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22 advice

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

charmen85

Member
I am looking to buy my first .22. I already own a Sako 75 chambered for a 30-06 which I absolutely love. I want the .22 principally to improve my marksmanship fundamentals.

When I learned to shoot it was on a Winchester model 47 a friend of mine owned which was an absolutely fantastic gun.

I know the p94 is an excellent gun, and I assume the Quad is as well, but P94s have rather priced themselves out of what is realistically in my price range, and it is hard to find Quads these days that don't come with 3 barrels I will probably never use. Personally, I have a pet peeve about things that rattle. Not just in rifles, but in all objects I use. Has anyone had any issues with rattling on the Quad?

Dare I ask, are there any other bolt actions from other brands that are worth considering? I've seen the Rugers and the CZs, both of which look nice, however, they aren't Sakos, and I have developed a fair bit of brand loyalty. Thank you for your time
 
Hi Charmen,

Having shot both the CZ and P94, I must say that there is not alot in it to be honest. But I have only shot vermin with them, and the occasional target. I'm sure that dedicated target shooters might have a better perspective on the advantages or disadvantages of one gun over the other when it comes to that exacting sport.

What I can say with sureity is that, it will be the gun you will most likely handle and shoot more often than any other rifle in your gun safe. The .22lr is the trainer, the practice rifle, the cheap to run plinker, the bunnie basher, the list runs on.

As such the feel, balance, workmanship, and quality of the Sako to me wins everytime. The CZ are fine guns but are mass produced state sponsored rifles, that really don't have the soul if you will, that a Sako has. I would go for the Finnfire. I have handled the Quad in the shop but have not shot one, so cannot comment on it as a shooter, although it looked and felt good.

Best Regards,

Rowdy
 
Hi,
I haven't shot a SAKO rimfire but own 2 CZ's. The first is a 452 Classic which I restocked with CZ's plastic stock. The new stock made it a much better rifle to use, more accurate, and (to me) better looking. Accuracy for most rimfires is about finding the right ammunition. Superb guns will shoot poorly on ammo it doesn't like and an average rifle will shoot very well once you find the right ammo. My 452 has shot maybe 8-10 thousand rounds through it and it's still a great shooter. If I bought a 452 again I'd buy the Silhoutte model which has the plastic stock already fitted. There's a couple of features which aren't high quality (eg. trigger guard), but the blueing is good, the bolt action is nice & smooth, everything works perfectly all the time and I doubt if you could find a better value for money .22 rimfire. 5 & 10 round magazines are available.

Since that was such a good rifle I then bought a CZ 453 Varmint, its more accurate and has a better trigger (lots of adjustment + a set trigger), great if you want to punch tiny groups in things, but everytime I want to pot a few rabbits or walk some distance along gullies & creeks I take the 452.

I also had a heavy barrelled Kimber .22, it cost twice a much as the CZ 453 and was 'a heap of junk' by comparison; I was so disappointed I got rid of it.

Regards
Chris
 
When you get into the realm of high-quality bolt-action .22 Rimfires you're up in the same price range as good centerfires, and most of them are out of production, anyway: Sako P72, Browning/Winchester Model 52, Kimber of Oregon M82, etc. Nice ones that are currently produced might include Cooper and Anschutz, but again, these are going to be pricey. The straight-pull Browning T-bolt, although a variation on the conventional turnbolt, is also in this category.

In terms of performance (dependably function and good accuracy), the CZ is well-regarded. However, due to its having a safety that operates exactly BACKWARDS from every other firearm in the known universe, I will not have one or allow a loaded one in my presence. How CZ has avoided a lawsuit on this egregiously dangerous design is a mystery to me.

While their earlier production had some accuracy problems, the Ruger M77/22 is a well-made rifle with clean lines and, for a rimfire, a very strong action. My understanding is that they have addressed their quality control problems and current production is performing up to much higher standards. This is probably about the lowest-priced .22LR that you can get with a checkered walnut stock.

Savage is making some rifles which exhibit excellent accuracy. Their aesthetics, however, are somewhat lacking.
 
Have been looking at CZ .22s. I guess the 455 has replaced the 452. People much more knowledgeable than I advise that the 455 has been so badly received that CZ is producing the 452 once again, at least as a 'special run'. Too late again. The 452 Lux with iron sights would have been good and affordable ... not sure if the 'special run' will be up to scratch.
 
As Stonecreek indicated, you need to allow about 750-900.00 as an entry point into this market. If you do that, and patiently watch the used market you will probably never find what you are looking for, partly because good, used .22's are kind of scarce and only come up so often. Probably when you just bought something else. You do need to get your head around a realistic price point to play this game. Not everybody will do that.

Many men who would think nothing of spending large on a magnum rifle would scoff at the idea of a thousand-dollar "pea-shooter".

CZ'z are well-known for extreme accuracy. But they are not a premium brand. You can pick them up on the used market for a few hundred. Figure on a trigger job since they're also well- known for sh**ty triggers. You might want to start with one of these as a shooter. Then, you might keep it when you move up in class. The CZ will probably hold accuracy with any of the above.

One that didn't get mentioned would be an old Winchester 9422 lever action. I personally think everybody should have one of these in their permanent collection. Very well-made and you can pick up a nice one for 600.00 or less. They don't impress anybody at the target range, and please don't put a scope on one. (That doesn't work, anyway.) But, they seem to excel at shooting actual "things". They usually also have crappy triggers and there's nothing you can do about it.

Another medium-price one that comes to mind is a Browning A-bolt. You should check these out. A little jewel of a .22. Not super-accurate (5/8" @ 50yds maybe), but you can find them sometimes for sub-500.00.

Please get into this and remember: with .22's it's all about the ammo.
 
I have only shot two CZ rimfires (a friends). One was a 452 Sporter & as Iwanna mentioned it's trigger was not the best. However there is an aftermarket kit available (spring & some parts) that I installed that made it very nice. The other was a 453 Varmint. It's comes with the factory set trigger & was one of the best triggers I have ever pulled. It also was frighteningly accurate. Both guns were purchased new for less than $500 (gun show about 3 years ago) & showed nice fit & finish & pleasing wood in the stocks. From what I have seen they are the best buy on the market.
 
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