The Perfect 22 For Small Game 

Thanks Sam I appreciate that.

I would guess at one time the brain was the favorite part for many? Back when people we're really trying to get all of the nutritional value they could out of game the organs were the most prized parts including the brain because they are the most nutrient dense. But I have to admit I've never tried squirrel brain. I remember my grandparents liked pig brains and eggs when I was little but I don't remember squirrel brains! Thanks for sharing that.

He was correct , the brain is good but the cheeks are a pure delight.

And what we learn from those old shooters carries over into the new ones and just us makes us that more knowledgeable.

Thanks 👍

I have a little 541 I bought about 26 years ago. It is still the most accurate 22LR I own.

@@guns4funfreedomkeeper999 Dont sell it. 541,s are really hard to find and command premium.prices. I've had mine 30 years and except for a little blueing see through on the barrel is in mint condition and I know I've shot over 700 squirrels with that little Jem.

And thank you very much for your comment.

Got a couple of those Mod 54 Anschutz with some Unertyl scopes to match. Good stuff for back in the day. Talk about friggin heavy! Can take a little Savage bull barrel in 17HMR and shoot as good or better for way less nowadays, but that's because the cartridge really. Dad used to show up to rimfire matches with the Mod 54s and people would start filing out. Dad would relent and use other stuff, or shoot person X's rifle against persons TUVWXYXZ and still win. They hate getting outshot with their own gun, hehe. In my 40 plus years I have never outshot him off hand. Many folks have told him that they can't shoot as well as him on a bench and him offhand. He is as good of a bass tournament fisherman as he is a shooter. Several times when the bass are not biting well, he has won 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and big fish,hehe ,when no one else had any fish big enough to weigh out of 30 boats. . He is an even better Dad than he is a shooter or fisherman ❤️

Those details like the trigger all add up on the nicer rifles and that's why they cost more. You can modify less expensive rifles and upgrade them like I did but by the time you finish you would have been better off financially finding a good deal on a higher end rifle to start with.

Thanks, and I'm wondering how they're going to turn out myself? The Mauser is the one I'm really excited about doing but I know I'll enjoy refinishing that stock a lot more after the weather warms just a little bit plus I need to get some checkering tools and learn a little bit more about that. And that's why I'm going to do the 270 first. It should be a little more straight forward. Not to mention I do want to see just how accurate that 270 is? I've got a feeling it's going to be under 1/2 MOA with the right load, but that might be just wishful thinking on my part. But we'll find out soon enough!

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving I’m sure the Mauser will look great when your done with it! I recently got a Winchester model 70 super grade maple in 264 win mag been eyeing it since they came out with that maple stock gun is beautiful. But anyway I worked up a load for that gun with the 140gr nosler accubonds and it will shoot 5 through the same hole and was amazingly easy to get it that accurate. That seems to be my luck with the model 70 they always shoot very very good much more accurate than what is needed for hunting deer out to 5 or 600 yards. Well thanks for the reply and I’m looking forward to your upcoming videos

Thanks Tom. Before others showed up I did get to film a shot group at 75 yards that was almost identical. I started to include it but I didn't want to have to explain why the group after that wasn't so good! I figured just leave it there and move on. LOL And I have no doubt that CZ of yours is a tack driver. I've only heard great things about those CZ .22s.

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving I've also got CZ rifles. A CZ 455 in .22LR and a CZ 452 2e ZKM American in .17hmr. CZ are very popular here in the UK for their quality, accuracy and price tag. Greetings from Scotland !

I'm going to send you an email this week. I want to get your thoughts on a few things.

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving Sure. Very good. I’ll put the percolator on. Cheers

Thanks

And that 3 to 4lb range is usually perfect for me to but I have a couple of rifles with much heavier triggers in the 6 to 8lb range that I don't mind at all. But those are both really heavy rifles. The factory trigger on this one was around 6lbs but the rifle is barley over 5 and thinking about this rifle and those heavy ones is what got me to thinking about the trigger pull weight as a percentage of the rifles weight. That 3 to 4lb range is generally about 1/2 the weight of most rifles. So I'm thinking a trigger at or just under the weight of the rifle it's on is right about where it needs to be?

A few words in to your video and you have got me laughing. It's the idea of the trigger pull heavier than the rifle. And the thought of someone who knows no better walking along supporting his loaded gun with one finger through the guard. At the end of his walk the factory has ensured that he did not make a mess. Well OK for cartoon living, I suppose...

Glad you enjoyed it

Thanks. And I suspect 22's are about to become a lot more popular at the range for everyone?

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving Definitely

Nice!

And thank you

Mark it's funny but in the past I never really worried that much about triggers but then I stumbled across a couple of rifles that the triggers were really bad. At this point I think the weight of a trigger needs to be proportional to the weight of the rifle? A heavy trigger on a heavy rifle isn't an issue but a heavy trigger on light one sure can be.

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving It makes sense to me. I try to keep the trigger pull on my rifles and carbines around 3-4#. Some are less.... around 2.5. I have a few 22 rifles and they are about 2-3# trigger pull weight. My favorite is a Marlin 981T. I put a Rifle Basix trigger in it. It is a tack driver. No squirrel safe with that rifle in my hands. lol... MH

@@markhansen8078 My FN49 has an extremely heavy trigger at about 8 or 9 lbs. I never realized it was that heavy until I measured it. You just don't notice it because the rifle is over 12lbs.

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving It is interesting this subject came up when it did. I just purchased a set of various shaped honing stones to use on my rifles for polishing critical points.

Ask on rimfire central. You will find a man there who manufactures steel magazines for the 581.

Thanks Bryan, I really appreciate that.

The sling swivels are pretty simple. Just take your time and mark your spot with a nice big punch. If you have a big punch mark the drill will stay centered in it and won't walk all over the place on you when starting the hole. And it's best to practice on a couple of scrap pieces of wood. Good luck

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving yes, I'll get up the nerve,. I just don't want the wood to splinter. It's a 1937. Thanks!

That is a great point that I wish I had in the video!

Thanks Guns4Fun

Those 77/22's are nice. I missed a great deal on a 77/22 with a wood stock not that long ago. I thought about whether or not to buy it for a couple of hours and by the time I decided to get it it was gone. Really nice rifles. As for the model 52, I guess you could call that one of my bucket list guns. I really hope to own one at some point in the future, but I don't think it will be any time soon! I've never shot one so I can't say it's the best 22 ever, but a lot of people I trust say they are and I want to find out one day.

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving Winchester model 52s are the standard everything else is measured by. And I let mine go! My mistake but for what I use my 77/22 for it’s hard to beat!! 77/22 are AWESOME

I have no doubt that I would love the 580 single shot as well. All of the rifles in the 580 line are shooters and with a rifle this accurate you don't need but one shot. But the magazine and tube are a convenient place to keep your bullets so you don't have to dig them out of your pocket!

This one is a Remington 581. I talked about it so much in the last video that I forgot to mention what it was in this one. And I'm the same way on getting my Marlin and Remington models mixed up. So many are so close to each other with this model being a single shot and the next being tube feed. It's hard to keep up with all of them.

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving I don't know that I have ever shot a bolt action Remington other than a Mod 700. I like those 60s and 70s Remingtons in every model. They made some great stuff back then. If it's anything new I stick with Savage.

Thanks Kent. And I suspect that 22 of yours shoots as good as it looks, and that's saying something there.

For me a scope really helps but that's because I can't see up close like I used to. Iron sights were all I needed on my 514 for many years. If your eyes are sharp and you enjoy iron sights then don't change a thing. And the best approach would probably be to just go hunting with it as is. If you ever find in the future that you had trouble making a shot at distance then you might want to consider a scope, but I doubt that will ever be a problem. Plus the iron sights really help with needing to make a quick shot like a rabbit on the run. I even used my 514 to shoot skeet years ago. I bet that's something I couldn't do with a scope!

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving Thanks Tom. I’ll try squirrel hunting just as is.

I've been wanting to try those quiet CCI's. You get a little more drop at distance but you see more squirrels making less noise.

Yes they are good for squirrels. Since im running iron sights i keep my close zero to 25 yards . If i had a quality scope id mount it and zero it at 75 yards.

The 541's are nice! And I know that 541 T has to be a tack driver.

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving it is..change my trigger out to. 2.5 lbs now big difference

I sure am.

I've always been lucky to have this range close by. I grew up just a couple of miles away from it and every time I go there it's a trip down memory lane, literally.

Congrats on the 541! Mine is a 581 and I would have put a 541 stock on it but those are hard to come by these days. I always thought the 541's weer just a great looking rifle. And if I'm not mistaken the 541 came with an adjustable trigger? And even if it didn't the extra weight of your stock would make the trigger pull not near as much of an issue. As light as your rifle is this one is even lighter because it doesn't have the walnut stock. And it's not so much that the trigger was that bad but that the rifle is so light with this beech stock and the trigger pull was actually more lbs than the rifle weighs. For me I've never been too particular about triggers but trigger pull weight as a percentage of rifle weight is important. This same trigger on a heavier rifle would be fine. And I have to say the new trigger on this one made a world of difference. With all of that said I do love it being so light when it comes to carrying it in the field hunting.

I will be happy to, And I just got a Protektor rear bag and tried that out this weekend. That bag was pricey for a bag which is why I waited so long to get one but it along with that rock is the moat stable platform I have ever shot of off. And I'll be talking about both in the next video.

Thomas, it was the Timmey trigger for the Rem 541. I had to relieve some wood in the stock for the safety but it was a perfect fit on the action.

It's 5lbs 4oz and the trigger was around 6lbs. I have a target rifle with a 6lb trigger that shoots great but it's a 13lbs rifle and that's what got me to thinking about the trigger pull weight as a percentage of the weight of the rifle. It seems like any trigger around half of the weight of the rifle is perfect. A 3 or 4lb trigger on 7 or 8lb rifles is perfect. A 6lb trigger on a 13lb rifle still works well. But a 6lb trigger on a 5lb rifle was not working so well.

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving for sure. I can't imagine trying to snap off a quick shot under those kinds of conditions. I really like what you've done with that gun. That shot group is short of only perfection, but I don't expect any of us would ever have the shooting acumen of the Almighty. Fine work, sir👍

Dalan it's a Timney trigger. It's for the 541 but the 581 and 541 are the same rifles the 541 just has a better stock. And you will have to relieve a little wood in the stock to make room for the safety.

And nope, I'm a long way from Canada! LOL South Carolina.

Yes, it is the 788 trigger and yes I did have to modify the stock. I had to remove some wood for clearance for the safety and do some fitting. If you're ok with wood working it's not to bad but other wise you might want to get a gunsmith to do the fitting?

I prefer 2 stage triggers in the field hunting but those are hard to come by these days. It seems like everyone has gone to single stage triggers. For me a single stage trigger is a target trigger and they do help you shoot smaller groups from supported positions like the bench or in the prone with a bipod. But from unsupported positions like most of the shots in the field I shoot much better with a 2 stage trigger.

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving 👍

Yes ain't that a joke!

@@johnwilburn8319 Cruel joke in that I can't afford one.

I agree wth Jeff about them being kind of hard to find now, but it seems like everything is kind of hard to find right now and expensive. I just checked Gun Broker and I saw a few but the prices have really gone up. It seems like I paid just a little over 200.00 for mine? I think 300.00 for one in really good shape would be a fair price right now but I'm not seeing what I would call fair prices on them at the moment. Once you start getting past 300.00 you're getting into a higher grade of 22's and there are so many great choices in that price range.

Thanks for the recommendations and I’m certain they would all ..... I enjoy fixing up the older ones I’m an old varmint hunter coyotes and ground hogs . I looked these 581 rifles up they were built later in the 60’s to 1999 . I enjoy finding some of the old 511’ s and matching a hobby . Takes too long for me to type but I

@Jeff Scuderi Thank you Sir, I don’t know what neck of the woods you’re at in this Great Country May stop by the place if I’m ever out that way ! I enjoy the older ones then I’ll get it pretty good shape and sell or trade for another . Don’t ask me why I generally lose money on them . I just like piddling with them .

Tennessee

It is missing. It was missing when I bought it. I thought about getting a replacement but I want to get this scope a little lower and I suspect that rear sight would interfere with that?

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving It might. But woe betide the man that tore it off. I have this thing about rifles-- I think every one should have iron sights at least as a backup. My own eyeballs are no longer in the bloom of youth and in recent years I find myself driven by necessity to use scopes. With the BRNO's and CZ's I shoot the long bolt throw forces me to mount the scope high anyway. Cheapskate that I am I buy mostly used scopes, some are long and some short, often enabling me to mount them so the front bell comes down ahead of or behind the rear sight. Everyone needs to do what works out best for them. But the fact you were looking for a replacement sight shows your heart is still in the right place.

@@kenlansing1216 I'm definitely of the same opinion on iron sights and I had to laugh when I read your comments. A friend called me not long ago and said he saw a rifle that he knew I would like. He knew I would like it because it had iron sights and he knows just how much I appreciate a fine rifle with good iron sights. That was one of the reasons I couldn't turn down that Winchester Westerner when I bought it.