Winchester Wildcat Rifle, 22LR

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  • Tranzoo

    Member
    Oct 9, 2019
    14
    Indian Head, MD
    Does anyone have any experience with the Winchester Wildcat Rifle, 22LR? Its a relatively new firearm, made in Turkey. The price is very competitive so I'm buying two of them, one for two of my sons. Thanks for any guidance.

    Bill T
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,736
    Socialist State of Maryland
    Not really that new. I have shot one and held one a couple of times. If you search the net you can find several people who did reports on them. I didn't buy it at the time because it was too new and I wanted the bugs out before buying one. (maybe 4-5 years ago) I liked it though.
     

    Darkemp

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 18, 2009
    7,808
    Marylandistan
    Does anyone have any experience with the Winchester Wildcat Rifle, 22LR? Its a relatively new firearm, made in Turkey. The price is very competitive so I'm buying two of them, one for two of my sons. Thanks for any guidance.

    Bill T

    Not new- it’s really a TOZ-78 made in the Tula arms factory in Russia not Turkey, was sold by Winchester for a few years. Great shooter, I’ve had mine since 2010.
     

    trickg

    Guns 'n Drums
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 22, 2008
    14,599
    Glen Burnie
    You know what would be really cool? If Winchester would license the magazine from Ruger so that standard 10/22 magazines would work with it. I bet they'd sell a lot more of them if they'd do that.
     

    budman93

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 1, 2013
    5,267
    Frederick County
    You know what would be really cool? If Winchester would license the magazine from Ruger so that standard 10/22 magazines would work with it. I bet they'd sell a lot more of them if they'd do that.

    It doesn't really look like it is much cheaper than a 10/22. I dont see the advantage. The ruger has way more support and parts availability.
     

    trickg

    Guns 'n Drums
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 22, 2008
    14,599
    Glen Burnie
    It doesn't really look like it is much cheaper than a 10/22. I dont see the advantage. The ruger has way more support and parts availability.
    There are a couple of things about the Winchester that are kind of cool. The ability to drop out the entire action so easily for cleaning is interesting. That also opens up the barrel for easier cleaning without having to through the front end of the barrel, and possibly damage the crown.

    Still, the sheer number of parts and tweaks available for the 10/22 make it hard to ignore. Almost anyone who is a semi-serious gun accumulator has at least one 10/22, and the are probably more aftermarket parts and tweaks available for the 10/22 than all other makes and models combined. It's the Glock of the 22 LR world....or possibly the Glock is the 10/22 of the semi-auto pistol world. The 10/22 did come first after all.
     

    DutchV

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 8, 2012
    4,703
    You know what would be really cool? If Winchester would license the magazine from Ruger so that standard 10/22 magazines would work with it. I bet they'd sell a lot more of them if they'd do that.

    Pretty sure the patents have expired on the Ruger magazine design. Thompson Center and Volquartsen both make rifles that are heavily based on the 10/22, including the magazines. I won't call them clones, because in some ways they're better. But the design "influence" is obvious.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,884
    If you're going to use one basically stock , instead of deliberately rebuilding it from the ground up , no reason to not consider the Wildcat for your inexpensive .22lr sporter needs .
     

    trickg

    Guns 'n Drums
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 22, 2008
    14,599
    Glen Burnie
    Pretty sure the patents have expired on the Ruger magazine design. Thompson Center and Volquartsen both make rifles that are heavily based on the 10/22, including the magazines. I won't call them clones, because in some ways they're better. But the design "influence" is obvious.
    I'm talking about the ability to use magazines legitimately designed and made for the Ruger 10/22. That right there would be a game changer for whether or not I'd want to get one. As it is right now, probably not. If I could use 10/22 magazines, I would be much more interested.
     

    alucard0822

    For great Justice
    Oct 29, 2007
    17,643
    PA
    There are a couple of things about the Winchester that are kind of cool. The ability to drop out the entire action so easily for cleaning is interesting. That also opens up the barrel for easier cleaning without having to through the front end of the barrel, and possibly damage the crown.

    Still, the sheer number of parts and tweaks available for the 10/22 make it hard to ignore. Almost anyone who is a semi-serious gun accumulator has at least one 10/22, and the are probably more aftermarket parts and tweaks available for the 10/22 than all other makes and models combined. It's the Glock of the 22 LR world....or possibly the Glock is the 10/22 of the semi-auto pistol world. The 10/22 did come first after all.

    This, would have to be a really good deal to choose something other than a 10/22 variant, just based on magazine availability alone. It can be infinitely upgraded, but is a decent rifle even in it's base form. The only 22 rifle IMO that comes close are CMMG pattern AR22s, basically an AR15 build with a barrel/bolt from CMMG, RTB or AD and BD or bettermag/M&P mags, and the sky is the limit.
     

    trickg

    Guns 'n Drums
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 22, 2008
    14,599
    Glen Burnie
    This, would have to be a really good deal to choose something other than a 10/22 variant, just based on magazine availability alone. It can be infinitely upgraded, but is a decent rifle even in it's base form. The only 22 rifle IMO that comes close are CMMG pattern AR22s, basically an AR15 build with a barrel/bolt from CMMG, RTB or AD and BD or bettermag/M&P mags, and the sky is the limit.
    I'd submit that the classic Marlin model 39 is possibly "better" but we're talking a different style and type of rifle - lever vs semi-auto.
     

    Catch-10-22

    Appleseed Shoot Boss
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 27, 2009
    774
    PG County, MD
    I'm talking about the ability to use magazines legitimately designed and made for the Ruger 10/22. That right there would be a game changer for whether or not I'd want to get one. As it is right now, probably not. If I could use 10/22 magazines, I would be much more interested.

    But isn't the point of the Wildcat that it DOES use 10/22 mags in addition to its own? Sort of like the T/CR uses 10/22 mags in addition to its own proprietary last round bolt hold open mags?

    https://www.alloutdoor.com/2019/04/11/winchesters-new-wildcat-22-rifle-works-10-22-magazines/

    Agree, though, that being invested in the 10/22 is more than just the mags - it's part interchangeability, maintenance commonality, etc.
     

    Sundazes

    My brain hurts
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 13, 2006
    21,308
    Arkham
    I just watched a video that made it look like it accepted the 10/22 mag. Does it not?
     

    trickg

    Guns 'n Drums
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 22, 2008
    14,599
    Glen Burnie
    I just watched a video that made it look like it accepted the 10/22 mag. Does it not?
    I'm going to do some more looking into this rifle - I like what I see anyway, and if it takes regular 10/22 mags, that makes me very interested.
     

    chujohn

    Member
    Dec 2, 2019
    76
    Northern Virginia
    I got to handle one of these at a Bass Pro Shop and really liked it. The guy made a point to say it does take 10/22 magazines and the only reason I did not buy it I was looking for a pistol at the time.
     

    alucard0822

    For great Justice
    Oct 29, 2007
    17,643
    PA
    I'd submit that the classic Marlin model 39 is possibly "better" but we're talking a different style and type of rifle - lever vs semi-auto.

    The 10/22 is good, but no doubt there are better, always loved the Model 60. In manual actions, the CZ 452, Browning T-bolt, Marlin 39 and even the newer Henrys are pretty nice. Of course the best ever made is the Win 1890 pump, one of the first rifles I fired, and still probably my favorite.
     

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