Some years ago I sold my H&R 5200 with a Simmons 24X scope.
Then I sold my Winchester 52D with a Leupold BR24 scope.
I have a few sporter bolt .22s and a few Marlin lever .22s but I had not owned a .22 semi auto since the early 70s.
I had a mishap with a table saw a few years back and now I can count in fractions on my shooting hand so I haven’t shot much for the last two years.
Recently my wife, who used to shoot some IDPA with me, thought it might be fun to get some .22s out of the safe and take them down to our range here on the farm. We got a couple of the Marlin levers out but as she has advanced RA they were not really much fun for her.
I thought a light weight .22 semi auto rifle might suit her better. I showed her the stainless synthetic Ruger 10/22 but she didn’t really like it. Then I showed her the S&W M&P 15-22. She handled it a little and said, “I want one” so I bought it for her. I thought about getting the PC version for myself but decided to just get the standard one like hers (#811033). (While I was there to save on the background call in I went ahead and got a M&P .22 pistol as my 7” 41 is a little bulky for our informal plinking. Besides the M&P 22 feels very much like my M&P Pro 9mm and even fits great in the Pro's Bladetech holster.)
I cleaned all three up and we took them down to our range.
On my Lyman digital trigger pull gauge hers has a 6 pound 4 ounce pull and mine has a 6 pound 8 ounce pull.
This is mine with the Redfield in Weaver extra high Quad Mounts. I put the orange tape on mine so we could easily tell them apart. Ill probably put the open sights back on now that I have an idea of what it can do FOR ME in its stock form.
This is the second 10 shot string I fired with each of them from a makeshift bench rest at a distance of about 22 yards. At that time I did not have a 10 round mag and the 25 round mag prohibited me from using the front rest and rear bag as normal.
Hers (Max centerline distace about 1.3".)
Mine (I take credit for the obvious flyer without which the max centerline distance is about 1.1".)
Just to see what they might do from a real bench rest with a scope I purchased some Weaver rings and mounted an older Redfield 4X scope on mine. I purchased a 10 round mag today and did a little testing from the bench at 26 yards.
This is the first group with Federal 550 bulk after I got the scope close. (I couldn't use my bore sighter because of the way the scope had to be mounted.)
(About .85")
This is another group with Federal 550 bulk. (Again I take credit for the flyer without which distance is about .55".)
I had some Federal Gold Medal Match left from my old bench guns so I thought I would give it a try. These two groups are using it.
(About .52")
(About .48")
I also has some Winchester T22 Target left and shot one group with it. Obviously my gun does not like this ammo.
(About 1.35")
I really did nothing special as far as cleaning the barrel after each group or anything else. I did load six rounds and fired the first one at a sighter mark so that those shots fired on the target were all from the same auto bolt stripping sequence and not from a hand charge.
None of these groups are anything spectacular and if the best one of the bunch had came from the 5200 or the 52D I would have been disappointed. But this rifle is not a bench gun. I may be wrong but I don't think it was designed to be one and I believe anyone who expects it to perform like one will be in for a let down.
Just plinking I didn't really pay much attention to the trigger pull. But when on the bench with a scope it is apparent that a trigger job would help group size. As would a higher power scope, younger eyes, a trigger finger that has not had the tendon and nerve sewed back together, etc., etc.
Buy after all I'm just a plinker.
I have read positive and negative comments on these rifles, both as to accuracy and functioning. I can only speak from a very limited experience of two but I am very impressed and satisfied with the overall performance of these little rifles.
I am very glad I didn't spend the extra money on the PC model as I personally could not have benefited from its accuracy advantage.
My wife also really enjoys hers. She may want a reflex site put on it later and I may do the triggers on them. I'll probably take the scope back off of mine.
We have fired several hundred rounds through these rifles and I have had one feed problem and it was caused by me not loading a 25 round mag properly. My gun shot all three types of ammo without a hitch and I have no doubt that hers will also.
FJ
I'm just a plinker
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