Re: Best "affordable" 22 out there
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Greg Langelius *</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Stevens 300, list $193. This rifle is neerly equivalent to my older pre-Accu-Trigger Sav MKII that I am apparently wedded to.
The only practical difference is that Sav went to drilling and tapping for bases, while mine has the older style grooved receiver.
This is a minimalst .22LR that is as reliable as a claw hammer.
I appreciate that the newer Sav rifles with many more attractive features can be appealing, but do they actually shoot that much more reliably and accurately than the basic Sav MKII/Stevens 300?
Greg </div></div>
Good points, Greg. However, I'd have to answer a pretty firm "Yes!" to your question. In the long run, I feel that features such as a decent trigger and stock and heavy barrel are worth a little extra cash. Do they necessarily make it more accurate? Maybe...but they definitely make it easier to shoot that rifle to its fullest potential in more scenarios (ammo, rest, temperature variables, etc). For me, this all adds to the enjoyment of shooting the rifle. As a shooter develops, he begins to appreciate the difference between a good and bad trigger, the improved stability/harmonics of a heavy barrel, and the value of a comfortable, rigid stock.
All that being said, I believe the Wally World Mark 2 retails for like $145 locally and is an excellent deal for a basic .22 rifle. A simple trigger mod involving shimming and spring replacement makes the trigger passable and the rifles are pretty stinkin' accurate even with the sporter barrel and tupperware stock. I have one that shoots about 1.25" @ 100 yards with CCI SV...most of the time, but not nearly as accurate or consistent as my FV.
Just my observations based on a limited representation of the model variants.
-The Kid.
