looking into a .22LR

[NozeMan]

All,

Thought this was as good a place as any to start the search!

I'm thinking about getting a .22LR just to have some fun at the range with.....maybe use on the cats.....who knows. Right now I'm thinking along the lines of a rifle. Any suggestions?

I really don't want to spend a lot of cash on it, I'd like to keep it under 200. Like I said it's just for fun. It needs to be able to handle a scope at some point. Issues with bolt action vs. semi-auto. My only experience is with bolt action, and I haven't shot those since Scout camp back in the day.

The only brands I'm familiar with are Ruger, Marlin, and Winchester. I know there are more out there. Suggestions???

-Noze

 

[xmid]

Ruger 10/22. Tons of fun and right at about $200 for a base model. They are semi-auto and the options to customize it later on are virtually limitless. Definitly one of my favorite guns to plink around with or shoot squirrels.

 

[MasterBates]

Marlin 60. Cheaper than a 10/22 and plenty accurate out of the box. Mine was tapped for scope rings out of the box. $110 at WalMart

 

[nittany03]

Owning one of each . . .
Marlin: more accuracy, but the action is a Rube Goldberg contraption which you will never be able to get all the fouling out of. Guaranteed to jam after 100rds or so and then it's downhill till you clean it.

Ruger: Simple, elegant action which is easier to clean once you learn the trick of getting the bolt out. Stock sights are a pain in the ass to align for windage. Wailed on mine multiple times with a brass drift and it still doesn't go anywhere. It's like it's glued on.

 

[NozeMan]

Anyone still use bolt action?

 

[NavAir42]

I have a World War II era Mossberg 44US bolt action 22 that I love. They're good target/training rifles made in the 40s for the Army and you can usually find them at gun show for less than $200. They're a little more unwieldy than something like a 10/22 because they've got a heavy walnut stock and thicker barrel but I think it makes them feel more like a rifle and less like a toy.

 

[Fly Navy]

Ruger 10/22. End of discussion.

 

[WheelsUpHeelsUp]

10/22, no doubt in my mind.

 

[scoober78]

Anyone still use bolt action?

Yes...

If you are sure that you want a semi-auto, then yes...10/22 all the way. There are many factory choices and as a previous poster said...they are customizable beyond recognition. Absolutely fantastic weapon.

That said, many states won't allow you to hunt with them. If that is a concern for you...there it is. Dollar for dollar, you can get more accuracy for your money in a bolt action. That's not to say, you can't get good accuracy with a 10/22...but...Other than those two issues, it really comes down to personal preference. I own these...

and one of these...

Go somewhere, shoot some examples of both and then pick your favorite...they are both great, cheap fun. Good luck.

 

[A4sForever]

Anyone still use bolt action?

My first firearm:

Remington 510 from my Aussie Grandfather ... I still have it .... and it's still a tack-driver.

 

[gaijin6423]

I use either my Ruger Mk II Target (recently back from some modifications) or my bolt-action Savage .17HMR rifle to take care of the the err...PEST population around here. Granted, neither one is precisely what the original poster asked about, but they get the job done. Although .17HMR isn't the cheapest stuff out there, it's still not too bad for a little pest control. The Mk II is pure joy to shoot, especially now with the upgrades, and it does the trick for either plinking, teaching pistol fundamentals, or pests, albeit at short range.

And for the record, I do not know what happened to the neighboring farm's rooster. No, seriously.

 

[Pugs]

Granted, neither one is precisely what the original poster asked about, but they get the job done.

Neither is the Cooper Jackson Squirrel Rifle I just ordered. It'll be five months minimum before I see it but it'll be a tack driver.

 

[Ace_Austin]

Remington 597 semiauto myself, she has a number of groundhogs and barnstorming pigions to her credit. 150$ when I got her new.

 

[gaijin6423]

Groundhogs is some tasty vittles. Pigeons, not so much.

The .17HMR is like a speedy little laser that turns pests' insides into foamy red mess. And with Savage's AccuTrigger and decent glass, it's respectably accurate, mostly right out of the box.

 

[ChuckMK23]

Ruger 10/22. Tons of fun and right at about $200 for a base model. They are semi-auto and the options to customize it later on are virtually limitless. Definitely one of my favorite guns to plink around with or shoot squirrels.

Another vote for the 10/22 - the customization options are endless! Stocks, optics, barrels, etc. Talk about serious fun!

and with the price of .223/.308 nowadays .22LR is a fun alternative.

GEMTECH makes an amazing integral barrel/supressor combo btw - but upwards of $700 plus tax stamp and BATF approval.