77/22 vs 10/22 in terms of price and quality?

[Lightsped]

I was looking at Ruger 77/22 rifles and can not get over at the price difference when compared to the 10/22. Why is there such a difference? They are both 22s. The 77/22 is bolt action, while the 10/22 is semiauto. Yet the 77/22 costs roughly twice as much.....

 

[Ol` Joe]

Better fit and finish, steel action compared to aluminumn reciever, nicer wood in wood stocked models.
The 10-22 was designed as an inexpensive rifle for fun/plinking the 77-22 was meant as a "adult" hunting rifle to compete with the Win M52, Rem M514, ect .

 

[doc2rn]

Plus once you own one the 10-22 gets sold for another in a different caliber. That was my experience, plus the longer barrel is more accurate. I own 2 and now I want a 77 in 308.

 

[Danny Creasy]

Apples and oranges as they come from the factory.

One usually has to spend at least a couple of hundred bucks on a 10/22 to get it to shoot like my 77/22.

 

[Lightsped]

But are the 77/22s seriously twice as good as the 10/22s? We are talking roughly twice the price for a .22lr rifle from the same manufactuer. Only difference I can see is bolt action vs semi-auto.

Again, I don't have a 77/22 and am attempting to figure out if a 77/22 is worth my efforts in addition to my current 10/22.

 

[Danny Creasy]

Well, does it have to be a Ruger?

You should consider a CZ 452 American. They usually can be purchased for far less than a 77/22 and they will usually shoot circles around any Ruger.

I had my 452 American out at the range yesterday afternoon. I had to block out that afternoon sun that was quartering in.


Each .22 rifle displays preferences for different ammo. My CZ must have liked this SK Pistol Match that the BR shooters have been raving about more than my pricey Anschutz 1710. The little Czech rifle flat outshot the German one yesterday. At least with this ammo.



More to the point of your thread: Why do I like .22 bolt guns more than semi-autos?

1) They are more accurate from the factory and I hate tinkering with guns. They ought to work the way they are designed and manufactured. That is what I expect.

2) Easier to maintain. With a bolt gun, all you have to do is occasionally clean the bore, wipe the bolt off and lubricate the lug(s). With the semi-autos you will have to periodically take the action apart and scrape all the powder fouling out of all of the nooks, cranies, paper clips, and ball point pen springs.

3) Bolt guns encourage fire discipline and marksmanship.

 

[General Geoff]

sheffieldshootr, those are great looking rifles. I myself have just gotten into the .22lr bolt gun scene with a Marlin 980S-CF, and now I'm wondering if I should have done a bit more research on alternatives before getting the Marlin. Don't get me wrong, she's still more accurate than I am, but I'm thinking, is a $250 bolt gun really in the same league as a $500+ rifle of the same action type and caliber?

Guess I'll have to go get some 50 yard groupings and find out..

 

[Danny Creasy]

GG, I must point out that I only paid $340 for that American new three years ago and I believe they can still be had for under four.

Some of the Marlin rimfires like yours will shoot very well. Good luck.

I have a new 80TS tube repeater that has been disappointing. My stainless Model 60 semi-auto will out shoot it. But, I have friends that report half inch groups from their bolt action Marlin .22 LRs. I had a Marlin 783 .22 Magnum back in the 70s that would shoot MOA at one hundred yards. Killed several ground hogs with that rascal.

 

[rangerruck]

yes, they are twice as good, usually twice as accurate, and walnut wood.

 

[Danny Creasy]

The Ruger 77/22 is three times better than a 10/22. I gave it another run this morning with ammo from my latest case of SK Standard Plus and ...



That is an overall average of .36" for the page.

This would make a fine hunting rifle with that kind of cold clean barrel performance? Note top left group and comments.