Written by Matt Dunham
Rossi rimfires are known for being a good entry level rifle due to their generously low price point. They may not perform as well as a top class rimfire but no one comes close in terms of performance for price.
The Rossi I’ve been using is a semi auto .22 WMR (.22 Magnum) with a barrel cut down to 13.5“ with a DPT over barrel suppressor, that comes right back to the stock, and a Kilwell 3-9x 40 scope on top. A Shooter Ready "Dave" special. The build is a compact all rounder out to 150 yards.
I can’t talk grouping with this rifle as I didn’t have a bench set up or bags, so this review is purely practical. I had no problems sighting it in at 50m and from here I went straight to dropping a fat rat within 10m, 6 magpies at 50-80m and 3 rabbits at 70-80m. No bipod at the time, all standing and resting on branches or the car. This gun is compact and is best used as it is built. Easy to get in and out of the car and get through bushes.
The best thing about this semi auto is that it had no jams which makes it reliable for multiple targets and backing up shots. The next best thing is having a compact build that can extend out ranges far more reliably than a .22Lr semi auto can. A nice little novelty to add to its package is its load tab on the magazine which is seen more in AR’s but works well on its polymer mag for the .22 WMR. You can pull it down and drop 3-4 bullets in at a time and not fight the springs resistance when putting in the last couple rounds. The mag does extend out lower than the trigger, but I never encountered a position that it blocked me from resting up.
If you don’t shoot subs and want an all-round rimfire for practical shooting, then I would drop the .22Lr for this gun and have Dave put it in this compact build.
In short, this gun is normally an entry level rimfire but Dave’s compact build lifts this gun to a whole new level making it an epic fit for practical shooters.
