best out of the box squirrel gun

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Heresy! I am not sure where this thing about 10/22 not being accurate comes from, but that has not been my experience, either with the 3 or 4 I have owned or currently own, or with the multitudes I have shot with over the years.
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You got 3 or 4 better ones than I did. I had 2 that would shoot okay I got rid of one and did a trigger job and bedded the stock. About 3 months later I traded a range finder($70) for a marlin 60 in okay shape.

I cleaned it up and took it to the range and shot dime sized 3 shot groups with bulk ammo @ 50yds. Neither of my 10/22's could do that even with mods.

That being said I dont really think a marlin 60 is a huge upgrade from the 10/22 although slightly better in my experience. I would recommend a CZ rifle

the tube mag is a dream to load and easy on the fingers compared to the 10/22 mags but when you get a FTF its much harder to clear the jam.
 
My vote is the marlin 60. Had both a marlin 60 and a 10/22 growing up. While you would be more tacticool with a 10/22 and modding it. In my experience the marlin 60 is just the better of the two. Not to mention you can pick them up new for less than $200 and if you hit a pawn shop for $60-80 in my neck of the woods.
 
I vote for the Marlin model 60. I picked one up used for $75, I put a cheap scope on it. I can hollow out milk jug caps with it.
 
Marlin 60 without a doubt.

I picked out mine for a 100 bucks with a 4x scope. Shoots nickel sized groups at 50yds if I feel like trying and it'll eat anything except for Federal value pack stuff. Another positive about mine is that I got an older model (1971 vintage) so it has a 17rd tube instead of 14/15.
 
I have the rifle you want. It's called a CZ 452 Style. Nickel finished bolt gun w/synthetic stock, ready to scope. With match ammo I've shot a 5 shot group at 50 yards that's under a quarter inch center to center. With federal american eagle it'll consistently shoot around a half-inch. It's not heavy and a pleasure to shoot.

http://cz-usa.com/products/view/cz-452-style/

I did take the trigger mechanism down and messed with it a bit, but ended up without making much difference and wouldn't recommend it. Just shoot another thousand rounds and it'll smooth up.
 
i'll second the savage 24 in 22/410
if you don't need to worry about back ground issues
the marlin 60 is a great way to go if you don't need the scatter gun
 
my pick

my pick would be the Winchester model 275 .22 mag with 30gr hornady V-Max...now im not sure how hard these are to come by...but ive taken 10 squirrel this year with 10 rounds...very accurate....alittle off topic but could someone share some info about the 275 with me??i just bought it 6months ago
 
I'd be looking at the used gun racks at the stores around you. You will see something that is "interesting" in .22LR or .22WRM. Once you get one that feels right, scope it and learn it's idiosyncrasies - you'll get 'em :)
 
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Honestly, I don't think I've ever owned a .22 rifle that really shot "bad".
Some are better than others and all three CZ-452's I've shot (one I own) were extremely accurate, but I hunted squirrels for years with my dad's old open-sighted Remington 512 and never felt like it was inadequate for the job.
 
Savage Mark II or if you get a Marlin 39 or 60 now, it'll still be a real Marlin made in Connecticut, who knows how long they'll keep the 39 once production moves.
 
essayons21 said:
Hmm, everyone seems to be recommending .22lr.

I would suggest go with a bolt action .17hmr. More accurate, longer range, and more explosive on varmints.

The Savage 93R17 FVSS seems to fit your requirements

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/93R17FVSS
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while i chose the .22WMR cause it has a little longer range than the .17hmr...it boils down to personal preference i own a model 93r...but both require head shots cause of massive fragmentation...mind you im using hornady 30gr WMR....but i love my .17...its just all personal preference!i own both but choose the .22 mag...i dont use .22lr
 
Honestly, I don't think I've ever owned a .22 rifle that really shot "bad".
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Inasmuch as I have defended the 10/22 and talked about my love for the Marlin, I have to admit that at the end of the day this is how I feel as well. My first rifle I ever bought on my own (at the age of 9 or 10, by the way) was this incredibly beat-up Winchester pump. I still have it, and I still shoot it. I personally can shoot it pretty well, though others have a problem. This is entirely because I know that rifle like the back of my hand, know all of it's little quirks, know exactly where to hold the sights (which are worn and uneven) for a good shot and can do all that relatively quickly. Given that I have now owned it for close to 30 years, I hesitate to even guess how many rounds have been put through it, but I would bet money that I have run at least 5 cases of .22 through it over the years. As recently as last year I shot a rabbit with it. My point is, there is no doubt that some rifles of any make or model are sour, but oftentimes it just takes some time and some patience and a whole lot of rounds downrange to really uncover the potential of a rifle.

As a side note, I have never, ever cleaned that rifle. A drop of lube once or twice, but that's it. Not advocating that, but there it is.
 
22's

First, to the guy that asked about the Winchester 275 pump .22 mag, it was made from '63 to '73 (also made a lever 255) according to the Blue Book.



The new Marlin's and Savage rifles are dead accurate and around 2 Hundred. If you have the bucks to go for the CZ, they are nice. If you want New...one of these three would be my choice. YMMV
 
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I would suggest go with a bolt action .17hmr. More accurate, longer range, and more explosive on varmints.
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What happens if he actually wants the meat?
I'd have no problem using .17hmr on things like prairie dogs but squirrel makes good eating.
 
The OP stated he wanted a stainless/synthetic squirrel gun. I think most agree that a 22 is the caliber of choice. The best rifle I can think of is the Marlin 981TS.

It has a tube feed and will handle the full range of 22 ammo from CBs on up. I DO NOT recommend the aquila powderless loads for a gun with this barrel length. They WILL sometimes stick in the barrel. And if they do make it out they have very little power left. I have killed close to a hundred squirrels with just CCI CB longs. And thats out to around 25 yards. Nearly all were one shot kills.

I am not sure of the price for the stainless but my blued version cost $173 OTD. So I would guess the SS is a little over $200. Of course being a marlin there is no question about how well it shoots.
 
marlin model 60.
a blast from the past. :)
i picked one up a few years ago' in a pawn shop, in hayti missouri.
it was so gummed up n' filthy it wouldn't even let the bolt all the way back.
gave 15 ? 20 ? dollars for it.
took it home, and took brake cleaner and either to it. flushed it out really good.
cleaned the bore, and presto !!! a great shooter !! last year i putt in a new bolt buffer n' recoil spring.
silly thing is amazingly accurate.
it now shoots anything i feed it, very reliable.if i remember right.
mine holds 18 shots .
super cheap and soooo eazy to work on.
peabody
 
I have to agree with RCMODEL, save the action, get a new trigger,barrel and a new stock and you have a very accurate rifle that will shoot anything you feed it.
 
Thanks for all the input. The Marlin 981ts seems to fit the bill the best. Now to see if I can find one in a local shop. I try to buy local and I dont like the idea of buying a rifle that I have not handled.
 
Marlin 39A will always be a top choice but may be out of that price range these days. I still like to remember when they were $250.00 ..........wishful thinking now.
 
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