HELP NEEDED!

The title of BEST is going to be pretty subjective so you will get a lot of opinions. 

With a $2000.00 budget, most any traditional American target gun would work with a good amount of money left over.  S&W M-41 and High Standard are the upper end of those while Ruger and Browning Buckmarks are lower cost but still serviceable for our sport of Bullseye.  1911 Conversions are also quite popular especially if you are shooting CF as well.  I have never bought one of the European target pistols but you might find one close to your budget if you buy used. 

At 25 Yards, any of the .22 Target guns will be plenty accurate so it's going to be more of your choice on the ergonomics and how it fits you.  Euro guns will generally have a steeper grip angle which you may or may not like.  Those guns usually have adjustable triggers too so you can experiment with a better fit if you like to tinker. American guns will be less adjustable but you could still add anatomical grips if you wanted to.

Hope this helps.

John

Buy the Hammerli Trailside listed here in the Commercial section for $525 and add an UltraDot of your choice. For less than $1000 you will have a pistol which is reliable and accurate enough that some High Masters shoot them. Spend the extra $ on ammo and match fees.

$2k is kind of in-between for 22 target pistols. There are a bunch of decent guns around $500 and under Ruger, Browning Buckmark, High Standard, Smith and Wesson Victory. By FAR the most popular is the Ruger Mk II family. Lots of people know how to clean up the trigger or buy an aftermarket kit and go shooting.

For about $1k you can get a Smith and Wesson Model 41. It is a terrific pistol more or less on a par with any of the more expensive Euro-guns.

For $1-2k you can get a 1911 with a 22 conversion. Marvel Precision, Advantage Arms and Nelson are the most common. Don't get a Ciener or other cheap ones. I've only seen a few of them over the years but they've had 100% problem rate. Ideally the lower will have trigger work done by a Bullseye gunsmith, but you can start with something and improve over time.

The really high end 22's are in the $2-3k range. Feinwerkbau, Pardini, Hammerli and Walther are the most common.

I have a hard time saying any one of these options is "best". I suppose the 1911 with conversion gives the best foundation if you want to start shooting centerfire and 45 as there are not a lot of alternatives to the 1911 if you want to shoot 45 caliber precision pistol.

If you want to shoot at 25 yards, a High standard  Supermatic Trophy or Victor will be the best choice due they have adjustable trigger weight, barrel options like lsp bull and aluma barrels. The only issue are adjust the mags but you will run the pistol with one mag. I dont have a 41, but is super nicest pistol in special the old ones, not the new "Performance Center" pistols. The old 41's come with territory, mags are easy to find. The ammo in 41 possibly will a challenge, they like CCI stabdard velocity. If you go with a 41 and you want a close group, you will reline the barrel with a Lothar Walther liner and david sams is the Master on relining. If you want the best Bullseye .22 you will go with a Hammerli 208s.

MG2 EVO. Awesome trigger, easy to adjust,  excellent factory grip, accurate!
Win win!
Jon

Try as many as you can, buy the one that has the trigger you like the most.

Jon Eulette wrote:MG2 EVO. Awesome trigger, easy to adjust,  excellent factory grip, accurate!
Win win!
Jon

While my trials and tribulations with my MG4 at 50yds are documented herein - the MG2 EVO is mind blowing value for what you get. It seems, so far, to eat anything and is even accurate with Aguila.  I even cleaned my first outdoor RF target with it in 3 years - on iron sights no less. Picked up the EIC leg as well. If you demand 1911 angle grips (I do) we have members that make fine examples. Unreserved recommendation.

ghtt782 wrote:I am seeking counsel on the best rimfire pistol under $2,000 for 25-yard competition. I know that this is a recurring conversation on this forum and others. I am just ensuring that I am not missing something.  Thanks

Which 22 guns have you already shot, and how did you feel about them?

Will this be your first 22?

Will you be wanting open sights, or a red dot sight?

If you're starting out, an old (not new) S&W Model 41 might be an excellent choice for you.

A Nelson/Marvel/Advantage Arms conversion on a dedicated smith built lower is usually fool proof.

I second the MG2 EVO. It makes me look like I have some skill.

I am a bit of a gear head. Admittedly, it limits my score. I have owned or shot just about every BE .22. For me for <2k new, there are two top choices:
MG2 EVO - frankly it feels like cheating when I shoot this pistol.
.22 Conversion on a dedicated lower with at least a trigger job - this may take some effort to assemble, but it will out shine most of the other US off the shelf <2k pistols.

If used is OK, I would add a Hammerli 215/208 to your list. There is something special about this pistol.

Who sells the MG2 EVO?

MGUSA, of this parish, will no doubt be along soon. He puts in an annual order that generally arrives in the early spring. Unless you can find someone selling one (and they tend to be of the 'from my cold dead hands') then you'll have to wait about 7-9 months. IMO it's worth it.

Have the feeding issues seen in early MG's been resolved? I knew a couple of people who were very frustrated by early examples. I haven't seen very many of them on the line and wouldn't want to recommend a gun that requires a lot of tuning and fiddling to a new shooter.

Yeah - the EVO (well mine) eats every 22 I've fed it with no issues. No tuning - just plug and play. 
Now - on the negative side - the manual/documentation is total crap and there's no maintenance info. Basically get used to youtube. Also, and I'm told this is common on Euro guns, the mounting screws for sights etc are very soft metal so if they are over tightened - mine was - you're going to trash the screw removing it.

Does anyone have or know how to access the operating manual for a BV-20 Unertl scope? Thanks

Dear Ghtt:

Where are you located?  

Probably the best recommendation would be to find your local bullseye team and join them for practices and matches.  I have traveled around the country and tracked down many bullseye clubs and invited myself to their facilities when I was in town for a little while.  Made lots of friends, awesome people everywhere I have gone.  

Every team I have shot with is particularly welcome to newbies and the shooters are more than happy to let the FNG try his or her pistol out to assist in their first acquisition.  

Let us know where you are and maybe we can help direct you to a local team. 

Regards, 
Crankster

P.S., if you are firm on that $2,000.00 limit, do not ever shoot a Pardini!