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    BUYING THAT FIRST .22 RIFLE

    By Chuck Hawks

    So, you want to get a rifle. Presumably, you have either already mastered the basicsof shooting, or want learn them. You hope to do some target shooting or plinking, andmaybe learn to hunt. Great! A lifetime of enjoyment waits.

    Perhaps you are young (the best time of life to begin any sporting activity), orperhaps you are an adult who finally has the time and independence to get involvedwith the shooting sports. Either way, you will need to learn, and then perfect, thefundamentals of rifle shooting, like correct stance (or form) in the common positionsfrom which rifles are fired, sight alignment, trigger control, and so on. How to goabout this (in essence a rifle shooting course) is beyond the scope of this article, but

    choosing a good rifle to do it with is precisely what this article is about.

    Once you have mastered the basics you can begin to concentrate on the aspect of theshooting sports that most appeals to you, whether that be continued plinking andinformal shooting, traditional target competition, hunting, or whatever. Your ultimatepurpose will influence the type of rifle that is best for you.

    My advice to the beginner is simple: make your first rifle a .22 rimfire, chambered forthe common .22 Long Rifle cartridge. The .22 LR is the best selling cartridge in NorthAmerica by a wide margin. Unless you are very wealthy, it is just about the onlypractical way you can afford to do enough shooting to master the art and science ofrifle shooting. Even if you can afford to start with a rifle chambered for a much moreexpensive centerfire cartridge, the other advantages of the common .22 LR make itthe best choice. These include excellent accuracy, very low recoil, and widelydistributed ammunition. Probably you have already heard this advice, or read itsomewhere. That is because it is very good advice, indeed. Please heed it.

    Youth rifles

    Let's consider that first .22 rifle. If you are very young, or quite petite, you may needa "youth rifle." These are typically lightweight rifles with stocks of reduced length thatare comfortable for small people to hold and shoot. These are usually single shot boltaction types, because this is generally considered to be the safest rifle ininexperienced hands, and the most suitable for young beginners. Such rifles aresuitable for informal target shooting and plinking, and small game hunting at short tomedium range. If equipped with a decent telescopic sight, they can take small gameas far as most other .22 rifles.

    The most famous youth rifle is probably the tiny Chipmunk bolt action single shot,which only weights about 2.5 pounds. Other popular bolt action single shot youthrifles include the Marlin 15yn and Savage Mark 1-G. In the past both Remington andWinchester have made youth rifles.

    Adult rifles

    If you are in your teens or are an adult, you can probably handle a full size adult rifle.This means that your range of choices expands dramatically. There are full size .22's

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    available for every purpose, and in every price class. There are single shot adult sizerifles, as well as bolt, lever, autoloading, and pump action repeating rifles. If you are asmall adult who finds the average factory stock too long for comfort it is a simplematter to have a gunsmith shorten a wooden stock to fit you. If you have the oppositeproblem, your gunsmith can fit a recoil pad to lengthen a factory stock.

    Target rifles

    Formal target shooting is one of the great shooting sports. By "formal" I mean whereyou are competing against other shooters, under NRA (National Rifle Association) orISU (International Shooting Union) rules, and someone is keeping score. There aremany kinds of target competition involving .22 target rifles. Small-bore targetshooting, where you shoot at paper targets and try to keep all of your bullets in the"X" ring at the center of the bull's eye, is perhaps the most popular and widespread ofthe formal target shooting disciplines.

    .22 target rifles are very sophisticated and must be very accurate. The 10 ring on theNRA 100 yard small bore rifle target used for prone shooting is 2 inches in diameter,and the "X" ring in the center that is used to break ties is only 1 inch in diameter.Since you must keep the great majority of your bullets in that X-ring if you expect towin any matches, it is obvious that a decent .22 target rifle must possess sub-minuteof angle intrinsic accuracy. (One minute of angle equals one inch at 100 yards.)

    Matches are fired from either the prone position, or all of the standard positions. Thestandard positions are prone, sitting, kneeling, and standing in U.S. competition; orprone, kneeling and standing in international competition. Most shooters have at leasttwo rifles, one stocked specifically for the prone position, and another with a stockdesigned for "position" shooting. There are also .22 target rifles designed for specialbench rest matches.

    There are matches for both iron (non-magnifying) and telescopic sights in the U.S.,and for various classes of rifles and shooters. Matches are shot with the rifle held inthe hands, or from a bench rest. There are indoor matches shot at 50 feet, andoutdoor matches shot at 50 and 100 yards (or meters). Practically anyone, of anyage, can find a suitable small-bore target shooting discipline if he or she wishes tocompete.

    The best .22 target rifles, such as those used in international competition, can bequite expensive. The top of the line Anschutz Model 2013 "Super Match" rifle for freestyle shooting retails for $3145. (All prices mentioned in this article are manufacturerssuggested retail prices in 2001.) If you are shooting for an Olympic gold medal, this isthe rifle you want. The less expensive Model 1907, which is based on the same Match54 action as the M 2013, retails for $1639 and can still win you a lot of trophies.Remington offers their famous Model 40-X line of target rifles at prices competitivewith the Anschutz Model 1907. The Model 40-XR KS Position Rifle, for example, alsocosts over $1600. These specialized rifles are not intended for the beginning shooter,but for the seasoned competitor. They serve to make the point that .22 targetshooting can be a very serious sport.

    A sample of more affordable .22 target rifles that retail from about $440 to $1000

    includes models from Anschutz, Kimber, Marlin, Remington, Sako, Savage, and theHW 660 Weihrauch (distributed by European American Armory). Rifles in this classcan win a lot of club matches in the hands of a good shot.

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    Metallic Silhouette is a type of target shooting where you shoot at small metalsilhouettes of animals at various ranges up to 100 yards (or meters) with a .22, ratherthan at paper targets. Your bullet must knock the silhouette down to score. The sportwas originally developed in Mexico as practice for and competition with regular

    centerfire hunting rifles at medium to long range. Now there are silhouette classes for.22 rimfire as well as centerfire rifles.

    Special target rifles designed for the purpose are used by the serious competitors. Asample of typical .22 Silhouette rifles would include models from Anschutz, BrownPrecision, Christensen Arms, Kimber, Marlin, Remington, Ruger, andThompson/Center at prices ranging from $398 to $1500. There are silhouette matchesfor both iron and telescopic sights, and a variety of classes.

    Most target rifles are of bolt action persuasion, but autoloaders and at least onebreak-action single shot rifle are included in the lists above. Before you buy any kind

    of target rifle, attend a few local matches and talk to the shooters. They will prove tobe a helpful source of information and advice.

    Plinking rifles

    "Plinking" is informal shooting at casual targets, like empty cans, fired shotgun shellhulls, clay pigeons (my favorite plinking target), potatoes, bottle caps, potato chips,Necco candy wafers, and practically any other inexpensive and harmless target youcan imagine. Never, by the way, shoot at glass bottles--broken glass will inevitablybecome a problem for someone.

    Plinking can be done from any position, but offhand (standing) is probably the mostcommon position. Plinking is the most popular of all the shooting sports, and an awfullot of fun.

    It can be good practice if the shooter works to improve his or her technique and notso good if it leads to sloppy shooting habits. The tendency with informal targets is toremember the hits and forget the misses. Be forewarned: always strive forimprovement. Concentrate on stance, sight alignment and trigger control for everyshot, even when plinking. It is more fun to hit the target than to miss it.

    Practically any .22 that burns powder can and has been used for plinking, from anancient Remington rolling block single shot to an Anschutz Super Match. Probably thebest plinking rifle is a deluxe, scoped, .22 hunting rifle (see below). These classy rifleshave the accuracy to hit small targets, and their optical sights have a great advantageover even the best, target quality, iron sights.

    For those who want to get started shooting and cannot afford a high quality huntingrifle, there are plenty of reasonably priced .22 rifles on the market. A repeater isusually more convenient than a single shot for plinking. Bolt action models from CZ,Marlin, Remington, and Savage are popular. Henry Rimfire rifles offers a traditionallooking lever action .22 in the medium price class. Henry also offers a medium pricepump action rifle. The largest market segment belongs to the autoloading rifles.Serviceable models are available from Marlin, Remington, Ruger, Savage, and

    Thompson/Center, among others. Anyone who has not made a small target dancewith a .22 autoloader has deprived themselves of one of life's simple pleasures.

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    Hunting rifles

    Any rifle intended for serious small game hunting must be accurate enough for headshots on squirrels and rabbits out to at least 75 yards. This requires near target rifleaccuracy, and a telescopic sight to make the best use of that accuracy. Since it must

    be carried in the field, a hunting rifle must not be excessively heavy or unwieldy. Thisis mainly what differentiates a hunting rifle from a target rifle. A good target rifle isbrilliantly accurate, but usually not well suited to carrying in the field.

    The great majority of shots in the field are made from the sitting and standingpositions. These are the two most versatile positions from which a hunting rifle can befired. If you want to become an accomplished small game hunter, practice these twopositions intensively. Always shoot from the sitting position if you can, as it is farmore versatile and almost as accurate as prone, and much more accurate thanstanding or kneeling.

    .22 rifles suitable for small game hunting are available from most .22 riflemanufacturers. Because small game is sometimes shot on the run, a repeating rifle isrecommended. Always use .22 LR High Velocity or Hyper Velocity hollow pointammunition for hunting. The best .22 rimfire hunting rifles are similar to, and costabout as much as, similar centerfire hunting rifles. Deluxe bolt, lever, autoloading,and pump action rifles are ideal for small game hunting. As with any hunting, the firstshot is usually the best, so firepower is much less important than accuracy.

    I find deluxe bolt actions such as the Anschutz 1416D and 1710, Kimber Model 82C,Remington 541T, Ruger M 77/22, Sako Finnfire Hunter, and Winchester Model 52B;plus the deluxe lever actions, the Browning BL-22, Marlin 39, and Winchester 9422particularly desirable for small game hunting.

    For the autoloader fan, the Browning .22 Semi-Automatic, and Remington 552 BDLSpeedmaster have been favorites for half a century or more. The Remington 572 BDLFieldmaster pump action rifle is an excellent choice for those who favor the slideaction.

    All of these are adult rifles a shooter can be proud to own. The critical parts are madeof steel and the stocks are genuine walnut. The Browning Semi-Automatic and Marlin39 lever action are takedown models, very convenient when traveling.

    Scopes for .22 rifles

    A good scope is a practical necessity for consistent, humane kills. It is also a greatasset when plinking at tiny targets. A compact fixed power scope of 3 or 4 power isabout right, and all that is needed. A compact variable somewhere within the 2-7xrange is more than enough scope for a .22 hunting or plinking rifle. A high powervariable scope with an oversized objective is too heavy and bulky, and is a poor choicefor a .22. Most .22 rifles are grooved for "tip-off" scope mounts. A few requirestandard type bases and rings, similar to those used for centerfire hunting rifles.Either system is suitable for a .22, because recoil is not a factor.

    A scope designed for a .22 rifle need not have the comparatively long (around 3

    inches or more) eye relief necessary for a hard kicking high power rifle. The slightrecoil from the .22 Long Rifle cartridge will not drive a scope back into the shooter'seye. So a 1.5-inch eye relief is adequate. And the internal construction of the scope

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    does not need to be designed to withstand the acceleration caused by the recoil of ahigh powered rifle. This makes a scope designed specifically for a .22 rifle lessexpensive than a scope designed for centerfire rifles.

    .22 scopes are designed to be parallax free at a shorter distance than scopes designed

    for centerfire rifles, since they will be used for small targets at comparatively shortrange, instead of large targets at long range. A good .22 scope should have accurateinternal adjustments and quality optics.

    While most scopes for high power rifles can be adapted to a .22, some scopemanufacturers offer models designed specifically for .22 rimfire rifles. Burris, Bushnell,Leupold, Sightron, Simmons, and Weaver are among the popular brands that offersuch scopes. Redfield used to make an excellent compact 4x scope suitable for .22rifles, and perhaps will again someday. I have used this, as well as Weaver 4x andvariable power .22 scopes to take an enormous amount of small game.

    Conclusion

    To summarize, your first rifle should be chambered for the .22 Long Rifle cartridge.The type of action should be determined by your preference and intended use. Buythe best quality rifle you can afford--a quality firearm is always a better investment inthe long run. Unlike, say, beginning motorcycles (where you will probably trade up ina year or so), a good .22 can be a lifelong companion. You will never outgrow it if youbuy a quality rifle. Likewise, invest in a good quality .22 telescopic sight. It, too, willserve you faithfully for many years.

    What really determines how much you enjoy your first .22 rifle is your attitude. If youstrive to become a good shot, you will. If you allow yourself to fall into bad shootinghabits, you will not. Hitting the target is fun, missing is not, so to get the mostenjoyment out of the shooting sports, you must be willing to put forth the effort tolearn how to shoot correctly. In this, rifle shooting is pretty much the same as everyother worthwhile endeavor in life. Enjoy!