Savage 64 series rimfire - worth a hoot?

[Slugs]

I'm interested in a Ruger 10-22 or a Savage 64 for my son. These are .22 semiautomatics. I'm very familiar with the 10-22 but not the Savage 64. Is this a good rifle? The low price concerns me ($127.00), but I might give it a try based on input from this thread. This will be my son's first real rifle, and I want it to be a gun that he'll have forever and be able to say, "my dad gave me this". I'd rather not give him a piece of junk.

I've been lurking around here for a while. What a great site! This is post number one for me.

 

[Apple a Day]

I like mine. I have the slightly older model 62. It works fine. I can kill a golf ball at 50 yards with it from a bench. I just put a cheapo Wal Mart special scope on it.
I have two gripes with it:
1) you need an oddball hex wrench (9/32 or some dadgum thing) to take the barrel off and fully disassemble it
2) you won't find the gigantic mountain of aftermarket gear for it you will with the 10/22. The Savage has been a fun plinker but if you want to mod it into a 1000 yard Mall Ninja Vorpal Sniper Death Ray of Unpleasantness patent pending then I'd go with the Ruger.

 

[P.B.Walsh]

Go with the 10/22 because of all the accesories, it's like the rimfire AR-15.

 

[railroader]

I had one and gave it to my stepson. I liked it. Pretty accurate nice and light too. Out of the box I think it was a hair more accurate than my stock 10/22 was. I'd say go for it. Mark

 

[Floppy_D]

I own one. Good for-the-money gun. Golfballs at 50yds all day long. They feed darn near anything, mags are cheap and easy to come by. I'll pass this one to my son in the next few years.

 

[Detritus]

normally I tell folks deciding between a savage and something else, to buy the savage. but between a 10/22 and a savage autoloader....

the savage is a good rifle but, get the 10/22. I just flat don't know of a better autoloading .22

 

[rangerruck]

the savage 64 is cheaper, more reliable, and more accurate, than a 10.22 can ever hope to be, and I have a 10.22 with mods. the savage mags can be thrown as a weapon as well; solid thick steel.

If someone had ever made hicap mags for this, this would be the lightest, most accurate , hi cap 22 out there.

 

[BlacklabelOP]

I really like mine.. accurate, light and really fun to play with.