.22 w/scope @$200

Maybe you can find an older 10/22 LNIB. She won't know the difference.

remington 597 at Academy.

Great shooter. Scope is OK - not great, but usable.

Daughter loved it. Stupidly sold it.

Q

Quality costs a little more...CZ Scout.

I'm sure the Marlin 60 will be suggested, so I'll just get it outta the way.
The Savage 64 (sans accutrigger) with scope can be typically had for $150 or less. The scopes aren't the greatest, but you can get the 64 without a scope for about $125 or less, then buy a decent rimfire scope of your choice.

I do own the Savage 64, and it's a fantastic rifle. Accurate out of the box, too. Also, you can add an accutrigger later on if you choose.

You ain't gonna get a new 10/22 and a scope for $200 anyway. Just a basic carbine will be at least $225. Certainly nothing wrong with them, although lots of folks complain about the changes.

My lil girl got the Henry 22 youth lever action. But now she wants the Mossberg 702 PINK plinkster http://www.google.com/products/cata...a=X&ei=Uuk0TqqHHM220AGmwfHeCw&ved=0CFMQ8wIwAg

I suppose if I have to.

I bought my grandson a Marlin Modle 60 for graduating Hunters Safty classes,with a basic 4by 32 scope and a sling it was under 200.00 dollars,He loves it. biker

Savage / Stevens

Let me start by saying that I don't have any firsthand knowledge of the following rifles but I'm going to put in a recommendation for the savage lineup because their guns have been getting good reviews lately and they seem to take their .22s seriously.

These & more can be seen at: http://www.savagearms.com/

The model 64 package with scope for MSRP = 173.00 and is close to what you are asking for in the 77/22

I'm also including these two, the Cub model at MSRP += 227.00, And the Cadet at MSRP = 211.00 Either is what I would buy someone as their first gun. Personally, I'd be nervous about starting someone off with a semi-automatic, and these look like they're both made with good sights and barrels and the Cub has the good Accutrigger.

Finally, the magazine fed 300xp with scope package at MSRP = 204.00

Good luck with your search and cheers to you for teaching your daughter to shoot.

I'll second the Marlin model 60. The one I got in the 80's that still shoots great. Another one to consider is the Marlin 795. The black stock isn't much to look at. The action looks very similar to the 60, only with a tube magazine. I'm going to try one out. They have a $25 rebate from Marlin and in the paper a $25 cash card for Sports Authority. Haven't decided on a scope.

IMO I'd go with the 10/22, although they go for $197 without a scope at Walmart here. I'd either go with that, and not worry about the plastic which most of these other guns mentioned are also full of, or I'd look for an older used one which you can easily pick up for a similar price. It's the way to go imo. Out of the box it may not be as accurate as the Marlin 60/795, but it's not far behind, and in every other aspect it's a much better rifle. If you really have to have that little bit extra accuracy the 10/22 can be customized to be much more accurate than it is in stock form. Even in stock form though, they are plenty accurate for almost anything most people do with .22's.

I do own the Savage 64, and it's a fantastic rifle. Accurate out of the box, too. Also, you can add an accutrigger later on if you choose.

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I'm pretty sure this is false. I've read many times over that you can't add an accu trigger to a rifle that didn't come with it. Well, not without some serious modification anyway. That being said, you can add aftermarket triggers to them if you find one from a company that makes one.

I'm a big Savage fan, and I like their .22's, better than the Marlin 60's I've used, but I still think the 10/22 is a much much better rifle. Normally I like Savage much better than Ruger, but having used a Mark II with a bull barrel and accu trigger that had been modified and a 10/22, I felt that while the Mark II was slightly more accurate, it wasn't nearly as accurate as I expected, and while it did have an amazing trigger, I didn't really like anything else about the gun nearly as much as the 10/22. I ended up selling the Mark II I had as I just didn't shoot it that often, and when I did, I never really was super impressed by it like I'd expected when I bought it.

To me what ruins the Marlin 60/795, is the built on scope rails. Especially now that they seem to have a problem with cutting them straight which ends up causing a ton of problems with the rings sliding on the scope rails. Even when they are cut straight though, they aren't nearly as strong as I'd like and it's very common for scope rings to slide on them. Why anyone would make this design built onto a rifle is beyond me. This pretty much ruins the whole rifle. The next issue I have is the trigger is absolutely horrible on the ones I've shot. Now, the 10/22 doesn't have anything close to a good trigger from the factory, but they have been better than the Marlin 60's I've shot by far. The next issues is that it's not rare for the feed lips, or other internal parts to get bent in the Marlin 60 that causes constant jamming issues. This isn't a huge deal and can be fixed, but it's just one more thing that takes away from it imo. That being said, and I don't have a ton of experience shooting one, just some as a few friends have them, but they all prefer the 10/22's after having them. Anyway, theirs have all been very accurate, but the other things take away from them. Infact, they are just as accurate as the Mark II I had and more accurate than the 10/22's I've shot, but I mean barely. I'm talking maybe .5" better at 50-60 yards at best. At 100 yards, I didn't see much of a difference. To me that wasn't really enough to matter for a 10/22 and it certainly wasn't worth compromising on the other things to get that extra accuracy.

The Rem 597 isn't even in the same category as the rest of these, and personally, it's no way I'd ever consider it.

For the Mossberg 702 Plinkster, I can't comment too much. I have a buddy that has one and I sighted it in for him. He wanted it sighted in at 15 yards so I didn't shoot it very far. At that range it shot great though. I liked it, and as far as I know he still likes his. It felt cheap and had a crappy trigger, but it was $100. To me I almost think I'd get a used Marlin 60 over this though just as they seem to be better quality. I was actually going to buy one of these about 2 years ago at Walmart as I liked the way it felt and the lady at the sporting goods counter talked me out of it. I know it's odd for Walmart, but this lady actually seems to know what she is talking about most of the time, and I've had many good conversations with her in the past. Anyway, when I wanted to buy this one, she told me she'd sell it to me if I wanted, but that she would much rather not. I asked why, and she told me that every person she had sold one too had come back complaining about issues with it. She told me that she recommended the Ruger 10/22, or something else. I can't remember what the other one she was recommending was, but I think it might have been the Marlin 60. This kind of scared me away enough that I didn't purchase it. Then I looked online and some people loved them, but then I read reviews of others having issue after issue with them. So they really seem to get mixed reviews. I did like my buddies okay though, and that's the only experience I have with them.

I know things like the Marlin and Mossberg are a fair amount cheaper than the 10/22, and they are fine for what they are, but I feel there is a big reason why the 10/22 costs extra and to me it would be worth every penny.

I like the Savage 64 for plinking out to 50 yards. I got mine for $140 with a scope. It's kind of a pain to clean but it doesn't need it very often. Rough handling is not going to hurt the gun or even ugly it up much. It's got a short LOP but it's still comfortable for an adult to shoot. The trigger is better than average. As mentioned, the scope that comes with the Savage is useless. If you can find a 64 on sale without the scope it's worth it. Good beginner gun.

The CZ 452 Scout is really, really nice but may be more than you want to spend. My 452 Ultra Lux is probably my favorite rifle. It's a very well built gun. After a $1 do it yourself trigger job mine shoots MOA at 100 yards. I will never sell this rifle. I paid $409 out the door. I would expect the Scout to be somewhere around $100 less. The 452 line is being replaced by the 455. I've seen good reviews on them from the folks on the rimfire forum where I'm also a member.

I've never owned a 10/22 but I've shot several. Most have reasonable accuracy out of the box. They are very customizable. This means you can start her out with a decent gun and if she decides she really likes shooting you can add a better trigger, then maybe later a good barrel. In the end you'll have spent a little more money than just buying a better gun up front, but only if she turns out to be an avid shooter.

For scopes, well even a cheap scope can see out to the effective range of a 22. And you're not going to have to worry about recoil battering it to pieces. Pretty much anything in the $50 to $80 range should be fine to start with. Minimum 32mm, 40 is better. I have to admit that I have an old Barska 3-9x50 that I pop on the Savage every now and then. It works fine.

The great thing about a Ruger 10/22 is that it will never lose money, never jamb,shoot just about forever, parts are always available, fun to shoot, easy to clean and breakdown, and very accurate for the price...Russ

Remington 597 at Academy or Wal-Mart for $179 with scope. Not a great scope past 50 yards, but mine sure does shoot nice.

The great thing about a Ruger 10/22 is that it will never lose money, never jamb,shoot just about forever, parts are always available, fun to shoot, easy to clean and breakdown, and very accurate for the price...Russ

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The same can be said for just about any entry level .22 rifle. IMO, the Ruger isn't worth the price tag. i've never found one that was in anyway better than a Marlin, Savage, Mossberg or any other entry level .22 rifle. The one thing that the Ruger 10/22 has going for it is aftermarket accessories. No other entry level 22 has nearly as many accessories as the Ruger. Personally, a decent entry level .22 doesn't need accessories, other than maybe a scope.

My Savage 64 is sighted in at 100 yards with a 3-9X variable scope. Last time I shot targets, I hit 15/20 on a 9 inch paper plate, but had several underpowered rounds. Better ammo put me 20/20 on aonther 9 inch paper plate, same distance.

Quote:
I do own the Savage 64, and it's a fantastic rifle. Accurate out of the box, too. Also, you can add an accutrigger later on if you choose.

I'm pretty sure this is false. I've read many times over that you can't add an accu trigger to a rifle that didn't come with it. Well, not without some serious modification anyway. That being said, you can add aftermarket triggers to them if you find one from a company that makes one.

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I may have been thinking about other aftermarket triggers. Not 100%, but I thought Savage rifles could have the accutrigger added. Anyway, even if that isn't the case, the 64 has a decent trigger for a entry level rifle.

I often eye up the standard synthetic and blued Savage MKII's at Wal-Mart for around $140 new. I don't really need another .22 rifle and would probably benefit by spending more money on ammo and getting better with my current firearms, but that doesn't stop me from thinking hard about one.

If you want something cheaper than a 10/22 that is still reliable, you might consider a Marlin 795. They go for about $130 in the big sporting goods stores, and Marlin has a $25 mail-in rebate for them on their website. That way even with the cost of a scope and rings, you will still be under $200. They still have a lot of plastic on them just like a Ruger, but if you want an all metal rifle these days, you are looking at a whole lot more than $200, to say nothing of the cost of a scope/rings.

Or shopping used. It wasn't that long ago that 10/22's had aluminum triggerguards and barrel bands, nor was it that long ago that Marlins were reliable guns that were well worth the money.
Shop used!

Every other aspect?

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Yes. You forget, Jeff, some of us have actually used both rifles extensively.

I've always thought that had more to do with the fact that they need aftermarket parts.

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If you had a clue what you were talking about, if you had done your homework, you would know. You would know that the huge aftermarket does not exist because the rifles "need" aftermarket parts to run. Do folks say the same think about the AR-15 or smallblock Chevy??? Of course not. If you spend two minutes thinking about it, you would realize how absurd it is to think that a rifle would be hugely successful on the market for 47yrs strictly due to 20yrs of aftermarket support. It is equally absurd to believe that of all those millions of rifles sold, more than a fraction have been subjected to customization. Fact is, Clark Custom created the custom 10/22 to fill a distinct need. The Sportsman's Team Challenge competition. They found the 10/22 to be the perfect platform to build upon. Because, like several other Ruger guns, it is an excellent design and readily adaptable. It only "needs" aftermarket parts to serve purposes unsuited to your average $200 plinker. The aftermarket does not exist to correct design flaws or to make one run. It exists to make them better. There are triggers for obvious reasons, no factory $200 plinker comes with a 14oz trigger. There are barrels for more accuracy. What's the first thing you do to any rifle to make it as accurate as it can be? There are stocks for various purposes. The only reliability part is the extractor, which is only necessary to extract unfired rounds from Bentz chambers. If you had a clue what you were talking about, you'd understand all that.

BTW there is nothing plastic on a Marlin 60 except the trigger guard and the buffer.

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To condemn the 10/22 but espouse the Marlin due to plastic content is about like saying a HiPoint is better than a Glock because a Glock has more plastic. Let us also not forget that the Marlin uses cheap plastic, while Ruger uses the same high strength polymers present in autopistol frames.

After all that, I have a '94 Marlin 60 that has been well maintained and never failed-one of my favorite rifles.
With that said, I'd suggest one of the new Marlin XT22 bolt actions with the wood stock. I bought the first one I saw. It's a great little rifle, accurate and smooth. The rear iron sight is flimsy but you're going to scope it anyway. Weaver bases and rings, and the budget scope of your choice and you can keep it under 300.
Best of luck!

Jeff56 said:

I see Craig is following me around bashing me again. He knows I don't read his posts yet he posts to me anyway. I think Craig has a problem with me. Did he make assumptions about me again? That's what he does a lot.

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I don't know either of you, but "following me around" is a bit of a hard sell. He posted in the thread before you did.

-Matt