Drawdown wrote: ↑Tue Dec 19, 2023 8:23 am
I growed up, lived and breathed squirrel rifles! My dad, uncles, brothers all, when not working, come Aug till end year, we squirrel hunted, that's it! All over KY, and we loved hunting Tennessee also! They mostly with shotguns buy I was a 22 rifle nut.
As far as the 10/22, accuracy wise at 35yds, groups usually look more like a shotgun pattern than a rifle group! Most anyways not all. I had one, I won in a raffle, the deluxe model probably one prettiest ones I ever seen. I gave it away to a young man I worked with who wanted to start hunting. I told him it was poor past 25yds but it's a good place to start.
I had a Remington 580 SS that was a dandy accurate rifle that I gave to another young man on that crew who wanted to start squirrel hunting.
I've been around and known Lotta squirrel hunters and their rifles, and theres lots of good ones, but it takes the best to be a consistent squirrel rifle! And most likely it's gonna be a bolt action, but? I had a Marlin 39 Lever in my young days that would get em. One exception I remember well was a co worker who was a squirrel hunting rifle nut, and his Mod 9422 was his all time best! Marlin 81 & 82 in 22mag especially where usually great! Most all the Remington pumps and some autos from the 50's thru the 70's where great!
But the premiere squirrel rifles ever made in America? Remington Mod 541 and Win Mod 52! And there some Savages/Anshutz and Mossbergs (I have one) that'll stay right with them! The Remington 580, 581, 582's are close!
The best I've ever owned, is my CZ 452's, American, Lux, and Ultralux. My all time favorite is my Ultralux, which is the best iron sight rifle I've ever seen!
But my eyes aren't what they where so my 452 American with 2-7x scope will put em in one hole with right ammo!
Ammo is usually the secret to a good 22, and they're all different, even in same models! In even the poor shooters, the right ammo will make em fairly accurate!
And if you don't mind spending the money, a Anshutz is most often the best!
There's a number of old Winchester bolt actions that come to mind that where usually scary accurate. Mod 67 & 69 come to mind. I looked at a Mod 67 other day at pawn shop, it was so dirty the firing pin was slow, but I'd bet, cleaned up it would shine! I got an old Savage Mod 15a SS long time ago, that was so dirty it looked almost worthless. Only reason I bought it was, that model was Carlos Hathcocks rifle he growed up hunting with. Well I cleaned it completely, refinished it. It's almost as accurate as my Cz's!
And I can't leave out the older Remingtons, Mod 510, 511, 512. These where probably Remingtons most accurate 22's, until they made the Model 541. This was one stand out rifle that could compete or outshoot a Mod 52 Winchester, and it was a quality rifle in every regard! But j7st like Remington, they get something going good, and because of cost, they dropped it, quit making it. Sad day for American squirrel hunters! The Remington Models 580, 581, 582 made later where good for the money, but not near a Mod 541!
And just like Remington, years after they dropped the Mod 541, try to revive it, they come out with the Mod 504, about 2000 I think? But it was a beauty. Word was most would be fairly accurate. Then someone buy one that wouldn't shoot wort a dime. That ruined their rep, Remington dropped it in no time!
And the Ruger Mod 77, one the best rifles made? Among squirrel hunters, when you got a good one in 22lr, you better hang onto it, because the next was poor. But the Mod 77 in 22 mag was most likely very accurate and that's rare, cause accurate 22mags are few!
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N.
I've shot a couple of 1022s but never felt inclined to buy one I'd much prefer your 572.
many years ago I had my first 572 and I ringed it's barrel with russian shorts! Darn thing shot better after that!
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