What is the best .22LR autoloader...

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I've shot the 10/.22, Marlin Model 60 and Browning Semi-Auto----all with scopes----and from my experience, the Browning was the most accurate. I don't own one, but, hope to someday.
 
.22 ? Why not .17 mach 2 ?

Buy a beater 10/22 (approximately $150.00) discard the barrel and drop in a .17 mach 2 standard barrel contour conversion from www.eabco.com for $169.00. You can buy the heavy barrel version for the same money but then will have to purchase a new stock or hog out the old one. Save your money for awhile then buy an aftermarket trigger. I like the Volquartsen triggerguard 2000 for $165.00. The whole build for under $500.00, about $600.00 for the heavy barrel with stock. I have built three .17 mach 2's on ruger frames and they all shoot excellent! My stock contour barreled gun will shoot honest 1MOA from a rest at 100 yards. The .920's barrels will shoot sub MOA all day long. :D
 
I am going to goi with the 10/22 T. I have 2 {stainless and blue} and both function flawlessly.

I have taken rabbits at 100 yards with the blued one{ the stainless is brand new as of last week and has yet to be scoped} and hit steel silhouettes at 225{CCI Green Label}
 
I dunno. My Ruger 10/22 has been faultless. Your optics have a lot to do with the accuracy of a .22 LR. And, as always...the shooting technique figures into the picture.
 
As far as i know, all the inexpensive .22 autos have non-threaded barrels and aluminim receivers. The Thompsons don't, they have threaded barrels and steel recievers.
Although the inexpensive .22's are capable of accuracy, their capacity to stay zeroed is inferior, IMO. I want an accurate rifle that's still accurate after one of my clumsy moments. I think firearms should be designed to take a lickin' and keep on tickin'...without having to be re-zeroed after they get dropped. This is especially important if you hunt in rocky, mountainous terrian (or if you're clumsy).
 
I use a Ruger 10/22. I feel your pain - it's not that good out of the box and the ergonomics suck but when you pimp it out, there's nothing better in my opinion. Also, 50 round mags are awesome. Mine FTF a lot but when it works it enduces a very large grin :D

If you don't want to upgrade though, the Marlin 60 seems to be the best. That's purely on what I've been told by those who have used them - I have never used one myself. They're pretty cheap but I wouldn't buy one myself as tube fed .22s are a pain, I think.

Have you considered the Walther G22?

You can't compete with it in most disciplines in the UK since it's right-handed only, but it's great fun and is mag fed. Also, you can do Star Trek themed practical minirifle :D

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They've got some down at Bisley that you can try out.
 
@ Lambo119

Unfortunately our club has velocity restrictions and I won't be allowed to fire 17M2 there. I know, it sucks, but I am in London after all. I am also worried about ammo prices, especially buying it here in the UK.

I am going to stick to .22LR because I am forced to.

@ All

Thanks for suggestions. I've definitely ruled out a Ruger and now I am going to research those last three options since the general consensus is that they are all good:

1) Remington 552
2) Marlin 60
3) T/C Benchmark
 
@ Fosbery

Two guys at the club have G22s and I have tried them out. They weren't bad, but they seemed a bit ordinary in terms of accuracy.
You say those are right-handed? But I thought those could be changed left or right eject? Or do you have to order either a left or a right hander?
Edit: okay it looks like you must order a left or a right hander.
 
The Remington semi autos are hard to beat.
My 552 was very accurate and reliable.
My Nylon 66 is lightweght, accurate and just as reliable.

I had a Marlin model 60 for a while. It was nice but I like the Remingtons better.

I had two 10/22's. The ones I had were terribly inaccurate. They were reliable but terrible shooters. I was glad to get rid of them.

My most accurate .22 rifles are an Anschutz 1416 and a Sako FinnFire but they are both bolt actions.

My vote for a semi auto is Remington.
 
oddjob, the cz is a magfed autoloader, and cz's reptation for accuracy is well deserved. the remmy speedmaster is tubefed, which I personally favor, and because it will fire shorts as well, I can use it around the house, without freaking out the neighbors. And the bdl version is truly a beauty of a rifle.
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one more thing, lemme show you a mod 60 i got lucky to buy used (but never fired) at a pawn shop for 75 bucks total. Mind you, I got lucky to get this rifle, and it is world class accurate, and most rifles in 22 are not this accurate, period. But i will say that all mod 60's are pretty accurate, and do well with several diff types of ammo. Since you are in London, i would imagine that Eley grows on trees for free around there. I just wanted to show you what it could do with a variety of ammo. plus mod 60's are SOOOO easy to take apart. But for looks, and general accuracy , the remmy, t/c, and cz will all be more purdy, and SHOULD be more accurate than a normal mod 60. But again, this is a freaky accurate mod 60. Again, this is to show you a rifle should do well with a variety of ammo. The scope, by the way, is a Tasco Varmint series, 6x24x42. See , most guys look at my rig and say, " Man, that is a pretty nice scope, what is that little thing hanging under it, a rifle?"
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These groups are at 100 YDS!!! yeah, I know, insane.... I am still freaked out every time I see that American Eagle group, with the one flyer!!
 
you know, that is another thought. Since cz home factory is 'over there' you may have access to styles and types, and get them cheaper, than we yanks can over here!!! Definitley check on the Lux version , with it's 28 inch bbl.
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Oh wait, that is a boltie, but i bet they have a synthetic stocked version, and some others over there as well.
 
The CZ's are legendary for quality, so you can't go wrong with it, though i have no experience with one.

I do have experience with a Marlin 60, as it was the very first gun fired. I had no skill at the time and can't vouch for accuracy, though there doesn't seem to be any contest to it's performance.

One thing I need to point out: Tube magazines that load from the muzzle end are kinda akward because you have to move the gun around to reload it. Also, tube fed guns are harder to fix because they have a more complicated action. Remember that model 60 I talked about earlier? It sits in a shop unused and broken. The owner couldn't figure out what was wrong with it and while he was taking it apart, a piece of it flew across his very cluttered shop, never to be seen again.

I would suggest the box magazine fed version, because reloading will be much easier, and it is a more straight-froward action type and it's easy to diagnose problems with.

Hope you enjoy your purchase, and hopefully people will realize that you really don't want a 10/22. It is a bit of a foreign concept (unintentional pun) to most people here, but hey, I have a 10/22 and a marlin bolt action. Guess which one has stellar accuracy and is used way more often. ;)
 
Now , I saw a mention for Browning, and if you can find a Belgium made browning , about 30 or so years old, it will be an extemely valuable piece of history, and man, they are beautiful!!! Personally , I do not know of their accuracy.
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Man, sorry about all the coming back... one more thing, the cz's also have set triggers. check to see if the semi auto does, a set trigger you can set up to about 6 lbs, or down to about hiccup-fire! i have 2 cz centerfire rifles, with the trigger set down to whisper- fire , and I lluuuuuuvvv them!

just checked, at least HERE, on the american version, the semi auto is not a set trigger. But don't worry, it is still a very good trigger , that cz makes.
 
Open sights - Nylon 66. Accurate, reliable.

Out of the box, scoped and under $200 - Marlin Model 60.

With a budget that allows and a box of add-ons/replacement parts - Ruger 10/22.
 
Odd Job sorry to hear that the mach 2 is out.:( Its just so much fun I had to try.....:D ..... Given what you said your three choices are and if money is no object go with the benchmark. For the money the Marlin beats the Remington as they both should shoot about equally well. I own or have owned both and will say that the remmy has better fit and finish.

One last word for the 10/22 you can do everything that I said about the .17 in a .22 for less money. I have built two hyper accurate .22's from rugers as well as the .17's I mentioned. I will admit that the 10/22 is rough in its stock form. But give me a Brownells catalog, money and some time and I'm in heaven. Good Luck. Lambo..........
 
Part of the fun is going through the research and selection process before putting your $$ down. Check out the opinions over at www.rimfirecentral.com as well. They have a special section just devoted to .22 rimfire ammo as well.
 
My favorite 22 semi is the Browning hands down. I've had 3 own 2 currently one long rifle one short. Most accurate though would be the high end models by Remington, Winchester, Sako. Some are out of production and all are bolts. The best rifle to purchase and modify is the 10-22. Nothing else comes close and its kinda like the old question how fast do you want to go? Well how much do you want to spend. The 10-22 falls into that catagory. You can really turn them into a tack driver if you have enough money.

Jim
 
Tompson Center, if you owned one you probably wouldn't bother recomending anything else. Mines a tack driver.
 
@ rangerruck

Thanks very much for those pics and rcommendations, I appreciate the effort involved. That Eagle group really stands out. Nothing shabby about your Marlin.
 
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