a good 22 LR target pistol

[Guest jimdigriz]

What would be a good 22 pistol? A Walther P22 might be good, since I have a 9mm PPS with near identical dimensions. But I hear that it's ammo finicky, and that it has a long trigger pull. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Jim

Edited February 18, 2011 by jimdigriz

[DavidCBaker]

I did a ton of research, and I landed on the Buckmark for my decision. I couldn't be happier with it.

[Guest jimdigriz]

I did a ton of research, and I landed on the Buckmark for my decision. I couldn't be happier with it.

How much do they go for? Thanks.

[vujade]

i like my Beretta Neos. Low to mid 200s. It's not ammo picky at all, quite accurate and it's sexy (always gets looks at the range because it's space age looking). The grip is a little small but I guess it would be perfect for those with smaller hands. My mom and sister love it.

[vujade]

oh. And my avatar is a shot I took of my Taurus Tracker. It's just fun. It's not as accurate as my Neos but I think it's just sexy (can you tell i like sexy guns?). It may be a little pricier at just under $400 for a 22 though but I'm happy with it.

[Guest (BH)]

Buckmarks, Rugers MK's are my favorite. Walther p22's are great too.

[Motasyco]

I have a S&W Model 22A. Very accurate. Cost around $235. The only ammo I have trouble with is the Remington bulk pack but it also fails to fire fairly often in my two .22 rifles. No feed problems. I don't blame the gun, I blame the ammo. Any other ammo seems fine. I suspect others would say the same about the Remington bulk ammo.

[andersmg]

I have a P22 and it likes the bulk pack federal from walmart, it does not like the rem. golden bullet as much but it works OK. If the P22 is so close to the p99 you might want to consider it, and they usually run around 325 to 350.

[mk19]

the ruger MK series are a great choice. the look requires but getting used to but they are a great platform to tinker with. taken apart and putting back together is a pain for new shooters but ones you get used to it is a breeze, price is not bad, I dont like the 22/45s however.

[analog_kidd]

I have a Ruger 22/45 and love the way it shoots. Very accurate, eats everything I feed it. The only thing I don't like about it is field stripping it. You definitely need to Google it and find step by step instructions for putting it back together, or you will be bringing it to a gun smith for re-assembly.

[Bassoneer]

I got the Browning Buckmark target pistol and it shoots well. I think if I had it to do over again, I would still choose the Browning Buckmark. No matter which gun you select, you are most likely going to have misfires, not because of the gun, but because the .22lr ammo just isn't quite up to par with normal centerfire pistol cartridges in my opinion. Good luck, B

[BryanP]

I can highly recommend the Browning Buckmark and the Ruger MkII / MkIII series. I like the 22/45 style myself, but others prefer the original.

Here's an article where someone's daughter learns to shoot and compares a Buckmark with the a Ruger 22/45:

Melissa Learns to Shoot, and a Pair of .22 Target Pistols | Les Jones

Full retail you can probably find a Ruger a bit cheaper than the Browning, but you can't go wrong with either.

Edited June 30, 2009 by BryanP

[keeterbird]

Ruger Single 6, 6" is something you might look at. Mine is accurate and just fun to shoot. One nice thing is that it takes a while to load the single action and that gives one a lot of time to view targets and to visit with co-shooters. I have over 5K on mine.

[SavageSig]

Can't go wrong with any of these options. I just sold my Cadet, which is basically the same design as the Neos. That thing ate every type of ammo I threw at it...no misfires or jams, which are all too prevalent in some designs (cough mosquito cough).

If you're going for the best bang for the buck, I would seriously check the Neos out.

If you want something slightly classy, go for the Buckmark.

If you want something tough as nails, get yourself a Ruger.

If you've got money to burn, check out a Smith and Wesson 41.

[VERO1]

Another Buckmark vote here. Way more fun than the S&W Model 617 I paid twice as much for!

[BrasilNuts]

I have a P22 and have about 15k rounds through it. It took some time to get it worked out and runnig good, but now when I shoot it I rarely have any malfunctions.

As far as ammo goes it likes Federal bulk or anything CCI best. As Bassoneer stated .22 is just dirty ammo and is going to gum up the works. To combat this I decided to try Militec-1... I followed the directions and it works great. Instead of having to clean it every 500 rounds I can get about 800 rounds out of it before I start having any malfunctions.

I really like this little pistol and am glad I bought it.

Oh, yeah, It's hard to go wrong with a Buckmark... a very accurate pistol, but a little pricey

Edit: I just remembered, a couple of months ago my Father-in-law was looking around in a old truck that I have in the backyard. That truck has been parked for at least 8 years... Anyway, he found a plastic container with about 500 rounds of Remington .22 that had been in the heat and cold for all that time. I took it to the range and shot it all in the P22 with not one malfunction.

Edited June 30, 2009 by BrasilNuts

[Guest Xring04]

I love my rugers, and my buckmark is a fine little pistol.

The only .22 I have had problems with is the walther p22.

[Guest HexHead]

If the P22 is so close to the p99 you might want to consider it, and they usually run around 325 to 350.

I'm gonna second this advice. I hear they run fine with CCI mini mags.

[SavageSig]

Personally, I think the primary advantage of a .22 pistol is the cheap ammo. I think this is nullified by picky guns, especially ones that require Minimags to function well (i.e. Mosquito). Sure, Minimags are still cheaper than any other centerfire round out there, but the ability to shoot Federal Bulk @ 14 dollars for 550 vs Minimags @ 14 dollars for 200 means big savings for a lot of trigger time.

So I would go for reliability above all other traits. That's just me though.

[Good_Steward]

If you want a target pistol, I don't think they make a better one out of the box than the Ruger MKII. However, if you want one for general plinking the P22 fits the bill nicely, though it is not nearly as accurate as the Ruger, and a little more tempermental about the ammo. It prefers CCI Mini Mags, where the Ruger eats everything with no complaints. I own both, and love 'em both. My wife and son prefer the P22.

[RinTN]

i like my Beretta Neos. Low to mid 200s. It's not ammo picky at all, quite accurate and it's sexy (always gets looks at the range because it's space age looking). The grip is a little small but I guess it would be perfect for those with smaller hands. My mom and sister love it.

I've got a Neos as well, and like it quite a bit. It was more affordable than most of the others being suggested, fires any ammo well, and - most importantly to me - is sized well for my wife's hands.

[59allstate]

My wife fired a Bersa Firestorm 22 qualifying for her carry permit, she loves

the gun. Same size as the 380 Bersa, shoots Remington Bulk fine , doesn't like

Bulk federal value pack.

[Guest foister82]

people dog the sig mosquito, but i personally love mine. I have been using cci minimags as suggested earlier but to be honest the more i shoot it the more it seems to like cheaper ammo.

My friend has one with about 1500 rounds through it and he says it eats everything now, just need to keep it lubed.

[Guest logicprevails]

Get a High Standard Victor. It'll pay for itself in only 5,000 rounds at a savings of $0.16 per

[krunchnik]

Beretta U22 NEOS great plinker.