Heavy-Barreled Autoloaders: TC Benchmark Classic Rates A-

Whether the handler is into hunting, plinking or target shooting—and the majority of .22 owners probably venture into all three areas—there is a rifle style to suit their fancy. The semi-serious will likely own a bull-barreled version at some time in their lives—a step above the standard model with an implied accuracy advantage that appeals to both hunter and target shooter.

To see how bigger, heavier fancier .22s performed, we shot and

Left: Thompson Center’s $455 R-55 Benchmark Classic No. 6873, with its 18-inch-long, 0.880-inch-wide barrel, shot half-inch groups at 50 yards using Remington/Eley Club Xtra .22 LR ammo. Center: The $495 Ruger 10-22 K10/2T’s 20-inch 0.915-inch-wide tube did slightly better with CCI Green Tag 40-grain loads. Right: The $337 Remington 597 LS HB’s 0.825-inch-diameter 20-inch tube shot well enough for most people, and at a lower price, but it didn’t excel with any particular brand of rimfire ammo.