Semi-automatic 22 LR rifles are a mainstay with shooters and hunters. These rimfire rifles are fun to shoot and offer fast follow-up shots when plinking, small-game hunting, informal precision shooting, or pinging steel plates. Plus, ammo is inexpensive. However, not all 22 rimfire rifles can do all things well. That’s why there are specialized models. For this match up, we wanted to look at 22 LR semi-auto rifles that could easily be used for hunting as well as dabble in fast shooting competition, or maybe punch tiny groups at the local range for bragging rights among our pals. We didn’t want to feel undergunned or overgunned in the scenarios mentioned above, but we wanted a moderately priced do-all type of rifle/scope combo. Must-haves for these rifle/scope combos were: accuracy, a trigger that would not force us to cuss, comfortable stock, and mounting an optic needed to be easy and simple. If the rifle were further customizable, it earned bonus points. The three rifles in this review are the Bergara BXR, Ruger 10/22 Target, and Savage A22.
