I want a .22 rifle real bad.

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30mag

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My problem is that I can't decide whether to buy a danged 10-22 or something else... I really like the idea of a 50 round mag and all that nonsense, but aren't there hi-cap mags for other rifles?
I'm also looking at a mossy plinkster, marlin, or a savage.
I'm leaning towards the Savage at this point.. but the 10-22 aftermarket support is soooooo tempting.
 
i got a 10/22. Started out as a stock carbine (syn stock), add a cheapo scope. Then got the hogue overmmolded stock and bull barrel combo for about 100 bux - then add a cheap 30 bux 3x9x40.

THEN i got a Tapco T-6 with a cheapo red dot and 50 rd mag.

The beauty of the 10/22 is that you can always "dress" it up the way you want to and can always revert it back to its original state. So now i have 3 configurations depending on the mood :D
 
I have been reading/shopping for a 22 as well. The $117 savages do not have accutrigger but are good without it. However to me a 25 round magazine would be fine. That's why I want that wallyworld exclusive, it is the $232 longest barrel in stainless and no other retailer sells this longer version. The $198 model is the short carbine.

The pawn shops in my area want $150 for rustbucket 22's. After checking a few, I will NOT be purchasing from one.

We have a Interarms/Norinco ATD which is the copy of the famous little bottom eject breakdown from Browning in the family. This gun is horribly inaccurate IMHO.

So I will keep looking, going to Eastmans gun show in Gainesville, GA this weekend to see if there really are any "deals" in gun shows.
 
For an inexpensive semi auto that is very accurate the Marlin 60 is a great rifle. But if you like to change things with aftermarket mods you had better stick with the 10/22.
 
Hostile Amish said:
10-22 is like twice as better.
The English teacher in me just had a stroke. Fortunately the firearms fanatic is still alive and well.

The 10/22 is a really good gun. It's not twice as good as any of the quality guns the OP mentioned (in fact it's not as good as the Marlin in many well-educated opinions) but it's still a very decent rifle. Of course the 10/22 really shines in the aftermarket. Its original popularity was due to it being inexpensive but well made and for having a really great magazine design. The 10 shot rotary mag worked well and it quickly became apparent that aftermarket magazines with much higher capacity sold like crazy for this little plinker. As a result of its simplicity of design and proliferation of 30-50 round magazines, the 10/22 aftermarket took off. The huge following it developed because of the great potential for customization has taken the 10/22 from a simple and inexpensive gun to a simple and middle-priced one. It's still a good solid choice.

It just depends on what you really want. The Marlin is the most popular .22 rifle made for good reason. What it lacks in the detachable magazine it makes up for in accuracy and quality of build. Really, you can't go wrong with any of your choices.
 
The Remington 597 has 30 rounders available for it... It also has that "big rifle" feel to it being scaled as a full size rifle... mine is out of the box stock and is quite accurate...
 
I'll call your Model 60 and raise you a T/C R55.
The 10/22's aftermarket support started out of neccessity (they're good but not great) and snowballed due to it's popularity which is driven by it's aftermarket support. It's a classic example of a self fulfilling prophecy. Like when the Media says the economy is in the dumper and then the economy goes into the dumper and FLUSHES ITSELF.
If you want a 10/22 you might as well build it since buying one can be a waste of money due to the temptation to upgrade the whole thing anyway.
 
pick one, buy it, save money, buy different one, repeat until you have one of each, problem solved.
 
That's what is great about 22's, they are cheap enough to own them all. With the price of ammo going up, I grew my 22 collection this year. I can take the kids out and shoot all day for very little. I bought 2200 rounds of Remington 22lr the other day for 68 bucks. My 300 RUM cost more than that for just 20 rounds. My vote would be a 10/22 for plinking, a Marlin for prarie dogs, but I'd get a good old Winchester Model 250 lever action for small game.
 
the marlin model 60 is hands down in my opinion the best out of the box semi auto 22lr rifle ever made...
the only thing that has ever slowed mine down is dud ammo... the are accurate with the marline patented micro groove barrel .. .. no if you want something you can trick out and have trick out to make it as accurate in my opinion then get a 10/22 if you just want a solid accurate reliable 22 then get a model 60
 
Go with the 10/22. If by chance there is something that you don't like about it, the aftermarket will have something to alleviate the issue.

My 10/22 was given to me as a x-mas present 25 (?)years ago and I never had a problem with it. Then I kept hearing about people having issues with theirs and I think I figured out what their issues are.

1. Ruger started coating the inside of the receiver with something that is causing the bolt to hang-up. So with the Charger that I bought, I stripped the coating off and polished the inside of the receiver.

2. The firing pin and bolt seem to be a bit rougher. I took them apart, rounded off the sharp edges and removed any burrs, and then polished them.

3. The trigger housing is now plastic. I had purchased a power custom adjustable hammer and sear. Before I removed the parts I noticed that the plastic was causing too much pressure on the rotating parts and making them bind. So during the parts install, I took the time to clearance/shave plastic to allow the moving parts to move. Now it is extemely smooth with a 4# pull that feels like 2#s.

Being a motorcycle mechanic in a former life, I like to modify things so stuff like this isn't much of an issue to me, but I understand that some people either don't want to have to mess with things like that, or they don't have the mechanical know-how or time to do it. There's obviously nothing wrong with that, but it can cause people to miss out on a really great product in the long-run. If you don't know how to do something like that, get a friend who knows what they're doing to do it for you.
 
The following are all pretty decent .22lr:

Marlin 60 - $100-$200
Mossberg 702 Plinkster - $100-$175
Ruger 10/22 - $200-Infinity :uhoh:
 
If you want a toy that you can dress up like a Barbie Doll get a 10-22. I think a newcomer should start with a bolt and I recommend you start with the Savage Mark IIF from Walmart for 117, put a few thousand rounds through it, and see where you are then and where you want to go from there.
 
+1 to King Ghidora and woof

Marlin Model 60
Pros:
-Semi Auto - 16 shots
-Tube Fed for faster reloads than mags
-No need to spend money on extra magazines
-Time-tested durability and performance
-Just about everyone's owned one - lots of info out there
-Great accuracy right out of the box
-basic model is 139.99 new

Cons:
-somewhat complex action
-stock sights are just average

Notes: I took the action completely apart with the aid of the internet twice. It's now a very simple, easy process. I also ordered TECH-SIGHTS.com Aperture Sights for $65. Incredibly easy to install.


I am so thankful I did not buy a 10/22. I would have paid at least $70 more, got a rifle that shot less accurately, had to be magazine fed, and is typically a sinkhole for money for customization.

However, I AM somewhat sad i did not buy a bolt action. I love bolt action. However, it is more expensive, often matched with a scope, and IMO warrants a larger investment.

Here is what I think is a good long-term .22 plan:
1) buy a (used) marlin model 60 as your first .22 on the cheap
2) use irons and practice on the cheap

once you are good with it and you are still interested in .22 but want something nice...

3) buy a cz452 American (bolt action). If that's too much $$$ then perhaps a nicer Savage Mark II with Accutrigger.
4) put the nicest scope you can afford on it.

You'll have a nicer rifle than after spending hundreds on a 10/22. It just wont be in the tye-dye color you thought you wanted. AND you'd have two great 22s, both of which are capable of living longer than you are.

But hey, there's a lot of guys on this board with 5, 10, and 15+ .22 rifles. I'm sure they know whats up better than I do.

Check out the 22 A-holic's Anonymous Thread.
 
First rifle I ever bought with my own money was a Ruger 10/22, great rifle, owned several others over the years just never seem to keep hold of them for more than a couple years at a time, then sell them or trade them for something else.

I own a couple of Winchester 63 semi-autos now, one original and one Japanese Miroku made version along with a couple of Remington 581/541 bolt action .22 rifles.
Both of these model types are now out of production now and both of these rifles types I won't soon be selling, if I ever do.
 
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