A lever-action 22 is an amazing addition to your list of firearms. A lever action in 22 LR provides a combination of fun and utility that few other rifles can. These guns are affordable to run, provide good marksmanship practice, and are good for small game hunting.
From plinking to pests to hunting, a lever-action 22 is the perfect hobby rifle. The integral magazine and manual action make it legal in most locations. But still provides a rapid fire rate compared to the manual bolt options.
If you're looking for something to spice up your small game hunts or a friendly competition, consider getting yourself a 22 LR lever-action.
Lever actions have a special aesthetic built by movies of the Old West. They are fun rifles to shoot, but are often in calibers that are expensive to shoot a lot of.
A lever-action 22 is a great compromise since it allows you to have the lever-action experience while using a more affordable round like 22 LR ammo.
If your lever-action rifle is chambered for 22 LR, it can use 22 Short and 22 Long rounds in addition to 22 LR. They share the important aspects of the rimfire design, making them compatible with the larger case length of 22 LR. This does not extend to 22 Magnum, which is not compatible with 22 LR.
Yes. For small game like squirrels, prairie dogs, and similarly sized animals, a 22 LR round will be enough to humanely put the animal down. A lever action just adds more fun to the whole hunt for a unique experience.
In general, no. It's great for small game, but it lacks the power of most home-defense firearms. When combined with a proper hunting round or one that meets the FBI protocol of 18 inches of maximum penetration, it could be a viable option. But there are better firearms out there that should be considered before a lever-action 22.
Yes. As long as the rifle itself is maintained and any lead fouling is cleared out, lever-action 22s tend to be very reliable. The real issue comes down to the exposed lead bullets that are the common round used for 22 LR firearms. Since the longer barrels get higher velocities out of the round, there is a greater chance of lead buildup in the rifling and carbon buildup in the rest of the system.
The use of a jacketed bullet can cut down on the fouling but most projectiles are exposed lead. This means large-scale bulk ammunition will be the primary culprit for reliability issues for your rifle.