Old School .22 Target Rifles

[tt66]

Old School .22 Target Rifles, what's not to love ?

I like US marked guns and the .22 trainer guns make a great place to start a collection. My first was a Kimber 82G. I still have it and it is a great shooter. A Remington 513T Matchmaster that was a Letterkenny rebuild came along next. Then I found a H&R Model 12 that was set up with a 15x Unertl. I had always thought the Unertls were neat but I had never seen one in person. Once I got to reading about them, the fascination grew. I added a 16x Unertl to the 513T and then that led to a super nice Remington Model 37 Rangemaster, from 1947. It was set up with a 15x Unertl as well. The Model 37 is the only one not US stamped.

A little range time today, bench set up at 25yds. I only shot out of a box of SK Rifle Match. I have some Eley and Wolf Target as well to try. The Remington loved the SK, the H&R was ok with it. Best thing about range time with these is that they are so quiet. Our little range is in the pasture about 100 yds from the house and the wife and dogs never heard anything.

Group Pic is first. Remington 513T on top, Model 37 middle and H&R Model 12 on bottom. Next pic is the Remington Model 37 on the bench and its 3 shot group at 25. Last 2 are of the H&R Model 12 and a couple of 3 shots groups. The Remington Model 37 may be the most consistant gun I have shot, and it sure it pretty

 

[diyj98]

Here's a old photo of my U.S. trainers. Each one is a different model. I had a few duplicates, but only wanted a photo featuring one of each model.

 

[Krogen]

Be still my heart! The first post made me gasp. And THEN the feller from West Virginia posted another one. The noise you heard was me falling out of my chair.

Wonderful rifles.

 

[vonn]

Small wonder they are hard to find! Hoarders! Very nice looking shooters.

 

[tt66]

Here's a old photo of my U.S. trainers. Each one is a different model.

Wow ! That is some collection !

 

[tt66]

more .22s

This is a pic of a nearly forgotten Mossburg Model 44US and the Kimber 82G.
Iron sights are cool too !

 

[Baltimoreed11754]

Very nice collections. I only have 2, a 1922 M2 Springfield from the late 1930s and a Model 52 PreA slow lock from 1925. The Winchester is my favorite. Sweet 22s.

 

[AJ]

Nice shooting. Try stretching them out to 50 yards. The Model 12 and the Model 37 should do very well at that range. The 513T may struggle a bit.

 

[SS336]

Great rifles gentlemen! A .22 target rifle is just about the best thing there is. I have had a few, but never had more than one at a time.
My first, a Anschutz M54 with a 10x Lyman Tatgetspot, I used shooting 4 position in the early ‘70’s



My favorite was a Walther KKMS I had in the mid 80’s. Most accurate .22 rifle I ever owned.

 

[growr]

Wait until you find a 52 C/D/E Winchester.......they shot well with most any standard velocity ammo and REALLY shined with the premium grade like Eley, RWS, Lapua, the old Winchester MK3/4 and Remington 6600 match etc.

Randy

 

[AJ]

Wait until you find a 52 C/D/E Winchester.......they shot well with most any standard velocity ammo and REALLY shined with the premium grade like Eley, RWS, Lapua, the old Winchester MK3/4 and Remington 6600 match etc.

Randy

In my gun safe are a Winchester 52D & 52E, both have 25X Lyman SuperTargetSpots on them, a Remington USMC 40X with a 20X Lyman SuperTargetSpot, Suhl 150-1 with a 36X Leupold and a Remington 513T U.S. Issue with iron sights (yes, it is military marked). I am working with a H&R Model 65 that belonged to the Corps as a trainer. Trying to find what it likes for ammo.

Best ammo for the big rifles is Eley Black Box.

 

[Golddollar]

This is pushing me to get the 1922 Springfield and Remington 513T out of the safe and play with them.

 

[AJ]

Very nice collections. I only have 2, a 1922 M2 Springfield from the late 1930s and a Model 52 PreA slow lock from 1925. The Winchester is my favorite. Sweet 22s.

Had a Pre-A Slow Lock years ago (S/N:3141). that is what got me started in all of this.

 

[Baltimoreed11754]

The Springfield was bought after I handled a friends Griffin and Howe gorgeous M2 sporter. What a beauty. A year or so went by and I found the PreA. I don’t poke holes in paper but prefer to ring steel offhand at about 65 yds. As far as I can get from my deck.

 

[Jebus35745]

Nice guns here especially the OP with the long scopes, sweet. Now I wanna play. Have a Mossberg 146 with a “T” handle and shoots pretty nice and Mossberg 46M.

Want to shoot sub 1/4” groups at 50 yds and bought an Anschutz/Savage model 54 sporter and recently “stumbled” on an Al Freeland super target .22 rifle (number 11 of 21 made) and added the Lyman super target spot 15x scope. Nice guns AJ. Larry

 

[AJ]

Nice guns here especially the OP with the long scopes, sweet. Now I wanna play. Have a Mossberg 146 with a “T” handle and shoots pretty nice and Mossberg 46M.

Want to shoot sub 1/4” groups at 50 yds and bought an Anschutz/Savage model 54 sporter and recently “stumbled” on an Al Freeland super target .22 rifle (number 11 of 21 made) and added the Lyman super target spot 15x scope. Nice guns AJ. Larry

Thanks Larry,

If you ever get down this way let me know. We will get some range time in at the local range. Bring the Freeland along, I'd like to try it.
AJ

 

[Baltimoreed11754]

But can you shoot them offhand? Used to get into serious ‘discussions’ with a good shooting bud who wanted to only shoot propped while my theory was once you’re sighted in stand and shoot. Of course we were using a couple of old school Remingtons, his Speedmaster and my Fieldmaster, hardly the category of what we are discussing here. But all .22s are fun.

 

[Dr.Tramp]

When my father croaked I ended up with his training and competition 22 rifles. He was an NRA firearms safety and shooting instructor and competed and coached small bore rifle.
His training rifles were a Mossberg 144LSB and a Remington M540XR and his personal rifle was a Anschutz Match 1907. The Mossberg was fitted with Anschutz competition sights and the Remington and the Anschutz had Leupold Gold Ring Bench Competition scopes with bench shooter micro adjustment turrets.
I don't shoot at competition level so I sold them and their custom cases to a guy in Missouri that also teaches NRA firearms safety and shooting classes and trains his local 4H club youth shooters which is where my father would have wanted them to go to. I even tossed in 200 rounds of Eley Tenex match ammo so he could sight them in properly.
The guy said he had a girl that was ready to step up to the Anschutz. I haven't heard from him since the Covid hit his area and family but am hoping they're okay and to one day get a picture of the kids and the rifles.
My father and several of his shooters competed at the Camp Perry Invitationals a couple of times. One of his girl shooters ended up with an appointment to Annapolis because she impressed the Master Gunny that ran the Navy and Marine team at Camp Perry (Not an easy feat) and another girl qualified as a sniper in the Army and then became a precision shooter for the Phoenix SWAT team.
You wouldn't want either of them drawing a bead on you.
Ride Safe. Dr.Tramp..........

 

[AJ]

All the rifles can be shot offhand. The big question is how well can you shoot them offhand? Forty years ago pretty good. Nowadays no offhand for this old fart. Shoot benchrest now.

 

[Fishinfool]

What ever happened to the blue steel and walnut .22's? Most of the modern stuff might shoot well, but they leave me cold.

My old Mossberg shown below is a very accurate rifle, with a trigger that always brings a smile.

Larry