Author Topic: What is a good rifle? (Read 2877 times)

lazs2 · « **Reply #15 on:** July 24, 2007, 08:06:13 AM »

Man... I don't know where you guys are getting these 10/22's that are accurate. I always felt that, out of the box.. they were just a way to waste 22 ammo... seems a good 22 pistol will outshoot em... for sure any good single shot or blot action 22 is at least twice as accurate as any 10/22

Oh.. I haven't shot one but Ruger now makes a mini 14 that is supposed to shoot minute of angle groups.. It hardly even looks like one tho. My mini 14 is lucky to shoot 2" groups at 50 yards.. it has a lot of "fast as you can pull the trigger" hip shooting till a 40 round mag is empty shooting done with it tho.

The most accurate 22's I have ever shot are almost forgotten calibers... the 22 hornet and the 22-250. It is easy to shoot 3" groups at 300 or so yards with the 22-250 and the hornet will have more energy at 100 yards than a 22 long rifle at the muzzle.

If you want to only kill ground squirrels and such... the 17 is supposed to be good. I would rather have the hornet or 22-250 tho and reload myself for about the same cost.

The 22 rimfire is the best for cost...if you go to 22 mag or 17 you might as well go to the centerfire hornet or 250 and reload your own. go with a savage or mossberg bolt gun and a 4x10 or so scope.

lazs

Excel1 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 24, 2007, 08:09:05 AM »

Ruger have a new Mini14 target rifle in their line up. It's an ugly looking thing but they say it's capable of shooting 1" moa. And while on the Mini theme but not small game related; it's a shame they haven’t fixed the problems with the XG1 and resurrected it. I'd go for one of them in .308win in a flash if they did. The XG1 is the Mini14's big brother chambered in 243 and 308win that Ruger canned about 20 years ago. A lot hype back then about it and it was a big disappointment for some of us when it never made it to the gun shop racks.

Back on topic. For small game .22lr or .22 magnum are hard to beat. But centrefire is better if you have the room to use one and you don't have a lot of game to shoot at close range.. if you do, then you going to want a .22 as well. In centrefire my preference is for .223. Tons of choices in rifles for .223, it's an accurate and relatively inexpensive cartridge if you reload it. Cheap and abundant milsurp ammo for plinking/practice is a bonus if the rifle is chambered to handle it like the Mini14 or the AR15

Masherbrum · « **Reply #17 on:** July 24, 2007, 08:19:11 AM »

Small game = Varmint

The 22-250 or a .243.

lazs2 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 24, 2007, 08:27:55 AM »

forgot about the .243.. good round.. a little more expensive to buy the slugs for if you reload tho.

223 is good but the same cheap bullets work better (at the lower end) from a hornet or (at the higher end) from a 22-250

lazs

ariansworld · « **Reply #19 on:** July 24, 2007, 08:44:03 AM »

I will most likely using the iron sights, for I prefer them over the scopes.

lazs2 · « **Reply #20 on:** July 24, 2007, 09:01:34 AM »

what ranges will you be shooting at? What is "small game" to you? What accuracy level will you be happy with? Do you reload your own ammo and is price of ammo anything you worry about?

sorry.. should have asked all these questions right from the start.

lazs

Bodhi · « **Reply #21 on:** July 24, 2007, 09:28:59 AM »

out here, white tail are considered small game...

Masherbrum · « **Reply #22 on:** July 24, 2007, 09:33:28 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Bodhi
out here, white tail are considered small game...

what about hugging bear cubs?

Suave · « **Reply #23 on:** July 24, 2007, 09:46:48 AM »

Best .22 rifle I've know is also an economical one. A marlin semi auto with the tube magazine. Never thought a .22 rimfire could be so accurate as that rifle is.

And for god sakes don't take a military style rifle hunting game, that is extraordinarily tacky.

Angus · « **Reply #24 on:** July 24, 2007, 10:08:46 AM »

From Lazs:
"The most accurate 22's I have ever shot are almost forgotten calibers... the 22 hornet and the 22-250. It is easy to shoot 3" groups at 300 or so yards with the 22-250 and the hornet will have more energy at 100 yards than a 22 long rifle at the muzzle."
This also boils down to the ammo price. The last one to be really cheap is .22 magnum, after that you are in the bottleneck business. A Hornet is cool, slightly more powerful than a .22 magnum, which still is supersonic. Then you have what, 222? Then 223 ? And 22-250, that's one of the fastest bullets of them all. At 250 yards you still have no drop, - but with a fast bullet like that, you better have the ground in the background!
Forgotten caliber????

Masherbrum · « **Reply #25 on:** July 24, 2007, 12:07:47 PM »

Angus, he's right. Most people don't talk about "22 Swift's, 22 Hornet's or 22-250's". They are a "near forgotten caliber".

lazs2 · « **Reply #26 on:** July 24, 2007, 02:26:21 PM »

Angus..yep... I am going by what is happening here in our country.

You have to realize that we have hundreds of calibers available in hundreds of different guns and that, when you add the ability to reload ammo... it gets unreal. You can buy about any caliber you can think up and a type of action to shoot it..

handguns and rifles.. 22 magnums and 17's are almost more expensive to shoot than hornets and 223's if you reload. At least here.

lazs

hyena426 · « **Reply #27 on:** July 24, 2007, 04:29:35 PM »

how about the 25 wssm:) thats a cool round..hehe now if you wanna really varmit hunt..take a 338 lapua!! hehe jk

think the most accurate 22 i own is a old 1930's long barrel 22 rem single shot.....great old gun..i still enjoy poppin off shots with it.

Angus · « **Reply #28 on:** July 24, 2007, 06:14:32 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by lazs2
Angus..yep... I am going by what is happening here in our country.

You have to realize that we have hundreds of calibers available in hundreds of different guns and that, when you add the ability to reload ammo... it gets unreal. You can buy about any caliber you can think up and a type of action to shoot it..

handguns and rifles.. 22 magnums and 17's are almost more expensive to shoot than hornets and 223's if you reload. At least here.

lazs

That is sad, sort of. The 22-250 really rocks. Well, while with no drop at 250 yards, you can allow yourself to snipe a goose without destroying it. After all we go hunting for the meal, not just the kill

A friend of mine had one and used it a lot, - but the ammo was expensive so he loaded up his own.
Up here, there were always Hornets, but I have the feeling that they are getting fewer.
The other day I was firing a 223 Ruger. While the scope was only 4x, anything you aimed at would be hit. A goose at 200 yards, no problem. It was indeed a very nice gun.

morfiend · « **Reply #29 on:** July 24, 2007, 06:26:32 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Masherbrum
Angus, he's right. Most people don't talk about "22 Swift's, 22 Hornet's or 22-250's". They are a "near forgotten caliber".

What a shame,had 22-250 years ago,groundhogs at 300 yards and some farmers even paid for your rounds:aok