User Panel
Posted: 5/10/2019 10:15:17 PM EDT
As titled.
I see all sorts of Ruger, Walther P22, S&W M&P, etc threads but rarely, rarely a thread on the better rimfires. Does no one own or shoot a S&W 41, Walther GSP, Sig Hammerli or even a Hammerli itself? Hell, even a Colt Target of some sort for that matter. Have these guns become the reel-to-reel machines of today? Or is it simply no one is interested in making the smallest possible groups anymore? Not slamming anyone, just morbidly curious. |
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There's still a market for them but most people shopping for .22 semi auto these days just want something to plink with.
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Even that site leads with Ruger 10/22s and Ruger semi auto pistols.
The fancy stuff does almost nothing that far more common things won’t do. Few people shoot bullseye anymore. A 1911 is nicely mimicked by a Ruger Mk.IV 22/45 or better yet the Colt Walther 1911 in a thread below. Glocks with an Advantage Arms kit on top beat anything .22 for a Glock shooter.. Teaching kids is far better done with a Ruger SR22P or a Smith MP22C. Absolutely dependable with no fuss. The real use of fancy ones is awfully limited. |
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Plenty of threads about some of the "High End" 10/22 type semi autos.
Some of them perform very well, some somewhat less. I purchased a Ruger "Custom Shop" Competition 10/22 a while back and it is very accurate but I have had some problems with it. Sent it back for warranty work and it is much better but still has some issues. Very accurate though. |
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Quoted:
Even that site leads with Ruger 10/22s and Ruger semi auto pistols. The fancy stuff does almost nothing that far more common things won’t do. Few people shoot bullseye anymore. A 1911 is nicely mimicked by a Ruger Mk.IV 22/45 or better yet the Colt Walther 1911 in a thread below. Glocks with an Advantage Arms kit on top beat anything .22 for a Glock shooter.. Teaching kids is far better done with a Ruger SR22P or a Smith MP22C. Absolutely dependable with no fuss. The real use of fancy ones is awfully limited. View Quote |
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I've got a Hammerli Xesse Sport i use for occasional bullseye. Not really a high end pistol, but not exactly a pedestrian plinker.
Nobody here shoot that stuff, you should visit Bulleyeforum.net. B |
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I routinely shoot my M41 with a rail and Vortex Venom for Steel Challenge, though I typically alternate with my 10.5" AR with CMMG conversion on my SBR...
I bought the M41 in 1995 when I was shooting the Chevy Team Challenge ...$325 |
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I have what is considered a custom .22, not cheap. Its a ULA (ultra light arms) by Melvin Forbes
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Yes, I saw other options, but the site “leads” with Rugers. Its what people shoot in volume.
High Standard is gone, Colt is gone, 2700 bullseye is dying, and there is very little a Ruger Competition Target 6 7/8” model Mk. whatever cannot do. |
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The real use of fancy ones is awfully limited. View Quote I don't shoot bullseye matches but I love trying to shoot one ragged hole with my rimfires. Shooting something that's so finely made is an experience in itself, IMO. I get the whole cheaper gun thing as I own several Buckmarks & love them all. So I get it. But it's almost like dating a barmaid when there's a supermodel living right next door. |
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Does a Pardini SP count?
It shoots tighter groups than my 41 or my High Standard Supermatic Trophy. |
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I've got a Hammerli Xesse Sport i use for occasional bullseye. Not really a high end pistol, but not exactly a pedestrian plinker. Nobody here shoot that stuff, you should visit Bulleyeforum.net. B View Quote To me, loving to shoot a nice gun & then breaking out a $200 plinker is an oxymoron. It's like a race car driver hopping into a Chevy Caprice at home, it just makes no sense what so ever to me. |
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I can’t get myself to buy cheap guns with plastic style. I did AR .22 rimfire uppers though.
My not too recent purchases have been CZ scout, Marlin 39a (quite field worn), and a 5 screw k22. I looked at a nice used 77/22 .22LR stainless boat paddle last week. Not priced yet. Probably gone before I get there again. My favorite currently is my CZ452 fullstock. No Sakos or field Anschutz. I do have an old 54 super match but it’s not the same. |
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View Quote It’s awesome. |
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There's still a market for them but most people shopping for .22 semi auto these days just want something to plink with. View Quote What is cool and sad now is the old school guns of the fifties era, like the rem 512 and Winchester 131, 69, 75 are collectibles. I am seeing them pushing $200 for the old basic ones or $500 for the intermediates like the 75. |
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If Smith made a 41 with a threaded barrel I would buy one right now. Over a Ruger or Buckmark.
A 41 has been a staple of introducing refined rimfire shooting to the masses for decades. About as good as you can get before wandering off into the world of complete competition models. |
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Quoted: What is this one? I don't think I've ever seen one of those before. Love the GSP! I haven't shot mine in a while, sadly. View Quote The GSP is an absolute tank and just keeps going and going. Not picky on ammo or cleanliness, but pretty heavy. I have two 10 round P22 magazines I modified to fit and makes it kind of hoot to run at the range. The reset is so short it's almost as fast as full auto if you practice a little bit. |
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I had a Volquartsen Scorpion for a little while. That was high end for me. Sold it though. Shot some of the best pistol groups I ever had with it, but I just didn't use it enough to justify what I had in it.
I keep going back to my CZ Kadet on a 75 SAO frame. That's been my primary rimfire pistol for range and woods for a long, long time now. I sometimes try to get into other things but always come back to the Kadet. I owned two Sig Trailsides a long time ago. I'd have one again if I could suppress it. These days, if I can't suppress it, I'm not that interested. |
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Wheelguns allowed ? I shoot a Freedom Arms M97 with a 5.5” barrel chambered in .22LR.
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I wish people bought upper tier rimfires less because it would make filling my Hamden High Standard collection a lot easier and less expensive...
Gunbroker seems to have a hell of a lot of upper tier rimfire fans cause the prices keep getting driven through the roof. |
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for me the type of gun game and accuracy needed determined the expense of the firearm I used...when I started shooting "competition" gun games around 1980, there was some bullseye competition in the Tampa Bay area which looked pretty boring, and the shooters didn't seem very friendly, but Metallic Silhouette caught my eye... watching steel targets fall at out to 200m was intriguing... I got a T/C in 7TCU, later a Merrill in .357, and went at it... .22 rim fire 100yd with a HS Trophy.... then it happened, a hand written sign announcing the formation of the Tampa Bay Combat Pistol League... was hooked at that point....still shooting USPSA with an AR9 PCC... 3 digit life number
when the Chevy Truck Sportsman's Team Challenge started in Florida, well, another chance to shoot something different... 10/22 at 90y off hand started a 5 year search for an accurate 10/22, a M41 for the verticals , shotgun auto for flush, flurry, and O/U for clays later 3 gun for a couple of decades... Ft Bragg, Ft Benning, Area6 and a lot of local practical rifle events... .22lr conversion for practice as age caught up, and a bad knee, am now looking at .22 rim fire at local Steel Challenge match... currently alternating a 10.5 SBR and M41 I needed the accuracy of the HS for silhouettes, and M41 to open the 4" ports on the verticals at 45yd... don't need it to hit an 8" piece of steel at 18m... but I have the equipment on hand that meets the requirements, though somewhat heavy shoot some competitive gun games....old adage, if we are doing this for fun, why are we keeping score... |
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Conventional bullseye has been dying for years. Hasn't been a big deal since the sixties.
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One day I’ll end up with a 41 and would like to have a Hammerli or similar gun but honestly for me their looks are more important than their accuracy. High end accuracy stuff is boring to me. Whether it’s bullseye High Power benchrest whatever.
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Or is it simply no one is interested in making the smallest possible groups anymore? Not slamming anyone, just morbidly curious. View Quote Bullseye is pretty dead and has been for a while. Action type shooting is much more popular and you just don’t need a high end target gun for that. It’s not just on the pistol side either it’s the same with rifle. Cost is a big deal to a lot of people and when you can get a gun that is 60-70% less money and shoot ammo that is 50% or more less money and still do what you want to do it’s hard to jump to the high end. |
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Quoted: Bullseye is pretty dead and has been for a while. Action type shooting is much more popular and you just don’t need a high end target gun for that. It’s not just on the pistol side either it’s the same with rifle. View Quote My thought is, if I can do a tiny assed group with a nice rimfire of some sort, then I should be able to do nice group with my AR, 1911 or CZ, etc. Furthering my point, we all lust after or even get to shoot a top tier gun of some sort: Baer, Ed Brown or Nighthawk, CZ Custom or whatever. I don't know about everyone else, but I also try with those to shoot the tiniest group possible from time to time. As the saying goes, aim small, miss small. Most (certainly not all) gun owners try to buy the best they can afford at any given time, yes? We don't buy Lorcin's, High Points or other junk. We buy a nice Colt, S&W, Beretta or CZ. Why do we not do the same thing with a rimfire? |
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My point about it being dead applied to casual side as well. It's just not as interesting. I also disagree that people buy the nicest they can afford. I think most people try and find a decent gun that will do what they want. I absolutely agree it makes you a better shooter and think that everyone should practice it more often. Doesn't make it less boring
There's a big difference to me between a Wilson or Nighthawk and a match target pistol. I understand the comparison because they are high quality guns but unlike the target pistols you are asking about most of the money you are spending is on overall fit finish and options. Accuracy is not the primary concern. They certainly shoot better than a run of the mill gun but nothing like a true target gun. You could have a good smith fit a good barrel, sights, and trigger and you would have a gun that would outshoot most of them if that was the sole goal. To your other comparison in my opinion the Ruger MK series guns are the same as buying a nice Colt Smith and Wesson or whatever. They are well made production level firearms. For the money they are extremely accurate and reliable. |
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Shorter version.
Todays newly designed firearms are more useful for today's shooters and today's tasks. CCW, Glocks, and ARs are the emphasis. They work and are affordable. |
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The Hammerli International in 208 configuration still holds a UIT/ISSF record that has not been broken. I used a Walther GSP and a 208 in UIT matches and developed a liking for the classic quality match rimfire guns. https://i.postimg.cc/htKfH8KH/FN_Medalist.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/zB9wvLdN/212mags.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/QCLG0tyx/Hämmerli_208.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/B6dTPJrf/Korth_32320.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/cHpdpznc/Colt_OMM.jpg Even after 100,000 rounds the FN International Medalist is going strong. My S&W 22A made it past 100,000 rounds but needed lots of repairs, inlcuding a replacement frame. https://i.postimg.cc/Xv3TjH3M/FN_150_E21,50_1_mag.jpg View Quote Might I ask why/how the frame got damaged enough to need replacing? |
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The Hammerli International in 208 configuration still holds a UIT/ISSF record that has not been broken. I used a Walther GSP and a 208 in UIT matches and developed a liking for the classic quality match rimfire guns. https://i.postimg.cc/htKfH8KH/FN_Medalist.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/zB9wvLdN/212mags.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/QCLG0tyx/Hämmerli_208.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/B6dTPJrf/Korth_32320.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/cHpdpznc/Colt_OMM.jpg Even after 100,000 rounds the FN International Medalist is going strong. My S&W 22A made it past 100,000 rounds but needed lots of repairs, inlcuding a replacement frame. https://i.postimg.cc/Xv3TjH3M/FN_150_E21,50_1_mag.jpg View Quote |
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I took my Model 41 to the range today. Very accurate fun gun to shoot.
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A question OP.If you have a Hammerli,and a FA 97,why don't you take them out and shoot them?
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A question OP.If you have a Hammerli,and a FA 97,why don't you take them out and shoot them? View Quote I moved 2 years ago & am still unpacking, I had a garage built & am still unpacking/organizing. I ride a motorcycle & do photography & love to read. Add in mowing a large yard, clearing brush, etc. In short, time is short & spare time is rare. I guess one could also weigh in that priorities are what determines what gets done & when, eh? I can shoot rimfires in my backyard as I have a good pile of dirt for a backstop. I try to be a good country neighbor & not shoot my Steyr or AR here due to the noise. I am truly embarrassed to say I probably have almost a dozen guns I've never shot (all nice ones) & another dozen I've only shot once or perhaps twice. Possibly some of that is I end up shooting by myself, which isn't terribly much fun. The good/bad news is that I'm thinking seriously of thinning my collection so as to lessen the guilt of not shooting them. Anyone want to buy some nice guns? |
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Everyone I ever see at a range shooting .22 is grey haired and retired.
Not exactly the type to post a lot online. |
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DON'T YOU SELL THAT GOOD STUFF, BOB!!! DON'T YOU DO IT!!! You will regret it!!!!! View Quote Christ, when did gun collecting get so GD complicated? |
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Everyone I ever see at a range shooting .22 is grey haired and retired. Not exactly the type to post a lot online. View Quote I get the whole generational thing now towards polymer guns, I do. But for gods sakes, is it expecting too much for them to appreciate honest to goodness blued steel & wood? |
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Quoted: Probably won't sell my better .22's but most of my S&W wheelguns like models 14, 18 & so forth. Maybe my Smith 41, my Sig 226 Tacops, STI Edge 2011, Baer 1911s, that sort of thing. I've got something like 100 guns now & I haven't pulled a trigger on anything since the summer of 2018. Christ, when did gun collecting get so GD complicated? View Quote |
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Quoted: True, but I also don't see a lot of the better .22's at gun shows like I used to either. There's the same 1-2 dealers who might trot out a Colt or something, but not too terribly often. I get the whole generational thing now towards polymer guns, I do. But for gods sakes, is it expecting too much for them to appreciate honest to goodness blued steel & wood? View Quote Yes, it is. Antique stores are pretty empty, too. And I'm a guy with 4 Garands, 2 Mausers and a Mosin. |
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You didn't like hurt your back or anything, did you???? View Quote I still buy, hell, I bought a USP 9mm Compact a few weeks ago. I bought a Sig Trailside about 2 months ago. Bought a semi-rare Browning A-Bolt (wood/blue) in .22 mag about a year ago. Haven't shot any of those as well as my Hammerli, which I've had now for 4-5 years. My Walther GSP sits in the safe & I just LOVE that thing. Got a Buckmark Pro Target model that's never had a rd loaded in it. Yesterday was a perfect day here. I went on a 200 mile motorcycle ride instead of going shooting. I guess it all comes down to priorities? I still lean towards having a helluva sale before too long though. When's the last time someone saw a Colt Diamondback in .22LR in the real world? |
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