What say the Exspurts on what brand of under $300 bolt action 22LR Squirrel Rifle for shots on these "always dangerous" tree rat critters at out to 75 - 100 yards or so. Used to think about a CZ something and wondered if they can still be bought these days with my budget constraints. Not gonna buy a spray and pray shooter and not gonna take the limited production 1972 built Marlin M39 D to the woods anymore. Ya'll's thoughts????
Ron

I have a Ruger 10/22 with the mannlicher stock. Love it as my grouse gun as well. CZ makes one as well.
I also have a Winchester 94 22 mag.

JGFireman has one!!!!

I don’t know about shooting squirrels at 75-100 yards, but I had a Marlin bolt gun that would have been up to the task

Savage Mark II FV-SR in that budget. Great shooters.

I’m not ashamed to admit I was a much better shot with a .22 at age 10 than I am now. 50 yard squirrels were in serious danger and even 75-100 yard squirrels were not out of danger. This was with an open-sighted BL-22. But that was the product of carrying and shooting a .22 practically every day of your life. I knew what the sight picture was supposed to look like on every shot until I ran out of front bead post on holdovers (even without any post left I could still make passable guesses).

So, for nostalgia’s sake, I’d look for a used BL-22.

CZ or tikka 22's

I just picked up a NIB CZ 455 Standard here in the forum for less than your budget. With CCI standard velocity it is what you’re seeking.

Hmmm I've got a Marlin 781? that is almost unfired I picked up 5+? years ago from a THF member that I'd had forgotten about it until recently. It's got a new set of 1" steel rings on it too...need to find a scope that'll fit it as the used Bushy Banner 3x9x40 I'd bought for it, is too long. The CZ I was thinking about is has a composite? black stock...need to re familiarize myself with CZ model #'s. The Marlin 781 is tube fed and shoots S,L & LR's too, like my M39 D carbine.but also is a wood/blue gun in near perfect condition.

Got a super clear Minox ZV3 4x12x44? that might fit, and is shorter than a ZV3 3x9x50 I sold when I replaced it with the 4x12. I'd been saving the ZV3 4x12 for a short action CF or putting it in some offset rings on the M70 LA receiver 7x57 if I could not sell/trade the 7x57 so I didn't have to continue to crawl the stock to get a clear crosshair picture...this ZV3 is great super clear scope too & just the right size for short receivered rifles Hmmm

The Eye Doc from BS&W who teaches glaucoma surgery at Olin Teague in Temple, told me last week that the cataract in my right eye is still growing very slowly and not an issue yet, but will at some time need to be addressed, since my optic nerve in the left eye will never recover much if any vision beyond where it is now, thanks to Dallas VA's Chief of Clinic failing to provide the promised meds following my last cornea transplant....Praise God I am Not an Old Testament Christian.
Ron

TDK thanks for confirming what I had remembered that the goal was with a CZ. I saw one used at the now long departed Ray Zipper 200 yard range at Lake Texoma years ago and have never forgotten how danged accurate that rifle was.
I was banging away with my Marlin 39D carbine and iron sights off sand bags and doing back of your hand sized or "cotton tail rabbit head" sized groups at 100 yards...and was quite pleased with that until I saw this guys tiny bit bigger than a beer bottle cap sized groups with a Leo 3x9x40 FCH scope on it, at the same distance. That CZ 455's performance was Impressive to me for sure, when I saw Ray repeat the small group sizes with his friends rifle. RIP Ray Zipper you were a good friend.
Ron

30 years ago my Winchester Model 67 got it done....it still can....I cannot....

And Savage MK-II is what it is.

Ron,

Just test lots of ammo through it. One, or several will make the rifle a sub-MOA shooter.

GTK about finding the Lil Red Riding Hood kinda ammo...
Ron

If you can put one in a squirrel brain at 75 yards with any kind of consistency that's impressive in a .22 LR.

I think you'd be happier with a .17 HMR. Maybe be no more accurate but flat shooting is what you need for that.

I know it's not impossible, a lot of bideos of dudes in the UK doing it with air rifles less than 12 fpe but they have dope on there at 5 or even 2-3 meter increments. So a .22 LR sure... but not me. I am good for thirty yards on a squirrel head shot with anything you'd normally use.

Don't forget shooting up into a tree could be a miss if you don't have your hold under!

These days, the rifles are so good, it is more than possible. Like mentioned earlier, you just have to experiment with lots of ammo to find the right one for the rifle.

Kyle's .22 match we shot pretty dang small out to 200 yards. I can't remember the smallest plate at 200, maybe a 4".

His 50 yard Know Your Limits, I built. 2", 1 1/2", 1", and 1/2" plates. I quit on the third one after hitting it, but a few guys did clean it.

Just shoot the 39....YOLO.

Just buy the Tikka. At 50 yards, you can pick the squirrel eye to shoot. The gun is amazing.

I have one and it is definitely capable of squirrel head shots at 120 yards with CCI Standard. The gun is inexpensive to buy but the plastic stock sucked.

Haven't looked at Tikka rimfires but I'd guess it is out of the budget & I do believe that the Tikka will shoot better than I can. GTK about the Savage Mark II FV-SR...cause a fugly plastic stock is much more desirable over here in the Deep Woods and who' give's a %$#@ what it looks like 'cause it'll most likely get the poohwah beat out of it fighting briar, beacoup bamboo thickets and pine trees. Every spring/ early summer I regulary see teeny tiny hairless blind baby dead SQ's laying in the street when I walk the Lab every morning rain or shine down towards the creek bottom at the end of the street after a decent rain or wind event. Had no idea there were THAT Many SQ's around here. Too bad we are inside the City Limits 'cause I could feed lots of folks with the SQ & now Feral Hog population within a 1/2 mile of the house.
Ron

A Gamo pellet gun will do some damage on squirrels.