Should I get a new ruger american .22lr or buy a used bolt action .22?

[dallssheep]

I have been debating on what .22 to get for a long time. I didnt really like the 10/22 takedown i had, and have heard the bolt actions are very accurate. I still have 10/22 mags so the ruger american has that going for it but just wanted to see what you guys thought about them vs a used gun.

Living in Alaska the local options are rather limited so i will be making an order for something online.

Is there an older .22lr bolt action that is around the same price range (300 total including shipping and FFL) that whips the pants off this new gun or is this one the bees knees in this price range?

I am intending to use it as a camping/game getter if that helps.

 

[General Geoff]

The Ruger American Rimfire rifle looks very appealing at that price point.

I have a ~5 year old Marlin 980S-CF that I'm very happy with, but if I were making a .22lr bolt action rifle purchase today, I'd definitely be checking out the Ruger, especially since it shares mags with the 10/22, which I also have.

980S-CF:

(Not real carbon fiber, but I like the shape/style of the stock better than the regular 980S)

 

[SleazyRider]

My vote goes to the new Ruger American .22LR. I have the long-barrel version and it's been nothing short of excellent in every way. I especially like that it shares the same flush-fitting mags as my 10/22. It has an excellent barrel bedding system, superb trigger, and the thumb-operated safety is where it belongs. The bluing is superior to rifles that cost hundreds of dollars more.

 

[bannockburn]

I would probably go the same route with the Ruger American as I already have a 10/22 and like the shared magazine capability as well. My other choice, if buying used, would be a CZ Model 452 American. A friend of mine has one and is very accurate with a great trigger out of the box.

 

[Danny Creasy]

If you are considering an open sight option, ...

a new or used CZ 452 Trainer/Special can be had for not much over $300. They come with CZ's superb tangent sight, and have a low comb for best open sight shooting.

I checked the zero my CZ 452 Trainer's sights a couple of weeks ago. It had been scoped for a while, and I was not sure of the sight settings.



It shoots much tighter groups with a scope, but this open sight shooting is pretty good for my old eyes.



A very rugged and simple field rifle.

 

[119er]

I have a Ruger American that I set into a Boyd's laminate stock with a Nikon rimfire scope. It is a very good looking gun, but my Marlin 980S is much less sensitive to the ammo it is fed. The Marlin is in the factory stock with a Nikon also. I'm not saying the Ruger is inaccurate, just that the Marlin is more consistently accurate across different brands/types of ammo.

The Ruger was bought about a year or so ago and the Marlin about 8 years ago. Now I feel the urge to go whittle through my dwindling stock of .22LR.

Again, not saying one is "better" than the other, just my experience. The Ruger in that stock wins the looks contest all day long and I really need to shoot it more before I make a final judgement.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=753341&highlight=ruger+american+rimfire

ETA: Link

 

[Caliper_Mi]

Hard to beat a 10 round rotary mag that seats flush in a .22LR bolt action. Especially combined with their interchangeable stocks to customize LOP and comb height.

If you happen on one used though, the Romanian M69 trainer is a great little rifle and well under your budget as long as you're fine with only having a few mags for it (repro mags are expensive) Not really easy to scope though.

 

[Cee Zee]

You could get one of the guns Ruger copied their trigger from - a Savage MkII. Cheaper, maybe more accurate and a better trigger IMO. There's not one thing wrong with a Ruger though. Bad choices are hard to find actually. Personally I would look at Marlin XT's instead of 10/22's. Also has a similar trigger copied from Savage and is built better than either the Ruger or the Savage. And one model shoots shorts as well as LR's. It holds 25 shorts in the tube. Mine is great. No problems at all. The Marlins made in Kentucky seem to be built better IMO.

But again there are no bad choices here. Just preferences. I'd probably choose based on features if I was you. I've been shooting Marlins for 50 years so I'm kinda prejudiced. I still remember the day dad brought home a brand new model 60. The only Marlin I knew about at the time were being caught by deep sea fishermen down around Cape Hatteras. I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and I grew up around fine shotguns from Europe on backyard trap range. They were beautiful but that Marlin just seemed like perfection to me. It was probably because I could shoot it and it was a semi-auto .22 so no big recoil for an 8 year old kid. I actually started shooting shotguns so I knew the difference real quick.

 

[Captcurt]

Several good ones out there.

I had seen good reviews on the American and bought one to try. I was not impressed. The adjustable trigger was not as good as it could be. Set as light as it could go and it was a little gritty with some creep. I tried 6 or 7 different loads and was not impressed with the groups. I traded it 2 weeks later. I don't mean to badmouth Ruger. They make some fine guns but this one did not meet the hype.

The Marlins and Savages are decent, especially for the price. For your climate I would definitely want a composite stock and stainless wouldn't hurt. I had a Marlin that would shoot as good or better than some of my CZs and my Winchester 52B.

 

[1MoreFord]

Bill Ruger used to be one of my heros. After he prostituted himself to the feds over magazine restrictions I vowed I'd never buy another Ruger again.

IMO buy something else used.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Used CZ gets my vote.

 

[chicharrones]

Bill Ruger used to be one of my heros. After he prostituted himself to the feds over magazine restrictions I vowed I'd never buy another Ruger again.

IMO buy something else used.

He passed away years ago and the company has gone in a different direction since his passing. Maybe you haven't seen the Ruger website in quite some time?

 

[ArchAngelCD]

There are so many good .22LR rifles out there these days it's hard to pick. I own more .22 rifles than anything else. I own a heavy barrel Savage Mark II with the Accuurtigger and a stock Ruger 10/22 and I like them all.

If I were looking for one .22 rifle right now I would probably buy a Marlin Model 25. I own one and I bought my son one, both used. For some reason I just like that rifle and they do shoot very well. Before you buy take a look at the Marlin/Glenfield M25.

 

[dvdcrr]

I love an old 22 bolt action with a weaver 2.5 crosshair scope.

 

[welldoya]

If you can find one, a Ruger 77/22 is a fine .22 bolt action. I don't know that you could find one for the price you are looking for. The All Weather stainless 77/22 would be perfect for what you are needing.

 

[tuj]

used CZ gets my vote too. 452 is a fine rifle and very accurate. I would shy away from the Savage MKII as my example was not accurate at all.

 

[Danny Creasy]

welldoya's recommendation is a sound one. I purchased a Ruger 77/22 VBZ back in the mid-aughts from a friend. I don't think he ever fired it. To test it for accuracy, I "temporarily" mounted a Weaver T-36 target scope on it. I have never removed the scope. I use it in Sporter Class benchrest competition. I had it out on Monday testing ammo from a new half-case of Wolf MT I had managed to acquire. Good luck on $300 though.



50 yards - Ruger 77/22 VBZ - Weaver T-36 - Wolf Match Target

.307" and .267" ctc respectively

 

[Danny Creasy]

tuj's vote for a CZ 452 is well founded.

I have shot this CZ 452 American constantly for the past 10 years. It just keeps getting better.



In the videos below, I am using the CZ 452 American in a 25 yard speed match that we shoot. Four strings of six silos each. Rams, turkeys, pigs, and chickens (bottom to top). Lowest aggregate time for knocking 'em all down wins. If one uses a bolt action, he/she can deduct 36 seconds from his/her overall time. My filming buddy didn't catch my run on the rams.

Turkeys - Center rack - Next to bottom row
https://www.flickr.com/photos/128992557@N06/15638689551/

Pigs - Center rack - Next to top row - Cleaned 'em - six for six - earns the shooter a three second time deduction
https://www.flickr.com/photos/128992557@N06/15447848777/

Chickens - Center rack - Top row
https://www.flickr.com/photos/128992557@N06/15020620804/

 

[d2wing]

Good shooting

 

[d2wing]

I also vote CZ 452 also. I have one like Danny's I recently won a Turkey shoot with.

 

[Cee Zee]

I love my CZ but my Savage is more accurate. Not by much but it is more accurate. My Savage can put together some ridiculously good groups pretty often. My CZ shoots good groups and it's more consistent than the Savage but when the Savage is right it is crazy accurate.

 

[Yorkshire shooter]

Hi, not really sure of the gun prices in the states but here in the UK CZ are very hard to beat,my own is a 452 American,using SK ammo off the shelf stuff sub 1ins at 100yds all day long , it's rugged accurate very reliable great for small vermin.however if it's fun time I bring out my 10/22 not as accurate past 60yds but it always puts a big grin on my face.
Have a great day stay safe . Regards from the other side of the pond.
Cheers Gary

 

[Danny Creasy]

You might be able to pick up one of these discontinued Remington Model Five rifles in the used market. They sale for around $200 usually. They are made in Serbia, and were also sold under the TOZ name and Charles Daly name. All steel and hardwood. Fairly accurate. Adjustable trigger.

 

[Captcurt]

CZ's are great, BUT

you won't find one for $300. I have had (2) 452s in 22lr, (1)22mag and (1) in 17 Mach II. All shot very well, but the 452s are hard to find and expensive. The 455s wholesale for over $300.

Same for the Ruger 77/22. These bring a premium well above your $300 limit, plus it may shoot well and it may not. The one that I had did not stay around long. I had a cheap Marlin that would shoot circles around it and at half the cost.

 

[greyling22]

Danny, is that CZ you posted wearing the factory finish? Mine does not look that rich and deep.

But my vote would be for the CZ first, then the ruger 77/22 because they feel like actual rifles. But you don't like the 10/22, so you probably won't like the 77/22 either since they feel the same in hand, and the 77/22 won't shoot like a CZ will. After that you step down into rifles that just feel cheaper. savage, ruger american, marlin, etc. They pretty much all shoot fine, but I just don't like the feel.