I come from a long line of Winchester Repeating Arms fans. My grandfather started his hunting career with an 1892 lever-action chambered in .25-20, and later, he picked up a Model 12 shotgun. My dad hunted everything from upland birds to whitetail deer with his Model 12 pump shotgun. My first (and, secretly, still my favorite) shotgun is my Model 1300 Upland model in 20-gauge.

My family certainly loves our Winchesters, and we’re not alone. Very few firearms brands have transcended American culture like Winchester has, and there are still shooters who look for all their new firearms in the Winchester catalog. If that’s you, you’ve likely noticed that Winchester has gone heavy on rimfire rifles in recent years. The introduction of the Wildcat semi-automatic, Xpert bolt-action, and Ranger lever-action rimfires leaves no doubt that Winchester is making moves to become the top American rimfire rifle manufacturer.

Let’s look at Winchester’s new family of .22 rifles.

The Winchester name has been on some great rimfire rifles, including the groundbreaking Model 1903 and, years later, the reliable Model 1963. In 2019, Winchester added another great .22 to their ranks, the Wildcat.

Named in honor of Winchester’s popular Wildcat small-game and plinking ammunition, the Wildcat rifle uses a blowback-operated action and comes with a 10-round rotary magazine. The lower receiver assembly can be removed with the touch of a button, simplifying and streamlining cleaning and maintenance. A pair of hex wrenches attached to the receiver assembly allow you to adjust the rear sight and remove the stock from the rifle.

Good sights are essential on a .22, and I’m a huge fan of the Wildcat’s adjustable aperture rear sight and post-front sight. Aperture sights are an excellent choice because they offer superb precision and rapid sight acquisition, but if you’d prefer a magnified scope, the Wildcat has a Picatinny rail integrated into the receiver to make mounting optics easier. A red dot optic also makes sense on this handy four-pound autoloader.

Wildcat rifles come standard with a rugged gray injection-molded polymer stock. However, several variations of the Wildcat have been added to the Winchester line since 2019, including a Sporter version with a walnut stock and several models with optic packages

I love the lightweight Wildcat’s look and feel, especially the narrow vertical pistol grip. There’s a rail section on the front of the forearm that, when not in use, can be covered with the included insert. This makes mounting a sling and/or bipod straightforward. SR (Suppressor Ready) versions of the Wildcat come with threaded muzzles for mounting suppressors or other muzzle devices.

Winchester understands the value of extra magazines and was wise enough to make the Wildcat compatible with magazines for the 10/22. In addition to magazine compatibility, the Wildcat offers additional features that are improvements over that classic design including the drop-out lower receiver, dual ambidextrous magazine releases, and striker-fired ignition system that is similar to a centerfire rifle. I also appreciate the magazine’s speed load/unload feature that allows shooters to relieve spring pressure on the follower to quickly load or unload the magazine. Best of all, the MSRP for the Winchester Wildcat starts at just $279.

The new Xpert rifle is a radical departure from the Model 75 Winchester bolt-action rifle I shot as a kid. Whereas the Model 75 was a heavy-barreled precision rimfire with a walnut stock, the new Xpert is a trim turn-bolt rimfire that is lightweight, rugged, and very accurate. The Xpert shares the 10-round rotary magazine with the Wildcat, making these rifles compatible with 10/22 magazines.

The Bentz-style chamber has been popular among competition rimfire shooters for years, and Winchester has made it a standard feature on all Xpert rifles. Xpert rifles also come with Winchester’s M.O.A. Rimfire Trigger that eliminates creep, take-up, and overtravel. The two-position safety and oversized bolt handle make it easy to operate the rifle, making the Xpert ideal for training.

The Xpert was initially offered in .22 LR, but the new rimfire magnum version is now available and chambered in .17 HMR, .17 WSM, and .22 WMR. These rifles come with 8-round magazines and scope bases, making them an excellent choice for small game hunters who want a bit more punch than the .22 LR offers. There’s also a Sporter version of the Xpert with a walnut stock that will speak to traditionalists, and there are SR models threaded ½ x 28 that will accept suppressors and other muzzle devices.

The Xpert is also available chambered in Winchester’s exciting new 21 Sharp. Utilizing a .210-inch bullet without a traditional "heel" such as you'll find on .22 LR bullets, the 21 Sharp can be loaded with monometal lead-free or copper jacketed bullets. This adds an entirely new dimension to rimfire hunting and — perhaps most importantly — makes the 21 Sharp legal for hunting in areas with lead bans.

With MSRP starting at $329, the Xpert is an excellent value. It’s great for plinking or small game hunting, and it’s an ideal low-weight, low-recoil rifle for introducing new shooters to the sport. It’s also a great training rifle that allows you to get some bolt-action rifle practice without the abusive recoil or high ammo cost associated with centerfire rifles.

What is it about lever-action rimfire rifles that makes them so much fun to shoot? Is it feeling like John Wayne while hanging empty brass in the air with a flick of the lever? It could be doing all this at ammo costs that are measured in cents instead of dollars. Whatever the inherent attraction of shooting a lever-action .22 is, the Ranger does not disappoint.

The fun-to-cost ratio is still relatively low with this rifle. The MSRP for a new Ranger is just $429, considerably less than competing lever-action rimfires. The aluminum receiver helps keep weight down to just 5.25 pounds, so this rifle is manageable for almost any shooter. The tubular magazine holds 15 rounds of .22 LR, which is plenty to spin poppers and plates at the range or shoot a limit of fox squirrels.

One of the things I like most about this rifle is that it’s easy to disassemble for storage or transport. The ramp rear sight and hooded front are classic lever gun touches, as is the satin oil finish on the Grade I walnut stock. This rifle looks and handles like classic Winchester lever-actions, but the low cost of ownership makes it a truly fun gun that’ll probably accompany you every time you head to the range.

Winchester has a long tradition of producing quality firearms, but it’s been quite a while since it offered any rimfire products. The Wildcat, Xpert, and Ranger are welcome additions to the Winchester line, and they offer low-cost rifle options with the reliability, innovation, and quality construction we’ve long associated with Winchester Repeating Arms.