Chet: Nice looking rifle!! I don't think anyone can go wrong with any Savage rifle.
In my prone matches there are no Ruger 10/22's but in the tactical matches I'm shooting against about 75% of them. I'm the only one with a Savage and I have no trouble out shooting most of them. Originally, I bought the Mark II BV for the Tactical and with the bull barrel it's a tack driver. Unfortunately, I had to refocus every time I racked the bolt and with only 80 seconds per stage the bolt, mag change plus movement didn't work for me. I needed a semi auto and almost purchased a Ruger 10/22 but the accuracy of the Mark II convinced me that I could duplicate it with the A22 -- and I was right.
The A22 has a rotary magazine like the Ruger 10/22. A speed loader is available for the Ruger but not for the Savage rotary. I find that personally the Savage rotary is hard to reload. I've watched video's etc and still can't get the hang of it. To save my fingers and speed up the process, after I insert the 1st shell, I use a "wooden chopstick" to push that shell down and insert the next shell. I'm getting pretty quick with that method. Since I don't have time to fool around during a match and between stages, I have 4 mags. For the prone matches I have 5 mags -- 5 mags is one less thing to think about per stage.
Incidentely, the rotary mags fit nicely in a speed loader belt pouch (Amazon $5.00) - beats having them loose and laying in the dirt etc.
Think you'll be very happy with that B22. Both the B-series rimfires I've shot so far have been extremely accurate and the one in 22LR seemed to shoot most any ammo well (the .17 HMR was a little more finicky). If you're planning on just shooting benchrest with it, you might want to shoot an email or PM off to SharpShooter here on the site as I'm fairly certain he has a benchrest stock pattern that will work with a B-series barreled action. I know he has the program to cut the inlet on the CNC as he did a varmint stock for one a year or so ago.
"Life' is tough. It's even tougher if you're stupid." ~ John Wayne
“Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer.” —Mark Twain
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