Mossberg .22

[rabblerabble101]

I was looking through the Mossberg website (http://www.mossberg.com/products/default.asp?ID=9&section=products) and found a .22 called the Mossberg International™ Plinkster® Rimfire .22 Rifle. I had several questions about this gun and would greatly appreciate it if you guys could help me out .


1) Is this a reasonably priced .22?
2) Is this a decent quality .22?
3) Would it be better to get a bolt action or autoloader?
4) Which ammo would be best for this .22 and approximately how much does it cost?
5) Do I need a permit to buy it or do I buy it and have a Nics check done?
6) I have about 100 feet of clear space in my backyard and then about 20 feet of woods, and then about 50 feet of open area then a house behind that. Is that enough room to shoot this .22 or should i find a larger area to shoot?
7) How loud is this .22 compared to a pellet rifle?
8) Should I pay the extra $9.00 and get the mossberg scope that is sold with the rifle or should I get a better scope sold seperately?
9) Is this .22 hard to dissasemble / reassemble and keep clean or is it relatively easily?
10) Any other general info you guys know about this .22 would be greatly appreciated

All info is greatly appreciated, as I am still am very new to guns (currently only have 3 pellet guns )

 

[Oldnamvet]

Wow! You have a lot of questions. The first thing you have to answer is what are you going to use the rifle for? That determines a lot of things, including whether a bolt or semi action. If you really want to burn ammo, you'll need the semi-auto. If you want to just take very deliberate shots, you may want the bolt. Ammo cost? It varies. Check it out in the local stores in your area. Most rifles have a preference for best results. Only you can determine that after you have the rifle and are shooting it. As to where to shoot. The .22 lr is normally louder than a pellet rifle and the bullet carries a lot further. Houses and people a mile away can be hurt from a stray bullet. That makes what is beyond your back yard very important. If you are in a populated area, you have to be very careful of your backstop for shooting. It sounds like shooting in your backyard would be a very bad idea with a .22. My gun club has berms 30 feet high to be sure no one puts a round where it shouldn't go. As to purchase, if you are of legal age to buy in your locality, go to various gun shops and handle the many types of .22 rifles available. Unless you do that, you won't know which ones "feel" right to you. Just buying without handling is risky. You may not like the feel of the rifle once you have it. And yes, provided you are of age, you will get a background check as a minimum. Some places require a lot more (i.e. Chicago requirement ) Rimfire scopes are relatively inexpensive. Just starting out, a $9 scope supplied by the manufacturer of the rifle would probably be OK for plinking. As with anything, when you get serious about it, prices for high quality equipment go up.
Sounds like you have a lot of research to do before committing your $$ to a rifle. Do it well and you will never regret the time. You will actually enjoy the process of selection and knowledge you will gain.

 

[rabblerabble101]

Thanks for the reply oldnamevet.

I plan mainly on just plinking and probably as a shtf gun until I can scrape together some more money. I am more into taking accurate shots, but every once in a while I like to just pump them out as fast as I can, so maybe I should look more towards the semi.

Yea, shooting in my backyward probably isn't the greatest idea, but a friend of mine has some woods behind his house. There is about 200 feet of semi wooded area with a very large hill behind it that is about 15 feet tall about about 30 feet thick, do you think that would be adequate for stopping .22 rounds? I live in fairly rural area, but my friend has nearly no one by his house, so that would probably be a good place to shoot.

Also, is it ok to have a gun in the car if you are going to a range / friend's house to shoot?

I think for now I will start to do some research and in a couple of months when I am closer to 18, I think I will actually go to some stores to see how some of the .22's feel.

Thanks again for all of your input Oldnamvet, and any advice from anyone else would be greatly appreciated

 

[22-rimfire]

I can't really comment on the specific Mossberg model. But I can comment on Mossberg 22 rifles. They are very accurate and a fine value for the dollar! You won't go wrong with one. My first rifle was a Mossberg 22 auto and to this day it is one of the most accurate 22's I have ever shot and I have shot a lot.

I may have to look into that model. I have been buying higher priced 22 rifles in recent years.

Most 22 autos are not ammo picky like some pistols. They all shoot, but certain brands and lots (within a brand) will shoot better from a specific rifle. You just have to shoot the rifle and get comfortable with it. You may get an occasional jam, but don't worry about it. Get some extra magazines and try each one out.

I would not get the Mossberg scope. It is probably worth about the $9 that they are asking. Buy yourself another scope of better quality. Get full 1" tube diameter in a rimfire scope. Most major brands sell good 22 scopes. I like a 4x the best, but many like the 3-9x variables. The variables are just bigger and heavier and you will do most of your shooting in the 4x setting anyway. The higher power setting come in handy for shooting 100yd shots at the range or in the field.

Studies have shown that you don't gain much with a barrel over 18" with a 22 rifle.

I would not shoot behind your house. Too easy to hit a house and not even realize it. If you hit a house, you could just as easily hit a person by mistake. More people killed with 22's than anything else. It is a rifle and you have to be careful.

You have to be 18 to purchase the rifle yourself. The dealer will probably do the NICs check. If you aren't 18, get your parents to buy the gun and gift it to you.

 

[Selfdfenz]

rabblerabble101

I heard mixed reports on the Plinkster. Personally I would perfer the Model 60 Marlin in that price range.

Have to tried the search function?

If a 22 is what you think you might be interested in and you haven't had too much expereince shooting in general you might want to think about a 22 bolt action as a starter.

Rimfirecentral is a website devoted to the rimfire rifle and pistol shooter. Worth a visit and I highly recommened their search function also.

http://www.rimfirecentral.com

S-

 

[toivo]

As Selfdfenz says, the reports on the Plinkster are mixed. Mossberg is no longer producing rimfire rifles, and the Plinkster is a Brazilian-made rifle imported under the Mossberg name, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But the new Plinkster is very similar in looks, design, and price to a Marlin 795, which would be a much better buy IMHO. The 795 is essentially a Marlin 60 with a box magazine instead of tubular. The Model 60 is one of the best-selling .22 rimfires of all time. You may pay $10 or $20 more for the Marlin, but I believe it would be money well spent.

 

[rangerruck]

it is made in Brazil by Brastech/rossi. it is very good for the money, it is one of the few that still are made with and adjustable rear ramp sight, like the remmy 597's. they also make a nickel/ sand washed version that sometimes Gander mountain sells for 100 bucks. i like it is synthetic stock, to knock aroung in the woods. i dont like the Schnabel forearm, for bench shooting. It is very much like the mod 6o in it's receiver construction/bolt take down and action. Overall , it s a buy for me.

 

[rangerruck]

yes , they are mcuh loouder than a pellet rifle. you can get 22 shorts, cb's, cb longs, and they are much more quiet. but you have to load them one at a time. Now if you get subsonics or the the cb's, or even Colibris or super colibris, you can fire those in your small range, as they are all about 1/2 or less the pwer of a regulare 22 long rifle round, especially the Aguila Colibris. the colibris and the super colibris, fire at a muzzle speed , of about 350 and 550 fps(feet per second), respectively. They only fire off of the primer, no powder loadin the case. cb's , cb shorts, and longs, have a little powder, but fire a light bullet, usually 29 grains. After you break it in with a few thousand rounds, who knows, maybe the cb longs will cycle your action, without having to load one at a time, but dont hold your breath on that one.

 

[dfaugh]

1) Is this a reasonably priced .22? Yes
2) Is this a decent quality .22? Yes But there are better
3) Would it be better to get a bolt action or autoloader?Personal choice
4) Which ammo would be best for this .22 and approximately how much does it cost?Test as many types as you can, it's real cheap and .each .22 seems to like different ammo.
5) Do I need a permit to buy it or do I buy it and have a Nics check done? Yes to the NICS check
6) I have about 100 feet of clear space in my backyard and then about 20 feet of woods, and then about 50 feet of open area then a house behind that. Is that enough room to shoot this .22 or should i find a larger area to shoot? Not safe at all
7) How loud is this .22 compared to a pellet rifle? It depends, I have a pellet refle that's almost as loud as my .22
8) Should I pay the extra $9.00 and get the mossberg scope that is sold with the rifle or should I get a better scope sold seperately? NO, get a better scope. for under $50 you can get a "budget" scope and rings, that'll be much better.
9) Is this .22 hard to dissasemble / reassemble and keep clean or is it relatively easily? No idea
10) Any other general info you guys know about this .22 would be greatly appreciated. Don't know much about current models. Mossberg has put the "Plinkster" namd ona a wide variety. I had one when I was you age that had a synthetic thumbhole stock, tube fed through the rear of stock. Neat gun, but it did seem to jam alot.

My reccomendation to anyone looking for an entry level .22 is a Marlin (model 60-semi, or Model 25N-bolt). My Model 60 (topped with a $40 Tasco scope) is SCARY accurate. And you want an accurate gun so that you can gauge you progress, as you learn the basics of good shooting.

 

[XavierBreath]

First, welcome to the forum.
I'll try to address your questions directly.

1) Is this a reasonably priced .22? It's fair, but there are better, more reliable, and durable .22 rifles for the same money.

2) Is this a decent quality .22? This is a subjective question. Decent is relative to a person's needs and ability to afford a gun.

3) Would it be better to get a bolt action or autoloader?This depends on the intended use, as others have intimated. For precision work, a bolt action CZ is a great gun. For rapid plinking fun, it's hard to beat a Ruger 10/22. A nice blend is the Marlin Model 60.

4) Which ammo would be best for this .22 and approximately how much does it cost? Federal bulk pack, $7 or $8 at Wal-Mart. If your .22 won't shoot this ammo, you either bought an esoteric match gun, or a poorly made POS.

5) Do I need a permit to buy it or do I buy it and have a Nics check done? This will depend on you age and your state of residence. If you are to young to buy, your parent may need to go through the NICS.

6) I have about 100 feet of clear space in my backyard and then about 20 feet of woods, and then about 50 feet of open area then a house behind that. Is that enough room to shoot this .22 or should i find a larger area to shoot? This again will depend greatly on where you live, the distance your neighbors live, how much they trust you........ no, wait a minute....170 feet with some trees and then an inhabited house? NO WAY! Do not shoot there. Go to a range. Better yet, attend a gun safety course and then go to a range, OK? Seriously, I'm not knocking you, but this kind of question shows you need some basic instruction on the power of a bullet.

7) How loud is this .22 compared to a pellet rifle? Loud enough to let your neighbors in that house 170 feet away know that you are shooting and loud enough to allow the Sheriff's deputy to find you.

8) Should I pay the extra $9.00 and get the mossberg scope that is sold with the rifle or should I get a better scope sold seperately? Buy a quality scope separately. A great rifle with a cheap scope is a poor rifle. Here's a great Cheap Scope Reference. I would recommend the 4X fixed objective Nikon sold at Wal-Mart for rimfire rifles. It's around $100, but well worth the money.

9) Is this .22 hard to dissasemble / reassemble and keep clean or is it relatively easily? Field strip or disassemble? Buy a boresnake and a few small brushes. Keep the chamber area, barrel and magazine clean. Resist the temptation to tear everything apart for a detail strip. Resist the temptation to spray oil everywhere. Use a dry lube instead.

10) Any other general info you guys know about this .22 would be greatly appreciated. Go to Rimfire Central and search around. It's the best info out there.

The best advice I can give a novice wanting to get into .22 rifle shooting is.....
Examine your strengths and desires.

If you enjoy building things and want to build a freaky accurate .22 rifle, get a Ruger 10/22. Buy it used to save money. Build away.

If you want a reliable and fun plinker then buy a Ruger 10/22, and shoot it as is. Buy it used to save some money.

If you want a very accurate paper and can puncher, buy a bolt action CZ 452. It's a little more expensive than the semi autos I'm recommending, and difficult to find used. There's a reason for that. Think about it.

If you want a semi-auto that can blast away occasionally and still hold it's own punching bullseyes, then the Marlin Model 60 is your meat. You can find it used for around $100.

If you are really impoverished, a used Glenfield 60 can be had for $60-75. These are Marlin 60s that were relabeled and sold by Montgomery Wards. The lockwork is usually better than new Marlin 60's although they will usually have a bit of wear. The stocks, however, usually have weird pressed in checkering with chipmunks and such in a blonde wood, making them stand out like a sore thumb on the pawn shop rack. They shoot great though, and are the sleeper among the used .22 deals.

Have fun with your shooting, but take a firearms safety course, and obey the Four Rules. A lifetime of fun and comradarie, or a disaster and potential tragedy awaits you. The choice is yours to make. Now. Choose wisely.

 

[toivo]

If you are really impoverished, a used Glenfield 60 can be had for $60-75. [...] The stocks, however, usually have weird pressed in checkering with chipmunks and such in a blonde wood, making them stand out like a sore thumb on the pawn shop rack.

That is true, but you can get used Marlin 60 stocks for cheap if you look around. I live near Numrich Arms, and they have a barrel of them by the front counter for $5 apiece. Some of them are pretty ratty, but there's usually a few good ones in there, without squirrels!