Sportster .22 (Long Rifle)

[TNred]

My son has saved his money, and I'm helping a little, to buy his first .22 rifle (and scope) for his upcoming birthday.  We checked on the Sportster .22.  First we checked with our local gun shops.  They all told us that no Sportster .22 rifles were available at their distributors.  They had .17 cal and .22 mag Sportsters, but no .22 (long rifle).

Then I checked with Wal Mart.  They checked all their distributors.  Same result.

What do yall make of this?  Is the Sportster .22 long rifle so good that people buy them all up, or is it so bad that no distributor will stock them?

Would yall suggest this as a good .22 rifle, or should I look at another manufacturer?

Thanks.

[MSP Ret]

TNred, how old and how big is your son? The only Sportster out of stock right now is the .22 LR in the adult size. All others are available thru WalMart, The adult .22 Mag ($103.62) and the .22 LR Youth as well as the .17 HMR Sportster. These are fine little guns that sell out the production runs fairly soon and then we have to wait until the make another run in that gun. If you think the youth stock would fit him get that gun and look around on this site and pick up a set of wooden stocks for it when he grows or when you see a good deal, whichever is sooner. You mnight even be able to swap stocks with someone as you son grows. Many like the wooden stocks better, some like the synthetic stocks better. The only difference between the adult and youth Sportster is the length of the buttstock. These are fine guns he will have a long time and be able to pas onti his Grandchildren!!!....<><.... :grin:

[TNred]

MSP Ret,

Thanks for the reply.

My son will be 15 years old in two weeks.  We're bird hunters, so we've always shot shotguns.  He's been wanting a .22 lately, so the adult model Sportster .22 is what we're looking at.  He likes the synthetic version.

When do you think NEF will make another production run?

[mjbgalt]

why not just buy the .22mag or the .17 HMR? i mean, its the same amount of recoil...none...lol....and the ammo isnt much more expensive and he will have greater range and a more powerful gun will HELP a beginner since there is more margin of error....

and if all that isnt enough and you still want a .22LR later you can send it in and get a .22LR barrel fitted to the frame.

if it was my kid i think i would choose the .17HMR because of its accuracy and range.

-Matt

[offhand35]

As to finding a 22LR Sportster, the dealer I was working with  last Spring finally  found me a youth model.   I then bought wood  stocks, which was the intent anyway.

[ironglow]

I bought my Sportster as a .22 mag....then shipped back for the other two barrels....
   I realize that each individual rifle is different..but my LR out shoots the mag in the accuracy dept....
    and it does it's best on a diet of either stingers or Velociters...so I don't lose a great deal in  power either....