Need advice on new .22

I have a Christmas Birthday so I get a new gun! I’m needing help deciding what to get. I’m not a researcher so thought you gurus could help me. I want a new .22 long rifle for mainly squirrel hunting. The guy at the local gun shop has about convinced me that a CZ bolt action is the best. I’m simple, I want the most accurate and reliable gun I can get for under $1,000 but hopefully closer to the 500-600 range. . Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Still going to fix the buffer on my old marlin too.

The CZ or the Tikka. I’m a giant fan of both companies but have owned neither of their 22 rifles.
Of the two the CZ is much better looking rifle. The Tikka has an awesome trigger and action.

Accuracy CZ is going to be hard to beat for. I have seen some Marlin bolt actions shoot pretty good and others not as well. tikka makes an accurate one as well.

Isn't the Ruger 10/22 a very good rifle?

Just for looks I would get the Henry with an octagon barrel, might be too heavy though. Always thought they are cool.

Lots of options. Do you want bolt action, lever action, semi auto?

It is, but a bolt action will be inherently more accurate. Another to look at is a Ruger American .22, or if you like wood, a Ruger 77/22.

CZ MTR
Tikka

My suggestion as well.

I was thinking a bolt action but only because I am wanting accuracy. Also I like wood. I really like the dark stained stock on the CZ at the gun shop.

I’m really leaning towards the CZ. I just didn’t know anything about them. With the few comments here, it confirms what the gun store guy was telling me. they must be good rifles. I think I’ll let the wife get it for me! Thanks for the help.

Bergara BMR is worth a look.

I know where you can pick up a CZ MTR for $750 right now.

A CZ bolt rifle together with an AO scope, and the little bit you have left over to buy decent ammo (target/subsonic and NOT thunderbolt/goldenbullet/bulk junk) - and you'll be mighty pleased with the results.
Try a few different decent ammos till you find the one that your rifle likes best - doesn't need to be expensive $20/50 ammo - just read-up and learn about rimfire ammo differences.

Berga BMR - really can’t be beat if you can find one in your price range.
CZ MTR is a shooter as well.

Just happens to be a decent deal on a Berga down in Houston in the classifieds right now.
https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/8964207/safe-clean-out-12-guns#Post8964207

The CZ or Tikka. Or, find a used 10/22 and put a Shilen barrel and new trigger on it.

There's no good reason to buy the CZ over the Tikka that I can think of. The Tikka will be more accurate with more ammo and have a trigger that doesn't need to be fixed by the buyer.

CZ would be my choice.... actually a 22mag would be but ammo not as cheap!

pretty wood ?

CZ MTR Varmint (target shooting)
Tikka with the threaded barrel
Bergara BMR
CZ varmint (not the MTR)

I want Scotts Sypher

There is no better .22LR bolt rifle for the price then the CZ. The next best is nearly twice the price. The question you need to answer is which model of CZ457, which can only be answered by what type of shooting are you wanting to do? Here are some examples.

If you want a light field rifle using iron sights then the CZ 457 TRAINER or CZ 457 LUX.
CZ 457 TRAINER
CZ 457 LUX

If you want a light field rifle using a scope then the CZ 457 AMERICAN.
CZ 457 AMERICAN

If you are planning to do more shooting from a stationary position, such as prone, tripod or bench) then the CZ 457 VARMINT
CZ 457 Varmint

If you are wanting to max accuracy &/or plan to do some shooting competitions then the CZ 457 MTR VARMINT.
CZ 457 MTR VARMINT

Yea, a field rifle with a scope is what I’m looking for. The 457 American is what I’m needing I think.

Get the MTR

Listen to Senior, he has more .22 experience than anyone posting. He can probably tell you which ammo will shoot ragged hole

I’ve had a CZ, a Tikka, an Anschutz, Savage, and several others in between. Can’t say I’d ever spend money on a CZ again. Worst accuracy for the money of all of them with a very average factory trigger and price is not great for what you get

Which flavor of the 20 choices

Which CZ? I had 457 american and 455 varmint I think it was. Been a while.

The Tikka was a 17 and it shot lights out. Anschutz shot lights out even though it was a sporter. Savage and CZ were very hit or miss.

I have a few CZs, all absolute tack drivers.. 452 American, 452 Scout and 457 threaded barrel.

I MIGHT sell the 452 American, it had trigger work done to it. Just don't use it since I always shoot suppressed and it was too pretty of a gun to want to thread the barrel.

at 8.8# the MTR Varmint is too heavy for lugging around the woods. If stationary, it's hard to beat.
Catperch, go to YouTube and watch reviews on each CZ, Tikka and Bergara MPR. These are in your budget.

If you're open to buying something used and a little more traditional, there are good options with blued steel and walnut stocks that would be plenty accurate enough for squirrel hunting.

So true, most of my squirrel hunting has been with Remington 552 and Winchester 62A, both have killed plenty of critters. I usually hunt those with short hollow points. if I want to head shoot squirrels at longer ranges the CZ 452 varmint gets to go hunting and works, just heavy and not as much fun to me.

I’m In the car headed to the gun store and now that I’ve read all the new comments I’m gettin cold feet and not sure what to do 😂

I would upload a photo but the site won’t let me because it says the photo is too big.

Headed home with the CZ 457 American. Thanks for the advice!

Now dumb question. Are you supposed to oil a new rifle or just shoot it out of the box?

Congrats sir, I think you will like it. I know I do my 2 527s and 452.

Clean the barrel well then run dry patches through it wipe the rest down and go shoot it. On the metal outside and bolt I usually clean it well, coat with Corrosion-X or Hornady Gunscrubber and lube then wipe that off and not worry about it after that for months.

Hate to hear that

Best of luck with it

There’s a reason you don’t ever hear of Tikkas with a trigger job

As Kevin said, clean, lube, shoot. But don't oil the inside of the barrel. Ever. But, you might have already known that.

buy quality ammo, no cheap chit

Quality ammo…. I usually shoot CCI stingers. Is that quality ammo? It seems to be the best that I can find on the shelves.

Not saying you need it but this is quality ammo.

https://texashuntingforum.com/forum...ocity-match-eley-target-22lr#Post8965011

i have a cz training rifle and a 10/22 ss. i really like both. both shoot very well, and function well.

I have found that CCI mini mags are more accurate, CCI standard or Norma TAC-22 is even more accurate. If you want to start shooting really, really accurate, you need to step up into match grade ammo. Like SK, Eley, or Lapua. The Stingers are pushing too far on the ragged edge to really shine on accuracy IMO. If you are keeping it at 50 yards or less, you might not even notice much of an appreciable difference between CCI standard/ TAC-22 and the match stuff. But, if you want to stretch your legs, you will REALLY see a difference.

CCI Standard Velocity is the best bang for the buck. They have been better than most “match” 22 ammo I’ve tried. Stingers are fast but accuracy is never good even with accurate riffles.

CCI Standard Velocity is the best bang for the buck. They have been better than most “match” 22 ammo I’ve tried. Stingers are fast but accuracy is never good even with accurate riffles.


[/Man…. My heads spinning. I’ve got lots to learn. How did I ever hit any of those 1000s of critters I’ve killed over the years?😂

What’s the purpose of a fast bullet if it’s not accurate?

Accuracy shows at distance. Stingers are fine for shooting a squirrel out of a tree at 20 yards.

Best bet is CCI Standard Velocity for squirrel, lot test if you want to get serious.

We (I) used to just make due with what we had. Limited our shots to what was manageable. I.e.short range. Then I got into some of the shooting competitions and quickly realized what I was missing. Minute of squirrel at 25 yards, you can shoot just about anything I guess. But for just another couple of pennys per round, you will really see a difference.

Okay, a few dollars on quality is not a problem. I really had no idea there was a such thing as high quality .22 rounds. I will definitely buy some and test out my new gun. I’m also going to test out some “quality” ammo in my marlin. If I’d of done that before, I might not have spent the money on a new gun…..nah….I’d of still bought it. Going to see if academy has anything decent today.

I have never owned a gun that like Stingers or any other high speed .22 better than tamer loads. CCI MiniMags work fine in most stuff including my 10/22 ... my long barrel M60 likes CCI Standard Velocity more. My autos use Federal AutoMatch usually. I don't have a .22 bolt right now but Dad's M25 was sighted for Federal copper plated hollow points as he only kills squirrels with it. I don't target shoot so I have never tried the premium brands but I will not buy any sort of Winchester rimfire ammo nor anything over about 1250 FPS. I have some Agilla 60 grain LRs that are loaded in 22 Short cases with a lowered charge that are really good at short range on pests. I have some CCI quiets that are good when manually fed in my M60 and some CCI .22 Shorts that are fun in the three-screw Single Six.

Go on YouTube and search RimfireSS. This guy will show you everything. This section of the THF has a TON of knowledge on about anything shooting. I guess if you want to stick with just a great .22 rifle which you can shoot a squirrel head at 50 yards, The CCI Standard Velocity will be all you need.

Many guys here shoot "squirrel head" accuracy at 150 yards. I know, sick, right?

For cheap rimfire shooting I have found Auto Match to be pretty good, but there are usually some flyers in a ten shot group. I have had rifles that shoot American Eagle HPs really well, but that was with ammo bought in the 90s and I'm not sure that later production ammo is as good. Wolf rimfire ammo is usually quite good but it costs more.

Stingers are expensive for the accuracy you get out of them and I think Mini Mags are more acccurate, but for the money more accurate ammo can be had.

I'd buy a couple of boxes each of six or eight reputable types and test them. Some rifles just don't care if you're shooting $15 ammo and like $6 ammo just as well. Testing is the way to find out.

I have had a number of CZs over the years. One in the varmint configuration was particularly accurate. But after spending some time over at Rimfire Central reading the CZ, Bergara, Ruger and Sako/Tikka forums, I'm going with a Tikka TX1, 20-inch this time. It comes with a very good trigger that is easily improved, and the barrels are as accurate as anything CZ ever made; the MTR with the match chamber might have a slight edge, but I doubt it. I used Grabagun's Grab a Quote feature just yesterday when I ordered mine and it saved me $96 off their list price.
In the hands of a really good shooter, the Tikka can be a national-class winner:

https://www.rimfirecentral.com/threads/nrl-champion-shooting-tikka-t1x.1280503/

Put the Nikon Prostaff on my new CZ and got it sighted in. It’s nice! I was also amazed at how quiet the standard velocity ammo is. I bought some CCI competition. I tried shooting them in my Marlin Model 60 and it won’t eject them. It will only shoot the hot stuff. Hoping to get after the squirrels this weekend.

Sounds good, give them bushy tailed tree rats no mercy!!!

Interested in knowing how the CZ shoots…..

It shoots very well, especially since I only have my Marlin to compare it to. It likes the CCI Green tag competition rounds. Hope to tweak it a tad tomorrow and I’ll report back. I actually went back to the gun store today and bought a 10-22 “for my boy”. Figured heck why not. Going to shoot them both tomorrow.

Good ammo can turn a mediocre shooter into a tack driver. I have a Winchester 52d and a Remington 40x and they will shoot even the cheapest ammunition welI. I also have some guns that are super finicky and for those my go to is RWS R50.

For a pinker/doall that is readily available it is tough to beat any of the CZs and if you shoot suppressed the factory replacement barrels from CZ can be easily swapped on some models and have conventional half inch threads.

For general fun plinking all of my CZ's prefer standard velocity ammo. CCI Minimags, Federal blue box, Federal Automach. They will perform better with premium ammo, but you just have to be prepared to chase/sample different types of ammo to find which your rifle likes the best.

Pursuit of Accuracy (This guy has a YouTube channel focused on 22LR Precision Shooting. He has some good pointers.)
[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeMLl56YctI][/url]

Have fun upgrading the 10-22. The three most popular upgrades and least expensive: (1) auto bolt release, (2) extended magazine release (paddle or lever style), and (3) larger charging knob. There are a number of top end part manufacturese, such as Kidd Innovations, Volquartsen, Tatical Solutions. There are any number of knock-offs of these guys parts.Everybody is doing it

The only special treatment you need for the CZ is to wipe it down with lightly oiled rag after handling it. Keep her pretty!

When Ruger changed the design of the magazine release on the 10/22 it made the necessity of upgrading the release a luxury. Auto bolt release can be done for free if you have access to a Dremmel. Charge knob is a luxury too. The weakness of a 10/22 is the factory trigger.

The CZ looks nice and a 10/22 is great for kids and adults. My first rifle was a 10/22. Still the most fun I’ve had with a rifle.

You are very correct. My son shot it yesterday and the first time he did the ole pull, stop, check the safety, pull again, look at dad with a confused look, and finally squeezed hard enough!

Rugers BX trigger is just about perfect for an all around gun. Approx. 2 lbs makes it a safe hunting trigger but still light enough for most target uses.

Upgrade the factory trigger?! How do you expect that boy to gain finger strength.... video games will only give him dexterity and twitch speed!

I remember upgrading my daughter's trigger and then watching her learn speed shooting. She'd run through a box of ammo each trip to the range. Her ammo consumption slowed down only a little once we made her start loading her own magazines. A couple of months later a major school shooting occurred and the Federal 525 Blue Box went for $18 to close to $100 (if you could find it). A quick trip to the gun store for a Savage bolt rifle with a peep sights, and the price of rifle recoupled in ammo cost saving over next three trips to range.

For $65 on EBAY the Ruger BX Trigger Module is a inexpensive upgrade. Kidd has a trigger kit (upgrade components) for $127 and Volquartsen's is $100. Their complete drop in trigger groups are 3x the price and designed for precision shooting (sub 1lbs pull) and overkill for normal shooting / plinking.

I shot yesterday. It was a bit interesting. The first 4 or 5 shots were not very accurate. One was several inches off. Then I shot the 10-22 a while and when I went back to the CZ it was shooting perfect. Maybe some bad rounds, idk. I am very happy with the 10-22!

I'm not assuming anything at all about why your rifle behaved that way, but here's something you should know about rimfire ammo: lube matters!

I couldn't tell you all about the lubrication used in the manufacture of rimfire ammo, but I can tell you that when you switch up it can take anywhere from as few as three rounds up to twenty or so for your bore to be "conditioned" when you switch ammo types. A lot of the more expensive rimfire has a very soft or even oily coat of lubrication while others are a harder wax type of some kind. To demonstrate it for your own edification, try some Wolf Match Target...it will likely shoot really well in your CZ. You may see it shoot "so-so" the first group or two, then tighten up. Shoot six or eight 5-shot groups and see how it does. Then start shooting Thunderbolt or some other cheap promotional bulk ammo, and you will probably see the first five shots cluster unusually well...but then as you continue shooting the accuracy will fall off back to the normal ho-hum lackluster performance you might be accustomed to with such ammunnition.

So, that might (or might NOT) be what is behind those first shots being less than stellar, but it's good to know in any case.

I think I've owned four or five 10-22s in my time, and I've always thought pretty highly of them as a jackrabbit gun...killed several pickup loads of them when I lived out in the trans-Pecos years ago. An inch or inch and a half at 50 yards is plenty good for the purpose, but if you want to upgrade accuracy a heavy barrel is the key. You can buy one of the bull barrels directly from Ruger for around $100. Those are usually pretty good barrels for the money. You can spend a lot more but the gains may or may not impress you. You'd have to do something with that stock, but people sell hardwood stocks cheap and it's easy to adapt one for use with a bull barrel.

Wow, you’ve definitely shot way more than I have. This was all with the same box of ammo. I’ve only shot the CCI competition in it so so haven’t change brands…… but that info is good to know! I’ve never heard that and will sure keep it in mind.

What part of the state do you live in?

Longview area

If you were closer I'd lay a few boxes of ammo on you to try out. With the price of gas these days it'd be cheaper to just order a a box or two of several varieties to try out.

I appreciate the thought!

I know it’s been a while since this thread was posted but I remembered someone asked how the CZ shoots. Finally found what it likes. Tried the CCI MiniMags that someone suggested on here. I’m very happy. I was shooting on a wobbly card table with my jacket as a rest at 50 yards so I think I’m going to be able to live with it.

On the side of the box or an end tag you will find the lot #, go back where you bought them and if they have more of that lot buy all you can.