now that I have been looking at the precision rimfire shooting in the competition shooting section that has really peaked my interest! Now I guess I need to look a bit more and open up the wallet. The Bergara B14 really peaks my interest. What do you guys recommend for a reasonably priced scope to shoot in these style of competitions? Will something in the 25x max work or do you recommend a 32x? What kind of distances are these competitions set up for as far as maximum distances? Again thanks for everyone's input it is well appreciated. The CZ Varmint Precision Trainer looks pretty nice too with the Manners stock...got one of those on my .308 and is very nice!

this is the fun part...... which competitions
I like to fool around at 200 yards with my 22s when I can.
I have both aperture style match sights which I really like for target shooting at 13" black bull at 200 yards
I have one of those bushnell AR22 scopes at 7X thats fun for steel at all ranges if I can see it. - hard to see a .25" target with this scope.

Have fun and get a good idea which way you want to go.

there is a lot that goes into scopes.
The better the resolution and clarity the less MagX you need If your needing to go from 25-200 yards a adjustable parallax is a must. Watch the overall adjustments you need a lot for 22lr especially if your going from 25-200 often enough. I try to use reticle hold overs vs dialing my turrets. I dont have zero stops or locks and It does not take much to get "lost" in your turrets.
Next scope will most likely be FFP, zero stops

handful of guys I know running the "trainer" set ups have this or some other variant , more than half are running "expensive" optics like Night Force , Zeiss , US optics
SWFA SS 3-15x42 Tactical Rifle Scope


I got behind one of these over the summer and really liked it , its a tad smaller than my Sightron

Ares BTR GEN2 2.5-15×50 APLR4 FFP IR MOA HD​

 

[EC1]

almost any 22lr bolt action rifle will shoot better than nearly all people have the ability to hold on a target, optics are your friends all other things being equal, the larger the lens diameter the better.

 

[mac1911]

almost any 22lr bolt action rifle will shoot better than nearly all people have the ability to hold on a target, optics are your friends all other things being equal, the larger the lens diameter the better.

as with most firearms.....yet there are many that can shoot moa all day every day with gramps old 22lr and cheap bulk ammo.
Im happy if I can hold a sub 3 moa group at any given moment! Takes me some practice to pull off better than that. That does not stop me from trying to have a moa rifle/ammo set up.

Today the way I feel and how my eyes are bothering me with My most accurate set up I would be lucky to keep it under 5 moa!

 

[paul73]

i looked at this stuff just recently, and it seemed to me the best bang per buck right now for a competition level .22lr is probably this CZ - at $729, like one below.

CZ 457 Varmint MTR Walnut .22 LR 20" Barrel 5-Rounds

The CZ 457 Varmint MTR provides excellent accuracy with reliable performance. It comes chambered in 22LR with a 20-inch barrel. Features include an adjustable trigger, a walnut stock, and a 5-round magazine. Get the CZ 547 Varmint for sale from GrabAGun today!

grabagun.com

but, it is quite a bit of $ for a mere .22lr thunderstick.

i am really torn on that topic, i wanted to get something for my 10yr old to shoot, something simple, then started thinking it would be nice if it could work decently enough up to 300yd - which takes it to a whole different level, and decided finally that it all needs to stop.

 

[Boghog1]

i looked at this stuff just recently, and it seemed to me the best bang per buck right now for a competition level .22lr is probably this CZ - at $729, like one below.

CZ 457 Varmint MTR Walnut .22 LR 20" Barrel 5-Rounds

The CZ 457 Varmint MTR provides excellent accuracy with reliable performance. It comes chambered in 22LR with a 20-inch barrel. Features include an adjustable trigger, a walnut stock, and a 5-round magazine. Get the CZ 547 Varmint for sale from GrabAGun today!

grabagun.com

but, it is quite a bit of $ for a mere .22lr thunderstick.

i am really torn on that topic, i wanted to get something for my 10yr old to shoot, something simple, then started thinking it would be nice if it could work decently enough up to 300yd - which takes it to a whole different level, and decided finally that it all needs to stop.

I can bang gongs at 200 with my Savage and it was 275 new, Your kid will love it. it was under $500 with a Primary arms scope

 

[LuvDog]

i looked at this stuff just recently, and it seemed to me the best bang per buck right now for a competition level .22lr is probably this CZ - at $729, like one below.

CZ 457 Varmint MTR Walnut .22 LR 20" Barrel 5-Rounds

The CZ 457 Varmint MTR provides excellent accuracy with reliable performance. It comes chambered in 22LR with a 20-inch barrel. Features include an adjustable trigger, a walnut stock, and a 5-round magazine. Get the CZ 547 Varmint for sale from GrabAGun today!

grabagun.com

but, it is quite a bit of $ for a mere .22lr thunderstick.

i am really torn on that topic, i wanted to get something for my 10yr old to shoot, something simple, then started thinking it would be nice if it could work decently enough up to 300yd - which takes it to a whole different level, and decided finally that it all needs to stop.

If you like that stock, then it's a good buy, but you could also simply get the varmint and then drop it in to a chassis or stock that fits your son better.

That's what I did. Dropped a CZ 457 Varmint in to an XLR chassis. Now it can grow with my son.

 

[paul73]

If you like that stock, then it's a good buy, but you could also simply get the varmint and then drop it in to a chassis or stock that fits your son better.

That's what I did. Dropped a CZ 457 Varmint in to an XLR chassis. Now it can grow with my son.

I have xlr chassis on the bergara - love it, but, it is even more $
Dunno, may be.

 

[MatsonofCay]

I have a Savage Mk. 2....incredible at 50 yards, generally shooting t-bolt, 5 shot groups in 1" holes with 3 cent t'bolt ammo. At 100 it sort of falls apart accuracy wise, around 3 moa with same cheapazz ammo. I could try other ammo to see if that helps, but I generally shoot my cleaner ammo in the semi autos, or save it for my heirs . All in all, nice action, great trigger, bull barrel, pretty laminated stock. OTOH, my marlin 60ss will hit 12" steel all (not too windy) day long at 200, while the Savage has me wondering where the round went...but that's not what you're asking.
Noticed you asking about the Ruger...I have a Gen 1 .308 RPR, lovelovelove that gun, and spent some time on an RPR forum. The groupings I saw with the .22 RPR on that site did not impress me in the least. Gun was a new release at the time, and perhaps some playing around with ammo helped, but I was off that site as it got too humorous with people wondering what upgrades they NEEDED before actually having shot the gun The backwards mounted bipod was the last straw.

 

[MatsonofCay]

I can bang gongs at 200 with my Savage and it was 275 new, Your kid will love it. it was under $500 with a Primary arms scope

what ammo are you using? My Marlin does the same w/ t-bolt, but my Savage's accuracy disappears after 100..Shoot mainly t'bolt, but have tried aquila, pretty sure I shot some various cci as well....
.22lr on steel at 200 is the most fun at the range some days. Crank the earmuff volume up and wait for the "tink"