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Most hunters and shooters probably learned to shoot with a .22 rifle, which makes good sense. The .22 makes a fantastic trainer, plinker, small game rifle, and even competition gun. And for all these different applications, you’ll find a spectrum of designs, from survival guns to heirlooms to highly specialized precision rifles.
Whether it’s a first rifle to teach your kid how to shoot, a tactical trainer, serious competition gun, or just a fun range rifle, I’ve compiled a list of the best .22 rifles that covers the gamut of hunting and shooting applications.
- Best Overall: Ruger 10/22 Takedown
- Best Lever Action: Henry Classic Lever .22 Carbine
- Most Accurate: Anschutz 1710 Competition HB 20-inch SS Threaded MDT ACC Chassis
- Best Bolt Action: Vudoo Gun Works Carbon Sinister
- Best Beginner: Savage Rascal Target
- Best for Hunting: Bergara BMR Carbon
- Best Budget: Winchester Wildcat Sporter SR
- Best for Preppers: Savage A22 Takedown
- Best Vintage: Marlin 39A
How We Chose the Best .22 LR Rifles
Picking the best products in any category always comes with a degree of subjectivity and context. When it comes to sorting out the best .22 rifles, it’s a deep pool, and any choice can be argued one way or another. I’m basing my picks on a lifetime of shooting .22 rifles, and using them for just about every purpose: target shooting, plinking, hunting, and trapping. If some of my picks aren’t the best for you, they’re likely not far off.
Best .22 LR Rifles: Reviews & Recommendations
Best Overall: Ruger 10/22 Takedown
Key Features
- Weight: 4.6 pounds
- Barrel Length: 18.5 inches
- Takedown mechanism
- 10-shot detachable rotary magazine
Pros
- Accurate
- Reliable
- Many aftermarket parts and accessories
- Highly modular
- Easy takedown and stowing
Cons
- Blowback action can get very dirty
The Ruger 10/22 Takedown is one of the best .22 rifles ever made. Introduced in 1980, the 10/22 set the standard for semi-auto .22 rifles and has inspired droves of aftermarket customizations, accessories, and even similar complete firearms.
The takedown model is very similar to the original 10/22 carbine, but with a simple mechanism that allows you to easily remove the barrel from the receiver and stow it for transport. With the takedown model, cleaning the bore and action are much easier than on previous models, and it makes it an even more-adept survival rifle.
The availability of aftermarket parts and stocks make the 10/22 takedown highly customizable. You can find a variety of barrels, even integrally suppressed barrels (barrels that have a suppressor built-in). Binary triggers, magazines, and many other accessories can make the 10/22 takedown anything from a fun range plinker to a precision squirrel rifle.
Best Lever Action: Henry Classic Lever .22 Carbine
Key Features
- Weight: 5.25 pounds
- Barrel Length: 18.5 inches
- Stock: American Walnut
Pros
- Classic walnut stock and blued finish
- Robust, well-made
- Shoots .22 Long Rifle, .22 long, and .22 short
- Can be scoped
Cons
- Higher-maintenance finish and materials in wet conditions
- Not suppressor-compatible
For some, the best .22 rifles will always be lever guns. In an age of synthetic and lightweight materials, there’s just something special about shooting a well-made .22 lever rifle—and that’s what the Henry Classic is. It’s a simple, western-style blued steel lever gun that holds 15 rounds of .22 LR in its tubular magazine, which is loaded through a cartridge shaped cutout after removing the spring plunger from the end of the magazine.
The Classic Lever .22 features a traditional buckhorn-style rear sight that’s drift adjustable, with a graduated wedge for elevation adjustments, as well as a hooded front sight. It doesn’t feature an external safety but utilizes a quarter-cock setting of the hammer. It’s a simple but elegant-looking rifle and has a very smooth action.
The receiver of the Classic Lever .22 rifle has a built in 3/8-inch tipoff-style groove for mounting a scope with rimfire rings, making it suitable for just about any rimfire hunting or plinking application. You’ll find it equally fun and useful on the range and in the woods, and it’s a rifle that you can pass onto the next generation if you take care of it.
Most Accurate: Anschutz 1710 Competition HB 20-inch SS Threaded MDT ACC Chassis
Key Features
- Weight: 10 pounds 10 ounces
- Barrel: 20-inch heavy stainless steel, threaded
- MDT ACC Precision chassis
- Multiple color options
- 5119 two stage trigger
Pros
- Suppressor-ready
- Highly adjustable
- Accuracy that will rival or beat any other .22 rifle
- Excellent two-stage trigger
- Detachable 10-round magazine
Cons
- Very expensive
- Heavy for a hunting .22 rifle
You can’t have a discussion about accurate .22 rifles without Anschutz being a part of it. Their rifles dominate smallbore and biathlon competition, so why not the rapidly-growing PRS-style .22 matches? The 1710 in an MDT chassis can tackle just that. It’s a serious rifle that costs some serious coin, but you’ll have a hell of a time beating it.
The rifle combines the proven performance of Anschutz rifles with the modularity and competition-minded MDT ACC chassis. It features a steel buttplate, and the weight and balance can be modified to fit the shooter’s needs. You can even add an additional nine pounds to the rifle if you want.
The chassis also features a full-length arca rail (which you’ll see on many high-power PRS rifles) for use with bipods or tripods. It also includes the MDT vertical grip, flared magwell, and barricade stop. The extended magazine release and oversized bolt handle make this rifle butter smooth to shoot, cycle, and reload.
Best Bolt Action: Vudoo Gun Works Carbon Sinister
Key Features
- Weight: 8 pounds (depending on features)
- Barrel Length: 16, 18, or 20 inches
- Carbon fiber-wrapped barrel
Pros
- Customizable to order
- Top-shelf accuracy
- High quality components and assembly
- Versatile, more-traditional non-chassis stocks
Cons
- Very expensive
- Not in-store availability
Vudoo Gun Works is a Utah based company that builds top-end .22 rifles, particularly for competition. They’re expensive and in-demand but are top-notch rifles. Unlike some of their chassis-based .22 rifles, the Sinister Carbon model features more traditional styles of stocks to choose from. It is built on Vudoo’s V-22 controlled-feed action which features a Remington 700 footprint and utilizes over-sized magazines to feed the short .22 LR. It’s a full-length-sized action that’s designed specifically for cycling rimfire cartridges.
The Carbon Sinister features a carbon fiber stock with adjustable cheekpiece and a choice of 3 different carbon fiber wrapped barrels and varying barrel lengths. The adjustable Timney trigger rounds out a .22 rifle that would blend right in with a lineup of high-end custom centerfire rifles. This .22 is built to hold its own in competition, and it has the looks of a sweet, high-performance hunting rifle.
Best Beginner: Savage Rascal Target
Key Features
- Weight: 4.42 pounds
- Barrel Length: 16.125 inches
- Single-shot
- Factory mounted 4x32mm scope
Pros
- Single-shot is simple to learn
- Adjustable AccuTrigger
- Precision rifle feel
- Optics and suppressor ready
Cons
- Small for adult shooters
- Extraction can be sticky when dirty
The Rascal Target takes Savage’s extremely popular beginner rifle, the Rascal, and gives it some target upgrades. The simple single-shot action is one of the best .22 rifles for training a brand-new shooter and teaching them to operate a rifle safely. The “target” upgrades help the Rascal feel and operate like a more-substantial rifle that’s sized for young shooters.
The Rascal Target features a 16-inch heavy barrel with a threaded muzzle that’s ready to mount a suppressor, another tool that can be great for new shooters. It doesn’t have iron sights, but low-power scopes or red-dots are typically easier for young shooters to use.
The precision-style hardwood stock gives the rifle a good weight and feel, which is easy to use with a bipod or rest on sandbags. It has a black finish, and the vertical grip sets the shooter up for an easier angle to get a crisp 90-degree trigger pull. The AccuTrigger is adjustable and allows for more fine-tuning than most other beginner rifles.
Best for Hunting: Bergara BMR Carbon
Key Features
- Weight: 5 pounds
- Barrel Length: 18 inches
- Threaded muzzle
- Detachable 5- or 10-round magazines
Pros
- Suppressor and optics ready
- 18-inch carbon-fiber barrel is light
- B14 handling and ergonomics
- Fits base class NRL22 requirements
Cons
- Expensive
The BMR Carbon is a high-tech .22 rifle from Bergara that feels similar to the B14 ridge. It has a traditional-style composite stock, but is built for accuracy. The rifle is designed for both hunting and target purposes, and is a great fit for the base class in the NRL22 series.
Central to the BMR Carbon’s design set is the Bergara carbon-fiber-wrapped barrel. It’s 18 inches long and threaded for a suppressor or muzzle device. The rifle feeds from 5- or 10-round magazines. The BMR (Bergara Micro Rimfire) action is a miniaturized B14-style action that has an oversized bolt knob and Remington 700-style safety. It’s a spendy rifle, but you can expect it to be light, accurate, and extremely versatile.
Best Budget: Winchester Wildcat Sporter SR
Key Features
- Weight: 4 pounds
- Barrel Length: 16.5 inches
- Suppressor-ready threaded muzzle
- Grade I wood stock
Pros
- Great price
- Integrated optics rail
- Suppressor-ready
- Accepts aftermarket 10/22-style magazines
Cons
- Polymer receiver
Winchester’s Wildcat .22 SR is a great value in a semi-auto .22. It’s priced around $360 and has all the right features. Nothing is cheap these days, and for comparison, the Ruger 10/22 sporter is around $520. It’s a short and handy rifle with a streamlined look and 10-round rotary magazine. The factory magazine holds the bolt open on the last shot, but it’s also compatible with aftermarket high-capacity 10/22-style magazines.
The Wildcat rifles began with futuristic composite stocks, but the Wildcat Sporter SR has a more traditional wood stock with a longer length of pull. It comes with long-radius sights—a rear peep and front post—and an optics rail integrated into the receiver. The 16½-inch barrel is threaded to accept a suppressor, which is all-but-mandatory for .22 rifles these days. Another cool feature of the Wildcat is the simple, removable trigger group which allows for easy cleaning of components and breech-to-muzzle cleaning of the bore—something that’s important when you expend copious amounts of dirty .22 LR ammo.
Best for Preppers: Savage A22 Takedown
Key Features
- Weight: 6.3 pounds
- Barrel Length: 18 inches
- Threaded muzzle and integral scope base
- Detachable 10-round rotary magazines
Pros
- Suppressor and optics ready
- Ultra-easy takedown
- Extra magazine storage in stock
- Good ergonomics
Cons
- Heavy
The A22 has trod an unlikely path to get where it’s at, but it’s proven to be an excellent semi-auto 22. Most semi-auto .22 rifles start out as just that, .22’s. The A22 has it’s roots in the purpose-designed A17, which was designed from the ground up to be a reliable .17 HMR semi-auto. It was, and then expanded to .22 WMR and finally, .22 LR.
The A22 takedown is new for this year, and the rifle comes apart with a simple twist when the bolt is to the rear. It comes standard with a threaded muzzle, iron sights, and a Picatinny optic rail that features a channel for viewing the low profile iron sights even with a scope installed. When taking down, the barrel and fore-end come off the receiver for convenient stowage. The cheekpiece of the stock holds extra magazines, and there’s additional storage in the vertically oriented grip.
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Best Vintage: Marlin 39A
Key Features
- Lever action with tubular magazine
- Micro-groove rifling
- Shoots .22 LR, .22 Long, and .22 Short
- Takedown mechanism for easy cleaning
Pros
- Accurate
- Easy takedown for breech-to-muzzle cleaning
- Precise-fitting parts and smooth action
- Regarded as one of the best lever-action .22 rifles ever
Cons
- No longer in production
The seasoned .22 rifle shooter needs no introduction to the Marlin 39A. It was one of the earliest and longest-running .22 rifles ever produced; Annie Oakley even shot its predecessor the Model 1891. This lever-action .22 rifle is touted as one of the best ever produced, and if you’re into .22 lever guns, it’s worth hunting one down.
Like many lever-action .22 rifles, the Model 39A uses a tubular magazine, a lever for cocking, and ejects spent cases to the side. It’s made in a classic western style with wood furniture and iron sights—although scope mounting options are available. The most unique feature of the 39A is its large-knob takedown screw that allows the receiver to be pulled apart for quick and easy cleaning. Rumors are that Marlin, under Ruger, will bring the model 39A back eventually. We will see if that comes to pass, but I hope it does.
Things to Consider When Buying the Best .22 LR Rifles
Action/Style
The .22 rifle comes in just about every shape, size, and color, and the best one for you will depend on how you intend to use it. You can find one in just about every action available from semi-autos to bolt actions to pump and lever actions. While some actions/styles better suit specific hunting and shooting practices, personal preference plays a major role too. And having a .22 rifle that you enjoy shooting and fits your needs makes a big difference.
Accuracy
When shopping for a .22 rifle, consider the accuracy you expect to get out of your rifle. The .22 Long Rifle cartridge is not famous for its accuracy, however incredible accuracy can be had with this round. To achieve supreme accuracy, it often takes highly specialized (and expensive) rifles. However, if you just want to plink and hunt small game, it’s not as important. If you want to shoot competitively in precision rimfire matches, you’ll need to spend the extra dough.
Reliability
You’ll also want to consider the reliability and maintenance you expect from your .22 rifle. Plenty of semi-auto rifles are generally reliable, but you might have to clean and maintain them more carefully than other actions. Most .22 ammunition is dirty, producing a lot of fouling, and it will gum up actions more quickly than centerfire rifles. Even bolt-action .22 rifles can get sticky if you use waxy ammunition.
Cost
Do you want a rifle you can use an abuse, or is it important for you to have a gun you can pass along to your kids and grandkids? There might not be any “cheap” options, but there are .22 rifles that won’t break the bank and can still take a beating. But if you want a gun that will last a lifetime, go with a high-end .22 rifle.
FAQs
The cost of a .22 rifle can vary greatly. Many .22 rifles are priced in the $250-$350 range, but high-end rifles can cost thousands of dollars. A wide variety of .22 rifles are available for under $500 that will fit most shooters’ needs, but there’s a strong market for specialized .22 rifles as well. Top-notch precision .22 rifles don’t come cheap, nor do fancy custom-built .22’s. If you’re shopping for your first .22 rifle, you don’t need one of these.
A .22 rifle is best used for many things, and that’s why it’s so popular. Its most popular uses are for target shooting and plinking, as well as small game hunting. The .22 LR cartridge has historically been relatively inexpensive to shoot, with plentiful ammo. It’s a great option for teaching new shooters, practicing shooting fundamentals, or simply shooting for fun. It’s also ideal for hunting small game like rabbits and varmints like prairie dogs and has served that purpose for generations.
A .22 rifle can be good for home defense, but how good depends on certain circumstances. There are generally some better cartridges for home defense, but what you have is better than what you don’t have. If the .22 rifle is your only option, use the best ammunition you can get. The .22 LR cartridge isn’t very powerful, so something like Federal Premium Punch, or CCI Stingers are your best bet.
A .22 rifle is great for beginner shooters. It has basically no recoil or muzzle blast and is easy to shoot. Pretty much any rifle or handgun range will allow .22 rifles to be used, and they are great for familiarizing yourself with different types of firearms. There are representatives of just about every type of action and style of firearm chambered in .22 LR, and it’s a great introductory cartridge.
Each .22 rifle will need to be cleaned according to its manufacturer’s recommendations, but basically, you’ll want to clean the powder and lead fouling from the bore, and powder fouling from the action. The .22 LR cartridge tends to be dirty, and many bullets are coated in wax, which accumulates in the gun. Any basic rifle cleaning kit will have what you need to clean the bore and action, and keep you up and running.
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Final Thoughts on the Best .22 LR Rifles
Even in a sea of potential competitors, it was impossible to ignore the Ruger 10/22 Takedown as one of the best .22 rifles available. What it lacks out of the box, it makes up for in modularity and aftermarket adaptability. There’s a reason that an entire sub-industry has flourished around aftermarket parts and clones of the 10/22. It’s a proven platform that’s flat-out fun to shoot. If you’re going to own only one .22 rifle, go with the 10/22, but in my opinion, one is not nearly enough.
- Best Overall: Ruger 10/22 Takedown
- Best Lever Action: Henry Classic Lever .22 Carbine
- Most Accurate: Anschutz 1710 Competition HB 20-inch SS Threaded MDT ACC Chassis
- Best Bolt Action: Vudoo Gun Works Carbon Sinister
- Best Beginner: Savage Rascal Target
- Best for Hunting: Bergara BMR Carbon
- Best Budget: Winchester Wildcat Sporter SR
- Best for Preppers: Savage A22 Takedown
- Best Vintage: Marlin 39A