This will be long-winded but hopefully someone finds useful or interesting information in it.
I’m sitting in a car with nothing better to do.

I haven’t been able to shoot as frequently over the past few years as I could previously. Most of the range time I do get has been devoted to centerfire gear. Older rimfire rifles have always been some of my favorites to shoot. Since I recently snagged a Yugo Zavasta M-56 I decided to devote a range day to rimfire rifles. I need to do this more often. This wasn’t any kind of formal testing, just a day of fun. I mostly shot at metal spinners because the range stopped providing target frames. I brought some PVC pipe to build a frame but it took a few cold range times to cut & construct it. I just had time to set one target up before the range closed. It was still a successful & entertaining day.

All shooting was done with CCI Standard Velocity ammo, seated at a bench. I was just rested on elbows, no sling support, bipods, etc. Distance was 25 yards.



Yugo Zastava M-56

• Second from left in photo
  
• This was the first rifle I shot because I just got it and was anxious to put some rounds through it. I’ve been eyeing it as a local shop for months. I really couldn’t justify buying it but eventually broke down and made an offer they accepted. It was still probably too much but it’s a nice example of this rifle from what I can tell. It’s complete with matching serial numbers and no major stock damage or repairs. A big, heavy, single-shot .22LR is probably a tough sell today so I imagine the shop was happy to move it.
  
• I was very pleased with its performance. Feeding, extraction, & ejection were all good and the trigger is really decent. It’s a fun gun to shoot if you don’t mind being slow & thoughtful. The notch & post sights are good but don’t allow for quite the precision of the aperture sights on a few of the other rifles I brought.
  
• I’m happy I picked up this one. It’s a neat shooter to have in the collection.
  

Mossberg 144

• Second from right in photo
  
• I’ve had this rifle for serval years. I picked it up at a local shop for $175 which I’m pretty sure included the front & rear aperture sights. Overall, the rifle was in good shape but the crown was messed up. I decided to send it to JP Grips to have it threaded for suppressors and get a clean barrel crown. I know a rifle like this doesn’t really a suppressor but I like having unique hosts. I used an SWR Spectre 2 with it.
  
• This one is a lot of fun to shoot and it’s a reasonable precise rifle. I love the aperture sights. This is probably the first rifle I shot using them. The magazine can be a bit awkward to get in/out of the rifle and sometimes a bit of force is required to feed rounds. The trigger is good, extraction & ejection are excellent.
  
• I’d recommend checking out one of these Mossberg’s if you can get it for a good price.
  

Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) Martini 12/15

• Right in photo
  
• This one was made in England, another one that I picked up on a whim at a local shop. I didn’t know much about these Martini action rifles and still don’t. It’s a beautiful rifle that you don’t see everyday so it was one I wanted in my collection. It also turned out to be a great shooter.
  
• The trigger and aperture sights are really good. The action is a falling tipping block. It’s easy to feed the single round and ejection is aggressive if you manipulate the lever with authority. I really like to shoot this one prone. It’s very relaxing.
  

Tactical Solutions Owyhee

• Left in photo
  
• This is the outlier of the group. The other rifles are obviously oler. I’m not sure of the exact dates of manufacture but I believe those three were made in the 1930s-1950s (probably 1950s but the BSA might be from the 1930s). I bought the Owyhee a couple of years ago as a fun suppressor host but haven’t gotten a chance to shoot it much. It’s like a Ruger 10/22 Takedown but bolt action instead of semi auto. I currently have a Leupold 1x Prismatic scope on it. I shot it with a Silencerco SS Sparrow.
  
• It’s really a great little rifle. The trigger is decent and the factory sights are decent and usable. It certainly isn’t a precision rifle but fills a niche. Given its price I don’t know that I’d recommend it to everyone. I would not have bought it except as a unique, handy suppressor host.
  

Since I only had time to use one paper target I shot at it with all four rifles.

• The M-56 did well enough but I think it’s capable of better with more solid support. 10 rounds.
  
• The Owyhee actually does pretty well with the little 1x scope. The open sights aren’t nearly as precise. 20 rounds.
  
• The Mossberg strung some vertically but did well. It’s a very capable rifle if I do my part. 5 rounds.
  
• The BSA is also a very capable rifle with proper support (prone, sling). 5 rounds.
  The BSA & Mossberg sent a few rounds into the same hole at the edge of the two groups.
  

This message has been edited. Last edited by: photoman12001,

Interesting. I've eyeballed their magazine fed bolt action .22s for while just because I'm a fan of some of their other rifles. I never knew they made a single shot.

quote:

Originally posted by Il Cattivo:
Interesting. I've eyeballed their magazine fed bolt action .22s for while just because I'm a fan of some of their other rifles. I never knew they made a single shot.

The single shot Zavasta might be tough to find. I think only about 200 were imported a few years ago. It’s a great rifle though if you like that type of thing. Obviously I do.

Looks like a fun day at the range with some neat old rifles. I've been shooting a lot of .22 lately as well...it's a great way to train and relax at the same time, with little guilt about the cost or the need to spend the time and primers to reload what you shot!

I love those target aperture sights. It's amazing what they are capable of, especially when using an NRA bullseye target at the right distance...just center the bull in the globe and squeeze. They can be very precise and repeatable. I don't own anything equipped with them right now, but I've eyed a few old target rifles at auctions lately that were. Just need to make some room in the budget and in the safe...

That BSA is a handsome little fella

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
Looks like a fun day at the range with some neat old rifles. I've been shooting a lot of .22 lately as well...it's a great way to train and relax at the same time, with little guilt about the cost or the need to spend the time and primers to reload what you shot!

I love those target aperture sights. It's amazing what they are capable of, especially when using an NRA bullseye target at the right distance...just center the bull in the globe and squeeze. They can be very precise and repeatable. I don't own anything equipped with them right now, but I've eyed a few old target rifles at auctions lately that were. Just need to make some room in the budget and in the safe...

I was very pleasantly surprised when I started using aperture sights. The eye just naturally wants to line up all those circles.

quote:

Originally posted by jjkroll32:
That BSA is a handsome little fella

Very satisfying to shoot too.