For most gun owners, early memories of shooting involve a .22 rimfire and time with family and friends engaged in plinking. 

What is plinking? 

It’s simply shooting at targets to enjoy using a firearm properly and honing the skills required to get hits. Plinking is a great way to build strong marksmanship and gun handling fundamentals. Plinking is also a way to ingrain safety practices. Your hunting success can also benefit from some time on the range plinking. Let’s look at a few of the best-suited plinking guns Winchester makes. 

The semi-automatic Wildcat is the flagship .22 from Winchester. As a plinking gun, the Wildcat is designed intelligently, and not only did the engineers think about making it easy to clean, but they also thought about intuitive function. The magazine can be released either by the tab on the bottom or by sliding the red rails on the sides. The Wildcat also features a reversible safety, making it versatile for left- and right-handed users. 

The integrated Picatinny rail on the fore-end is one of the best features suited to plinking and new users learning the fundamentals of marksmanship. Shooters can affix a bipod for shooting off a table or other support — no worries about being steady or strong enough with this model —making it easier for smaller-framed shooters to enjoy the art of plinking no matter their size. Some of my most enjoyable times plinking is using a .22 on a bipod in this manner and shooting the tiniest of targets. Winchester includes a cover should you not want to put the rail to use.

The Wildcat has an integrated Picatinny rail section for mounting optics, too. Even a simple red dot can help build confidence and make for hours of joy shooting with your family. 

A few target ideas for using that bipod and optic mounting option include:  

• Tiny plastic farm animals as targets can give the feel of a county fair game and teach sight alignment.
• Soda cans rule! These are great because it’s an inexpensive, readily available target that makes noise and is evident when hit.

The significant detail that sets the Winchester Xpert apart from the Wildcat is that it’s a bolt-action rifle — but the details make it a fully upgraded .22 bolt rifle. The Xpert comes with an extended bolt handle, so even those with big paws can get a grip on the bolt and run this little gun fast. 

The Xpert is engineered to be accurate, and a good trigger matters. It has the Rimfire M.O.A. Trigger that promises a glass-like break for precise shooting. When trying to hit small targets accurately, you want the trigger to break without moving your gun off the target. The Rimfire M.O.A. Trigger makes this easier to accomplish. 

In addition to the upgraded trigger, the semi-match Bentz chamber is another plus with tighter tolerances than a semi-auto chamber would have. So, the Bentz chamber helps deliver better accuracy from your barrel. 

The other big plus with the Xpert is the option of picking up a model with a threaded barrel. This is an excellent gun for those who know they want a suppressor. With increased access to information about suppressors and controlling the decibels our ears deal with, the choice to have a suppressor isn’t an “if” type of question but a “when.” When does it make sense? Affordability has made owning a suppressor mostly about waiting for the government to process paperwork. So, buying a suppressor-ready .22 is a great choice. 

Costs to help save your hearing:

• The average cost of a .22 Xpert suppressor ready is $329-$379, depending on the model.
• The average cost of a .22 suppressor starts around $300.
• The “permission slip,” AKA, Tax Stamp costs $200. But look for promotions and brands that wrap-up costs to help make the wait worthwhile. 

If you want to teach those who are skittish about shooting a gun because of noise, a suppressor can make them feel more comfortable. A suppressor is indeed suppressing our human instinct to startle at a loud noise. Yes, it makes the gun less noisy, but you still need hearing protection. The suppressor helps us focus on our actions without being jolted by the noise.

Put a suppressor-ready .22, like the Xpert, into perspective like this: Teddy Roosevelt used suppressors at his New York home because, as his son told it, “Father favored the silencer for early-morning hunting expeditions to eliminate varmints around Sagamore Hill. He felt it best not to wake the neighbors.” 

Those neighbors being the Vanderbilt’s and Tiffany’s of the world who liked varmint reduction that was polite — now you can appreciate the finer things too!

The Wildcat and the Xpert composite-stock models both have the versatility of using the aforementioned length of pull extension and the cheek riser. Both accept 10/22 magazines and have fully ambidextrous magazine releases. Each has a Picatinny rail on the forearm to use a bipod. Both are perfect for plinking and target shooting, and equally adept as varmint-hunting guns. If you want to introduce newbies to sport shooting and hunting small game, a Wildcat or Xpert is going to be an excellent choice, and they can use the same .22 for hunting that they learn to shoot with. So, get out there and make some memories with your friends, family, and Winchester!