Today Jeanne and I tried .22 BPCR at the Oklahoma city Gun Club. Our bud and range all around guy, Don Faulkenberry, let us shoot his .22 Hepburn. My oh my that was fun. I think I may sell a car and buy one of those fine rifles. No problems, no NRA problems...just a bunch of guys and gals having a blast. If that organization can do without the NRA I was wondering about CLA doing the same...or better yet, maybe the IHMSA would make a lever action class and we could shoot under their organization.

Glen, How as it taken you this long to shoot you first .22 BPCR? Yes, it's a hell of a fun game. You are registered for Raton and the Nationals, I hope. They are bumping up against their maximum registration (~140 shooters). You should be there.

I shot Don's Hepburn. It was a blast. I only shot a few shots at their lunch break today. I hit a chicken and two rams all standing. Now to convince myself I need to shuck out that much money. It'll be my luck I get the gun built and THAT TOO will move to someplace back east.

Just about blows a persons mind the first time they see those rams at 200 meters falling over. Tons of fun.
Check out the lo walls from C Sharps, 2 1/2 weight barrel so sweet.

I don't think .22bpcr will EVER leave Oklahoma. That's where it was born and that's where it will stay rooted.

I built my first custom rifle for that game. It's a low wall (of course ). If you want to see some REALLY beautiful rifles, there is no match like the .22 bpcr nationals at Raton for pretty guns. Just walk the line and you will see more English walnut, fancy feather black walnut, engraving, perfect rust blue, and fancy checkering, than at any other rifle match anywhere.

I agree with Brent, the sport was born there and if the nationals aren't held at Raton , I'ld fully expect it to be in Oklahoma or maybe Texas.

Jeanne has given me the OK for a .22 bpcr gun that we both can shoot. Now the qust has begun..as long as I stay within the budget she's given me.

Well, what do you have to work with and what do you like? I built mine from a thick-tang low wall, which I consider to be the best of all possible actions, but everyone is different. Start with a good barrel maker and go from there. Scope or irons?

I don't know what ammo you use for .22 CLA but you might want to start looking for a good deal on high-end .22 ammo. The highest quality target ammo is not overkill by any means.

A couple of our guys have bought Winchester 1885s and had Dan put a good barrel on them. I'm on a budget so a Hepburn is out of the question. I shoot SK Rifle match out of my 22 bolt and lever gun.

You could put a new barrel (or even use a factory barrel if it tests okay) on a modern low Japanese Winchester, or build one from scratch. I went the later route. To some extent the size of your hands matters. But low walls of one flavor or another are probably the most popular style of rifle, followed by Ballards and then maybe Remingtons, both #3s and rollers as well. If you do go the low wall route, be sure to have one of Dan's extractors installed. They are really a nice upgrade from the traditional Winchester extractor (though that is what I have on mine).

This is mine - it uses a 17" Lilja barrel inside a 28" #2 Winchester barrel, the thick-tang, flat-spring action, a single set trigger (preferred over wide double sets), and a titanium short-fall hammer. The rest is pretty much stock. MVA Schuetzen Soule sights.

It also doubles as a pretty fair squirrel rifle

Nice !!!!

Jeanne and I are looking for a gun now. She wants one light enough to shoot chickens standing. We'll be at the Lever Action nationals and ask around there also.

Glen,
See Jeanne's email.................

There will be several for sale at the Nationals, I'm sure. I'd be glad to help you find one there or elsewhere.

Glen the C Sharps lowall with a 26 inch 2 1/2 weight barrel 26 inches long is a nice little rifle that is heavy enough to go to sleep in the sticks on the laydowns yet light enough to handle well on the offhand targets.
The Miroku built lowalls with the 1/2 round barrels also handle well and shoot Sk rifle match ammo quite well.(or at least ours does) The draw back on that is the crescent butt may not be the most comfortable rifle to shoot from prone.