Re: I know nothing. (what's cheap & good?)
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Greg Langelius *</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What I'm trying to get across is that the arms race death spiral that demands a .22LR trainer shoot among the best RF BR guns is not really necessary. A decent rifle and a decent shooter with moderately decent ammo should be able to put ten rounds into a group at 50ft which can be covered with a quarter. That is the accuracy requirement to earn the BSA Rifle Shooting Merit Badge. It's not easy, and it's not unreasonable.
Being able to shoot with optics from a rest and deliver the same accuracy at 50yd will put one on a par with some fine marksmen, without driving the shooter into a funk on days when it just won't come. The point being that under reasonable circumstances, with reasonably affordable equipment, the trainer rifle should be acurate enough to demonstrate to the shooter whether they are having a good day or a bad one.
When one starts drawing the noose on the gear, ammo, etc., there comes the point where damned good shooting may not satisfy the shooter, and it may become difficult to tell whether it's the shooter or the rifle that's having the bad day. This is the particular tailspin I'm trying to avoid.
Greg </div></div>
Annoyingly practical advice.
And here I was getting upset yesterday that I couldn't seem to keep 10 shots under a half-inch at 50 yards.
I've been very happy with my Savage M2-FV...fun to shoot and groups several dif loads into less than 1.25 inches @ 100 yards. I like the heavy barrel for looks and feel, and the AccuTrigger is lovely, but I don't necessarily suggest it is The best for you. Wal-mart's $130 Mark II-F (non-AccuTrigger) will provide accuracy almost as good. My only reason for recommending the FV would be that later on, you will likely come to appreciate a better trigger and end up trading in the Walmart special for a AccuTrigger model (or some other rifle with decent trigger). Buy once, cry once?
I used one of the Walmart specials for quite awhile. Half-inch groups at 50 yards was quite do-able if I did my part...don't be afraid to buy if this is what's in your budget. Upgrading later on is allowed.
Also, check out Top Predator's build based on this rifle. Lots of good stuff regardless of what rifle you end up with.
Best of luck.
-The Kid.
P.S.: Don't buy BSA optics for an otherwise good rifle...I made that mistake on my recent attempt at a RF trainer.
Lots of advice/reviews on optics on here...do yourself a favo and do your "homework".
