I have been thinking of taking up this sport, and think I will make the time to try it this summer.
I am looking at guns, and have found, CZ silhouete, KImber Hunter and an 82 and a Rem 581. Opinions or anyone I should stay away from?

Is a 1710 or 1712 that much better for a newbie? Best price I have found is $1475ish for a new one.
Or any others I should concider?

Thnaks
chuck

ps what about rings?

Chuck,
The CZ silhouette will get you started in the right direction. The kimbers seem to have the most finicky ammo "restrictions" of any rimfire ever made. If you like the 581 then look at the 541 instead, a much nicer action all around. The anschutz rule the discipline because "you have to shoot an anschutz to be good" myth. I know I will take flack for that but I don't mind, any good accurate .22 that fits you well is going to be just as dominant as any anschutz made. What you have to decide is what kind of a person are you, are you a person that can be happy with a CZ that shoots just as good as a remington or are you like me and you have to have the best there is because in your mind you just can't compete unless you have top-flight equipment??? ;)
Isaac
P.S. BKL rings are a great great starting point.

You might also consider a Sako Quad, in .22 LR, of course. This is a very nice, high dollar rifle that didn't catch on and is widely available, NIB (New In Box), at a bargain.

Other than that your best bets, in order, are the Anschutz 1710/1712, Weatherby XXII (an Anschutz 64 action in a gorgeous well designed stock) and any CZ 452 with pillar bedding and a Brooks trigger kit or Timney trigger transplant. I like the CZ Varmint, but a lot of folks prefer the lighter American. I dislike the Silhouette because the forearm can flex against the barrel. Remember that any wood barrel will change with the weather and will need sighting in (zeroed) before every match.

I second the BKL rings - they're inexpensive, well made, and used on everything from entry level to full on custom.

Hi Chuck,

This an extremely fun but difficult game that a lot of people have tried then walked away from. Before you begin looking for a rifle or following the advice from some of our deeply experienced shooters on this website you might want to head to a couple of matches and borrow some different equipment. A very cool thing about this community is that most folks are more than happy to have you shoot their equipment to allow you a feel for what you are looking at and more knowledge to make a good decision. At one match you might be able to see and shoot 15 different makes of rifles or rifle configurations. Certainly a valuable opportunity not to be passed up. We might be able to point you to someone if you'll tell us where you are.

This topic has been approached numerous times on this forum as well. I would do a search of the forum as opinions on starter rifles are plentiful.


I can't speak to the "you have to shoot an anschutz to be good" myth because i've not heard it. What you should know is that there are more things to look for in a rifle than accuracy. The Anschutz will provide an extremely consistent and reliable trigger, a Finnfire will provide lightening fast locktime. the Kimber has a nice stock and balance to it, the CZ's are a competent rifle at a very nice price... trigger, locktime, functional accuracy, intrinsic accuracy, stock configuration... lots of things to consider.

c'mon out to a match. you will be warmly welcomed and learn a lot.

dave

I found the zero with wood barrels would change almost shot to shot, so I traded up to a steel barrel. I don't know how you got a whole match out of them without needing to check zero!?! I smell BS! ;)

BlauBear wrote:Remember that any wood barrel will change with the weather and will need sighting in (zeroed) before every match.

Agreed. I can't remember how many 'one-timers' I've seen at our range. It's a shame. Lots of people have disappointing first days, because their results typically don't match up with all the other shooters there. And then they quit after that first time. It's an extremely difficult game, no doubt, but also very, very fun! And scores improve quickly enough to keep your interest if you come back a few times. There is a learning curve, but it ramps up slowly, I think. Stick with it and you'll improve quickly and have a lot of fun in the process. My vote goes for a CZ if you want a bargain that shoots pretty well. I've got a CZ 453 Varmint that I've been very happy with. I may end up with an Anschutz someday, but for now I'm content.

dave imas wrote:This an extremely fun but difficult game that a lot of people have tried then walked away from.

Currently using a Cooey Model 60. See if anyone can get more obscure than that

As said before, try as many rifles as you can get your hands on and get out and have some fun. Then scopes need to be discussed, the ammo type, the scope rings, then shooting vest it will never end

P.S. Have you been to a match and seen the size of the CPTR. Shocker as to how small the margin of error between a hit vs miss

_Shorty wrote:I found the zero with wood barrels would change almost shot to shot, so I traded up to a steel barrel. I don't know how you got a whole match out of them without needing to check zero!?! I smell BS! ;)

BlauBear wrote:Remember that any wood barrel will change with the weather and will need sighting in (zeroed) before every match

The cons of a wood barrel are they start smoking during rapid fire, the pros are you can carry them on an airplane

_Shorty wrote:I found the zero with wood barrels would change almost shot to shot, so I traded up to a steel barrel. I don't know how you got a whole match out of them without needing to check zero!?! I smell BS! ;)

BlauBear wrote:Remember that any wood barrel will change with the weather and will need sighting in (zeroed) before every match.

Busted before I could fix it!

'Bear, maybe thats why those 504's won't shoot..........

Kitty

jneihouse wrote:'Bear, maybe thats why those 504's won't shoot..........

Kitty

Y'all are missing the point of using a 504 - when I miss, it really is the gun's fault!

I think the CZ is the best bang for the buck. Of course you will need a trigger job on the CZ. Rimfirecentral.com has plenty of info on upgrading the trigger. BKL makes a nice set of rings. For ammo, try Wolf, RWS, of S+K. When you miss, you really can't blame the that combo. After you are hitting 25/40 or more, you will be ready to get a 1712.

To get started, any .22 will work. Find a rifle that you like, whether it's a Marlin, Ruger, Remingon, Savage, CZ, TOZ, Anschutz, Sako, Winchester, whatever. I try to make it a point not to sell any of my guns, so when I buy, I make sure that it's something that I'll like for a long time.

If you are the kind of person who doesn't mind "buying the best, and only crying once", then go straight for an Anschutz 1712.

If you are on a tighter budget, the CZ, TOZ, or Savage with Accutrigger will all get you started on the right foot.

SteveM.

Another way to look at it...

If you buy the CZ and then decide you like the sport, you'll eventually sell it and buy a 1712. Maybe you lose $200.

If you buy the CZ and don't like the sport, you still sell it and lose the same $200.

If you buy the 1712 and decide you don't like the sport, you sell it and lose maybe less than $200. (1712 resale is really good and the new price keeps going up)

If you buy the 1712 and decide you like the sport, you haven't lost anything.

Of course I could just be retroactively rationalizing my own 1712 purchase.