Sub $200 .22 Rifles

Is there a significant and noticable difference in the quality and accuracy of the various sub $200 .22 rifles out there? For example, is there a difference between the Mossberg "Plinkster" for $100 and the Savage MKIIF for $200?

I'm trying to decide if there is a need to spend the extra money on something that will be used just for plinking and messing around (shooting cans and what not) along with the ocassional trip to the range for a few paper targets.

What are your thoughts and suggestions to which .22 I should look into?

Marlin Model 60. Used for about 75 bucks at pawnshops.

Can't beat it for the money.

Steve

Marlin 60

Even brand new, I picked up one for $120 a few weeks ago. Standard model has a laminate stock now, too. For $200 you can have one with a scope, brand new.

Accurate, just a nice little gun.

Marlin 60

Go to CDNN and get a Charles Daly Zastava made Superior II.

Far better than any gun you can buy in the $150 price range and it is dead on accurate. The bluing is excellent, the trigger is adjustable and the stock is easy to refinish.

For the buck, it can't be beat in terms of accuracy and features. It is sold now as the Remington Model 5 for $275 but you can still get the Charles Daly version from CDNN.

There is a HUGE difference between the triggers of the Mossberg 702 (semi-auto) and their 802 (bolt-action)!!

The two triggers are like night and day, the semi's trigger can supposedly be polished to be OK, the bolt-action's trigger is nice and crisp right out of the box.

They are selling for around $120, decent little gun for the money....

I'd favor a bolt over a semi-auto. I'd look for a Maadi Mansoura, if you can find one. Knockoff of the BRNO/CZ trainer. Trigger mechanism is very like that of the current CZ 452.

I just bought a Mark II for your quoted price range ($150). Free-floated bbl, accutrigger, factory irons, and lightweight. If you have a Dunham's near by, I think they are still on sale. Only "downside" is LR only. Walmart sells replacement mags too.

I don't know the going price currently but I'd look into a Henry H001. Tough little lever action and pretty accurate. But I've always been a Henry fan so my opinion isn't exactly un-biased :D

I have a Henry and while it is very fun and very smooth, c'mon, it is in no way the precision rifle that say, a cz 452 or for that matter many of the Marlins are. It is nowhere near as accurate as my Marlin 39, which costs twice as much though. And while I don't have a Marlin 60, from what many say it is more accurate than the henry too. Now, ask me which I would rather take out for a few hours loafing in the woods? The Henry no doubt!

The best rifle would depend on what you want to do w/ it. Just plinking? May I recommend the Remington 597? It's priced at around $120-$160 and it's a fairly accurate semi auto. For hunting small game? Check out the CZ452 Scout at around $200-$220. It's small and light for easy carry and quick setup; accurate bolt action, sling studs. Customizations in your future? How about the Ruger 1022 at $150-$170? The less capable of the 3, but you can probably get a 1000-round mag for it and a gold-plated trigger :)

There are many good sub-$200 .22LR rifles.

By the way, I keep hearing about people finding decent used Marlin 60s but I sure never see then here in Ohio. 100 at best.

Picked up a used Marlin 60 last week at a gun store for $85. It is in great shape and has digested the two boxes of Federal bulk that I have shot through it without a hiccup. Seems pretty darn accurate at hitting cans at 100yrds.

So good deals can be found if your persistent.

Savage 64 (My local wal-mart was closing out the magazines for $11.00 so I bought seven more to bring me up to 10 mags <grin>).

Never said it was a precision rifle or single hole shooter woof. But the bang for the buck feature it's hard to beat. Mine's more accurate then I am, never had a jam or extraction issue and hit's what I aim at when I do my part. The other nice thing, at least for me, is I don't worry about it as much regarding the fit and finish. Mines got a few scratches on the reciever, stock has a ding or two, where with some of my other rifles it would bother me, this one not so much. Plus it's a lever gun, there's just something intrinsically historic about a lever gun lol

I like Marlin 60s, too.

If you're considering bolt actions, I really like the Remington 510 series. They're simple, solid rifles from the 1940s and '50s.

My Model 510 (single shot) and my Mother's Rem 512 (tube magazine) are well made and fun to shoot. They're good rifles to use when teaching kids, too. I saw half a dozen of them at the last gun show I attended, for around a hundred bucks apiece. They're underpriced for what you get.

How about a Ruger 10/22? you can get a new one for about $200, if not, you can certainly get a used one for less than that.

But if you want a bolt gun, I suggest looking at the Marlin 25N ... The 25N was the first rifle I ever owned, I have had it since the day I turned 18 and it has eaten everything I gave it and is, I'd say, more accurate than I am.

I got a new Remington 597 for $140.00 last year and it's served me well for plinking and shoots decent groups. I would go with the Ruger 10/22 though if I had it to do over again simply because you can get 30 round mags for them.

My Savage Mark II sporter barrel w/AccuTrigger Rifle ,3 x9 x40 scope, Burris steel rings,& nice sling shoots sub 1/2" groups with CCI Mini-Mag or PMC Zappers $250 out the door. My Marlin Mod 60 in blue, 3x 9 x 32 Bushnell Sportsview scope & mounts and a nice 1 1/4 wide sling $220 out the door. Shoots old 12 Ga. shells off the 100 Yds post all day with the same ammo. Federal Bulk is no target ammo but the Mod. 60 feeds it all day and holds about a 1" group with it so thats fine for everyday plinking.

Last year Dick's Sporting Goods had the Mossberg 702 (with the fake wood) on sale for their "Black Friday" special for $79.99. They will probably be doing it again this year....

http://www.mossberg.com/images/products/702/37043.jpg

Saw a nice bolt rifle this weekend at the range,Winchester Wildcat 22 lr. very nice looking rifle comes with 1 /5 Rd.clip and 3 /10 Rd. clips Sporter barrels is around $225 and it was shoot really nice groups with cheap ammo. They also make it in a Heavy Barrel version for around $260. It was a very beautiful rifle for the money.

http://www.winchesterguns.com/prodinfo/catalog/category.asp?cat=018C

By the way, I keep hearing about people finding decent used Marlin 60s but I sure never see then here in Ohio. 100 at best.

Yeah, it's pretty bad around here, too. I keep thinkin' I need to try pawn shops in a bigger town or a military town like Killeen where there are more pawn shops than people and lots of competition. :D

By the way, I keep hearing about people finding decent used Marlin 60s but I sure never see then here in Ohio. 100 at best.

Drive north to Michigan then--I had my pick of three at the shop I went to. I chose the scoped one they had used for $69. Cheap Tasco scope, but still.