Читать книгу The Gun Digest Book of .22 Rimfire. Rifles·Pistols·Ammunition онлайн

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Suggestions for specific arms in 17 HMR, 17 Mach 2, and 22 WMR run parallel to those given for 22 LR rifles. If your budget can accommodate a price tag of over $500 (perhaps well over $500), the Anschutz, Cooper, Kimber, Sako, and similar sporting rifles are elegant, and they give outstanding performance. Two of the outstanding new rifles in 17 Mach 2 are the Anschutz 1502 and 1702 which are built on the famous 64 and 54 actions, respectively. Remington has announced that the Model 504 boltaction will be produced in 17 HMR caliber, and it should make a fine varmint rifle. Take your pick of these upper end models based on price, style, and availability. All are elegant rifles that give a high level of performance.

In the $300 to $500 price range, the experience of this author leads to the conclusion that two of the outstanding choices are the CZ 452 and Ruger 77/22M or 77/17. Both rifles are capable of excellent accuracy with perhaps a very small edge to the CZ. However, both the Ruger 77/22M and 77/17 can be fitted with aftermarket barrels having different configurations and other accessories. For example, a 17 HMR barrel can be fitted to a Ruger 77/22M action to change the caliber. In that sense, the Ruger is somewhat more versatile than the CZ. Lever-action and semiautomatic rifles in the magnum rimfire calibers that are intended primarily for varmint hunting do not excite me. True, they will give good performance, but most are unlikely to equal the accuracy of a good bolt-action and accuracy not rate of fire is what varmint hunting is all about. Notable exceptions are the autoloaders produced by Volquartsen, which are known for their superb accuracy, but these are more expensive. If you enjoy hunting with a lever-action rifle, by all means consider the Winchester 9422M and Henry in 22 WMR or 17 HMR caliber. Either is sufficiently accurate for taking varmints out to around 100 yards, and both are easily fitted with scopes since they have grooved receivers. Another, more modern leveraction is the Ruger Model 96 that is available in 22 WMR and 17 HMR calibers.