21-Aug-2026
Ask ten UK shooters to name the best .22LR rifle, and you’ll get ten different answers, and every one of them will be at least half right. The humble .22 rimfire is the most versatile cartridge in British shooting: cheap to feed, quiet with a moderator, legal on most permissions, and accurate enough to win serious competitions. Whether you’re after a knockabout plinker, a dedicated ratting rifle or a precision trainer that mirrors your full-bore setup, there’s a .22LR that fits.
This guide runs through the rimfire rifles UK buyers actually search for and buy, what each one does best, and where the smart money goes on the used market.
Why .22LR is still the UK’s favourite rimfire
Before the picks, a quick word on why the .22LR endures. Ammunition costs a fraction of centrefire, recoil is negligible, and with subsonic rounds through a moderator, a .22LR is genuinely hushed, ideal for vermin control around farm buildings. It’s also the classic first Section 1 rifle for newly certificated shooters and the round of choice for club target work and the fast-growing world of rimfire practical competition. If you want the background on how rimfire differs from centrefire, our guide to air rifles vs rimfire rifles covers the fundamentals.
Ruger 10/22: The semi-auto icon
The Ruger 10/22 is the world’s best-known .22 semi-automatic, and it remains hugely popular with UK shooters. Its detachable rotary magazine is famously reliable; the aftermarket is enormous, stocks, barrels, triggers, the lot, and it’s one of the few rifles you can genuinely build into whatever you want it to be. In the UK, semi-auto rimfires are perfectly legal on a Section 1 certificate, which makes the 10/22 the closest most of us get to fast-firing fun. Read our full Ruger 10/22 UK review for the detail, and if the semi-auto side of things interests you, our piece on AR-15 style .22LR rifles explores the tactical-styled end of the market.
Best for: plinking, rimfire practical, anyone who likes tinkering.
CZ 457: The all-round benchmark
If one bolt-action rimfire dominates UK gun shop counters, it’s the CZ 457. The Czech maker’s latest action brought a lighter trigger, a shorter 60-degree bolt lift and interchangeable barrels to what was already the default recommendation for a working rimfire. From the walnut-stocked Premium to the heavy-barrelled Varmint, there’s a 457 for every job, and accuracy out of the box is routinely excellent. Our CZ 457 rifle guide digs into the range, and if you’re weighing it against its predecessor, see CZ 455 vs CZ 457. Browse current CZ rifles for sale to see what’s about.
Best for: the shooter who wants one rimfire that does everything well.
Tikka T1x: The precision trainer
Tikka’s T1x arrived with a simple pitch: a rimfire that feels like your centrefire. It shares its footprint with the T3x, so stocks and many accessories interchange, making it the natural understudy for stalkers and precision shooters who train with a T3x. The factory barrel is consistently accurate, the trigger is crisp, and the whole rifle has that Finnish solidity Tikka is known for. It has become the backbone of rimfire precision leagues in the UK. See what’s available on our Tikka T1x listings page.
Best for: precision rimfire competition and centrefire training.
Anschutz: The target standard
For pure accuracy, Anschutz has set the standard for generations. Older Match 54-actioned rifles still outshoot most modern rivals, and the 1416 sporter brings genuine target pedigree to a hunting-weight rifle. They’re not cheap, but an Anschutz rimfire holds its value like few others, and a well-kept example is a lifetime rifle. Our Anschutz 1416 review covers the sporter line in depth.
Best for: club target shooting and buyers who want the best barrel money can buy.
Best budget and used buys
The used market is where .22LR value really lives. Rimfires tend to lead easy lives, many spend years shooting a few hundred rounds a season off a bench, so a second-hand rifle from a reputable seller is often 70% of the price for 95% of the performance. Older CZ 452s and BRNO Model 2s are superb workhorses, used 10/22s are plentiful, and discontinued Sako Finnfires (see our Sako 85 Finnfire II review) are quiet classics. Check the bore, dry-fire protection, and magazine condition, and you’re unlikely to go far wrong.
Ammunition and moderators: Getting the most from your .22LR
Whichever rifle you choose, the .22LR rewards a little experimentation. Rimfire barrels are famously individual; the brand of ammunition that shoots one-hole groups in your mate’s CZ may pattern like a shotgun in yours, so buy small boxes of several subsonic brands and let the rifle tell you what it likes. For vermin work, subsonic hollow-points through a moderator are the standard UK setup: no supersonic crack, just the muted click of the action, which keeps permissions happy and quarry undisturbed. For pure target work at 50 metres, match-grade standard-velocity ammunition is worth its premium, particularly in an Anschutz or T1x barrel.
A moderator is close to essential on a working UK rimfire, and most certificates are conditioned to allow one. Threaded barrels are now standard on nearly every new rimfire sold here, one more reason the current crop of .22LRs is the best value it has ever been. Scope-wise, the .22LR’s rainbow trajectory means a clear turret or holdover-friendly reticle matters more than magnification; a modest 3–9x or 4–12x with parallax adjustment down to 25 metres covers everything from ratting to club targets. Our article on what MOA means in shooting is a useful primer if you’re new to dialling corrections.
Budget a realistic share of your spend for glass, mounts, and moderator: a £500 rifle with a £300 scope will outshoot a £700 rifle with a £100 scope every day of the week.
FAQ
What is the best .22LR rifle for a beginner in the UK? A bolt-action like the CZ 457 is the usual recommendation: simple, safe, accurate, and easy to sell on if you upgrade. A used CZ 452 does the same job for less.
Are semi-auto .22LR rifles legal in the UK? Yes. Self-loading rimfire rifles chambered in .22LR are legal to own on a Section 1 firearm certificate, which is why rifles like the Ruger 10/22 remain so popular here.
What can you shoot with a .22LR in the UK? With landowner permission and appropriate certificate conditions, .22LR is widely used for rabbits, rats, and other small vermin, as well as target shooting. It is not a legal deer calibre in the UK.
Is .22LR accurate enough for target shooting? Very much so, .22LR is the standard for smallbore target disciplines, and quality rifles with matched ammunition will shoot ragged one-hole groups at 50 metres.
Find your next Rimfire on Rightgun.uk
The right .22LR depends on the job: a 10/22 for fun, a CZ 457 for all-round work, a T1x for precision, an Anschutz for the podium. Whichever way you lean, you can compare new and used examples from sellers across the country on Rightgun.uk. Start with our rifles for sale listings, or jump straight to Ruger, CZ, or Tikka to see what’s in stock today.
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