Winchester's New Wildcat

The Ultralight Rimfire Varmint Rifle

- Randy Bimson

The Wildcat features a highly-ergonomic ambidextrous stock that fits a wide range of shooters.

There is absolutely no doubt that Bill Ruger's introduction of the 10/22 Carbine in 1964 has left its mark in the industry as the most popular, self-loading rimfire, small-game and informal target-shooting rifle with sales amounting to some 10 million rifles.

In my opinion, it has been a lot of years since Winchester Repeating Arms last gave us a great .22 rimfire rifle, and that rifle was the exceptionally well-built and accurate Model 9422 lever action, let alone a great self-loading .22 rimfire rifle that could compete head-on against the Ruger 10/22 Carbine. The Ruger 10/22 may meet its match in the Winchester Wildcat autoloading rifle.

The lower receiver magazine well highlights the ambidextrous, red-ribbed left-and right-hand magazine release sliders.

When I was introduced to the Wildcat at the 2019 SHOT Show by then head of the research and development group, Joseph Rousseau, my first thought was, "Here is another Ruger 10/22 takeoff." I know Joseph and some of his team very well and I should have known better of them. The words "imitation" and "mediocrity" are not in their vocabulary. The Wildcat is unique unto itself. The Wildcat shows innovation in design and in the use of the most modern manufacturing technologies and materials. This is no copycat 10/22, it is a Wildcat!

Every varmint hunter needs a good .22 rimfire varmint rifle in their repertoire of varmint rifles and spring is a good reminder of that. My wife, Cathy, and I are preparing to hook our travel trailer to our truck and head up to western Canada for the month of May to visit family and friends and partake in the prairie varmint hunters' spring ritual, gopher or Richardson's ground squirrel hunting.