Hello! Welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report. TFB’s ongoing series covering rimfire firearms, history, ammunition, and sports, continues on from last week’s article covering the Ranger Model 103-8. Luke is out this week, bringing you the best NRAAM coverage out there, so be sure to look out for that. While I would love to dive into the history of .22 LR bullet design or something cool like that, my rimfire knowledge is nothing compared to Luke’s, so let’s stick to what I know: rifles. This week, I’ll be reviewing the Winchester Xpert 22 LR rifle. 

More Rimfire Report @ TFB:

• The Rimfire Report: The Ranger Model 103-8 – A Blast From The Past
• The Rimfire Report: Italy’s Chiappa Little Badger 22LR Survival Rifle
• The Rimfire Report: Project Appleseed – Affordable Marksmanship

The Winchester Xpert: Specifications

• Caliber: .22 LR
• Barrel length: 18”
• Overall length: 36.25”
• Length of pull: 13.5”
• Weight: 4.5 lbs.
• MSRP: $319.99

Novice: First Impressions

I was first made aware of the Winchester Xpert at SHOT Show 2022. Having successfully harvested my first rabbit with a bolt-action .22 rifle, my interest in learning more about them had skyrocketed. What really stood out to me was the gun’s weight. It felt like I could carry it all day and not notice its presence.

The magazine release was intriguing, as well. The Xpert accepts 10/22-patterned rotary magazines and comes with one 10-round Winchester mag. The magazine release is a vast improvement from what I’m used to. Instead of reaching under and fumbling with a tab, the two bright red, textured mechanisms on the sides of the magazine can be pinched and pulled. That drops the magazine, allowing you to reload without losing your perfect position.

The stock is polymer and the barrel comes topped with iron sights. I would have loved a top Picatinny rail for easier optics mounting, but drilled and tapped receivers work, and there are plenty of resources if you have never mounted a scope with this system. I couldn’t get the scope bases in time for this review, so I did some…customization. Speaking of Picatinny, there is a rail at the forwardmost portion of the forearm. It comes with a plastic protector. I like this idea but would love a more heavy-duty protector piece. 

Journeyman: Using the Xpert

I took the Winchester Xpert to the range for testing, after mounting a Maven CRS.1 3-12×40 SFP scope. The Xpert was designed more as a .22 trainer for full-size rifles, but I want a new rabbit gun. When I was rabbit hunting, I used a non-magnified red dot. It worked just fine, but I like being able to get a clearer picture and more precise shot placement. Before I got to any practical accuracy, I wanted to check what the Xpert was capable of on paper.

I backed things up to 50 yards and put down a few groups. This was the best one, with three rounds in the same hole. It was also a windy Colorado day. I think I saw a house fly away in the distance. 

If this is going to be my new rabbit slayer, I need to test its practical accuracy. We had a steel target roughly the size and shape of a small, circular-shaped rabbit. 

Hunting is dynamic, so I got to moving around. I took shots from different positions and rests, connecting with every…well, most of my shots. By the way, I was shooting CCI 35-grain stingers for both technical and practical accuracy.

However, they did give me an issue with feeding. This other case is from some random Armscor .22 that I had. The cases were much shorter than the stingers, but I didn’t notice until after I had fired all of the Armscor stuff, so I wasn’t able to compare the bullets. The rounds fed fine but completing the downward movement of the bolt handle was a mild chore at times.

I think the 10/22 magazine compatibility is brilliant but even more astounding is Winchester’s take on the pattern. Simple changes to geometry have made the magazines a breeze to handle. Specifically, the body of the magazine opposite the mag release flares out into a tab-like shape. It’s the perfect purchase point (say that five times fast) for your thumb when using the paddle.

Xpert: The Lowdown

So, is this my new hunter? Absolutely! Well, with one issue. This will be my new rabbit gun until I get a .22 suppressor. I wish the muzzle was threaded. There are threaded versions available and I would recommend those over the base model.

With the modern aesthetic of the rifle, I was also hoping for some more modern features, such as a top Picatinny rail and updated sling-attachment points. What’s there is fine, but I’d love to be able to run an adjustable two-point like I do on my ARs. Keeping the rifle tight to my body while hunting frees up my hands while keeping the gun secure. However, for a $319.99 MSRP, there isn’t a whole lot to complain about.

The Xpert’s accuracy was beyond acceptable. I have no doubts about its ability to put food in the freezer or dings on steel. I’m by no means a precision shooter, but those groups felt effortless. Overall, I think that this is a great, lightweight, bolt-action rifle. I may have suggested some updates, but I don’t count those as negatives, so much as improvements I’d like to see on an already awesome gun. One thing stands out to me the most. I handed this rifle to a friend who has spent plenty of time behind a bolt gun. I saw him get excited about the features of this rifle twice! That’s about two more than most guns. 

Thank you so much for following along with my first contribution to The Rimfire Report. If the Winchester Xpert is something you’d like to grab for yourself, or the new shooter in your family, get all of the details directly from Winchester by heading to their website. Be sure to follow along on social media for some cool content. Winchester can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Enjoy and be safe!