.22lr rifle suggestions

[Panzerschwein]

I just bough a new Marlin model 60 from Wal-Mart. I've shot it twice, putting a total of 200 round down range. It has performed flawlessly with all ammo tried (Rem. golden bullet HP, Federal bulk pack RN, and Remingto bulk RN). Seems to be pretty accurate. I'm quite pleased with it. I actually thing the tube magazine is quite cool, it's easy and fun to load. I've shot a Ruger 10/22 for years and I can't say the mags are fun to load on it. With the model 60, it's easy to put 2-3 round into the loading slot at once and my tube can hold 15 rounds (although I often here it's a 14 round tube) that can be loaded very quickly. Saves the thumbs not having to push them into a magazine.

Overall for $167 I'd say my specimen would be a very, very solid first .22 rifle for a youngster.

 

[IWAC]

Ain't no need to boresnake a bolt gun every 50 rounds.

...Or a 10-22!

 

[TooManyToys]

My choice for a 1st gun would be hands down a vintage Bolt action .22.

They will flawlessly shoot any and all ammo out there, ( ie; what is cheep & available is good for beginners) unlike many autoloaders.
Besides being safer than a semiauto, ammo seems to go much farther in a bolt gun too.


Rem. Winn, Marlin, Mossberg, Stevens, etc. all made them, but personally I'd be looking for one of the many Mossberg .22 models out there. Mod. 42's, 43, 44, 142, 144, etc. Most desirable being ones that still have the factory rear peep sight & hooded front sight.
Prices continue to creap upward for these fine old guns, but $175 - $250 could still get you an clean example if you keep your eyes open.

You might also check with the Mossberg Collectors Asso. They have a classified section in their news letter that always has 22's for sale.

 

[centermass]

Pulled the trigger

Purchased the Savage MKII lefty bolt action (blued/wood) online from CTD a couple of hours ago. Now, the waiting game.

No complaints about the price, within budget at $202 including shipping. I was worried about shipping cost, since that's usually NOT CTD when ordering from CTD.

I just so happened by WalMart while I was out earlier today, and handled a righty model with a synthetic stock (they told me they couldn't order a lefty, which seemed unusual. It's a shame too, their price was considerably lower even figuring in sales tax. I wanna say it was around $160). Overall, the rifle seemed very well-built and finished. Action was smooth and positive. Not too keen on the rear iron sight, but that was the only negative I could see. No matter, the one comin' in will likely get a 4X scope on it in short order anyway.

On to looking at the necessary accessories, and finding some fairly-priced ammo...

I'll post my impressions of the purchased gun when it comes in. Thanks again everyone!

 

[j1]

A really accurate rifle built to last forever is the Ruger 77 22 in stainless synthetic. Not cheap or inexpensive but high quality and nice with the Ruger rotary magazine. If you want to load it once (as in the wintertime cold) and shoot all week there are numnerous hi cap mags available.

 

[Skylerbone]

I've made rules about these sorts of purchases and broken them too. My son's first rifle was a 10/22 and yes, he shot faster than I would have preferred and no, I didn't wait to scope it. Since he had a few fundamentals with a single-action revolver, I felt the important facet missing was the fun factor. He still hits what he's aiming at with reasonable accuracy and is more and more learning to slow down. To that end, I bought him a Savage Mark I based Cub to keep focus with which also serves him better for woods carry.

I'm finding there are few wrong hardware choices so long as kid and coach enjoy shooting and progress together. I'm glad you took the time to solicit opinions and also to purchase a southpaw model which should only serve to enhance your son's comfort level.

On the subject of cleaning a rimfire, as it has been broached, I've always favored a consistent method with a less is more attitude. While accuracy is always a factor even in casual plinking certain methods can provide improved accuracy while avoiding potential damage. "Over cleaning" is not a danger, improper method is. I'll add a link with information I've found immensely helpful to refining my own methods while dispelling long standing myths surrounding the subject. http://www.rrdvegas.com/rimfire-cleaning.html

Congratulations on that first hurdle of choosing a rifle and we look forward to future updates. As a multiple Marlin, Savage, Ruger, Remington and soon to be CZ owner I concur there are no absolutes with regard to out of box accuracy, ammo preference, etc.; all have room for improvement and any one of them can be refined as you and your son see fit.