Other gun hunting/bow hunting

[Minca]

I dunno, I guess I just don't understand exactly what the potential is of a .22. My impression is that they are just a small step above air rifles. All I've done with it so far is targets and taken a couple potshots at a very annoying neighborhood cat which seems to know when I have a gun and ducks before I can get a good shot in.

[Weasel]

I shoot Jackrabbits with my .22 at more than 100 yards and it takes em out......I have also taken a bobcat with one.

[wilded]

The indians in the artic circle and northern tundras have used the .22 for over a hundred years. Lots of polar bear, caribou, moose and seal would beg to differ with you. It also was the weapon of choice for professional assassins but that is changing with the introduction of the hyper .17s

[Minca]

Oooooooooohhh..... ok, thanx! ;D

[wilded]

Many of the professional shooters on Exotic game ranches use the .22 to harvest surplus animals for meat. A head shot drops the game, doesn't alarm other animals and destroys very little if any of the meat to be sold. I have seen hogs, cattle, elk and large exotic deer dropped with a .22 to the head before being butchered or processed. If you want to use your .22 for long accurate shots and varmints you can't buy the walmart 99 cent special shells, you need to invest in the premium hyper velocity cartridges that have the proper bullet for the job at hand. A high quality bolt action .22 or a ruger 10/22 with target barrel would not be a handicap to a careful shooter. If you get a Ruger10/22 as soon a you get home take the factory $10.00 barrel off and get one that will shoot, you will be amazed. I like Green Mountain barrels for the money.

[Weasel]

Ed, What do you think of the Carbon fireb coated barrels...Does light and heat resistant equal better performance? I am a big fan of the fat bull barrels. A good friend shoots taget comp with a ruger 10/22 and he has put several thousand into it.

[wilded]

While shooting The Sportsmans Challenge game I used a custom ruger 10/22 with volquartzen trigger unit and stock with a Green Mountain SS fluted bull barrel, it weighed a ton. Because of the weight my team tried some of the carbon bull barrels and were very impressed with the lightness and groups we shot from a rest. However, we were to discover that the weight of the Steel barrels was an edge when shooting standing on your own hind feet. The lightness of the carbon barrels made them difficult to hold steady on small long distance targets. So if you are walking and carrying a gun long distance all day go for the carbon. If you drive around in a truck, sit in a blind or ride a horse the steel weight will help you make the long hard shots as long as you do not have to hold it up for extended periods of time.

[Minca]

wilded said:

A high quality bolt action .22 or a ruger 10/22 with target barrel would not be a handicap to a careful shooter. If you get a Ruger10/22 as soon a you get home take the factory $10.00 barrel off and get one that will shoot, you will be amazed. quote]

What I've got is a Model 512 Sportmaster Remington. It's probably around 50 years old. I don't think I'll be changing the barrel on this one since it's sort of a family heirloom. I'm starting to think that I may just help my brother find a cheap .22 of his own since he doesn't plan on doing any hunting with it, just targets. My dad started passing down the rifles to us when he realized he just wasn't interested in shooting anymore. There was also a 22/410 that my oldest brother got, as well as the .22 and the 25-35 that I got. I think the brother that wants to trade had opted out on taking any since he never does any shooting.

[wilded]

I killed my first deer with a 25-35 winchester of my grandfathers when I was six years old. I would have loved to have gotten that gun but my cousins got it. If you would like to sell yours please give me a shot at it. The 512 is a great gun, we had one that burned in a ranch fire. Do not let it go.

Send your brother to wally world/academy/basspro/cabelas/oshmans or sportsmans warehouse(who ever is running them on sale at the time) and get a Ruger 10/22. Thery are usally on sale here in Austin a couple times a month somewhere. If he ever really gets good you can add a better trigger and barrel later. Until he is expert at shooting he would not notice the better barrel anyway.

I would never recommend changing the barrel or a heirloom or collectors piece. Just when customizing new stuff or cheap stuff.

[Minca]

That was probably the same kind of 25-35 I've got. It's a 1894 series lever action. Been priced at $2,500. Winchester is making them again, I saw it on their website. I wanna say their calling them Trailmasters, or something like that. They're running $500, and they come in round or octigon cut barrels.
My dad went and put a few coats of some clear laquer on the stock that never completely hardened so I've been planning on taking it to someone reputable that can disassemble it so I can completely redo all the wood. That laquer has taken on the pattern of the inside lining of the rifle sleeve and any lint that touches it sticks. It's horrible.

[wilded]

There is a place that specializes in restoring old lever actions to original condition. I will try to find his name and send it to you. ET

[BlueTiercel]

I think Green Mountain Barrels is located her ein Maine, someone i knew had a friend that worked there. hmm its in this area anyway. Yeah Minca if you hit those cats with that .22 they are gone. Although different bullets mushroom differently and some are made to shatter at impact the .22 is great in that it doesnt ruin much meat, is relatively quiet, you can get sub sonic rounds that are very quiet and hyper velocity rounds that are fast but noisier. They are cheap to shoot, should last forever if taken care of, as mentioned by Ed and Noel can take rabbits, squirrels etc. Everyone should own one.

[Minca]

Wilded, I would very very very much appreciate it if you could ;D

[wilded]

Minca, Here are the three places that have come highly recommended to me for Winchester lever gun restorations. ET



www.ronsgunshop.com/92resto.html

turnbullrestoration.com/customguns.htm

www.aaengraving.com/restorations.htm

[rt]

I think winchester ammo is the best to use.