Remington 597 w/ scope or Marlin Model 60???

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Harry in SC

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I am in need of some assistance here. If you were given the choice between these two .22 lr rifles, which one would you choose? Both are $259.99 at my local gun shops.

Choice # 1 is:

The Remington 597 w/ scope combo. Laminate stock, stainless steel barrel. 10 round clip fed.

Remington597.jpg

Choice # 2 is:

Marlin Model 60 (no scope). Laminate stock, stainless steel barrel. 14 rounds tube fed.

Marlin.jpg

Which one is better? I really can't decide. I have heard people say great things about both rifles. The benefit to the Remington is that it already has the scope attached. On the other hand the Marlin holds more rounds. I am not looking to do any serious competitive shooting here. Are one of these rifles more prone to jams than the other??? I just want to be able to go and shoot at targets and maybe do some varmint hunting. I am looking for a quality rifle that will not give me a whole bunch of problems. Of course out of the box accuracy is important as well. I really appreciate any comments you all may have. Thanks in advance!

Harry :confused:
 
I have the 597 and it's been great and relaible and accurate... I called Remington to ask about some replacement mags... they sent me two freebies...
 
The Marlin definitely has the better loading action. Both are plenty accurate and I've put dime groups at 50 yards with little effort on my 597.
The issue with the 597 is the rails. Any little bit of crud will slow the bolt and eventually start jams. A dry lube is best on them, though a wipe-down with an oiled patch follwed by a dry one will work okay also, just not as well. I'd probably recommend the Marlin. The only thing you're losing is the mag-reloads. The Marlin's tube is a bit longer to load, but functions more reliably, and time vs rounds will probably beat a 597 with two mags, simply because you can load the Marlin quicker. Those Remington mags can be tough with fat thumbs.
 
Only have experience with the marlin. great rifle with surpising accuracy out of the box, seems to shoot whatever I feed it. Never jams and rarely gets cleaned.
 
the ruger is normally more of a beauty, but you cannot say this about the stainless laminate mod 60. As far as accuracy goes, the mod 60 is legendary for out of the box accuracy, it will run with rifles costing much more; only a few rifles out there really can beat it. and then there is the tube fed; it holds 15 rounds total, it is reliable with a ton of diff ammo, and you cant lose a mag.
now then, i do like the remmy, it is also very accurate; the action on these may never wear out. just pull out the action, pull the back plate off, pull the two rails all the way out, then just put back in finger tight, just back in enough to put it back together. also the remmy's usually have fully adjustable rear sites, whereas the marlin usually just has a ladder rear site.
If it were me, I would go with the marlin...
 
in those pics, I see the marlin has sites, the remmy does not. If this is true with the ones at the shop, then I deff go marlin. I personally cannot stand a rifle without sites...
 
Ranger-ruck, I'd imagine the Remy comes with the sights in the box. I had to remove mine to get my 40mm scope on there. The darn things were loc-tited to death.
 
Do you mean, at the same price? They're both good, but the value is greater in the Remington, even without the junk scope - about $35 more, with much better resale value.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/96556

Jeebus, I hate "scoped combos" -invariably junk scopes and even junkier rings. But in this case, I'd ignore the scope, and the Rem wins regardless.

No doubt that they're both good guns, and the Marlin would not be a mistake. But the irons on the Marlin are not that great, and they are irrelevant if you are going to scope it.
 
A bit surprised...

Hey PremiumSauces...Just to clarify myself, each gun by itself is $259.99. It sounds like you are recommending the Remmy over the Marlin. :) As a side note, I actually held the Remmy this week that is seen in the picture. It feels good to hold. I didn't see where the iron sights would attach to the barrel on this model. To be honest, I didn't even think to ask the dealer if the iron sights come in the box. If it does not come with the iron sights in the box, is that a deal breaker? Also, Rangerruck mentioned the Ruger 10/22 on here. You know...I just don't know what I think about the Ruger. The guy at the gun counter told me it was essentially a gun that was great...if I was gonna change the barrel and the trigger and the so on and so forth. I understand some people like to make a hobby out of after market modifications to their firearm, but that is not for me. I just think when you go and buy a gun, you should get quality right out of the box. Not to mention I am not trying to spend $1,000.00 on a plinker. If I was going to spend that kind of dough...it would be on a serious rifle or shotgun. The guy at the gun counter didn't seem too impressed with the 10/22. At this point it looks like I have four votes for the Marlin and two for the Remmy...interesting.

Harry
 
I have a couple of Remington M597 rifles and also have a Marlin Model 60.

Both models are great guns, but I'd jump on a M597 before a Marlin 60 if that was the choice...

Keep in mind that both rifles are available in versions that are appreciably cheaper than the models you posted pictures of here...

Forrest
 
go with the remmy. If you like more rounds, pick up some (or one if you so please) 30 rd mags for the remmy. You can't buy hi-cap for the marlin, although it's a good gun. Remington now makes 30rd mags so you don't have to buy from a dif. brand if you don't want to. $20 at bass pro last week.

And as the scope goes, you can pick it up out of the box and can shoot through a scope out of the box and replace it and the rings later. I have heard good things about the factory scopes though, my friend got a 770 in 30-06 and shot 1" groups with the factory scope out of the box.
 
someone mentioned above, the remmy will have a higher resale value, but for these two rifles, the diff will never be more than 50 bucks, and if you plan on keeping anyway, who cares? Again, if the remmy does not have sights, i would not get it, but that is just me...
 
I prefer the Remington (I have two in fact) but I've also had a Marlin and it is a very good shooter as well. The Remington just has a much better feel to me, heavier and just more solid feeling. Mine are both very accurate with CCI ammo, and it's been far and away the most reliable for me.

The LS series generally do not come with iron sights at all. I have one of each, a basic model with iron sights and a LS-HB with a scope. The iron sights (if you get them) are very good for a .22 rifle, much better than your standard ramped notch rear sight.
 
Love stainless. I bought a Marlin for the gun club to raffle off back when I had an FFL, kinda wanted to keep it. LOL I have a Remington, not stainless, and a magnum, but I cannot imagine a more accurate autoloading rifle. Love that thing. I, too, can do without the scope combo thing. Mine has a Bushnell trophy on it, not an expensive scope, but very clear compared to most of the ones that come in those combos. Not sure what they put on that one, though.

Either choice is a great rifle IMHO. The Remington needs the Varquartsen hammer/sear for a nice, crisp, light trigger. It went from the heaviest trigger I have on a rimfire to the sweetest with that one addition. 35 bucks well spent. I need to call or e-m remington for a couple of steel magazines. I have the plastic ones. One of 'em hangs now and then and causes the bolt to ride over the rim. The steel mags fis that and come on the new guns, now. I shot a 1/2" 100 yard group with that Remington the other day. Best .22 group I've ever fired. It was a windless day. That gun is pretty awesome accurate, but I about dropped my jaw to the ground when I shot that one. :D I don't care a LOT for tube mags, either, though I have an old Remington 512X bolt rifle that I love that has a tube magazine. Accuracy will let you overlook little details like that and the Marlin is an accurate rifle.

My stainless gun is a 10/22. I love it for plinking, but it's not in an accuracy class with the Remington or the Marlin. It's a neat handly little stainless plinker, though, and I put an overmolded Hogue stock on it. It's about 3 moa, good enough with iron sights for a plinker. I could make it better, but I have accurate .22s and I really like the 10/22 for what it is.

I would choose the Remington, personally. It's as accurate or more accurate than the Marlin, reliable now with the new mags, has stick mags rather than tube fed, and a better value for heads up the same price. If the scope isn't worth a toot, ebay it or something and buy a Bushnell for it. My 597 is scoped, but the rear sight folds forward out of the way. As mentioned above, the irons on the standard 597 are excellent and a few notches above what comes on the Marlin. I'd prefer the standard sighted model, myself, just for the option, but the amazing accuracy of the 597 almost demands a scope IMHO.
 
After casually researching .22's for the last year or two, i went with the Marlin 60 in stainless/synthetic, and in fact just got it this past Saturday. I put a Weaver V7 scope with Lepold rings, and took it out on sunday to sight it in. I'm am MORE than satified with this rifle !! I'm sure the Remy is cool, too, but the 60 is everything i heard it was !!
P.S. I'll take this tube-style magazine over a tiny box-type anyday !! Loading was easier than easy.
 
Marlin hands down.

Plus you should order one from Walmart. The Wallie special comes with a stailess .22 scope too for about $169 last time I looked.
 
Day in day out the Marlin 60 is one of the best values I have seen. Typically less ammo sensitive than any of the alternatives I have had (and I have had the Remington), and for the average semi auto shooter I think it makes a fine gun.
 
Well, this thread got me off my butt. I've had a few failures with the plastic mags on the 597 mag, hanging up and the bolt overriding the rim. So, I called Remington and have two new metal mags coming free of charge. SUPER! Great folks at Remington and they back their stuff.
 
Harry;

Are those the only choices? Does it have to be a semi-auto? Or are you just looking for a decent .22 & those were the choices at that shop?

If it's limited to just those two, I'd take the Marlin. If something else is possible, I've already voted the following way with my wallet. Find a shop that carries the CZ line of .22's, check them out.

900F
 
I have shot both and I like both. The remington is a bit picky on cycling because I like to use slow rounds. the remington 597 is very accurate and the 30 rounder fits that gun perfectly, very well made.
On the other hand the Marlin cycles great and I would never be at a loss on picking that one over the R597, both are good.
 
Only two??? No...

CB900F,

They are not the only two choices...just the ones at the top of my list in semi-auto category. Honestly, I don't really know what I am going to do. The gun shops in my area don't really keep a lot on the shelves. In fact, I am pretty disappointed in the gun shops in my area. You would think in Columbia, South Carolina you could find a decent gun shop. We are in the South for goodness sakes!!! There is like one decent gun shop where the guys behind the counter seem to know what the h@#% they are talking about and are not trying just to make a sale. Sportsman's Warehouse in Columbia is a joke. Those guys barely know what they have behind the counter...and what they do have on hand really sucks IMHO. Plus, they aren't personable at all. You can't walk in and strike up a conversation and feel good about it. You feel like you are a d@&% bother to those people. Dick's is mediocre at best...I know for a fact they have last years stuff on the shelves collecting dust. You would think a chain store would keep their shelves full of this years latest stuff. :cuss: Anyway, I digress... I am open to suggestions if anyone has any other than the two choices I have listed. Anyone know anything about the Remington Model 5???

Harry
 
THe bolt-action CZ's are supposed to be hella-accurate. Not sure what they run, and you'll probably have to have one ordered.
 
No 597 experience.
I have a Marlin 60.
The cons are:
- The bolt hold open is a little wierd in its function. So is the 10/22
- The action can cake up because .22lr is nasty. It is not the easiest to clean. Not like 10/22. I am trying a different lube next time out. The 60 action has more parts, nooks & crannies
- A mag is cool in certain situations. Tube fed is harder to reload from prone. My brother told me he didn't like the 10/22 mag at first but experience in the field has sold him on it.
- I didn't like the sights on it.

I scoped it because I hated the iron sights. It is very accurate. I call it my faux deer rifle. I shoot the Marlin 60 & my Beretta Neos more than anything. . .22lr is cheap & fun . . .& DIRTY. I only shoot the bulk packs. With the bulk pack ammo you notice the difference at longer ranges. I find .22lr ammo seems to have more failure to feed, fire, extract than it used to. This is universal, not just in one gun. Someone just gave me some $8/100 CCI to try. I'm curious as to how magical it will be.

Later,
WNTFW
 
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