Which .22lr for Casual target shooting?

[pbickerd]

I am considering buying a 0.22 rimfire for target shooting at the range (50m maybe 100m). Nothing too serious but if it would be usable for the competitions at my club that would be great.

 

I don't really want to spend a fortune as there are a few other things I also want to buy

 

So to clarify, this will be for club use only, not in the field. I will spend up to about £400 not including optics and second hand is fine.

 

I have been thinking about either:

A CZ452 Varmint new ~£350 (+ this would need a trigger job)

or

Anschutz Match 54 second hand ~£200-£400

 

The Anschutz is clearly a dedicated target rifle and in its day should have been miles apart from the CZ. However, in this price range it is going to be getting on a bit. I would imagine most of these kinds of rifle will have been fairly well looked after and will have been shot bench rest and prone so there isnt a lot of room for abuse. I have shot an old Aschutz before, I have no idea what model it was but it was basically a big square block of wood with a barrel poking out. That said, it was almost punching single hole groups.

 

What I am really asking is which do you think is going to be more accurate? The second hand slightly old Annie or the new CZ? Looks / weight arent really a concern to me.

 

Thanks guys,

-Paul

[bobt]

If you want to be competitive, you need a specialised rifle, dont bother with a sporter.

 

Im sure someone in your club will be upgrading,

 

when I was in a rifle club the number of cheap target rifles I was offered was silly.

 

I only wanted a place to practice with a sporter to the extent I use local land now instead of the range.

[pbickerd]

Thanks bob. I figured as much.

 

I guess my main question is, would a slightly beat up target rifle still be better than a new sporter?

[jcbruno]

anchutz 64 1903 is a well priced club gun i also have a cz452 with diopter sights and a erick brook trigger aswell you can find many good used anchutz 64/54 action riffles, walther and valmet finnish lion target rifles for as much as a new cz and they all would fair very well, at the club i shoot at i have my cz 452 standars with sights and also a old schultz&larssen 22lr aswell i have a anchutz 64 sporter and plan on getting the annie 64 1903

[MC]

The anschutz will be more accurate time and time again. I have an Anschutz 1813 Supermatch which is easily 25 years old and it has has well over 100,000 rounds through it and it will still put bullets through the same hole time and time again. It is what they are designed for.

 

You should be able to pick up an Anschutz for less than £100. The all have 11mm dovetails so fitting a scope is easy as well.

 

The only downside is that they are all only singel shot with no magazine. But if you are only target shooting then that isn't an issue.

[pbickerd]

Ah thanks MC that is exactly what I was looking for.

 

I think I will go with the old Anchutz then. Also, thanks for the info about the scope. I assume I can just take off the diopter sights (if it comes with them) and replace with a scope easily enough?

 

-Paul

Edited November 18, 2008 by pbickerd

[MC]

That is exactly what you do, the rear sight slides on to the dovetails and has a couple of clamp screws. It has dovetails both in front and behind the loading plate for your scope mounts.

 

The only issue you may have with a scope is getting the correct eye relief and you may need seem angled forwards mounts. I didn't but then the supermatch has an adjustable stock.

[sandy22]

It has dovetails both in front and behind the loading plate for your scope mounts.

 

Older Anschutz (prior to about 1965) don't. But it should be easily checked before you buy.