As mentioned, this Uberti Cattleman 22 LR has become a regular, now, on every range trip. Figured I'd like the gun when we bought it, of course, but hadn't counted on liking it this much. Hard to leave home without it.
Still learning with this one and getting to know it better with every range trip. This last time out, I was determined to shoot it at 25 yards with my usual 3" bullseyes, despite the sights, rather than the larger 6" bulls. At this point, I honestly feel the accuracy is there to compete with my other 22 LR handguns, but those have adjustable sights and allow me to use a six o'clock hold. This one does not, so I improvised and worked out a hold that would allow me to use a sight picture that just tickled the bottom of the bull. At the bottom of this target, you can see my crude drawing of the sight picture I developed. Note the front sight about halfway up the rear sight notch with the bull nestled like an egg in the rear sight. Kind of odd, but the bull tells the story. Shot at the end of the session, so fatigue was setting in and called it quits with these very fortunate 5 shots. Bottom line, this Cattleman has what it takes to compete. Very pleased.
I have pretty strict accuracy standards for my 22 bolt and single shot rifles. I want a 22 LR that is an MOA shooter at 50 yards, meaning it must be capable of regularly shooting half inch c-c groups with the right ammo on days when conditions are good and I'm doing my part. Doesn't have to shoot every group to that standard, but the rifle must do it often enough to convince me that it can. In my experience true MOA 22 LR rifles, while not rare, are uncommon enough so that you should value one as the prize that it is when you get one.
True sub-MOA 22 LR rifles are truly rare, though. By a sub-MOA 22 LR, I mean a rifle that is capable of shooting c-c groups at 50 yards that are significantly under half inch, again regularly enough to convince me that the rifle deserves that title. Here I want rifles that can shoot in the threes and even twos, now and then. All of our Browning T bolts have now made it into the sub-MOA category, including this new production Target/Varmint.
This week it showed its stuff with this target. Would have been a wall hanger, but I blew shot number 4 and called it. Then to prove that it was me and not the rifle, shot two more into the small group and called it good.
One more, if you're still with me and an interesting one. Time to dust off our S&W Victory 22 auto with red dot and have some fun.
Having owned just about every 22 autoloading pistol made, I can confidently tell you that in terms of accuracy for the dollar, this very affordable S&W Victory be the best value, ever. This is my 50 yard target, but before you pass judgement on it, there's a bit more to the story.
Right after this group, I was putting the gun away when I noticed the entire scope base and red dot was only hanging on by a thread. The base was way loose on the gun. That makes this S&W Victory group one of my best ever loose scope base groups.
Fun and a bit different week of shooting. Who knows what next week will bring.
