want to buy .22 rifle

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kry_90

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May 25, 2008
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i was cleaning my firearms on sunday and realized that i dont have a .22 rifle
i have a shotgun
a handgun
and the only .22 rifle i have ends with a 3
and i have actually never owned or even shot a .22 rifle
so i really dont know much about them
i have been looking on the internet and doing a bit of research
im really liking the rugar 10/22
but i was wondering what you guys would suggest
the rifle would be used for general plinking
i also have some questions
ive read that on .22 autoloaders when the magazine runs empty
the bolt doesnt lock back like a ar 15
im not sure if this applies to all or just certain rifles
also how long can i expect the life span of a .22 rifle to be
i know brand and such effects the answer
but with how cheap .22 bullets are i could see myself
shooting 1000 round in a day or more
 
Ruger makes a pretty nice semi-auto, hard to beat, and FYI, the bolt doesnt lock back after the last round fired. Rugers can be a lot of fun with hi-cap mags and, a very cheap and fun plinking day!
 
A Marlin 60 has a last-shot feature that will keep the action half open after the last round. I bought a 20-year-old Marlin 60 recently, took it to the range, fired 400 rounds through it, and fell in love. It's a great, accurate rifle. And I got it for $89. Hard to beat.
 
kry_90,
I just went through a huge search for a good, not super expensive .22...

There are so many avenues you can go. You will hear a lot about all of them. CZ, Marlin, Savage, Winchester, Remingtons... The list is long and vast... It all depends what you are planning on doing with it...

I choose the Marlin 891T Bolt action, tube fed. It is not beautiful not the most accurate. It is a $180 .22 which takes shorts, longs, and long rifles...

You will have a great time researching... I guess the best thing you to do is to post up how much you wanna spend. Then people here will know what parameters to stay within...

Peace,
Chad
 
i wouldnt want to spend more than 250
300 if it was really worth it
 
I have a mossberg 702. It's ok. Only like $120, mags cheap. Gun will jam if you don't keep it clean and boy does that thing get dirty if you put more than 30 rounds through it. Do wish I had bought a 10/22 though
 
I have a Marlin 60. Mine is a very old one with the Glenfield markings on it and a slightly higher magazine tube capacity than the new ones, but some of the new ones look VERY nice. I saw one at a local Walmart recently that had nice wood furniture and what looked like a fairly heavy stainless barrel for just over $200.

I also have an old short Ruger 10/22. This was my first rifle ever. Using the stock 10rd rotary magazine and quality ammo, it's nice and reliable, but it's not as accurate as the Marlin 60. It's not exactly a fair comparison, though. The Marlin's barrel is heavier and longer.

If you can find a used Marlin 60, you can sometimes get them for an absolute steal price, depending on age. If you go with the Ruger 10/22, you'll probably be happy too. When I'm going out to destroy some evil soda cans, I grab whichever one is closest to me.
 
The 10/22 is best all around 22 lr in my opinion, you can turn it in to a bench gun , make it look like a AR/AK , its up to you.
 
The marlin 70P (aka "Papoose") in the new stainless/synthetic configuration has an auto-locking action on the last round.
I'm a fan of the older blued/walnut version though.

Those things are a ton of fun. Something about having a little rifle that's accurate, you can get 25rnd mags for, and that breaks down and could fit in some glove boxes - that's just... fun. :D

In terms of customizability (is that word?) the 10/22 is where it's at though. Replacement barrels, stocks, triggers, you name it. I think these days you can even buy custom made actions and build one without ever buying a genuine Ruger part.

So many options out there - find something that strikes your fancy and go for it. Unless you're going with some Anschutz or Weatherby Mark XII (aka an Anschutz) most are pretty cheap.
It is easy to go through a ton of ammo at a time without a problem - i think it runs maybe $20-$30 for a brick of 500 now?
 
also - i'm not sure if anybody mentioned your lifespan question - but, they'll last a pretty long time for the most part. We're not talking monster loads that wear out barrels quickly. Very little stress on the parts, very little wear on the barrel - so basic proper maintenence and they'll last a lifetime, even in the lower price ranges.
 
I recommend a 10/22. There nice rifle and later on if the bug hit customize it. You can get a lot invested in a 10/22 if the bug hits you. I have built tons from plinkers to full blown bench rifles with $1800.00 tied up in it for myself and various customers. Your talking top of the line everything and using practically the receiver and bolt. Thats a bit extreme but produced one heck of a accurate semi auto that could compete with anshutz and sometime beat a few. Anyway thats my preference however there are several great .22's available
 
I'm the opposite. I most definitely DO NOT need yet another .22 rifle. That said, I do want a Marlin 60 in stainless with synthetic stock. I just like its looks plus I can make the feeble argument to myself that I really don't have an all-weather .22.
 
How people could neglect to mention the Marlin 39 is beyond me.

Yhe 10/22 is the best bang-for-dollar in the marketplace IF dealing with the sometime glitches that occur with most any semi-automatic action. You can sink well over $5000. in a steel actioned match rifle, or you can leave it as bought. You can buy a barrel and avail yourself of the situational advantages of a hot little .17 caliber rimfire cartridge, or you can make your rifle into a psuedo assualt type today, a capable hunting rifle tomorrow, and all things in between on following days. It's a cameleon (sp?).

I sure like the traditional looks and quality of some of the CZ .22's.

The low cost Marlin 60 type of rifle will last ten lifetimes and hit what they're aimed at with ease and efficiency.

The world of the .22 is very, very large and shows no sign of shrinking.
 
I've got five 10/22's now: obviously I like them. All of mine are the DSP models with a checkered walnut stock. They don't shoot any better than the standard cheap ones with the hardwood stocks, but they look a lot better IMHO, and they shoot well enough for me.

Another semi-auto that I have grown to like is the Remington 597. I got one about a year ago because it was cheap, and it's both accurate and reliable. It's got a nice "big rifle" feel to it that I like. With the plain plastic stock it's not much to look at, but I don't mind taking it out in bad weather.

If you want to spend a little more money....ok....about twice as much, maybe a little more, it's pretty hard to beat a Marlin 39A lever action, or a Ruger 77/22 bolt gun, but if you want to stay in the around $200.00 class, the 10/22 and 597 are top of my list.
 
10/22 is probably the most customizable general fun all-purpose .22's around. Although I must admit that after several years mine is stock except for the bolt buffer and a lot of 25 and 30 round mags. Okay, I have had it in and out of various stocks, but it's always gone back to the original wood stock. Mine shoots cheapo Walmart Federal bulk ammo (13.99/550) all day long out of $8 Eagle 30-round mags.
I thoroughly enjoy my Henry lever action rifles. Lever guns are a blast for plinking with those Spee-D-Loaders for tube mags. (Note: My Henry "Survival" is a joke...the old AR7 was much better)
I have a few .22 bolt action rifles, I taught my son to shoot on my old Marlin 786 which still gets out to the range. Those and their newer variants are under $100 used normally.
But my Mossberg 42Mb and 46Mb are my absolute favorite of my bolt actions....bought used pristine and complete for less than $150 each. Both shoot far better than I'll ever be able to.
 
In a semi-auto 22 rifle, it is hard to beat a Ruger 10/22 or Marlin Model 60 for general plinking fun. For someone who likes to shoot, a semi-auto is hard to beat as a first 22 rifle.

If you want something that you can expect to be more accurate, I would look at a bolt action rifle such as the less expensive Savage Mark II, the Marlin (I don't own one, so the model # escapes me), or the CZ 452 which will be at the upper end of your price range (or slightly above).

An alternative is to look at the Henry lever actions which folks say function real well and shoot just fine. The Marlin 39A is the best, but it costs a lot more. You might find a used one for $300.
 
Browning SA-22's are surprisingly accurate, easy to take down for cleaning (not just the barrel, but the action is also easy to remove), and rugged.

They do not have the "accessorize" capability of the Ruger 10/22, but if you aren't into that craze you won't miss this feature.

Here's one on GunBroker for a surprising price (and just a little more than you're willing to spend... :) )

Browning SA-22
 
Save yourself some money and get a Savage Mark II. A little over $100 at Wal-mart and far more accurate than a 10/22.
 
The Ruger 10/22 is GREAT!!!!:D I have probably shot 5,000 rounds through mine and it is still going strong. Bad ammo is what will make them jam, and mine doesn't seem to prefer Remington hollowpoints. Federal is pretty good, but CCI is what mine seems to like the most.
 
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