As Regular Readers know, I recently decided to do something about my .22 LR / .22 Mag situation, and sold my two Marlin rifles to a Reader so that I could free up space in both wallet and Ye Olde Gunne Sayffe for their replacement.
The old guys:
Their replacement:
…or, as kitted out by Yours Truly:
So last week I took it out to the range and got used to it, working the trigger, adjusting the red-dot scope, changing barrels and so on.
Everything about this rifle works as advertised. The trigger is fine — a little stiff, but I’m guessing that a few bricks or so of .22 ammo should take care of that — and the straight-pull bolt is excellent, both positive and reliable. (There was not a single issue with ejecting empties and chambering fresh ones, as expected from a rifle of this heritage.) The B1 uses Ruger 10/22 mags, but: please note that because the mag well is longer than a standard 10/22 rifle, you have to use a mag extender (supplied with the rifle) clipped onto the rear of the mags. (Of course, the .22 WMR magazine doesn’t need the extender piece.) This is a bit of a PITA only in that one needs to buy more of the extender clip thingies from Walther if there’s lots of shooting to be done without wasting time reloading mags, which is my preference. It’s a minor hassle, but definitely not a deal-breaker if one should consider purchasing this gun. (And one should, see below.)
I also like the ability to lengthen / shorten the stock according to preference: one little button in the rear of the stock, and that’s all there is.
“How does the thing shoot, Kim?”
Well, I’d forgotten to bring my sandbag along, so I just shot off the bench, not expecting too much in the way of accuracy. Ammo used was CCI Mini-Mag 40gr solid (my regular test ammo)
…and some Remington .22 WMR that was on sale at Bass Pro the other day:
Once I’d got the scope dialed in, I got the following, first at thirty feet:
…and then further out, at fifty:
I don’t actually know what happened with the .22 LR string — my eyes were getting tired, maybe, and that red-dot thingy was getting quite fuzzy. Maybe I was getting tired of holding the rifle steady — it’s quite a hefty beast — causing the shakes? Or maybe I just need MOAR PRACTICE.
Which leads me to my next point of consideration:
Am I going to use this lovely rifle for plinking, or just for serious target shooting? (I know, it’s not an either/or situation, but bear with me.)
Perhaps, given that I may be shooting the Walther more seriously, as I did my two Marlin squirrel guns, perhaps a scope would be a better option?
Let’s see. But whatever I decide about the sights, let me just say that this is a serious bit of kit, and it goes well recommended. In my humble opinion, it would keep up with just about any rimfire rifle in a serious competition, for far less money.
Here are the specs for the gun:
So here’s a related question – I wear bifocals and I have a red dot mounted on a .22 rimfire also. Depending on how I cant my head and what part of the bifocal I’m actually looking thru, I don’t see a “DOT”. I see a blurry slanted line. I’ll move my head around, trying to re-orient my eye and bifocal and still see the slanted blurry line. I’ll take my glasses off and then see a nice crisp dot. Bugs the shit outta me. Anyone have this happen?
But yes, if the rifle is very accurate and you want to actually shoot at any distance, get a scope.
I have the red dot on a 10/22 clone and my wife loves it. We have a shooting gallery bay at the local range with about 50 different steel targets (spinners, gophers, hanging pins, etc.) and that’s her go-to for fun. It makes it easy to shoot quick and accurate. But for longer range stuff I’m not seeing a benefit.
From what I understand, astigmatism can play hob with red dot sights. Maybe talk to an eye doc who is also a shooter?
I find that my LPVO scope, when set to 1X, offers a lot of cross-over capability with a red dot, including shooting with both eyes open. Specifically, this one–
https://www.burrisoptics.com/riflescopes/rt-6-1-6x24mm
Features I like–
1) Simple reticle
2) The throw lever can be mounted on any spline you choose.
3) Illumination has an “off” position between each setting i.e., 1, off, 2, off….
Nice scope, a little pricey for a rimfire but I can see that on my AR.
I am due for an eye checkup. I might take the red dot off the rifle and carry it to the appt and see what’s what.
That is precisely where mine resides. Managed to snag it pre-Covid and on sale.
Just a side note — I have the center dot zeroed for 50/200 yards. Turns out the the 300 yard hash mark is then dead on a 25 yards.
I wonder if our host might comment on his choice of glass for the two rifle he sold.
I have the same issue with a red dot. I think they’re fine for a pistol and maybe close-in work (street fun and games) with an AR.
But for any kind of real accuracy, nothing beats a scope. Report to follow on Tuesday after I’ve taken it out thus equipped.
You’re in need of the most important part of a 22 – a suppressor. Mouse farts from a CAT BEN are something to behold. https://specterscat.com/product/cat-ben-a1/
Relatively affordable, no tax stamp anymore, able to be used on other 22s like a Ruger 22/45. A no brainer.