I don’t know if there’s a more satisfying sound than the tinny ding of a 40-grain .22 bullet hitting steel beyond 200 yards.
It can seem magic, ringing targets so far out that the time lag between snappy report and cheerful hit confirmation sometimes allows me to sip coffee. This experience is becoming more widespread as center-fire target shooters trade their chassis rigs for rimfires, getting in more practice in various venues and seasons. The rise of Precision Rifle Series rimfire divisions is fueling a renaissance in target .22s, but there’s also a broader rediscovery of the joys of shooting affordable, accurate, and low-noise and light-recoiling rimfires.
Springfield Armory’s 2020 Rimfire, introduced at the same time as its 2020 center-fire model, is the best of a new class of what could be called adult-onset .22s, versatile shooters for any age and game, but with the weight, heft, and dimensions of a big-game rifle.
The Springfield has the added benefit of being relatively affordable, with black polymer versions starting at $434 and snazzy coyote-brown, OD-green, and sage stocks, all with black webbing, retailing for around $500. Four grades of classic walnut stock range in price from $529 to $1,099.
BIG-GAME CONTROLS
I tested the olive-drab green version of the 2020 Rimfire as one of my arsenal of precision rimfires that serve as slave rifles for my optics testing. When I wring out a rifle scope, I put between 120 and 300 rounds through a rifle, to test turret tracking, reticle precision, and verify the scope’s magnification. In the old days, that was a lot of .308 recoil per scope, but I’ve transitioned to precision rimfires and can shoot all day without getting flinchy or concussed.
I gravitate toward .22 trainers with integrated Picatinny rails that enable easy and fast scope-swapping, excellent triggers, suppressor-ready threaded muzzles, and target-contour barrels. The Springfield delivers all these attributes but adds a few more key features.
The target-pattern stock has a high comb to ensure a solid cheek weld even with high-profile scopes. The straight grip ensures solid trigger engagement, and the palm swell is hand-filling and comfortable. A drop at the heel allows me to snug the stock when shooting off a support.
The action features dual cocking cams for strong lock-up and easy operation, a hardened chrome bolt that remains slick and fluid even after extended shooting sessions, and a 60-degree bolt throw that is easy to run. Shooters can trade out the bolt knob for aftermarket variations. The interrupted Pic rail accommodates just about any optic or mount, and the 20-inch threaded barrel (1:16 twist) is free-floated with a 1/2×28 thread pitch for suppressors or other muzzle devices.
Springfield Armory added an adjustable Remington 700-pattern trigger group to the 2020, a rarity at this price point.
The trigger is factory-set at 4.5 pounds, which is just right for my uses, though if I were going to compete with the 2020 Rimfire, I’d probably turn it down to about 3 pounds. The rifle accepts any 10-round rotary mags, and is cross-compatible with Ruger’s 10/22-pattern magazines. Additional magazines are available from Springfield for $24.95.
The Springfield’s extended magazine release is easy to use, even with gloves, but is tight and positive to ensure that shooters won’t inadvertently drop mags on the fly.
This is a fairly heavy rimfire at 7 pounds, 7 ounces, but its weight and balance match most center-fire rifles, making the 2020 Rimfire an excellent training gun for hunters seeking trigger time before a big-game hunt.
SPRINGFIELD ARMORY 2020 PERFORMANCE
I put all my optics-testing rimfires through a rigorous range session before pressing them into service to ensure that any deviations I see in scope performance arise from the optic and not the rifle. My protocol is to shoot 20-round groups with a variety of loads at 25 yards, and the Springfield posted the second-best accuracy of my arsenal (only the Bergara BMR-X shot better). The Springfield liked CCI’s Standard Velocity 40-grain loads best, but it also shot CCI’s Clean-22 loads extremely well, especially through a suppressor.
Obviously, accuracy measured at 25 yards will determine accuracy beyond 100 yards, but this rifle seems to get better the farther it shoots. That’s a function of its fit, feel, balance, and handling, of course, but also its geometry. With a precision optic mounted on its neutral rail, I can either hold or dial for elevation and stay in my scope regardless of magnification thanks to the stock contour.
Many rimfires, especially sporter versions with lower-profile stocks, are hard to shoot at distance because they require shooters to come off the comb and hold their head unsupported behind the scope.
The 2020’s square fore end also sits nicely on bags at the bench or on a pack or shooting sticks in the field. The 13.45-inch length of pull is perfect for my medium build, but it might be a bit long for kids and a tag short for large-framed shooters.
I haven’t shot the 2020 sporter variants, which have slimmer barrel profiles and classic low-comb stocks. But given that they share metalwork with the target versions, I’d guess they’ll shoot just as well and are better configured for the field.
Springfield Armory sells the sporter version in a basic black or four variations of walnut, ranging from a satin-finished model to three grades of Turkish walnut. The AAA version is one of the most handsome rimfires on the market, and at $1,099 is a fair price for an heirloom-grade rifle.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Model: Springfield Armory 2020 Rimfire (BART92022GBW)
- Caliber: .22 LR
- Action: Bolt-action
- Barrel: matte, blued with 1:16 twist, threaded muzzle with 1/2×28 thread pitch. Straight taper contour for target versions, #1 contour for sporter versions
- Receiver: Round 1.14” diameter, matte blued
- Stock: Reinforced polymer in target versions, either Turkish walnut or black polymer in sporter versions
- Barrel Length: 20 in.
- Overall Length: 38 in.
- Weight: 7.4 lbs.
- MSRP: $499 for synthetic target versions, $529-$1,099 for walnut sporter versions, depending on grade
Where To Buy
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