What is the best .22LR autoloader...

[Odd Job]

When I say best, I want it to be accurate above all. Number two consideration is reliability. I've heard that the Marlin 60 is a great rifle. Is that going to be more reliable than the Marlin 7000? (tube vs magazine)
All I have used so far are the club's Ruger 10/22s and I don't like them. It is very unlikely that I will get a Ruger.

Not negotiable on the .22LR, not negotiable on it being an autoloader. Not interested in a 10/22. So what should I look at, if I want to shoot out to about 60 yards? Recommendations for a suitable scope are welcome too. Tell me your success stories...pics are especially welcome!
Thanks.

 

[rangerruck]

for cheap cost, the mod 60, or mossberg, or savage. all about 100 bucks, or less, used. all accurate. I like tube , so mod 60.
since you didn't mention price or looks, I will also throw in the two best midrange, cz and remmy speedmaster. you know the cz will be very accurate,and remmy has been making the speedmaster for 50 years unchanged, they also make a very nice BDL version, and it fires short, long, and long rifle,interchangeably. since it is also tube fed, me likey the remmy , and have one.
For high end, and very accurate, go Kimber or T/C, but they will cost you, but ... they are beauties, and they do shoot! both mag fed.

 

[rustymaggot]

is it fair to judge the ruger 10/22 by how accurate a beater range gun is? all im saying is that range owned guns suck. and a ruger 10/22 rental or range kick around gun im sure has seen unsightly levels of use. ill bet it jams and is accurate as a horse shoe out of a slingshot. whos cleaning it? and do they care if it gets cleaned at all?

my point being that if it was new, and well taken care of you might have different feelings tward it.

 

[rangerruck]

Oh yeah, I do have a 10/22 got it used, with a trigger job allready on it, but still had to do some mods to it, for it to be totally reliable, and though now much more accurate, my mod 60 will drown it , any day of the week. So I understand your aversion. Use, cci, Eley, Aguila, Golden Eagle, or Remington/eley ammo in them... one of these will MOST LIKELY, again I am stressing here guys, most likely to be the most accurate , in your 22 of choice. Not to start a 22 ammo war....

 

[rangerruck]

for field work/target work out to 50 yds or so, get anything in 3x9x32. This is a small ish, non bulky/overpowering, scope, that will give you good results. Academy sells one that is excellent, in a plastic hard pak, with glasses, and ear muffs, for about 35 dollars, and it is great. Think it is tasco.
If you plan on serious , teeny holes, or going for moa on paper, out to 100 yds, then the higher power, the better. I have a 6x24 power on a mod 60 , and a 8 x 32 power, on a 17mach2 single shot. With both of these , i can read the very small print on the target paper, at 100 yds.

 

[Odd Job]

@ rustymaggot

is it fair to judge the Ruger 10/22 by how accurate a beater range gun is? all I'm saying is that range owned guns suck.

You are correct in that a club gun isn't the best to judge a weapon, and the club has six old 10/22s with red dot scopes. However, the club recently bought another six 10/22s brand new and I got to use those new.
I still don't like them. I don't like the accuracy and I don't like the hold-open catch. I do okay with the Ruger, but I am sure there are better options for me. Looks aren't that important and price....well I am not expecting to pay too much, but if I have to buy it here in the UK who knows what I'll be charged. I might look into importing whatever I get (I haven't looked into the costs involved yet).

 

[Odd Job]

@ rangerruck

Thanks for those tips. Are the CZs and the Remingtons autoloaders? What specific models are best, so I can check on them?
Also in terms of glass, I would like a scope for shooting paper from 30 yards out to a maximum of 100 yards (we have a 100 yard range and I might use it). But I would have to say that I am probably going to be shooting from 30 to 60 yds most of the time.

 

[Onmilo]

Remington 552
Ruger 10/22T
Winchester Model 63
Winchester Model 74

These are four .22 autoloaders that I have found to be accurate and reliable.

Some folks will also say the Browning Auto .22 is in league especially when scoped.

 

[GreenFurniture]

The best, based on accuracy and reliability would have to be the Ruger 10/22.

Sorry that you don't like your new gun.

 

[AnthonyRSS]

I think it is humorous that some people on this board get off by convincing someone that the gun they don't want is the one they want. And that makes me chuckle.

Anthony

 

[dfaugh]

Sadly, the 10/22 range guns you've shot probaBly ARE about as accurate as a standard 10/22....Which is to say, not very accurate. If you wanna buy load of accessories, THEN you might have a real accurate .22.

Or, go buy a Marlin Model 60, and a half-way decent scope for under $200 total. Mine outshoots (with NO modifications to it) even the "fancy" 10/22s, with bull barrels, tricked out triggers, etc. My buddy has a Winchester Model 52 Target, with 24x Unertl scope, and he has yet to shoot a better group that I've done with the odel 60 (Very,very close, but not quite). I've also tried almost every type of ammo in it, and its reasonably accurate with them all, but some ar better than others, you need to experiment. Also I've put 5000 rounds through it with a total of 5 malfunctions---doesn't get much more reliable than that.

 

[Odd Job]

@ Onmilo

Thanks, I am going to check out those models.

@ dfaugh

Exactly! By all accounts I can get a good autoloader straight out of the box, without having to mess around with upgrades.

 

[zinj]

If you want a truely accurate autoloading .22 I wouldn't look at the sub-$200 guns, those are made to a price point and are hit or miss at best. Yes, Rugers can be made into target guns but that involves dumping most of the components of them, and you will probably pay more in the long run than buying a higher end rifle.

Personally I would suggest The Thompson Center rimfire line. I have their now discontinued .22 Classic, but they have replaced it with the nearly identical R-55 Classic.

http://www.tcarms.com/firearms/rimfireR55Classic.php

There also is an R-55 set up for bench shooting. These guns are very accurate, I believe a bone stock .22 Classic won a few events at Camp Perry a couple of years ago. If I were looking for an accurate .22 auto, TC would be my first stop. They are more expensive than the budget .22's, but they are built with the quality of a centerfire gun, i.e. no cost cutting. I got my .22 Classic for $350, although I have heard of people buying them for under $300 depending on the region (my area is high for gun prices).

 

[Odd Job]

Thanks, Zinj, that T/C looks very nice.

 

[Lonestar.45]

My vote is for the Marlin 60. I love mine. I'm not sure how they are built these days, but I bought mine new in 1982 and it still shoots dimes at 25 yds, quarters at 50, with the right ammo. It has been super reliable all these years, except for when I tried to feed it cheap federal ammo. It didn't like that. But CCI, remington, winchester, etc. all run great in it. I put a 4x cheap Bushnell scope on it and haven't had any problems at all. I highly recommend the Marlin 60.

 

[doubleg]

remington 597. Mine cost about 150$ (around a hundred less the the 10/22). Way better controls than the ruger too, not to mention more acurate stock barrel and decent scope with mounts.

 

[texlurch]

Guess it depends if you want an out of the box shooter, or are wanting to take the time to make it accurate.


Hard to argue against a 10-22, with as much stuff as there is out there. Mine does dime size groups at 50 yds, with Federal bulk Wally World ammo.

 

[farscott]

In my experience, the most accurate .22 autoloading rifle is the Volquartsen rifle built on VQ's take of the 10/22 action. VQ actions are available in both aluminum and steel alloys. The VQ action uses Ruger magazines but is different in that the barrel is screwed into the receiver as well as the quality of the internal parts.

 

[ArmedBear]

For high end, and very accurate, go Kimber or T/C

I think the T/C is cheaper than the 552, though that 552 BDL is awful purdy!

In my experience, the most accurate .22 autoloading rifle is the Volquartsen rifle built on VQ's take of the 10/22 action.

A VERY expensive .22, especially once you add a scope that will do it justice, but it's hard to argue with that. I know a guy who gets nice little groups at 300 yards, but of course he's got a helluva scope and well over $2000 in the gun/scope combo AFAIK. I don't think that Odd Job was thinking about that sort of a purchase, though I could be wrong, and I don't want to think about the UK-markup over and above the US price.

The 597 Heavy Barrel with a Volquartsen trigger will get you pretty damn good performance for a fraction of the price. I hear they're hard to clean, though.

The 10/22's best features are reliability and simplicity. I like mine, a basic blue/recessed-synthetic version but I've decided to bite my lip and keep it stock except for a compact 4x scope and fiber sights for backup (factory carbine sights are not my favorite, especially when the gun's not in direct sunlight). It's my field knockaround gun, and it shoots quite well for the money. It shoots fine at 50 yards, with cheap ammo, as long as I clean it now and again.

One thing about the 10/22 is that you don't have to spend much money to get into it, and as you get pickier about long-range accuracy, you can upgrade it rather than replace it.

The Browning Auto 22 is a neat gun. Wierd looking, but it's actually got good ergonomics despite its appearance. Expensive, but it's a takedown. Might actually be available in Britain for a more reasonable price (relatively) than the US, since it's made by a European company.

People have said good and correct stuff about Marlins. I'll add this: I'd like a stainless Model 60 as one of my next firearms. Neat package, adult size stock. Like the Remingtons and the T/C it's made for a grownup, not a kid -- the 10/22 is a tad short, good for a compact field carbine but a little "scrunched-up" for a long shooting session: that's why most aftermarket 10/22 stocks advertise that they have a longer LOP.

 

[Keith Wheeler]

Automatic. .22. Rifle. No 10/22.

Perhaps an American 180?

Sorry, that was a bit silly. Ah, but what a great .22...

 

[GrandmasterB]

Hard to argue against a 10-22, with as much stuff as there is out there. Mine does dime size groups at 50 yds, with Federal bulk Wally World ammo.

Mine too

 

[JohnBT]

That's pretty good for a stock 10/22. My father bought one at K-Mart years ago for $109 and it won't shoot 1.5" groups with a scope on it.

Dime: Diameter - 0.705 in.

We've talked about trading it off, but we're embarassed to be seen with it.

I've always like the Browning Auto .22 for a hunting and plinking gun, but not so much for a range/target gun. The scope must go on the barrel if you scope it.

John

 

[Odd Job]

I think you gents are right: that Volquartsen looks like it will do the job, but it's too expensive. Okay, if I narrow it down to these three, can I go wrong:

1) T/C Benchmaster
2) Marlin 60
3) Remington 552

If I assume for now that cost is no factor (for those three only) which is the best in your opinion?

 

[dracphelan]

I can only speak for the Marlin 60, but I have to say that it is more accurate than I am.

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

The 10/22 is the .22 semi-auto to own.