[SHOT Show 2020] Shooting the Winchester Wildcat 22 Rifle

As the 2020 SHOT Show approached — especially Range Day — I remembered a little rifle I told y’all about last spring, called the Winchester Wildcat. I made a point of hunting down this little popper at the range, and giving it a hands-on workout.

I spoke with Mark Yackley of Winchester, who reminded me of all the interesting features of the Wildcat, which is a semi-auto Winchester rifle that accepts Ruger 10/22 magazines, and he summed it up pretty well:

We pretty much fixed everything you don’t like about the 10/22.

I can’t disagree with him on that — except for the safety, which is a crossbolt set behind the trigger; possibly the least-convenient location for a safety. But other than that, it feels like Winchester nailed it, and they did make the crossbolt reversible for southpaws.

The included allen wrenches store inside the stock on the lower receiver.
(Image: Winchester)

The Wildcat is light and handy, and I hit what I was aiming at. The magazine is easy to remove and insert, and can be released in two different ways. When using the Winchester factory magazine, the bolt will lock open after the last round.

Push one button to release the lower receiver assembly from the Wildcat's stock. — Push one button to release the lower receiver assembly from the Wildcat’s stock.
(Image: Winchester)

When it’s time to clean the rifle, you can easily remove the action from the stock, so you can clean the barrel from the rear. And while it’s out, you can get to the two included allen hex wrenches which store inside the rifle. These wrenches can be used to remove the stock and adjust the rear sight.

The Winchester Wildcat magazine can be removed using the tab on bottom or rails on the sides.
(Image: Winchester)

Two Wildcats were on hand, so naturally I fired them both. I experienced no hiccups and walked away smiling and wishing I had one of my very own. Which brings me to the next point.

Even though the rifle was announced last spring, Mark said he’d been hearing mixed reports from people on whether it’s actually available to buy, but I’ve been unable to find any for sale anywhere.

Winchester Wildcat magazine.
(Image: Winchester)

I was smart enough to find and fire the rifles and check them out well, but was I smart enough to take photos at the range? Nope. That’s why you’re seeing these stock photos.

Here’s hoping I’ll be able to get my hands on one of the production models so I can give it a real workout and tell y’all all about it. If one becomes available near you, I suggest you jump on it. This is a fun, practical little rifle.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.