Well, ive shoot alot of rounds threw a marlin 60ss and it shoots great. Mostly feed threw it are cheap federal value packs and they cycle/eject perfect, ive only have a few jams (all on the same day) because of the cold air and the excessive amount of lube my friend put inside the chamber/around the chamber. It hasnt been cleaned in over probably 3,000 shots and still shoots nickle groups, just a little while ago i shot a black bird at 60yards with open sights crouched, that just shows that the gun can prove itself, and also the large amount of rabbits its claimed.
Best .22 Rifle for Hunting?
- Thread starter Flynt
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Hi Elmer...
I agree with you on the box mags as far as... safer to handle, more convenient, generally reliable, good capacity for hunting. I just don't like to reload the magazine every five shots when I'm "fun shooting" and, with my penchant for misplacing things, a box magazine is just asking for getting lost.
To each their own.
I agree with you on the box mags as far as... safer to handle, more convenient, generally reliable, good capacity for hunting. I just don't like to reload the magazine every five shots when I'm "fun shooting" and, with my penchant for misplacing things, a box magazine is just asking for getting lost.
To each their own.
ThomasT
Member
I have a Marlin model 39 and i have to say it is one accurate rifle. It feeds shorts. longs and long rifle loads plus the CCI cb loads. If it has a failing it is the weight. This is a pretiy chunky rifle. It shoots good off hand though.
I also have a new Marlin 981T. Its tube fed and and it also shoots S,L and LR rounds. Plus it has all the accuracy you could want for hunting. I put a 4x Nikon Pro-Staff on it and it is my favorite 22 rifle right now.
The box magazine was mentioned for ease of unloading. Thats a good point. But there is no rule that says you have to load a tube mag to full capacity. For hunting just drop in 3-4 rounds and your good to go.
Twenty twos were born to hunt. Darn near any style will work if shoots decent groups. It wasn't until i got high speed internet that i found out how bad my 10/22 was. Used to be i could kill beer cans at 50 yards off hand with it and that was after i drained the cans. Now i have been educated as to what a crummy gun it is. And no, its not for sale.
I also have a new Marlin 981T. Its tube fed and and it also shoots S,L and LR rounds. Plus it has all the accuracy you could want for hunting. I put a 4x Nikon Pro-Staff on it and it is my favorite 22 rifle right now.
The box magazine was mentioned for ease of unloading. Thats a good point. But there is no rule that says you have to load a tube mag to full capacity. For hunting just drop in 3-4 rounds and your good to go.
Twenty twos were born to hunt. Darn near any style will work if shoots decent groups. It wasn't until i got high speed internet that i found out how bad my 10/22 was. Used to be i could kill beer cans at 50 yards off hand with it and that was after i drained the cans. Now i have been educated as to what a crummy gun it is. And no, its not for sale.
Pretty much anything will do. Even a single shot, if you're really good!
The best .22 for hunting is the one you shoot the best. If you only have one .22 rifle well... there's your answer.
The best .22 for hunting is the one you shoot the best. If you only have one .22 rifle well... there's your answer.
Being a fan/owner of the Model 60, I will say that when it comes to hunting the "best" .22 caliber rifle for hunting will be one that shoots shorts as well as long rifle .22 cal ammunition.
Now there is nothing wrong with a .22 LR only gun, but if there was one thing that I listened to my Papa and my Dad about, was that there is no better hunting round for small game than a .22 short, and they are right. I don't have one at the moment. My Dad has my Papa's old bolt .22, but I am saving to get me a Marlin 39. I need to be able to shoot shorts, but until then the Model 60 will tag and bag whatever comes in its way.
There isn't a bad .22 IMO. .22 are awesome, and even though I like the boom and the speed of other calibers. I would be lost without a .22 in my safe.
Now there is nothing wrong with a .22 LR only gun, but if there was one thing that I listened to my Papa and my Dad about, was that there is no better hunting round for small game than a .22 short, and they are right. I don't have one at the moment. My Dad has my Papa's old bolt .22, but I am saving to get me a Marlin 39. I need to be able to shoot shorts, but until then the Model 60 will tag and bag whatever comes in its way.
There isn't a bad .22 IMO. .22 are awesome, and even though I like the boom and the speed of other calibers. I would be lost without a .22 in my safe.
I'm a big fan of the 39A and I wouldn't dissuade anybody from getting one... but a 981T (or any of its older predecessors) has proven to be a good little S/L/LR option in my experience.
If you want to keep things under $200, it might be worth a look.
If you want to keep things under $200, it might be worth a look.
toivo
Member
I have a Ruger 10/22 and a Marlin 60. Both are fun semi-auto .22 rifles good for plinking, but my Marlin 60 is more accurate than my Ruger 10/22. The Marlin 60 also holds more rounds in its tube magazine than the Ruger 10/22 does in its rotary magazine. I find that I can load the tube faster than I can reload the rotary as well, so... if you're comparing a Marlin 60 to a Ruger 10/22 with only one rotary mag, then the Marlin has a higher ammo capacity and a faster reload time. Once you get multiple magazines for the Ruger, the Marlin's reloading advantage becomes less important. The good news is that both the Marlin 60 and Ruger 10/22 are so cheap that you could just buy one of each and enjoy two fun rifles.
If you want to put a decent sum of money into your .22, the Ruger 10/22 is just about the most modifiable .22 rifle on the market. There are so many companies producing aftermarket parts for the 10/22 that you can basically customize it to suit any taste. They may not be the most accurate rifles out of the box, but if you take a cheap 10/22 and dump a heap of custom parts into it, you could easily have a tack driver.
If you don't want to go semi-auto, a CZ bolt action would be a good choice. They have a reputation for accuracy and quality.
My dad has two lever action .22 rifles. One is a Henry and the other is a Marlin 39. Both cycle smoothly and are a blast to shoot, but the Marlin is definitely the hands-down winner in accuracy between the two.
If you want to put a decent sum of money into your .22, the Ruger 10/22 is just about the most modifiable .22 rifle on the market. There are so many companies producing aftermarket parts for the 10/22 that you can basically customize it to suit any taste. They may not be the most accurate rifles out of the box, but if you take a cheap 10/22 and dump a heap of custom parts into it, you could easily have a tack driver.
If you don't want to go semi-auto, a CZ bolt action would be a good choice. They have a reputation for accuracy and quality.
My dad has two lever action .22 rifles. One is a Henry and the other is a Marlin 39. Both cycle smoothly and are a blast to shoot, but the Marlin is definitely the hands-down winner in accuracy between the two.
I agree with whomever said that whichever one you shoot best is the best for your particular needs. Shoot, at 50yrds and less I wouldn't hesitate to take my son's $99 Mossberg 701 Plinkster out. My wife's 10/22 is plenty accurate for this as well. My Browning BL22 the same, and so goes with my dad's Marlin 39a. Take your pic, get out and hold as many as you can and get the one that's comfy for ya.
Noidster
Noidster
You just made my day. I had totally forgotten about the 981T. Gotta have my shorts.
Thank you.
My pleasure - glad to help!
Remington 572 (pump), I like mine, it's prob 50 years old. As for semi's, the Rem 552 is a good one too. I also love my Cousin's little Browning auto (I can't remember the the model number but there's basicly just one, though in various grades). It only takes one shot to remind me to keep my support hand on the forearm... I tend to support it with my hand under the receiver, briefly, as it bottom-ejects a remarkably hot brass reminder in my palm. Remington also made about a jillion Nylon 66's too. Very sweet shooting little rifles and can sometimes be found and had for less than a C-note.
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