.22 LR rifle

[MCgunner]

My old Remington is a tube magazine fed bolt gun and I wouldn't sell it, either. I don't sell exceedingly accurate guns and that's what it is with just about ANYthing I feed it including CCI CB Short (the quiet ammo I use and can get at wallyworld). Being a bolt, it'll cycle shorts and I've killed a LOT of squirrel with CB shorts in that gun. I got that gun for my 9th birthday, owned it now for 44 years and it's still that accurate after God only knows how many rounds at the range, in the creek, at cans and furry creatures and paper targets.

I won't sell ANY gun I like, though, so the 10/22 isn't for sale, either. I keep the keepers and sell what I don't like and I'm about fixed up over the years with keepers. My old Remington is still a go to hunting rifle for small game and my 10/22 is my knock about .22, two different niches, really.

 

[kwelz]

Remington 597, Ruger 10/22, Marlin Model 60

Any of those three guns is a great starting point and you can't go wrong with any of them. I have owned all three, sold all three, and want all three back.

 

[cmidkiff]

If you want a reliable, accurate semi in .22, and don't want to spend time and money 'upgrading' it, skip the 10/22 and get a Thompson/Center Classic (or R55).

I have a 10/22, had to put a new extractor in it to get it to run at all, then needed a bolt release that I didn't have to futz around with, and a mag release that didn't require 3 hands to operate... still doesn't hold the bolt open after the last shot, the trigger is just bad, and it won't work with any of the 3rd party mags I've tried.

I've already spent more on the 'cheap' 10/22 as I did on a slightly used Thompson Classic, and the 10/22 still needs a bunch of work to even get close to being as nice of a rifle.

Now, if TechSights would only make a version for the Thompson!

 

[Freedomv]

To get the most bang for your buck over the long run I would hit the gun shops and anywhere else that you could pick up the rifle and get the feel of it.

Shoulder the rifle and ask yourself: Does it fit? Does it feel “Right”? How does it handle? Does it feel “Balanced” in your hands and to your shoulder? Is the stock to short or too long? Is it barrel heavy? Too long? Too short? Just right?
What about sights. Iron, leaf or peep? Scope can you use it without straining yourself to get a shot off?
For me some rifles just plain fit, while others just don’t feel like they belong in your hands. Try to avoid thinking “I can live with that” if there is something not quite right about the rifle.

If you buy the right “one” you will keep it forever and enjoy it. If it cost a little or a lot more it will be money well invested.

Other opinions may and will vary.
Vern

 

[jsimmons]

Here are my recommendations:

1) Semi-auto: Thompson/Center R-55 Classic
2) Bolt-action: CZ-452 (any model)
3) Lever-action: Henry Frontier (Model H001T)

 

[markmc753]

My favorite amongst my 22's is a Marlin 81t - bolt action, tube fed, shoots LR's, L's and shorts

 

[spiroxlii]

Ruger 10/22 - Common, popular, reliable
Marlin 60 - Less common, but popular, inexpensive, more accurate than 10/22 in stock form
Any CZ bolt action - Well made, more expensive than the two suggested above (but still affordable), popular, very very accurate

 

[apocryph]

You really need to shoulder a few to see how they feel. Assuming all rifles fit you equally well:

I have a 10/22 16" carbine and love it. In the stock configuration is was a tack driver, then I MallNinja'd it with a Krinkov conversion kit and a couple of milled aluminum hi-cap mags, and now it's a bit less accurate but fun as hell.

I also have a Ceiner kit for my AR-15. I know you asked about .22 LR rifles specifically, but if you want to spend several hundred more and get both a nice semi-auto .22 plinker for now and a scary black terrorist rifle for later, you might consider that.

Most recently I picked up a Marlin 39A levergun at a funshow. I wanted something that would reliably feed CB short and CB long cartridges, and my 10/22 definitely would not. I've handled .22 lever actions before, but the 39A is a thing of beauty. It's an absolute pleasure to shoot.

If you think you might ever want to do any surreptitious shooting, like perhaps without the neighbors knowing (within the bounds of the law, of course!), get a gun that can feed short and long in addition to long rifle. In my experience, that rules out all semi-autos, and anything with a box magazine.

 

[Cron]

Remington 552

Accurate, reliable, durable, handsome. This one is about 25 years old:





Ron

 

[Cron]

Apocryph,
The Remington semi-auto in the above post can shoot all three .22, L, S & LR.

 

[spiroxlii]

Cron, plenty of mag-fed .22 rifles can fire shorts if you load them one at a time, but they won't load them properly out of a magazine.

Will that Remington feed shorts from its tube magazine?

 

[sm]

I have a soft spot for old single shot rifles.

You know the ones, the one's in a gun store, pawn shop, classified in the paper and just need a good home and someone to give them attention to, and them back.
Sorta like a faithful dawg, .

I am this way about seeing a old Steven's Favorite, Win 61, Win 52, Rem 514...just any old Wood-n-Blue, be it single shot, pump, lever, or semi.

Take an Old Rem Fieldmaster, or Speedmaster, good looking guns! Feel good in the hands and take S, L, or LR

Lever action Browning is just sweeeet!

Ain't nuttin' Sexier than a Browning Automatic .22 - nuttin'! *wink*
I mean you gotta take that old gal home with you...gotta!

New guns, I am partial to the Marlin 60, and that kids sized Marlin too.

 

[Cron]

Spiroxlii,
Yep, that's one of the 552's claims to fame. It'll feed, fire and eject all three. See Remingtons website. Maybe that's why the 552 has been in production for 51 years.

 

[MaterDei]

10/22 or Marlin 60. Either is AWESOME! Enjoy.

 

[TCB in TN]

Well I will say that there is a lot I agree with above, if you really want a cheap, accurate, semi plinker then get a good used marlin 60. If it doesn't feed right then take it apart and clean it and it will!

If you want a plinker NOW, but may want to upgrade later get a 10/22. I have had many and set scopes for folks on many more, and right out of the box they are NOT typically as accurate as the Marlin, but OH BOY can you trick them out! I currently still own 1 in its original configuration but have plans to mod it just a little but I have at least a half dozen marlins.

As for levers well after having shot the Henry, owned Win 9422's, and 150's, Browning BL22's, and owned the Marlin 39 and I would say that the 39 is the top of the group!

Bolt rifles will really depend just on your preference. I have shot everything from the Marlin 25, to the Ruger 77/22, Anshutz, the old russian trainers, etc. and in my experience most bolt folks are real picky about which they like. Now me, I like them all, and really if I had the money I would have one of each!

 

[Seven©]

10/22

Can't beat the price. Tougher than woodpecker lips. And tons of accessories if you want to "tinker" with it.