.22 LR advice

[Sixer]

I'm wanting to pick up a decent .22 rifle, mostly for plinking, but also for hunting small game on occasion. I'm fairly new to guns in general... but have learned very quickly that I cant afford to practice with 40 S&W or .30 carbine ammo! If anyone has any suggestions for solid, affordable .22 rifle I would greatly appreciate it

[milemission]

There are many ammo companies that make bricks of standard velocity or high velocity .22 LR ammo that are very affordable. They generally contain about 500 rounds, and I hear the price for them now is around $25. I don't really have a recommendation, but you can't go wrong with Remington or Federal ammo.

As far as the rifle, my first .22 was a Marlin 880, and you really can't go wrong with a Marlin bolt gun.

[Christian James]

Take a look at the CZ 452 line. Excellent bolt actions and a great price. They should have one to suit your tastes.

[hogdogs]

Good quality rifle at an affordable price?
I own the Savage bolt action and am well pleased with it. I paid a hunert bucks for it new. It is now $129 at walmart. I do not care for the magazine jabbing my back while it is slung. If I had it to do over I woulda bought the basic Marlin with the feed tube under the barrel. I wanted the better accuracy of a bolt but later realized that for my shooting and with bulk ammo it wouldnt'a mattered much
As for ammo I ain't using nothin' but the 550 count boxes from wally world.
Brent

[tulsamal]

There are LOTS of good reasons why you read about the Ruger 10/22 everywhere. The term "ubiquitous" would see appropriate.

Lots and lots of great choices but it seems to me that the 10/22 is the baseline to measure all the others against.

Gregg

[Wyatt Earp]

+1 for the Ruger 10/22

The only trouble I ever had out of mine was probably 40,000 rounds in, not bad for a $150 gun from walmart.

[Inspector3711]

Another vote for Ruger 10/22... Buy standard ammo... You'll get tighter groups than with high velocity and the ammo is cheaper. I just paid $12 each for two 550 round bonus packs of standard Federal at Walmart last night. I stay away from hyper velocity per the manual. The action isn't timed for the extra pressure.

I'm using a butler creek target barrel on mine (about a $100 upgrade but you have to buy a new stock to accomidate the larger barrel diameter) and I'm shooting sub 1" 30 round groups at 50 yards!

If you want a phenominal 10/22 Scorch just built a custom one with a Lilja barrel. Look for his ad in the rifles for sale forum. It isn't cheap but he knows his stuff and I'd bet you would spend a bit more elswhere. He says it shoots teeny little groups.

[22-rimfire]

My first question is "do you favor any particular action on the rilfe?"

For plinking, general shooting, and some hunting, I favor a semi-auto 22 rifle if it is your only one as long as the semi- is legal for hunting in your state. In a semi-auto 22 rifle, your dominant choices new are between Ruger 10/22, Marlin Model 60, Remington 597, and Thompson Center R-55. There are lots of different choices in the used market. Of those, the Ruger is probably the least accurate out of the box (ie without modification). The TC is likely to be the most accurate. The Remington and Marlin are about equal in the accuracy department. They are usually very good overall.

[Scorch]

Yes, practice is expensive, but that is only one of the reasons why I shoot my 22 rifles more than any other. The main reason is they are so darn much fun!! So, pick a rifle and get to shooting!

As afar as what rifle, my advice is always the same: buy the best gun you can afford and enjoy it for a long time. As far as action types, I prefer a bolt action (Ruger 77/22, Remington 541T, or CZ are tops on my list), but if you prefer a single shot (Anschutz, Browning Low Wall) or a semi-auto (Ruger 10/22 over just about anything else) you should explore that avenue.

One word of advice: don't buy based on price, as you may be content for a while, but when the rifle starts to shoot itself apart you will be sorry you did not buy the best you could.

[Sixer]

Great info! I think I am leaning towards a Ruger 10/22... Semi-auto is almost a must, basically because IMHO theyre more fun to shoot. As far as being legal for hunting, i will need to check on that. Im already excited to buy a rifle this evening and head to the range, while not dropping $200 on ammo!

[TheManHimself]

Savage or Marlin bolt action, Ruger semi-auto. Absolutely the three best .22lr rifles on a budget.

[Sixer]

This is a new question I suppose... but what accessories are a must have after I get this rifle. Remember budget is the key word, so nothing outrageous, just affordable sights, scopes, anything you can think of, etc...

[Scorch]

Accessories needed:
* Scope- get a good one, spend about $100, it will make the trips out to go shooting a lot less frustrating.
* Sling- a good shooting sling will make your practice better. If you just buy a cheap carry strap, it will give your arms a break on the way home but won't help your shooting.
* Extra mags- convenience, and faster reloads. Also, spend more time firing during range trips.
* Range bag- for carrying ammo, targets, staple guns, shooting glasses (you do have shooting glasses, right?), and a cheap cleaning kit in case you need it at the range.
* Tactical floating rail with vertical fore-grip, laser illuminator, and spot light . . . ooooops, sorry.

[TheManHimself]

This is a new question I suppose... but what accessories are a must have after I get this rifle. Remember budget is the key word, so nothing outrageous, just affordable sights, scopes, anything you can think of, etc...

Pick up a decent scope, a sling, and maybe a few spare mags for the range. That's about it really. Lots of practice will improve your accuracy much more than any fancy accessories, and with a .22 you can afford to do a lot of practicing

[ken grant]

Learn to crawl before you walk
Get a 10/22 and put Tech Sights on it. Learn to shoot them then later get a scope.

[hogdogs]

May I suggest the Daisey/Winchester (same scope) in 3-9X32. It is all I need for out to a hundred yards (.22lr ain't much good beyond that). It is a well built scope and being an air rifle scope it has to be stronger internally than a regular scope so it will handle some abuse. Mine has been thru heck... Actually it has also been thru a roll over crash in which it and several other guns were tossed around than out of the SUV... The stock on juniors .30-30 marlin was broken in several pieces. My Savage has a cracked poly stock and the scope was still dead nuts on... here is the link to the winchester labeled one. They sell at wally world for much less than the MSRP.
http://daisy.com/shopping/customer/p...cat=252&page=1
Brent

[tulsamal]

Most of the extended mags for the 10/22 I wouldn't waste my money on. Just not reliable. But there is one exception. You get what you pay for!!!

http://www.tacticalinc.com/ti25-adva...022-p-532.html

And the place to learn about this stuff is here: http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/index.php

Gregg

[sholling]

For most people I recommend the 10/22 as their first 22. Not only are they a ton of fun to shoot right out of the box, but if the bug bites there are almost no limits to how far they can be customized. It's also the rifle best suited to attending an Appleseed rifle training event - something I highly recommend. You'll want at least a sling. The Super Sling from Walmart ($15) is a good choice. A scope is optional. Bushnell's 3-9x32 rimfire (~$40) is a fine basic plinking/hunting scope and a great place to start. Another option is a Weaver 4x shotgun scope on clearance at Natchez. It's a discontinued $200 scope for $80 and will make a great super durable 22 scope.

Later if the bug bites really hard then you might want to look at the pricey offerings from CZUSA. But for most casual plinkers and tinkerers the 10/22 is the best place to start.

[hogdogs]

I forgot to say...
If'n anyone wants to convert this redneck to better rimfire gear... feel free to send me a high dollar souped up peaked and tweaked tuned rifle wearing Zeiss glass... I will be glad to report on the results...
Brent

[L_Killkenny]

I've seen some very good things about the Savage Mark II-BV's. Bull barrel with a laminate stock. From what I've seen of some groups they will shoot nickle sixe groups at 50 yards out of the box. Seems like they are less than $250. I've never seen a savage, centerfire or rimfire, that didn't shoot straight.

I just went to Walmart this week and picked up a "Walmart Special" 10/22. Nice checkered hardwood stock and a 22" stainless barrel. Not as accurate as the Savages but still holds quarter size groups at 25 yards with open sites and fairly rapid fire from feild position. (In other words: I was kneeling on my deck, leaning against the railing and pulling the trigger the second the sights lined up on the center. I wasn't to worried about wringing the accuracy out of it until I get a scope on it.)

About the 10/22's: I can't recall seeing this covered here at the Firing Line but Ruger has gone to a PLASTIC trigger group on the recent 10/22's. I don't have a feeling yet if they are good or bad but I didn't take any chances. They had 4 of the Walmart Specials in stock, only one had the metal trigger assembly. Guess which one I bought? Look for the extended mag release, if it has one, it's the plastice trigger group.

Marlin bolt guns have always been good and I wouldn't hesitate to buy one of them.

LK

[tplumeri]

Waiting for my 10/22 to arrive.
remington 22lr is $19.99 for 500 out here.

[jakeswensonmt]

Most of the extended mags for the 10/22 I wouldn't waste my money on. Just not reliable.

Respectfully, I must disagree. I've got a bunch of the Butler Creek 25 round clear plastic jobs, the cheap ones with the plastic lips, and malfunctions are very few and far between.

[Stevie-Ray]

I just paid $12 each for two 550 round bonus packs of standard Federal at Walmart last night.

Hmmm....my next try is going to be the Remington 525 pack. I bought 2 of the Fed 550s a while ago. They caused my GSG-5 to choke a few times due to low powder. This is the first time I've ever had a problem with .22 cartridges, ever! I had heard good things about them but......time to give something else a try.

OP
Good advice so far, for sure. My bolt gun is an old Stevens model 34. Superbly accurate. The other 2 I have, are a Marlin 60 and the GSG-5. If you get the Ruger 10/22, the advice on scopes is good. If you want "good" but "inexpensive" you want, IMO, a Bushnell or Tasco. Though Bushnell is a little stronger, I find the Tasco optics a little clearer. Both are great for a .22, and both can be had for ~50 bucks. Some also swear by Simmons for .22s.

[22-rimfire]

I also have had few problems with the Butler Creek plastic larger capacity mags with my 10/22. I have the "deluxe" with the walnut stock as I didn't plan on modifying it. I carries a Bushnell 4x scope at the moment.

I tend to buy a 22, choose a scope and mount it, and then never change anything. I just buy another 22 rifle when the change itch happens.

Of late, I have been buying Weaver 2.5-7x and the 3-9x AO scopes for my newer 22 rifles. I have gotten less interested in plinking (ie blasting away at cans and so forth) and more interested in just punching holes in paper. The higher magnification helps you see the target more clearly and the rate of fire is not an issue over accuracy, so generally bolts get the nod.

For general shooting, I really like a good 4x 1" tube rimfire scope. They are light and fast. The 3-9x scopes are about as big as I want to go for plinkers. The $40-$50 Bushnell are fine as I have one. I just got a Mueller APV 4.5-14x for my CZ452 Varmint and I'm looking forward to see how it shoots. I have not shot it yet. I have a couple others waiting for scopes also.

[tulsamal]

Respectfully, I must disagree. I've got a bunch of the Butler Creek 25 round clear plastic jobs, the cheap ones with the plastic lips, and malfunctions are very few and far between.

It's true that some people get the cheaper mags to work. I've had a couple different kinds and neither one ever made it through a full stick of 25 or 30 without at least one jam in my gun. The general feeling seems to be that Ruger 10/22's vary individually. So one mag might work in one gun and fail miserably in another. That's what's great about the TI version. It's high quality in general but it is also totally adjustable to fit the gun. So left/right, forward/backward, up/down. You should be able to use it successfully in any 10/22 if you adjust it to the gun.

They are nice. Worth the money.

Gregg