Editor’s Pick: The Best .22 Rifle Book

Gun Digest editor's pick: The best .22 rifle book is the Gun Digest Book of the .22 Rifle.

If our interactions on social media are any indication, American hunters are embracing the season of filling the freezer like never before. Early dove, teal, and Canada goose seasons are open, and bowhunters are filling big-game tags in the West, as are deer hunters across the South. Yet to come—rifle big-game seasons. Which may leave you wondering why I chose Gun Digest Book of the .22 Rifle, the best .22 rifle book, for this week’s Editor’s Pick.

There are a couple reasons it's the best .22 rifle book. First, hunters out there have a month, maybe more, depending on where you live, of decent weather for range practice with paper targets, and a .22 is undoubtedly one of the best (and cheapest) ways to perfect trigger control and breathing, as well as field positions like prone, kneeling, offhand, and firing off of shooting sticks. You can fire a .22 all day long to get it right, but try that kind of a long, dedicated shooting session with a .30-06 or .338 Win. Mag., and you’ll be flinching and wishing you had a spare shoulder and an extra pair of ears.

Second, it’s also time for small-game hunting seasons. Squirrels are everywhere, and rabbits are fair game once the frost hits the pumpkins, and there’s no better tool for either than the .22 LR rifle.

Third, the holidays are right around the corner, bringing parents everywhere the perfect opportunity to gift their child their first rifle for target practice and hunting. Most will start with a .22 for all the reasons we just talked about—no recoil, low noise, cheap to shoot, and more.

With all these things to focus on, the next question to come is just what .22 rifle is best? And that’s where the best .22 rifle book, Gun Digest Book of the .22 Rifle, comes in.

Well-known author C. Rodney James has you covered, from bolt-actions and single-shots, to pumps, semi-autos, and lever-action rifles, thoroughly examining the pluses and minuses of each. In addition, James discusses the myriad ammunition choices out there, and covers .22 applications for everything from small-game hunting to competitive smallbore shooting. You’ll also find advice on effective ranges, and how to perfect accuracy with these wonderful guns. It’s the best .22 rifle book for any avid shooter, no matter your sport of discipline, and one every gun owner should include in their library.