Inexpensive, but decent .22 lr or 22 mag for pest/vermin control?

[drjoker]

heritage arms

Academy Sporting Goods sells Heritage Arms .22lr single action revolver (colt peacemaker clone) for $100-150. It's a hoot to shoot. Plus, you can upgrade later with a .22 magnum cylinder for $35-50. Cool, eh?

 

[Dreamer]

I have a Walther P22, and it is surprisingly accurate and reliable--with the right ammo, an when it is is clean. It gets progressively less accurate after 100 rounds though, and can be exceedingly finicky about ammo...

The Ruger MkIII is one of the finest semi-auto .22s out there, especially the ones with bull barrels (for balance and "feel"). The idea of a .22 semi-auto pistol that is ALL steel is VERY attractive, and my next .22 will without a doubt be a bull-barrel MkIII. They are super-reliable, will cycle just about any ammo you put through them, have pretty good triggers, and are laser-accurate.

My only complaint about the Ruger MkIII is the capacity. Those stupid 10 round mags they have are ridiculous--they should be 15 or 20 round mags. They are super-fun to shoot, and ammo is dirt cheap, and having to stop and reload every 10 shots is annoying as heck. (but it does slow down the speed with which you can burn through a brick of .22 ammo... )

Not a big fan of the polymer frame .22s (except the Walther). Most of them feel like toys to me, and I like a gun with soem heft to it--even in a .22...

 

[jeeper1]

j4l, you said you have a 45 (I presume you mean a 1911 style) why not get a 22lr version of that such as a Chiappa or the Sig Sauer 1911-22-B 22LR Semi Auto Pistol.

 

[.45acp]

For what you want to use it/them for, a Buckmark or Ruger mk 1, 2 or 3 are hard to beat. I would go with the Ruger myself.


In a rifle sized package the 10/22 is the one all others are compared too.

Not to mention a .22 is hoot to shoot, great for marksmanship and easy on the wallet. For great target practice, get a bucket of used range golf balls.

 

[SGB]

I use a Henry .22 for pest control, I like that it feeds short, long & long rifle. Around the house I use CB shorts, no louder than a pellet rifle.

 

[j4l]

I use a Henry .22 for pest control, I like that it feeds short, long & long rifle. Around the house I use CB shorts, no louder than a pellet rifle.

View attachment 8061

Ah, now that's an interesting option too... ball park on expected cost of one of thesE?

 

[marshaul]

The Ruger MkIII is one of the finest semi-auto .22s out there, especially the ones with bull barrels (for balance and "feel"). The idea of a .22 semi-auto pistol that is ALL steel is VERY attractive, and my next .22 will without a doubt be a bull-barrel MkIII. They are super-reliable, will cycle just about any ammo you put through them, have pretty good triggers, and are laser-accurate.

And then there's the .22/45 and the Buckmark, both of which are actually shootable due to not using the wrong grip angle.

 

[yz9890]

the Phoenix HP22a "delux" kit only costs $200. included in the kit is an extra target barrel. I don't have much experience with them but those that own them wont shut up about them.

 

[cbpeck]

And then there's the .22/45 and the Buckmark, both of which are actually shootable due to not using the wrong grip angle.

This is correct. My preference for the Buck Mark is primarily due to this reason. The Ruger & Neos pistols are good guns, but the grip angle, a lot Glock, is too steep for my tastes.

 

[Jim675]

At just over $300, the GSG 1911 in .22 LR is worth looking at. Since its a full-sized 1911 copy you can use common magazines / accessories. Novak sights work with a little fitting. And they have threaded barrels!

 

[The Wolfhound]

For a cheap long gun .22LR only option, the Marlin 795 is very accurate but inexpensive (around $125). My preference would be a revolver so the shot shell option is added to your pest control choices. Autoloaders hate the things but revolvers just keep on gettin' it. SA or DA options are out there and some are well made but new ones might run a tad expensive.

 

[DangerClose]

the Phoenix HP22a "delux" kit only costs $200. included in the kit is an extra target barrel. I don't have much experience with them but those that own them wont shut up about them.

And the basic kit is more like $150. And yes, they are quite nice. I've heard waaaaay more SIG Mosquito pos's jamming than HP22s. Just don't use hot ammo in them.

For a rifle, I'd just get a Marlin 795 for $100 after rebate, or if you want wood and tube, Marlin 60.

 

[Dieselcrawler]

I have a Walther P22, bought it new for about $330 about a year and a half ago... like it alot. Few jams at first, but now with probly over 1000 rounds thru it, it seems better. Nice little gun, I carry it around the farm all the time.

 

[Xulld]

Academy Sporting Goods sells Heritage Arms .22lr single action revolver (colt peacemaker clone) for $100-150. It's a hoot to shoot. Plus, you can upgrade later with a .22 magnum cylinder for $35-50. Cool, eh?

Beat me to it. These old style 22 revolvers are awesome, great on the budget and really good for pest issues.

 

[j4l]

Beat me to it. These old style 22 revolvers are awesome, great on the budget and really good for pest issues.

Looked one of these over also, and am still considering it- but the Academy here was wanting quiet a bit more than $150 for em..

 

[getzmel]

Henry...

Henry US Survival rifle would be great.....

 

[Levi]

I currently have a Henry lever action .22, a 22/45 lite, and a Taurus 94 .22lr revolver. All of them are excellent. If you're going after rats and raccoon, I'd recommend the Henry as it can use any of the ammo available in .22 except magnum and it's very accurate.

If you plan to get a .22 mag, I'd recommend carefully evaluating your options before getting a semi-auto. Ruger 10/22 is a great reliable .22lr but there were several issues with the magnum version due to the shock detonating rounds in the magazine. I have read reports that this has been an issue with other semi-auto .22mag firearms as well. The PMC30 seems to have cured the issue and has had nothing but good reports.

CCI has a couple of .22lr rounds worth looking at. The CCI Velocetor is a great round delivering an amazing amount of power. CCI Quiet-22 is the quietest .22lr on the market and still delivers the deathblow to varmints at moderate ranges. Both are relatively clean, fit well with chambers and actions, and have a low misfire rate. The Quiet-22 won't cycle a semi-auto but feeds well in pump action, bolt action, and lever action firearms. Velocetor is a very hot round and work well in everything.

 

[kunclebuc]

Here are two to think about that I have. First: Look at the Savage MKII bolt action .22lr. Nice .22 rifle very accurate. One shot one kill. Second: The S&W, M&P .22lr pistol. Same sizes as its big brothers the 9mm and .40cal. A lot of the addons for the bigger M&P's will fit on this .22. Also if you have neighbors that you donot want to disturb. Try looking at a .22 cal split barrel pellet gun. I use a .177 cal for small varmint around the house and it works great and very quite.
Ammo: Look at the CCI quick shock segmented hollow points. They are probably the best varmint round you can buy. Here is a short video that I did when I got hold of some. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-PxbSvRL_Y


Kevin

 

[RichB71]

Check out the Ruger SR22 nice little compact 10 shot semi auto. Very accurate, see it on U-Tube.



Rich

 

[WalkingWolf]

I prefer a rifle for pest control, there are plenty of inexpensive good 22 rifles on the market. As far as a handgun I carry nothing smaller than a .38 and the round is very capable of handling any pests that the .22 can. As far as cheap practice look into wax bullets that quick draw competitors use and the special casings drilled for shotgun primers. I use them and the wax bullets are cheap, just google wax bullets and quickdraw. A mak or a PPK are also a good choice for auto pest carry. I use a PA-63 ammo is relatively cheap online for them, though not as cheap as a 22. But hey how many pests do you have to shoot? A good .177 magnum air rifle will take care of the smallest of pests up to tree rat size.