Winchester Wild Cat(the .22LR) Comments?

Question

What do you guys think and comment about the Winchester WIldcat

Answer 1

It's actually a Russian Tula factory gun that was sold in the US under the name TOZ-78 for a few years before the company that now owns the Winchester brand licensed it for their exclusive use. Winchester really does not exist anymore, a corporation owns the name and contracts other companies to make "Winchester" guns.

If you know military surplus, you know the Tula name, as it was a factory that made all the Mosin Nagants and then AK type weapons.They have a long history and pretty good reputation.

I have a TOZ-78 I got for $109 retail and it is a solid, reliable little bolt gun that shoots well. Not a tack driving target rifle, but shoots well with just about anything you feed it. Good trigger, nice sights. Centerfire Systems sold them as the Whisper .22 for a few years before the Winchester exclusive deal.

Would I pay $225 for this exact same gun now that it carries the Winchester name?

Probably not, not with the Savage Mark II BV heavy barrel target for a bit more in price or the CZ - 452 for under $400. Heck, even the regular barrel Savage Mark II is a fine shooter, so if the heavy barrel is out of the price range get a regular one.