Brand new to Nrl22. I want to start at the base level due to my age. I'm 72 and not real sure about all the positions, but I want to try. As I understand base is rifle and scope $1200.00. Being left-handed my options are limited. So cheap rifle, high price scope or vice versa?
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- Thread starter Wrong Hand
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Ruger 10/22 Competition Gray .22 LR 16.12" Barrel 10-Rounds Left-Hand
Get the best bolt action rifle for your next range completion by ordering the Ruger 10/22 Competition from GrabAGun today. It comes chambered in 22LR with a 16.12 inch barrel. This long range rifle features a Picatinny rail, an aluminum receiver, fixed adjustable comb stock, and a Ruger BX...
grabagun.com
This^^^and leaves you plenty of money for a good scope.
No need to mess with base class and the $1300 MSRP cap (it was raised this year). NRL22 2024 Rules
Old Guns (OG) is open for those seasoned 60 years and older and the Adaptive Division is for anyone with restrictive range of motion.
The $1300 MSRP cap SEVERALLY limits what rifle/scope combo you can purchase. Spoil yourself with a good rifle, scope and gear and have fun.
Spend some time in your backyard practicing the positions from past Courses of Fire Monthly Course of Fire. Learning at your own pace and making things familiar before you even go to your first match can be a huge help.
If you really want to stick to the $1300 cap, the Tikka T1x and the CZ 457 Varmint come in south paw and are all popular, although CZ magazines can be difficult to acquire right now. As far as scopes go, Arken, Athlon, and the Bushnell Match Pro are all common at matches.
The majority of competitors shoot bolt action. Although the stages are timed, there does not seem to be an advantage to shooting semi-auto and there is are additional steps to take before moving during a stage. Everyone I know that has tried has transitioned to bolt guns.
Old Guns (OG) is open for those seasoned 60 years and older and the Adaptive Division is for anyone with restrictive range of motion.
The $1300 MSRP cap SEVERALLY limits what rifle/scope combo you can purchase. Spoil yourself with a good rifle, scope and gear and have fun.
Spend some time in your backyard practicing the positions from past Courses of Fire Monthly Course of Fire. Learning at your own pace and making things familiar before you even go to your first match can be a huge help.
If you really want to stick to the $1300 cap, the Tikka T1x and the CZ 457 Varmint come in south paw and are all popular, although CZ magazines can be difficult to acquire right now. As far as scopes go, Arken, Athlon, and the Bushnell Match Pro are all common at matches.
The majority of competitors shoot bolt action. Although the stages are timed, there does not seem to be an advantage to shooting semi-auto and there is are additional steps to take before moving during a stage. Everyone I know that has tried has transitioned to bolt guns.
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Good advice right here.Regarding your age: well, I'm 70, ate up with osteoarthritis (especially cervical and lumbar spine), and have a ROM-limiting injury to right leg. So, I'm slower than cold molasses in PRS competition (usually 90-100 second par times). NRL22's usual 120-second par times are much more accommodating for us old guys - but, in the early going, you will still find it challenging to build positions in that time window.
Trust me, though - it gets easier as you move and loosen up stiff joints/tendons/ligaments, and your overall fitness improves. Enjoy the journey. Positional practice is paramount! With NRL22, you can download the COF (course of fire) for each month and practice building positions beforehand in air-conditioned comfort :-] . Props are usually built around things like buckets, ladders, chairs, etc. which you'll have around the house. For me, the hardest props by far are the low ones (2- and 5-gallon buckets for example)... again, practice helps.
As for the rifle choice: I've worked with everything from the Ruger Precision Rimfire Rifle on the low end through CZ 45x models in the midrange to Vudoo and RimX at the high end. From a budget perspective, the sweet spot imo is one of the CZ457 variants, especially the MTR, or maybe a Tikka T1X for a bit less (but the Tikka requires more add-on bits for competition).
Optic: I would be looking for a FFP optic in the $600-800 range, more if your budget supports it. I suggest calling (on the phone) at least one of the Sniper's Hide supporting vendors for guidance; tell them you found them on SH. I've purchased scopes from Doug (@gr8fuldoug) at CameralandNY, Richard at @CSTactical, and Scott at @LibertyOptics. All are great, all make our community better.
And yes, my recommendations blow well past the $1200 base level. I put together one base-class-level rifle for my nephew five years ago; it was a Ruger Precision Rimfire Rifle bought locally mounted with an Athlon Argos scope from CameralandNY - the whole rig came in at under $850 shipped. Its performance was commensurate with price level. It would have been fine for an entry-level NRL22 rifle, but a serious shooter would outgrow it quickly.
Good luck.
Thank you everyone for the replies. I thought about the Ruger 10-22 but didn't know how to show open bolt when moving.
I donno if this is too late but as Downhill said you can keep under the base if you go low-cost on a rifle. I have a Savage B22-FV that is almost as accurate as my CZs (with good ammo). Midway lists 'em at ca $310 and you can get a lot of scope for $890, especially Athlons.
I’m also a correct handed shooter. When I first got into this a friend found a Bergara B14r left hand with the carbon barrel at Cabelas. While it’s not a base class rifle it’s relatively affordable and I’ve had a ton of success with that rifle and an identical sister. While I’ve mostly gone on to a Vudoo that mimics my centerfire setup, I am a big fan of the Bergaras for left handers. The carbon models are also very light. If you’d want to talk more I’m glad to share what few things I added to the Bergaras, glass, and so on. Enjoy your journey - you’ll have a lot of fun seeing just how much you absolutely can and will do even if it seem daunting right now. Cheers.
So, my way is just one way and you’ll find what works.
Believe it or not my first B14r was my first bolt gun and first rimfire. When I first got it, I added a short pic rail section underneath so I could mount my Atlas bipod which was then configured for pic rail QD. I got a 30 moa base and mounted Nightforce NX8 4-32, FFP of course, MIL XT reticle.
In that configuration it wasn’t too long before she won her first local NRL 22 match.
The only thing I added later was an area 419 ARCA rail - i got the 14 inch version with the built in barricade stop. I got hardware to convert my old Atlas bipod to mount to the arca rail. The arca rail is nice to have and I highly recommend it.
And that’s about it hardware wise. You’ll acquire prs bags and so on, and you’ll do the work in dry fire to get better with positional stuff. I can share what I like for bags if you’d like.
I eventually built a carbon (pun intended ) copy of the first one and combined they have over 13000 rounds on them. They’re great rifles with a few small idiosyncrasies (be sure to keep them clean) which can shoot truly impressive groups past 300 with good ammo.
I’m happy to answer any questions. Again this is just one way of many.
Believe it or not my first B14r was my first bolt gun and first rimfire. When I first got it, I added a short pic rail section underneath so I could mount my Atlas bipod which was then configured for pic rail QD. I got a 30 moa base and mounted Nightforce NX8 4-32, FFP of course, MIL XT reticle.
In that configuration it wasn’t too long before she won her first local NRL 22 match.
The only thing I added later was an area 419 ARCA rail - i got the 14 inch version with the built in barricade stop. I got hardware to convert my old Atlas bipod to mount to the arca rail. The arca rail is nice to have and I highly recommend it.
And that’s about it hardware wise. You’ll acquire prs bags and so on, and you’ll do the work in dry fire to get better with positional stuff. I can share what I like for bags if you’d like.
I eventually built a carbon (pun intended ) copy of the first one and combined they have over 13000 rounds on them. They’re great rifles with a few small idiosyncrasies (be sure to keep them clean) which can shoot truly impressive groups past 300 with good ammo.
I’m happy to answer any questions. Again this is just one way of many.
One of the guys I shoot with is lefty, and simply operates the bolt right handed. He has worked a right hand bolt all his life. No need to limit yourself to left handed actions. Rifle is stabilized on prop or bipod and fired left handed with the right working the bolt.
nothing wrong with a good quality 10/22- I like my Kidd which is sufficient for my needs.
nothing wrong with a good quality 10/22- I like my Kidd which is sufficient for my needs.
I want to thank you for all the great information. Now comes the really hard part. The thinking. I want to try and stay at $2500. I may be wrong but I think spending a little more on a scope to start out is the way to go. Hey, I'm a guy. I will want the same thing all the cool kids have. People change chassis, barrels, triggers, but seem to hold on to a good scoop. I would like to go to a couple matches, but don't know if they shoot in Florida in the summer. Now back to the thinking part.
Well, I’m a chick and still like having good glass. I’m certainly neither cool nor a kid. 
there are a ton of good glass options out there - I know the NF is maybe more than you want to spend but one can usually find demos for a bit less and that’s what I did for two of them.
I look forward to hearing how your journey progresses. Cheers.
there are a ton of good glass options out there - I know the NF is maybe more than you want to spend but one can usually find demos for a bit less and that’s what I did for two of them. I look forward to hearing how your journey progresses. Cheers.
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