In addition to my S&W revolvers / pistols I have gravitated toward .22 rifles recently. I would like to add a bolt action, American made .22 (not a single shot) preferably a tube fed magazine to what I already have. Would like wood and steel pre 1980's. Years ago I refurbished a deceased relative's old Western Field bolt action, 7-shot magazine (made by Mossberg I believe) and gave to my nephew. It was a nice shooter.

My current .22 rifle collection consists of a M&P 15-22, Marlin Model 60, Marlin Golden 39A lever action (1958), and a Remington 572 pump (1977).

What would be a good bolt action .22 rile to complete this group? Thanks!

Remington 512

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

Not american made but the best bang for the buck in rimfire rifles IMHO.... a CZ 452...... number of different models..... the family has 4 in .22lr.... ranging from the little/youth model Scout (16") to the Trainer (25")....... and the "FS" with the full length Mannlicher stock and 20" barrel ( 452FS). Same 5round magazines work in all 3 models I have.....

all shoot at or under 1/2" at 50 yds....... aka minute of angle (MOA)........old world quality; micro Mauser actions and good to great walnut stocks

I also have CZ rifles in .22magnum, .17hrm and .223/5.56

Ruger American Rifles are nice.... I've only got one; a "Compact" 18" Carbine in .22 magnum...... great utility/truck/ATV gun

I really like my Browning T Bolt 22lr...

A Remington 582 (tube) or a 581 (box) Group far better than they should

American made...................


My Remington 511-X Scoremaster is still preforming strong after 54 years.......so don't overlook older guns

Winchester 52 Sporter's................. would be another great find

Most seem to feel ( post) that the Ruger 77/22s need work to equal the CZ gun's accuracy..... bedding and trigger work.

Reading comprehension seems to be optional here.

Nope just suggesting the OP expand his horizons....I've been shooting .22lr since 1963 including 8 years on High School and College rifle teams..... didn't even know about CZ rifles until 2011 when I got an FS in .22 magnum. Why withhold knowledge just because it doesn't fit the question.........some questions are stated to broadly; some to narrow.



In recommending the CZ 452 line...IMO the OP can get as good as or better rifle than many/most older american made guns. For looks handling and feel ..... the CZ rimfire could have been built in america in the 50s or 60s..... yet are still available new...... in the $350 to $500 range. Presenting an option he may want to consider..............................

Remington, Winchester, Marlin, and Mossberg all made a variety of quality wood and walnut tube fed bolt actions in the day. Most were accurate and well made.

I owned a Marlin 81 with the factory peep sights that was a real tack driver, and had pretty wood, for example.

Tube fed limits what is available out there, but browsing GB, and your local gun shops will turn up some nice finds.

Larry

I really like my Ruger77-22, not tube fed. Personally I don’t like tube fed. A lot of fumbling required to get from having a cartridge chambered to having a bolt closed on an empty chamber.
JMHO/YMMV

As mentioned above, the Remington 582 is a top performer. They don't show up often but the search is well worth it.
a very under-rated bolt gun for what you described.
Randy

The first gun I ever bought was a Winchester 69A in 1963. Great gun, carried it many miles and it accounted for many woodchucks. Still have it. You'd be hard pressed to find a better US made bolt action .22 and if you insist on the tube feed Winchester's 72 is essentially the 69A with tube feed. Having said that, very much agree with Bam-Bam on the attractiveness of a CZ452. Probably the only other .22 bolt that I have that will keep up with it is an Anschutz 164 from 1961 (which I traded a Colt Diamondback 4 inch .22 for about 20 years ago; seemed like a good trade at the time, probably not so good now). Good luck.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

There goes the CZ. You have some nice 22's already. I have been very happy with my Ruger All-Weather 77/22 (magnum) with the wood/lamie stock. A bit of gunsmithing & the trigger is excellent, it has a big boy size & wt, remarkable stopping power for a 22rimfire, & superb accuracy. NO tube feed, but I like the 10 shot rotary mag (flush fit) better. Prices have gone up since it was bought new, back in the day.

The Savage Models 3,4 & 5 are nice early bolt action 22's and can usually be found at nice prices.
The pre-WW2 editions are especially nice IMO. There's not a lot of difference betw them and their post war cousins,,but just enough (for me) to make them more desirable.
One quick way to tell a pre-war from a post is that pre-war they used a steel (sheet metal) trigger guard.
Post war they went to a cast metal guard of some sort of alloy,,aluminum or zinc.

The Model 3 is the single shot
Model 4 is the detachable box magazine fed repeater
Model 5 is a tube fed repeater.

Any with the Savage offered target rear sight and special front sight that had 3 changable inserts are known as 'S' models (3S,,4S,,,5S)

Some have a fold down Savage rear bbl sight (after 1936 I think).

A 'T' model will be factory fitted for a telescopic sight. A side mount D&T.

The standard Savage 5shot and 10shot magazine for the Model 4 is still quite common and there are even aftermarket ones available at very affordable prices that are everything the originals are.

I have a pre-war 3S with the 3 position rear aperture site and it is a very nice rifle to shoot, a trigger pull I doubt you could pay most gunsmiths for.
Here's link to a run down of the Savage 22 bolt models w/specs and pics. and even added the Model 6 which is the semi auto.
The Model 4S is particularly nice with it's simple target sights and sling.

Lets share Savage model 3 series rifle information here - Page 10 - RimfireCentral.com Forums

Just one of my selections of the oldies.

Another vote for the Ruger 7722. Granted it is not tube fed and now sadly out of print. My 7722 is very accurate,( I like to describe it as a sporter that thinks its a a target rifle) I have had a Leupold 4X on it since I got it mid 70s.

I have also had a 77 in .22 Mag and one in 17 caliber. Good guns but I felt I could do anything I wanted to with just the 77 .22 RF.

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

The Winchester 72 is basically a tube feed model 69. Personally I prefer a mag feed just for the simplicity of carrying a extra in my pocket when needed, for that a 69,75 or 52 would be my first choice. As you can tell I like Winchesters.

The 77/22 is out of print????? I'm really sorry to hear that. Got an old boat paddle model with a 1.5x5 Leoupold on it that I love. Had Clark redo the trigger when I bought it and it is more accurate than I am.

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Forum consigliere

Ruger seems to have put all it's marbles into the Ruger American Rifles......I like my Compact .22magnum..... shoots well but looks are nothing to brag about.....was just under $300 IIRC

As noted in many of the posts above the Ruger 77/22s seem to need at least a trigger job...... on a $600-700 rifle (last new one I saw was a mannlicher for $725...... was back at the same LGS a year later for $500 with scope)

Go back in 60s and earlier the models of 22 rifles were like
snow flakes. All the major American manufactures had several
models. Bolt actions were the leading sellers back then. From
inexpensive single shots to target versions, they were expected
to function and shoot well. Although there were an occasional
Lemon, I can't think of any BA that had a bad rep accross the
board. Since OP is just looking for a good old bread and butter
22 BA there are hundreds to chose from and lots in $200 range.

I myself am not a fan of tube feeds, but, I am always checking out pawn shops and see older tube feed 22s at them. What your looking for shouldn't be hard to find.

Older Marlin, Remington, Winchester etc guns all worked and shot well, If you check out the basic functions and take a good look down the barrel before buying you should be fine with any of them.

I bought an older bolt 22lr magazine feed looking for a knock around 22. It shot fine. Cut the barrel to 18", milled a couple shallow grooves down the sides of the receiver near the top so I could mount a scope with the claw like mounts. Happy with it

I agree with Bam Bam, the CZ is a beauty, but I didn't suggest it since the OP said American made. If I was buying a new bolt action 22 today, the CZ would get serious consideration, country of origin not withstanding.

Robert

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

Normally, I'd recommend finding a Winchester Model 69A, an extremely accurate bolt action that used a box magazine. Since you prefer a tube fed model, look for a Winchester 72 or 72A. These are otherwise identical to the 69A, except they lack a trigger pull adjustment screw.

Here is a model 72 with peep sights:


And here is the later 72A with open sights. Later ones, such as this one, were grooved for scope mounting:


Both guns were made in some quantity, and can be found at gun shows or the internet fairly easily. They don't make 'em like they used to! Here is more information on the Winchester 69 family:

http://smith-wessonforum.com/members...siblings-.html

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Thanks all for suggestions. Tube fee is not a deal breaker if it is a good deal. would like receiver to be factory grooved or drilled\tapped for ability to mount a 32mm scope (not the old style skinny tube).

I would suggest a Marlin 981T. Some older models had nice wooden stocks, they all had tube mags and they will shoot shorts, longs and LR's. That isn't as important as it once was but it's nice to load a bunch of shorts in a rifle without a big magazine hanging down. They will hold 25 shorts.

I don't agree at all. I can load a Marlin tube twice as fast as I can load a .22 box magazine.

If you look up 22 rifle and search this forum you will find a lot of good information and pictures. I went on a 22 kick last year and ended up with these, but I would someday also like a CZ 452. You have a nice assortment. My bolt action 22 rifle, the Marlin XT-22 is adequate and extremely inexpensive, it will not impress anyone at the barbecue, but it will get the job done.

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TEHO, I don't care for having my hands near the muzzle for any req'd loading or field stripping. JMO Not to mention the possibility of stepping/kneeling/sitting on the tube rod & bending it. I'VE never done it, but think it likely has been done by someone. With other mags, going from a hollow point to a solid is a jiffy. Down here some WMA's restrict hog hunting to rimfires & shotguns only. I can attest to 22 mags working well on yotes.

I'm a big Winchester fan and own many of their 22 cal models. Please don't overlook the Remington Model 34. This is a bolt action, tube fed, .22 cal. rifle made from 1932 to 1935. It has a very unique lifter system for taking a round from the tube and "lifting" it into the barrel.

It was a very complex process, for the time, but absolutely reliable in every way. These rifles were expensive to produce thus the short life span. They are a real joy to shoot, extremely accurate, and IMHO the equal of any era produced Winchester. You can find them for $ 185-$400
If I remember correctly only about 163,000 were produced.

I've had several Mossbergs in 22 and 22 Mag. I like the 340 and 640 series (especially "K" models) : inexpensive, accurate, take a scope.

Quote:

A lot of fumbling required to get from having a cartridge chambered to having a bolt closed on an empty chamber.

Response:

I don't agree at all. I can load a Marlin tube twice as fast as I can load a .22 box magazine.

Response:

I agree with you about loading, my point is not loading, it is transitioning from loaded chamber to empty chamber with a full magazine(or tube).

As I ranch during the day, in my pickup I carry a .22, chamber empty, magazine topped off.

Say I encounter a muskrat in an irrigation ditch. When the encounter is over I probably have a round chambered. I find it fairly simple to drop the magazine, eject the live round into my hand, close the action, top off the magazine, insert the magazine and go on.

With a tube feed, something like, extend the follower, tip rifle down, cycle the action, it seems like at this point, after the round comes out of the chamber, another round will come up to the chamber from the loading mechanism, but not always. Close the action once you are doubly sure there is not a cartridge in the chamber. Tip rifle back up, top off tube with ejected rounds, hope no rounds fell on the ground while rifle was tipped down, perhaps retrieve those rounds, return follower. At this point you are ready to go on.

This may well not be a big deal for those that go out to the field or range, load, hunt or shoot until done, then unload their rifle completely. JMHO/YMMV

Does anyone here have any experience with the Marlin XT-22. There is a tube fed example at a LGS, which I have handled but obviously not fired. (They would sell a lot more if you could take 'em on a test drive.) One advantage of the tube magazine is it will feed .22 shorts, which should be really quiet pest repellant from a 20+ inch barrel.

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Certified Curmudgeon

I had a XT-22 with the tube mag. It loaded shorts, longs and LR's too. I really liked that gun. I ended up giving it to my daughter's boyfriend because he did some work for me and I have a whole safe full of .22's. I've thought about buying another one if that tells you anything. They are nice rifles especially for hunting squirrels. They're light and you can load 25 shorts and be ready for an army of squirrels even if you miss a lot.


Isn't it possible to step on a box mag and bend it too? As far as loading with a hand near the muzzle, I know better than to load any gun without knowing if there is a round in the chamber or not and the loading point on tube mags does not require sticking your hand in front of the muzzle. I've been loading Marlins for over 50 years and I've never had a problem yet including no bent inner magazine tubes either. And I've never lost one which is also something that happens with box mags. Replacing a inner magazine tube isn't that hard to do especially with Marlin products. They have a large base of parts available.

Just to be straightforward I've seen the same complaint about being too close to the muzzle before but no one ever talks about being too close the muzzle when loading a snub nose revolver. You get just as close to the business end of those as you do a tube mag on a rifle. Closer than some rifles. I do know the tube has to be inserted from the front but I learned long ago to keep my hand away from the muzzle while doing it. And again I check the chamber before loading any gun.

I absolutely love quality bolt action 22 rimfire rifles. That love affair began with my Winchester Model 52-C. Unfortunately, that breed of accurate, quality built, fit and finished firearm no longer exists originated in the USA. I am also a patriot who prefers American products. Since 2007, I have built a stable of four rimfire bolt rifles and all four came from the Czech Republic. Once you have experienced the fit, finnish,quality and accuracy of CZ rimfires, you just can't consider anything else for rimfire shooting pleasure. What CZ offers gives you the opportunity to go back in time 50 or 60 years to find quality not available today from anyplace else. Unless, of course, you have deep pockets and unlimited funds to support your fancies. You can find better, nicer, more accurate for 3 times the price, but even those will not be from the USA. Pick up a CZ 452, it will not be your last and you will thank me

I have seen far more guns with lost magazines than missing tube plungers or bent tubes. The reliability of the system is there for me but it is slower.

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Front sight and squeeze

Another nice thing about the CZ rimfires...... new magazines are still available...... and CZ puts them on sale 2X per year......interchangeable between our 4 .22s..... I've built up a small stash over the last 7 year.

CZ bolt are first class.
With great accuracy and fitting,finish.

CZ 452 or 455. No practical difference other than that you can get a blue and walnut 455 threaded from the factory with rifle sights.
Have two 452s and they outshoot all my other rimfire guns at less cost. (Including the over rated Anschutz in the closet)

Very very much like my 455FS. It's a fantastic rifle.

I'm going to mention a couple of American made rifles that have not been listed yet, The Kimber 82c made in Oregon or the Kimber .22 made in NY, also the Cooper Jackson Squirrel made in Montana. They are all heirloom quality rifles that are elegant and accurate.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

I also had a 1930s production Remington 341P that was great. The loading mechinism is like an old battleship loader, which was super cool.

Ruger 77/22's are to .22 LR what the AR platform is to centerfire. The barrel is ridiculously easy to change out to 17 Hornady Mach 2, and 17 HMR or 22 Magnum Rimfire with a barrel and trigger guard change, all great fun if one gets bored with 22 LR. The 77/22 trigger is tunable if one wants match quality trigger action and the receiver/barrel group bedding can be easily tuned if one is dissatisfied with accuracy. You can hang whatever barrel configuration strikes your fancy with an allen wrench. It's a fun platform to play with, plenty accurate in stock form, but responds well to hobbyist intervention, everything we want in a play gun or practical hunter.

The CZ 455s have interchangeable barrels in .22 LR, .22 Mag and .17 HRM, and some models come with a second barrel.
I really like my two Remington 581s. There's also a Model 541, a fancier version that has the same action and uses the same magazines.

What he said !!!! You will never regret it.

Charlie

I have a CZ 453 which IMO is superior to the 452 by a big margin. I've shot 452's with fixed triggers too and they just don't compare to the trigger on a 453. It's not even close. I love my CZ. It is a very well made rifle and very accurate.

But - my Canadian made Savage MkIIBTV is more accurate than my CZ. It took some tweaking to get it there but it is slightly more accurate and much cheaper. If they had tube mags I would suggest the OP get one.

Also there are some very good American made rifles that are still made with wood and steel. And there are plenty of them from times past. Brands like Cooper, Kimber and Savage. And Savage hunting rifles are as good as anything in the world. Look at a 116 Trophy Hunter and tell me it isn't a great rifle.

TEHO means TO EACH HIS OWN. I never claimed another way was WRONG.

I've got to say something disparaging about the Ruger 77's here, especially since the capability of switching barrels to 17HRM was brought up. That design lacks the breech vent (aka "Hatcher Hole") and in the event of a ruptured case they dump the pressure into the magazine well. This didn't work out too well for me last March, as seen in the attached photo. My event (with a Ruger 77/17) was mostly the result of the ammo, but I also partially blame Ruger's design. Note that their 22American was recalled for lack of breech venting. CZ452 is the best bang for the buck IMHO.

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I have both the blued and stainless Ruger 77-22 and they're beautiful rifles, but the most accurate one I have is the Marlin Model 925. It don't look pretty, and it is fed by a clip magazine but it mostly puts everything about in one hole.

I picked it up at a yard sale because it was too cheap to pass up.

Can't say I have ever loved Marlin bolt actions, but this one does everything you'd expect a rifle to do.

Remington 582. I have one I bought over 40 years ago. Dovetail for scope. I am real partial to the Remington 510 single shot Targetmaster. That is on my short list

It goes against pretty much everything you requested, but for fun check out Vudoo Gun Works. They are making some amazing 22's

I've had one. Excellent rifle and will handle 22 long rifle, 22 long, and 22 short. Very accurate and no problems with it reliability wise.

The CZ 453 is a 452 with CZ's single set trigger ( also found in most centerfire CZs).... I've got a fluted barreled Varmint 453 in .17hmr