AusVarmint

Looking at getting a new bunny gun and thinking of something along the lines of a ruger American compact, having never owner a new 22 I do have afew questions so please be gentle and bear with me.

How many rounds of ammo should I run through it before testing other brands of ammo and testing for accuracy ?

How many rounds of ammo should I put through it before testing something else ?

How often do I clean it when running ammo through it ?

Like I said having never owned a "new" 22 I would like to do it right the first time.

Well I guess I could come up with some suggestions for you.

Hmmmm...Ruger American, not too sure on them, know a couple of fellas up this way that got them, they were attracted by the price, but found afterwards that they aren't all they are cracked up to be. Im a bit of a snob as far as 22 rifles got, they start with B for Brno, or C for CZ, the rest I leave to those who wish they had bought them in the first place.

Testing ammo is pretty simple, buy a pack of as many types of ammo you think you can afford, fire 5 or so 5 shot groups at 50 m, measure the best, then fire the rest of the box to confirm, then stock up on that brand and batch if you can. Prices will only go upwards, so if you can afford to get a carton now, grab them. For a normal hunter a carton of 5000 will last a few years if you don't waste them too much.
Hunting rounds of about 40gn hp are the preferred choice for rabbits and up to foxes. Sub-sonic, I personally don't think they are worth worrying about, you may gain a small increase in accuracy, but will lose a much bigger amount in trajectory and hitting power, leave them for range use.
Don't be scared to try the cheap and nasty bulk ammos that are around, Rem Bucket of bullets, Winchester 555, Federal bulk packs, one of them might just be the best of the lot in your particular rifle. I use Win 555 as they shoot very good in my two CZ 22lrs, and an added bonus is that buying by the carton, they work out less than half the price of Win PowerPoint that I used to use.

Cleanliness is apparently next to Godliness, so I must be a bit of a heathen cause I don't clean my 22 very often, when its shooting well, I leave everything the way it is. The action and bolt are the main bits I clean, not for accuracy sake, but for good feeding and extraction. The barrel gets a patch through it sometimes when I feel like it, or when going to a new batch of ammo. Nothing regular about it.

Any 22 worth its salt should give you 1/2 to 3/4 inch groups at 50 m, But generally if it shoots no good with one ammo, its just a matter of trying different ones.
Most of all, enjoy them, they are a fun little cartridge to use.

Have a good look and feel of the American before you buy one mate. I'm not sure how the rimfire versions are but I'm pretty dissapointed with the .223 I have. It shoots ok, but fit, finish and feel leave a lot to be desired even considering the price tag.

Not new to a 22 by any means always had one sitting in the ute ready for what ever was needed, only reason I was leaning toward the ruger was being a compact as it's super handy for what I'm after, I rarely clean our 22 either camel just give the bolt quick scrub and whip over that's it, although did notice today the the Remington cbees are filthy things to use.

Rito, fair enough, my CZs are both varmint weight with 20 inch barrels, I reckon its a bit over rated, being short and compact, I use 24 inch barrels on my other rifles and have no trouble with them in the ute.

short and compact dont compensate for cheap and nasty

Well I was thinking of the norinco 16in barrel..... and then came across the ruger

There is the CZ carbine, 16" barrel. Everyone will be happy.
Love my CZ 452.

Bruce

Beau204 wrote:Well I was thinking of the norinco 16in barrel..... and then came across the ruger

As one of the heathen Norinco owners, i will say try it, they punch way above their price tag for accuracy.

dont ley Mick 762 see this thread, We are trying to help you spend more money that you planned and he will come along to ruin it by telling you how much he loves his norinco 22

Too late Trev

There is a letter that comes before B for Brown and C for cluncky and that would be "A" for JG Anschutz

The most accurate factory built 22`s ever.

And no I do not own one mine starts with "W"

And no I do not own one mine starts with "W"

Wanna be ?? Wanker ?? Wally ??

I'd like to suggest the Winchester Wildcat, because I have one and it shoots spectacularly for the price.

It's basically a Winchester branded version of the Tula made Toz 78-16 (last digits vary). Comes in light or heavy barrel versions. Doesn't cost CZ money either...

Went into qge today for a quick look while picking up afew other things, bloke there pretty much rubbished the ruger and tried to get me Onto a 17hmr, had a look at the savage mark 2 fvsr, will do a bit more Googling and see if anything else pops up, thanks for your input so far fellas keep em coming much appreciate.