I don’t think there’s any doubt about it – we are in the midst of a ‘Golden Age’ of gun manufacturing and ownership here in the United States. Despite the best efforts of hysterical second amendment-detractors, gun manufacturing is now carried out on an enormous scale, these guns are readily available to us, and production quality is hitting all-time highs all the time. This has caused something of a trickle-down effect in terms of quality assurance in gun purchasing. See, it doesn’t take $1,000 to procure a quality rifle anymore. Thanks to technological developments and manufacturing innovation, quality can be found at every price level – including the cheapest. This is perhaps never more evident than when examining the superb Mossberg 702 Plinkster Rifle.

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Mossberg 702 Plinkster Rifle

The Mossberg 702 Plinkster is inexpensive enough to not represent an even moderately significant purchase. The thing is downright cheap. At just over $100 in most states, it’s going to fit in everyone’s budget. I first picked up the 702 when browsing the gun section at Walmart and basically threw the thing in my cart like I would any other item off the shelf. I was in the market for a .22 LR after my Ruger 10/22 failed on me. My beloved Ruger gave me many faithful years of service, but there are only so many thousands of rounds you can put through a rifle before it starts acting up. I digress; I like having a .22 LR around for some casual, less intensive sport shooting and the Plinkster is as perfect as it gets for these purposes. Reasonably accurate, resilient, and consistent, time and time again Mossberg’s little wonder has served me faithfully with no let up in sight. What makes this rifle so special? How has Mossberg managed to produce such a wonderful gun at an eye-popping low price? Well, I’ll let you in on those secrets and more here in our Mossberg 702 Plinkster Rifle Review at Gunivore – the greatest gun website in the history of the internet.

Mossberg 702 Plinkster Rifle Specs

  • Model: 702 Plinkster.
  • Caliber: .22 Long Rifle.
  • Barrel Length: 18 Inches.
  • Capacity: 10.
  • Finish: Varied.
  • Stocks: Synthetic.
  • Twist Rate: 1:16.
  • Length: 37 Inches.
  • Weight: 4.1 Pounds.
  • Action: Semi-Automatic.
  • Maximum Firing Range: 1.5 Miles.
  • Sights: Flip Rear Hooded Front.

Mossberg 702 Plinkster Rifle Build

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Mossberg 702 Build

Originally manufactured by a Brazilian company called CBC, Mossberg got its hands on the 702 and improved on its design for North American markets. Featuring a “last-shot” bolt hold open design, as well as a receiver setup modeled on a variant of the Marlin Model 60 (note the rounded stock and receiver), the 702 is reasonably straight forward in its build. The most enjoyable aspect of the build would have to be its extreme light weight feel (4.1 lbs), which is thanks in large part to its utilization of synthetic materials and a cheaper stock set. Now because of this, you’re not going to be getting the most rugged gun in the world, but the Plinkster will still hold up reasonably well through some haphazard handling and use. The 702 is so light that you’re going to just want to sling it over your shoulder and go, and that’s exactly what it’s capable of doing – this is your perfect, ‘treat it however you’d like, don’t worry about it’ kind of gun. I actually liken this to smartphone purchasing – sure, you can get yourself an iPhone 7, but the thing is so vulnerable outside of a case that you’re going to be terrified of dropping your ~$1000 investment. Sometimes you’re better off going with a reliable, value-buy instead.

Amazingly, the Mossberg 702 has never given me any issues. Truth be told, I don’t even bother to clean it or care for it like I probably should – I don’t get too fussed over a little add-on gun like this. It’s not going to be the star of any gun collection, but if you need an extra rifle for plinking, small hunting, pest-control, or are simply looking to buy a starter rifle for a friend or a loved one, Mossberg has you covered. Pink and wooden stocks are even available if you’re willing to spend just a little more. Despite its cheaper price and build, the 702 still does its job remarkably well. For a nice, affordable, rifle, you’re not going to find much better. It doesn’t come with any bells or whistles, but you have to know what you’re getting into when you buy a cheaper rifle like this. It’s about going back to basics when you handle a 702 – just fire away.

Mossberg 702 Plinkster Rifle Shooting

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Mossberg 702 Shooting

Picking up a 702 for the first time, you might feel some concern that its light weight is going to make for a difficult shooting experience. This could not be further from the case. All 4 pounds of this baby handle well, and the rifle barely jumps when firing – as opposed to some rifles that will run you several times the price of the 702 and buck like a bronco when shooting. Although the rifle is a little on the small side for me personally in terms of mounting, I still have no trouble hitting my soda cans and paper targets from various distances. With a slight rifle like this, your mileage is going to vary a bit as far as handling – that’s true. Those of you on the larger side might prefer something a bit more substantial. But the same could be said for any rifle, really – different people come in different sizes, and are inevitably going to have different preferences in terms of rifle size. Is the Plinkster the ideal rifle for marksmen? Are you going to start hitting 360-degree no-scopes with regularity like you’re in a modded Call of Duty lobby? Not exactly. But come on! For $100, the Mossberg 702 is a revelation. Appreciate it for what it is and don’t expect too much.

Mossberg 702 Plinkster Rifle Magazines and Sights

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Mossberg 702 Magazine

Nothing too fancy working with these sights. You’ve got your standard hooded front ramp sight and an adjustable rear sight (have your flat head screwdriver ready). I personally love hooded front sights and always have, although sights are another one of those areas that comes down to subjective taste. Just know that the stock sights are solid and serviceable, and  you’ll always have the option to swap them out thanks to a number of available accessories and the modular-friendly design of the 702. 10-round magazines are factory standard, although third party mags that come equipped with up to 25-rounds are readily available. That’s the beauty of a $100 rifle – you can experiment to your hearts content with little worry about compromising the gun (always take safety precautions, of course). Lastly, in terms of rounds and ammo, worry not – I’ve run just about every kind of round I could find through the 702 and have never had a problem. This gun has some guts, and it has some heart.

Stock and Slug Barrel

At 18-inches, the barrel of the 702 is pretty standard and to be honest, there isn’t a whole lot to say about it. I have, however, noticed some online demand for a slug barrel mod for the Plinkster, and I have to say, that is something I can get behind. So, anonymous Mossberg employee reading this feature: please help make it happen. Thanks.

Mossberg 702 Plinkster Rifle Safety and Assembly

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Mossberg 702 Assembly

This is a reasonably safe rifle, which is part of why I recommend it as a starter rifle, or even a youth rifle (in addition to its light weight, of course). The cross bolt safety is about as vanilla as it gets, but it works, and that’s pretty much all that matters when it comes to your safety. There’s really no greater validation of the safety-level of this gun, however, than my experience in putting different rounds through it and firing it successfully and safely despite relatively careless maintanence. I really don’t recommend being an irresponsible gun owner, for the record – don’t be as stupid as I am. As for the assembly of the gun… well, I’ve never actually disassembled it, nor have I had any need to. I hear it’s a breeze, though!

Mossberg 702 Plinkster Rifle Accessories

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Plinkster 702 Sling

In terms of accessories, have fun with this gun. At $100, you should feel free to modify and accessorize to your hearts content – accessory experimentation is one of the best parts of owning a cheap rifle, period. Some accessories, like unique sights and slings, are more on the practical side. We’ll give you a mix of both fun and functional with our list of the top-5 Mossberg 702 Plinkster Accessories:

  • Extended Magazine: With a rifle like this, you’re going to want to run through rounds at a fast rate, not take your time lining up shots with optimal precision and focus. Extended mags should be your first purchase after procuring a Plinkster – check out the 25-round 2-pack from Mossberg for an excellent extended mag option.
  • Sights: As previously mentioned, there’s no universally beloved sight out there, and as such, rifle owners swap out their sights quite often. Find a set of sights that works well for you – I prefer this red dot sight from CVLife, although I’m generally just working with the factory sights from Mossberg.
  • Sling: Carrying the 702 is as easy as can be thanks to its light weight, but a sling can make it that much easier. Pick up a reliable sling and you’ll forget you have the Plinkster slung over your shoulder – that’s how easy it is to carry this little wonder.
  • Cheek Pad: I don’t mind the plastic feel of the stock, but some might. A cheek pad is a great option for those who are looking for a more comfortable, textured shooting experience. It even has a magazine pouch on the side for quick and convenient mag storage.
  • Mossberg Decal Sticker: Does this qualify as a 702 Plinkster accessory? Not even close! But I’m struggling to come up with a fifth accessory, and quite frankly, this gun is so great that you owe it to Mossberg to slap some logo decals on your car. Don’t think – just buy.

Conclusion

In the words of the immortal T-Pain, if you ain’t got it by now then you just ain’t gettin’ it. As long as your expectations are in check and you understand that you are purchasing a $100 rifle, there is no doubt in my mind that you’ll appreciate the Plinkster 702. This is a fun little gun, and it should be treated as such. Don’t count on it to act as a reliable first line of defense, but do count on it for some enjoyable plinking. As always, stay safe!

Not a Remington guy or gal? Looking for some Remington reviews? How about the 870, 770, or 1187? It’s all right here at Gunivore!

Nate M.

5 Comments

  1. What is the mossberg sling you show in the article? Does it just fit thru the holes on the stock and front holes or do you need to modify gun?

    1. That sling isn’t very special, but it works. It’s from TrinitySupply.

  2. I’ve owned my 702 since 2004 and it has yet to fail feeding ANY .22 LR ammo, the same cannot be said for ANY Ruger 10/22. The Ruger is overbuilt and heavier than need be. I have a “Pre-Graffiti” 10/22 from the early 70’s fairly accurate and EXTREMELY finicky with most ammo. Personally I think the 10/22 maybe the most overrated rifle of all time. Other than the ease of disassembly Mossberg’s 702 Plinkster is superior in every way. More accurate, lighter, hollow stock for survival kit, more affordable – you can buy two plinksters for the price of one 10/22. I own .22’s by Mossberg, Winchester, Glenfield/Marlin and Ruger and the Mossberg International 702 Plinkster is king.

    1. I agree with you on the 10/22, as the one I bought last month has been consistently unreliable out of the box. Allowing for “break-in” I have used only good and hot rounds and to my and my son’s consternation our new 10/22 take-down model has had hang ups in almost every mag we have frustratingly fired. It would have been worth waiting to get the much better Browning take-down since one of those would be better than two of these. Very disappointing way to get a new shooter excited about the sport expecially since his d*+# Nintendo is more fun than digging out stovepipes from this POS. However, I remain hopeful that Ruger will make it right; it is just so uncool that we have to send it to them rather than just shoot them.

  3. I bought a mossberg 702 plinkster 22 long rifle at Walmart in marion, Virginia in fall of 2016. I didn’t have a scope at the time but I bought one a week ago 7-15-2018 and found out that where it mounts is bowed so the scope points 4″ from the tip of the barrel ! No way to get the scope close to where it hits 2 feet to the right at 35 feet with scope maxed to the left ! I shot it off sights and always thought they looked cock-eyed. So now I say what a piece of crap , no I’m sorry I meant to say piece of ” CRAP ” !#&$#@*&**!! I never seen such as this junk gun never ! I just used it for a few times and it was on with the very wide adjustment sights up and side to side rear sights. 18 months after buying it from Walmart in marion Virginia !

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