I have a 64 Match Anschutz that I dropped into a Master Class 1300 prone stock, mostly to get an adjustable comb and butt stock as the standard 64 Match stock does not fit me well.
It does very well at 50 yards and will shoot a clean score on an A-23-5 target, but it is no where near the best shooting .22 LR rifle I have at 100, 200 or 250 yards. It's actually a bit disappointing averaging 5 shot groups around 1.5" at 100 yards:
The least expensive good shooting .22LR I have is a Zastava CZ 99 Precision. The factory stocks as imported by CAI are not well finished, but Remington imported it for several years as the Model 5 with a laminated stock, and they are very nice, very stable stocks if you can find one. This rifle will consistently shoot 5 shot groups around 1.5" at 100 yards - which is very good for a $200 rifle. The CZ 99 Precision has a very heavy walled, stiff receiver, and if I were going to build a heavy bench gun, I'd be tempted to start with it:
I have a CZ 453 Varmint that will consistently shoot 5 shot groups under 1.25" at 100 yards. I'd call that good, except my CZ 453 American shoots better. I did win the CZ wood lottery with it though, as most of them are pretty plain looking. This was one of the first 453 Varmints imported but got returned as it would not shoot, and then sat in the dealer's back room for several years: I bought it, noted the front and rear screws were reversed, switched them and found it shot fine.
My CZ 453 American will consistently outshoot my Varmint (as well as every other .22 LR I own). It is a consistent 1.0 MOA shooter on a calm day at 100 yards, and it's my preferred .22LR for 200 and 250 yard plate shooting:
I have a pair of Winchester Model 52R sporters, and they are all in all, the nicest .22LR sporters I own, with very good accuracy, very nice adult proportions and a very high level of finish for a production .22 Sporter. This one with nicely striped wood. It is also a very consistent shooter that will keep 5 shots inside 1.25" at 100 yards.
My other Model 52R is not as consistent nor as pretty, but the groups it achieves on the right side of the bell curve are impressive. It gives me .5 MOA groups at 100 yards on a regular basis. The problem is the 1.5 MOA groups it also throws in between the good groups. Still, it's also a favorite at 200 and 250 yards.
I have a Remington 541S and it's probably the most disappointing .22LR I have because it should shoot better than it does. It's right in there with my Anschutz, averaging about 1.5" at 100 yards. The plastic magazines are also disappointing. The 5 round magazine work much better than the 10 round magazines, but they are hard to find. The 10 rounders have a bad habit of coming apart just enough to puke out all 10 rounds, the follower and the spring.
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The moral here is that if you want an Annie, go big and get the 54 action. Then, be prepared to be beaten by a CZ 452, 453, or 455 at long range. They shoot extremely well - far better than they should for the money.
If it's consistency over 40, 80 or 160 rounds in a prone match, the ammo will matter more than the rifle, but all other things being equal the 54 will get a lot more Xs than a 64, and would probably score more Xs than a CZ in a suitable stock.
But for long range plate shooting off a bench, the CZ's do extremely well when properly scoped and set up.
