what should i buy?

[lukewiersma2007]

i wanna buy a .22 pistol for hunting right now its down the the ruger mk3 and the wather p22 i know the walther is not as good of a hunting gun but i like the looks and feel of it...what is better?...are there advantages to the wather in hunting?

[nilescoyote]

Go with the ruger just for the ease of scoping. I have the Mk2 slab side and 30 yard shoots are a breeze with a 2x scope. I have no idea what kind of accuracy you would see with the walther. When I sand bag my ruger its no problem to get under 2 inch groups at 50 yards. Shooting off hand at 2 1/2 inch steel plates I can hit them almost every time at 50.

[Savage]

Don't think I ever hear anyone mention the P-22 and hunting in the same sentence! The Ruger and the P-22 are entirely two different animals. In my experience the Rugers are good solid pistols for target/hunting. The P-22 is at best, a marginal plinker. Buy the one that you want, with that in mind and you won't be disappointed.
Savage

[SHOOTALL]

Ruger !

[Cheesehead]

I have looked at this Smith and Wesson 22a a few time and like the features. I have no experience with it but like the built in Weaver rail.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=11101&storeId=10001&productId=12751&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=15710&isFirearm=Y

Here is the link.

Cheese

[superdown]

Look at the buckmark before you buy you wont be disappointed. superdown

[corbanzo]

ditto on the buckmark, mine has been a great shooter.

[BOGA]

I have a Ruger II slabside with a little crosshair scope and it was a pleasure to shoot. Its a little bit on the heavy side but recently I won a bid on a small red dot and this is my next project for that gun. That will shed a little weight.

[lakota]

I have a Ruger MK III 22/45 target model. Despite the internal lock, the ugly chamber loaded indicator and the trigger/magazine disconnect, I absolutely love that pistol. I think it may shoot better than the Mark II target I used to have.

[bscman]

I was in the same boat--stuck deciding which 22lr for hunting...

Here's what I found.

Ruger 22/45 - Good, accurate, reliable. Thin, uncomfy grip. I love the 1911 angle, but it is MUCH too narrow. Fairly common complaints about pins walking out. Otherwise, a good buy starting around $250 for a HB Blued model.

Ruger MKII/MKIII - A little more $$$ than the 22/45 but much better quality. Accurate and reliable--great shooters, tons of aftermarket support (barrels, triggers, sears, sights, etc). A good choice for sure, with a great reputation.

Smith&Wesson 22a- Cheaply made. Tons of complaints about short buffer life and slides cracking. NOT dry fire safe--chamber peening very common and easily dont with this pistol. Okay accuracy.
Starting at $199, it's cheaper...but I think there are more complaints about durability/reliability with this pistol than any other I researched.

Walther P22- Short barreled version not legal to hunt with in my state (4" minimum length barrel). Accuracy? STINKS! Very small grip. A few complaints about slides cracking, but TONS of complaints about reliability. It seems some get a good one, while many get one that needs a fair amount of work to get to feed and eject reliably.
Would make a fun plinker, but terrible hunting rig. Retail starting about $260

Buckmark (camper)- About $260 retail for the camper. Great shooters, decent trigger. Quality browning piece. Definitely can't go wrong with a buckmark. I would've bought one, but once I added up the options I wanted it was a bit out of my price range.

Sig Mosquito - Just shy of a 4" barrel, so again not legal in my state. Lots of reports about cycling issues (not reliable). Overall, well made but definitely not up to Sigs reputation for reliablility. Starting around $320.

Beretta Neos- Modular design--easy to swap barrels. Integrated weaver rail. Single action trigger avg'ing ~4-4.5lbs. Reputation for flawless reliability...seems most Neos' will eat ANYTHING. Magazines are easy to load (integrated thumb lever) and $10 at CDNN. $199 for "blued" and $250 for Inox stainless.


I ended up with the neos, and I am VERY VERY pleased.
Some were complaining about accuracy due to it's modular design, but I've been able to shoot 1" groups, rested, with iron sights using my 6" Inox Neos. It is every bit as accurable (and a bit more reliable) than my lightly modified Ruger MKII.

My very first 5shot group with this pistol, using Federal Bulk packs from walmart got me a .390" CTC  at 7yds with iron sights (offhand, strong side supported). It's only getting better since broken in.
4.5" or 6" models are the same price. I opted for the 6" for the longer sight radius (10 inches!) and I think it looked more attractive. I just ordered a new 4.5" barrel and three more magazines. For a budget level handgun, this thing is amazing...once you get past the looks, that is! I paid 260 OTD for my Stainiless 6" neos, which came with 2 magazines as well (most rimfire handguns only come with one!).
My only complain is the wide front sight blade--but they are easily swapped or filed down which is what I did.

Best of luck!

[lukewiersma2007]

so i bought the ruger mk111 this morning...thanks for your help...

[Old Griz]

For hunting I'd go with the S&W. NOT the 22a, but the 617!

[Jim n Iowa]

The 617 will stay in your family, it should not be traded or sold except in dire straights. Yes it is that good.
Jim

[ironglow]

bscman;

   A handgun with less than 4" barrel illegal in Washington ? How does that affect concealed carry..or is concealed carry not only a "no no" ..but a "never never "..?
   

[bscman]

bscman;   A handgun with less than 4" barrel illegal in Washington ? How does that affect concealed carry..or is concealed carry not only a "no no" ..but a "never never "..?   

4bbls required as stated in hunting regs.If you're carrying concealed while hunting, your carry pistol must also meet minimum guidlines as stated by the WDFW-- which requires handguns to have a 4" bbl.
Doesn't affect ownership of sub 4" bbls or using it for anything other than hunting...

WA has a great CCW plan--it is a "shall issue" state, which means as long as you pay the $60 and have no felonies/domestic violence on your record, you WILL get your permit. No tests, no hoops.

Sorry if I lead to any confusion.

[K.K]

My shooting buddy owns a Walther that will shoot rings around my Single Six, and he is at least 30 years older than me. When I bought my Ruger (Mark III), but same general pistol, I at last began to out-shoot him. Granted, there are a lot of variables, but Ruger has always been know for being rugged and reliable, and accurate. There are also tons of aftermarket do-dads that you can add on later on if you wish.  Either is a nice choice, but I vote for Ruger.

K.K

[ironglow]

bscman;
  Thanks for the clarification..the 4" barrel is probably required for humane/safety reasons when hunting..

   Luke;

  I am no advanced pistolero..but I have owned a 5" Ruger bull-barrel, and it was very accurate ! Nothing against Walthers, their quality
  is fine, and I still like the old P-38 !
  It does seem though, that if the "skinny grip" is the only problem with the Ruger..perhaps replacement grips are available..