New Wildcat .22 LR Rifle

[fpgt72]

I had to go back and find the articles:

Rifle Shooter Sep/Oct 2019 P.22, Joseph von Benedikt: shot 4 regular brands and 2 match brands, avg of 3-5shot groups at 50 yds.

Match: .54”, Reg 1.34” (1.58” to 1.04”, Leupold 3.5x14x50) This is the best set of groups, and is very good. Of course the scope is 3x the cost of the gun!)

G&A Sept 2019 P.38, Robert Hunicutt: shot 4 regular brands and CCI clean subsonic.

Avg of 5-5 shot groups at 50 yds. Reg 2.63”, CCI subsonic: 9.55” (3.53” to 2.21”, Truglo red dot)

Shooting Times. Sep 2019 P.30. Steve Gash shot 11 regular brands and 2 match. 3-5 shot groups at 50 yds.

11 brands avg 1.80” and 2 match 1.73”. (2.64”to .90”, Simmons 3x9x40)

A comparison Ruger 10-22 in Gun Digest Feb 2019, Patrick Meitin: has an average of 1.09” at 50 yds with 6 standard brands, 5-5 shot groups (1.75” to .44”, Tract Optics 4x12x44) .

This was an accurizing article and was the 10/22’s baseline accuracy. This gun had various parts added in stages that brought the 5-5 shot groups down to .66”.

The Wildcat isn’t awful (except with the CCI Subsonics!!) and for the price point it’s not expected to hold .5” groups. The G&A article was the one with the really Ho-hum accuracy I was primarily recalling, the others were not stellar, but they were a bit better.

Stay safe.

One of the things I think we can all agree on is that no 22 is like any other 22.....one can just love this ammo, and one that is 4 sn# off can hate it.

I just came in from doing some 22 shooting, an old weatherby XXII....I had about every 22 on the planet....you want to know what it liked the best....golden bullet.

It is a little like taking your child to a nice place to eat and he wants Mac&cheeze.

 

[someguy2800]

One of the things I think we can all agree on is that no 22 is like any other 22.....one can just love this ammo, and one that is 4 sn# off can hate it.

I just came in from doing some 22 shooting, an old weatherby XXII....I had about every 22 on the planet....you want to know what it liked the best....golden bullet.

It is a little like taking your child to a nice place to eat and he wants Mac&cheeze.

Not suprized at all. My savage mk2 and my buckmark both shoot superbly with golden bullets. Bested only by CCI standard and mini mags.

 

[midland man]

yep and my 22's strangley love the Winchester m-22 I call them the black box ammo as they come in black boxes, but yeah my guns love them very well, and more so my ruger new bearcat pistol!!

 

[Riomouse911]

One of the things I think we can all agree on is that no 22 is like any other 22.....one can just love this ammo, and one that is 4 sn# off can hate it.

I just came in from doing some 22 shooting, an old weatherby XXII....I had about every 22 on the planet....you want to know what it liked the best....golden bullet.

It is a little like taking your child to a nice place to eat and he wants Mac&cheeze.

I was surprised at the ho-hum G&A average group size, but it’s probably more a result of the dot.... especially compared to the Leupold scope Mr. von Benedikt was shooting his groups with. The author didn’t go into much detail on the 9”+ group, I’ll figure it was like the lousy groups most guns shoot with the Aguila 60 gr Sniper Subsonic round as the standard twist is too slow for the bullet.

I will say my Mk II Govt Target digested 100 Aguila pistol match and 100 “Target 22” rounds with no hiccups, but I had 3 jams with Mini Mag 40 gr solid point in 50 shots. The CCI is usually a very reliable round, I musta got a wonky lot. Unless you meticulously roll your own ammo, you just never know....

Stay safe.

 

[fpgt72]

I was surprised at the ho-hum G&A average group size, but it’s probably more a result of the dot.... especially compared to the Leupold scope Mr. von Benedikt was shooting his groups with. The author didn’t go into much detail on the 9”+ group, I’ll figure it was like the lousy groups most guns shoot with the Aguila 60 gr Sniper Subsonic round as the standard twist is too slow for the bullet.

I will say my Mk II Govt Target digested 100 Aguila pistol match and 100 “Target 22” rounds with no hiccups, but I had 3 jams with Mini Mag 40 gr solid point in 50 shots. The CCI is usually a very reliable round, I musta got a wonky lot. Unless you meticulously roll your own ammo, you just never know....

Stay safe.

And how those groups are shot....off hand, off a rest, in a lead sled type deal.....if you are testing the gun or ammo you MUST take yourself out of it as much as possible.

 

[Frostbite]

I traded a Browning Buckmark Sporter rifle I had shot extensively but which was still looking brand new for a CZ 455 Standard last year and I just traded this one in for a CZ 457 Varmint (American stock) I ordered but have not yet received.
I can definitely see the appeal of an inexpensive, light and easy to clean semi with rails in my future. Another rifle for another use. Plus, I already have a cheap scope and rings and mounts on hand for one.
I can't wait to put the scope I bought for the new CZ to work!

 

[Riomouse911]

I traded a Browning Buckmark Sporter rifle I had shot extensively but which was still looking brand new for a CZ 455 Standard last year and I just traded this one in for a CZ 457 Varmint (American stock) I ordered but have not yet received.
I can definitely see the appeal of an inexpensive, light and easy to clean semi with rails in my future. Another rifle for another use. Plus, I already have a cheap scope and rings and mounts on hand for one.
I can't wait to put the scope I bought for the new CZ to work!

CZ makes some darn good firearms! My 550 American in 6.5x55 is one of my favorite centerfires

Stay safe.

 

[LoonWulf]

I was surprised at the ho-hum G&A average group size, but it’s probably more a result of the dot.... especially compared to the Leupold scope Mr. von Benedikt was shooting his groups with. The author didn’t go into much detail on the 9”+ group, I’ll figure it was like the lousy groups most guns shoot with the Aguila 60 gr Sniper Subsonic round as the standard twist is too slow for the bullet.

I will say my Mk II Govt Target digested 100 Aguila pistol match and 100 “Target 22” rounds with no hiccups, but I had 3 jams with Mini Mag 40 gr solid point in 50 shots. The CCI is usually a very reliable round, I musta got a wonky lot. Unless you meticulously roll your own ammo, you just never know....

Stay safe.

as good minimags are, some guns just don't like em.
My buddy has a Mossberg Blaze that will lock up solid on minimags, but digest federal, which none of my guns like.

My 597 dosent like the newer white background Aguila Super Extras, and jams solid. My other guns love it and shoot it as well or better than the Minimags.

I've also YET to find a gun that won't run CCI standards, or shoot them well.

 

[Frostbite]

Could not resist. Now have one pre-ordered. $379,15 CAD, 15% sales taxes included.

 

[Skylerbone]

makes me wonder if Winchester makes the new Wildcat or if someone else does the work?

Winchester does not “make” any firearms these days, only designs and specs them.

While everyone is searching the net for a Wrangler, I will just hold on to my cash and get this little sucker.

Man but when you find one. I had the option of Black or Bronze and should have ordered several of each. Gave it to the wife or I’d have worn it out by now.

In this price range you have to two "main" I guess I will say in the Ruger and Marlin....they are very different systems and appeal to very different customer groups in the "cheap" automatic field...

No, that’s simply your over generalization of people. Plenty of us with both the 10/22 and 60 in our safes and the rifles actually don’t fight at all when left unattended.

The only thing this brings is if you get that gun person that does not want to change it around to buy it.....and I don't think you can have a well selling product with that small of a customer base.

So buyers of the Model 60 or 597 who don’t have much that can be changed, represent a “small customer base”? Better check how many million more Model 60s have been sold compared to 10/22s.

With all the great older wood and steel .22's out there I see no reason to look at the plastic-vancrapstick new lower end offerings.

Because wood and steel are heavy. Because most rifles with 22-25” barrels don’t weigh 4 lbs. Because, as has been pointed out, kids.

I don't think it is so much the rifle, but its fan club.

Again you take opinion and twist it into disdain. Every Model 60 post you cannot refrain from bringing up the Ruger and how its “fanbois” will be along shortly. Every 10/22 post you jab away at every positive aspect as if all others are liars and only your opinion matters. I’d sooner have dinner with a fan club than someone 12-steps beyond curmudgeon. At that far gone curmudgeon no longer applies and terminology gets honest.

if you are testing the gun or ammo you MUST take yourself out of it as much as possible.

Agreed!!! Agreed!!! My biggest problem with writers and internet reviewers however, and this is far from personal, is I don’t know them.
1. Did they clean the bore before shooting?
2. Did they fire enough rounds of each ammo to wax (lube) the barrel?
3. Did they clean between ammo types?
4. Was the ammo bought at Walmart last decade and found under the front seat?
5. Did they use a proper rest?
6. Did they use proper technique?
7. Can they shoot a lick at all, and if so, why does every rifle they test shoot so-so in the accuracy department?

The above list of course is even more reason for folks who have an interest to become early adopters. While I agree with what you wrote, the one part of the equation you cannot take yourself out of is the role of shooter. I don’t post up other peoples’ targets and say “MY rifle is capable of groups like this”. I do know what I’m capable of and if a rifle sits below that threshold.

For as many times as I read on forums about “it’ll do .5MOA all day long if I do my part” I have never once thought any of them hit the lottery on accurate firearms. Mostly I think they can’t measure groups correctly (@Picher proved I couldn’t either) or they aren’t being completely honest about how often it shoots so well. A healthy number here on THR can make these claims honestly and yet I find most don’t write about it much.

Back to the Wildcat; I hadn’t kept up with this thread, hadn’t even watched the video until a few minutes ago. I am now genuinely considering one as a next purchase for one of my 4 daughters. Two already own full size rimfires, one will be assembling her first this fall, and one has only loaners that don’t suit her well.

 

[Picher]

With the "pressures" by editors and manufacturers, I wonder whether gun writers are inclined to shoot rifles at closer ranges than they report. Perhaps they're better writers than shooters? I have no information regarding this question, but the pressures must be quite high to "cheat". I sincerely hope we're getting correct information, but if any manufacturer wants to send me a rifle and ammo to test and report, I'd be happy to do so, as long as I can also post the un-edited results on this forum. (No I won't shoot heavy-recoiling magnums, even though you might be inclined to send them.)

 

[rust collector]

If a reviewer does an excellent job of evaluating a rifle or ammunition, the reader gets incensed that she cannot duplicate the results, and the T&E provider is miffed about comments on the finish or machining. It's a tough gig!

 

[Picher]

I keep thinking of the old saying "Be not the first to try the new, nor the last to keep the old." (Or something like that.)

Let someone else be on the "Bleeding edge of technology". There may be a bunch of recalls, replacement parts, or whatever, but at least it's not an extremely expensive product from a questionable foreign source. Confused yet?

 

[Jeb Stuart]

I keep thinking of the old saying "Be not the first to try the new, nor the last to keep the old." (Or something like that.)

Let someone else be on the "Bleeding edge of technology". There may be a bunch of recalls, replacement parts, or whatever, but at least it's not an extremely expensive product from a questionable foreign source. Confused yet?

Some folks believed the earth was square.Some still do.

 

[fpgt72]

I keep thinking of the old saying "Be not the first to try the new, nor the last to keep the old." (Or something like that.)

Let someone else be on the "Bleeding edge of technology". There may be a bunch of recalls, replacement parts, or whatever, but at least it's not an extremely expensive product from a questionable foreign source. Confused yet?

Oh I will hold on to my old stuff till my last days.....but I do get your drift.....for toys like this....and lets face facts for 99% of us...

oops there I go again "over generalization of people" darn....these things are toys....that is likely to get more feathers ruffled....poor chickens.....

new old, it really does not matter, you might not get the hole in your paper where you want, or miss that squirrel....it ain't the end of days.

We had this come up in another thread....hell might have been this one for all I know....you don't daily drive your model T....but that does not mean it is not a car that still does "car stuff".

 

[Skylerbone]

It’s truly sad that people spend their days in hopes of annoying others with what they write. The only legacy such folks leave behind is a failure to communicate. Tired, old, unfounded conclusions lacking one iota of helpfulness, mixed with 2 parts spite, and leaving all other members wondering; why did they bother at all? What joy did they revel in or did they not recognize the fool they played? And then, just as quickly, they and their Low Brow, Low Road “legacy” will be forgotten.

As for the Wildcat, well I think Winchester has experienced a renaissance period of late and the innovative features of this rifle seem further evidence to me. The price is right for early adopters and I won’t be bothered with most modern recalls which for the most part involve the blunderings of those who ignore their manual’s repeated warnings.

 

[Picher]

Oh I will hold on to my old stuff till my last days.....but I do get your drift.....for toys like this....and lets face facts for 99% of us...

oops there I go again "over generalization of people" darn....these things are toys....that is likely to get more feathers ruffled....poor chickens.....

new old, it really does not matter, you might not get the hole in your paper where you want, or miss that squirrel....it ain't the end of days.

We had this come up in another thread....hell might have been this one for all I know....you don't daily drive your model T....but that does not mean it is not a car that still does "car stuff".

What's scary is that some people can't hit sh-t with a rifle that groups MOA, but will hit something once in a while with one that shoots 4 MOA!!! Ha ha!

 

[LoonWulf]

What's scary is that some people can't hit sh-t with a rifle that groups MOA, but will hit something once in a while with one that shoots 4 MOA!!! Ha ha!

Accuracy by volume! My second favorite method of getting hits in paintball, if I made hits at all.

 

[OrangeCat]

Accuracy by volume! My second favorite method of getting hits in paintball, if I made hits at all.

Good enough for Teddy Roosevelt.

http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/41681.html

 

[Sistema1927]

Neat concept.

My one observation is that it would be even better if they had made provision for an extra mag in the buttstock as found in the Magpul Backpacker.