Small game hunting is the most forgiving way into the field, and a lever-action rimfire might be the most pleasant way to do it. This month Savage Arms expanded its Revel line with the REVEL Tactical, which keeps the takedown action and chamberings of the Classic and DLX models but swaps walnut for an MDT synthetic stock, adds a one-piece Picatinny rail, and threads the 18-inch medium-profile barrel at 1/2x28. NRA Shooting Sports USA lists the MSRP at $629 for .22 LR and $659 for .22 WMR and .17 HMR, with 12-round capacity in .22 LR and nine in the magnums.
If you hunt squirrels, rabbits, groundhogs, or the odd raccoon that raids the feed shed, that mix of features is worth a closer look.
A manual action earns its keep in the field. You cycle the lever with your shooting hand still on the grip, so the muzzle stays pointed where you left it, and there is no gas system to tune and no feeding lottery with low-velocity loads. Lever guns are also slow to empty and quiet at the shot, which tends to make a hunter more deliberate. In jurisdictions that restrict self-loading rifles for hunting or cap magazine capacity, a manual action is the simplest way to stay inside the rules.
All three chamberings share the same action here, so the decision is about terminal effect and distance. Our breakdown of the .22 WMR vs .22 LR covers the ballistics in detail. The short version for hunting: standard-velocity or subsonic .22 LR through an 18-inch barrel is the edible-small-game answer, with modest report, little meat damage, and cheap practice. .22 WMR buys another 40 to 50 yards of usable reach and enough punch for groundhogs and the occasional fox, at the cost of more noise and pricier ammunition. .17 HMR shoots flattest of the three and is the pick for long-range varmint work, though the light, fast bullet fragments hard and is a poor fit if you intend to eat what you shoot.
The Tactical model ships with a 1/2x28 threaded muzzle, the pitch most rimfire suppressors use. Lever actions suppress unusually well because nothing cycles when the shot breaks, so there is no gas pushed back through the ejection port the way there is on a blowback semi-auto. Feed it subsonic .22 LR and the report becomes a pop and the smack of the bullet downrange. If you plan to shoot the magnums suppressed, confirm your can is rated for .22 WMR or .17 HMR before you thread it on.
A rimfire lever gun is at its best light, low, and quick. A compact 2-7x32 or 1-4x20 scope on low rings keeps the handling that makes the rifle fun, and the factory rail means nothing has to be drilled and tapped. If you are choosing glass for a mixed safe, our hunting optics guide for 2026 walks through where the money actually goes. The factory irons are adjustable with a hooded front blade, which is better backup hardware than most budget rimfires offer.
Push out two retaining pins with the tip of a spare cartridge and the rifle separates into halves small enough for a day pack. At six pounds with the MDT stock it carries like a field rifle rather than a scaled-down toy, and the clip-on cheek riser, M-LOK fore-end slots, and heavy grip touchpoints all serve shooters who want a light, a sling, or a bipod without aftermarket work. The model is right-hand only, and the wider market shows the format is being taken seriously again instead of treated as nostalgia, from the Henry Lever Action Supreme on down.
Rimfire rifles ship to a licensed dealer, not your front door, so line up the transfer first: you can find an FFL dealer in Texas by ZIP code and confirm the fee before you order. Check your state small-game seasons, legal action types, and any magazine limits. Then buy a brick of standard-velocity .22 LR and shoot it before opening day. A rimfire you can afford to shoot every week gets better with cheap ammunition, which is more than most hunting rifles can say.