Help me decide on my first rimfire!

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TheWhole9Yards

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K guys need some input. Looking at getting a .22 rifle for myself and my fiancé to shoot at the range. We are both relativly new to shooting and want something we can progress with. I've done some searching online and I think I've narrowed it down. Tonight we stopped by bass pro so we could handle a couple rifles to see what we like.

I prefer the weight of heavy barreled rifles and she prefers the weight/feel of the ruger 10/22. We both want a semi auto.

I've made a short list:

Ruger 10/22 synthetic stock/stainless
Remington 597 heavy barrel
Remington 597 w/scope

The guy at Bass pro was really trying to steer us away from the remington, saying the mags don't feed well and for the price of the heavy barrel remington we would be better off with the 10/22.

What are your thoughts on these rifles? Would the heavy barrel be appropriate for our skill level?

Thanks!
 
Bolt action. The semi autos are not as accurate, so they cause you to think you're a worse shot than you actually are. They're better to learn with than a semi auto. CZ bolt is really good. The lux or machliner if you want to use iron sights. Varmint or american if you want to use a scope.
You might want to look at the anshuitz (sp?) at tradex if you're stuck on the semi. Much better gun than the 10/22.
 
If you're shooting at the range, barrel weight shouldn't be a factor if you're shooting off rests.
10/22's seem to be the flavor of the ..........squzz me........now crowd.
New shooters......how about starting in on a mag fed bolt action?
Keep yourself focused and out of mishaps?
CZ's offer some incredible performance, not to mention dang right accurate
and return funds on the chance you wish to bail on it.
 
10/22 all the way the barrels swap out easily and mods can be done over time. Sometimes it is better to buy one built up already here as you never will get back what you put into a gun for mods I prefer heavy short barrelled actions

A decent stock, glass, bipod, and match ammo make all the difference, and a 2.5 lb trigger job even helps more as the factory trigger is creepy. If you are really serious about paper punching a bolt action really is easier out of the box my buddy bought a Savage and just loves it but I love my Ruger 10/22 shoot it more than my Anshutz.

Good luck

Randy
 
I dunno about the norinco however I've heard lots of good things about the savages here if your looking for a more budget friendly rifle than the cz's. You could also keep an ear to the ground in the ee section for something used.
 
I would agree with a bolt action for a young shooter. However some people learn how to shoot fast and then want a semi auto. Thus having to buy two guns. It depends on money really. I learned on my grandfathers cooey. Once I got use to shooting. I then upgreaded my bolt action. However I really like quick shot drills and soon wanted a semi auto. Bought a mossy 715t. Shot great but takedown was a pain. This is one thing you need to take into account with a semi. Some are quick, some are a pain. I disliked the takedown so much I upgraded to a Su22. Takedown is almost like an AR15. Super simple. The 10/22 isnt bad. However IMO since its the honda civic of guns. Its hard not to upgrade parts. Youll see alot of 10/22s on the EE. Just know if you go the 10/22 route, its hard not to want to upgrade here and there. Soon its a 1k+ gun.
That is another thing to take into account. Think ahead and see what upgrades youd like. No since in buying a gun that you will have a hard time upgrading. Ie the barrel on the 10/22 clone.
Id like to hear people opinions on barrels and barrel length.
Seems so people say you only need a 8-12" barrel and anything longer has deminishing returns on bullet speed. Barrel material is another topic Id be happy to hear people opinions. Seems some people say a bull barrel is only good for heat transfer but wouldnt barrel stiffness be effected, thus accuracy? From what Ive heard the barrels crown is the largest factor in the guns accuracy. If this is true, it doesnt matter as much barrel length or size. The CZ have a huge fan base, just like the 10/22. I havent heard alot of people needing to upgrade their CZ unlike the 10/22 shooters.
Lastly, Ive seen people buy $1000 rifles only to end up putting on a scope worth under $100!
Ive seen write ups saying the scope should be 50% or more of the cost of the gun.
My own two cents worth, spend the money once and buy a good scope. Then youll only buy once.
I learned the hard way. Going from bulk bushnell to tasco to tasco to knockoff tactical to finally a bushnell trs25 and leupold ultralight.
Granted I sold all the scopes for little loss but I bet it adds up to over $100.
Thats $100 I could have spent on ammo.
Anyway sorry for the rant.
Welcome to shooting sports!
 
You should likely stop and really consider what sort of shooting you want to do. If your goal is to shoot from rested positions to get the smallest groups then a bolt action with a scope is a great way to go.

For this sort of thing the CZ's the folks are mentioning are superb. And just as good a bang for the buck but perhaps just a slight pinch down in terms of ultimate accuracy is the Savage Mk II's.

If your plan is to run either such bolt action rifle with a scope then I strongly recommend the models with the thumbhole style stock for either rifle. This style of stock puts the top of the comb up where your cheek bone will rest on or be darn close to it. This will line up your eye with the scope far better and in a more stable manner.

If you like the idea of arcade like plinking then a semi or something like a Henry lever action along with a Caldwell flip up and reset style rimfire target is a great option.

Frankly I find semi auto rimfires a little boring. It's about as exciting for me as clicking a mouse if I'm not actually shooting in a match where someone with a sot timer is hanging off my shoulder. For general plinking I like to have to DO something for each shot. So for me a lever or pump action rifle is far more my cup o' tea. Give it a bit of thought before you leap.

And hey, nothing says that this will be your ONLY rifle. By all means buy the Ruger or the Remington.

But perhaps base your choice on some other opinions than just the shop guy. I've seen more than my share of 10/22's with mag and other feed issues at the matches I shoot in. The Ruger is a nice rifle. But it's not some super gun that never ever jams. With the stock 10 round mags they can be darn good. But a lot of folks like to use the 25round mags instead. And THEN the issues crop up fast. I'm wresting with this very issue with my own 10/22 at the moment.

If you opt for a bolt rifle and will be mostly shooting from a bench with a rest of some sort then a nice budget minded setup that'll keep you both entertained for quite some time is a Savage BTV or BTVS with a Simmons 3-9x40. Or I just got a Nikon Protarget 2-7x40 that is wonderfully clear as well and is only a few bucks more.

I like the fact that both of these have exposed turrets instead of the caps that cover the small adjusters. The large exposed turrets make it easy, fast and repeatable for adjusting to different distances. Not something you can say the same for on the other capped hunting style scopes.

On the other hand if I've managed to toss in some ideas I urge you and your girl to check out the Henry lever guns. They are great fun and surprisingly accurate. And you'll learn a lot about off hand shooting with plain iron sights. The only thing is that the lever doesn't really lend itself to shooting from a seated and rested position as the lever wants to hit the table often as not. But you quickly learn to turn it to the side a bit to let the lever clear the table if the rest is short.
 
My 597 has been rock solid since day one. I'd recommend it in a heartbeat.

The 10/22 and its massive cult following ensure that it gets 99% of the attention, but that doesn't mean that it's the only option.
 
amosfella said:
Bolt action. The semi autos are not as accurate, so they cause you to think you're a worse shot than you actually are. They're better to learn with than a semi auto. CZ bolt is really good. The lux or machliner if you want to use iron sights. Varmint or american if you want to use a scope.
You might want to look at the anshuitz (sp?) at tradex if you're stuck on the semi. Much better gun than the 10/22.
Click to expand...

This is a really good strategy..and one that I would also recommend
 
started with a 10-22--fully modified it and it sits in the safe-if you want a semi- find a new or used bi athalon rifle -they shoot the lights out on the range and have awesome sights- you can scope it later if you desire.
 
BCRider said:
...For general plinking I like to have to DO something for each shot. So for me a lever or pump action rifle is far more my cup o' tea

...I urge you and your girl to check out the Henry lever guns. They are great fun and surprisingly accurate. And you'll learn a lot about off hand shooting with plain iron sights. The only thing is that the lever doesn't really lend itself to shooting from a seated and rested position as the lever wants to hit the table often as not. But you quickly learn to turn it to the side a bit to let the lever clear the table if the rest is short.
Click to expand...

I second the opinion for a lever gun, I picked up a Browning BL-22 and really enjoy shooting it!
 
Lever guns are fun... except on the bench where there is too much movement required to cycle the action...

Bolt actions may be inherently more accurate than semi's... but in my opinion, no other platform has successfully recruited as many new shooters into the shooting sports community as semi automatic rimfire rifles... and that is what you want and that is what you should get.

Get the 10/22 in whatever version feels good to you (try the laminate carbines, you may not want to upgrade the stock later)... buy five bricks of ammo, take your girl to the range and have fun... you might want a couple Butler Creek Steel Lips 25 round mags and a speed loader... shoot until you are out of ammo ans then go buy more.
 
Personally I think the 10/22 is overrated. It does have a massive aftermarket which is what draws most people to it. I bought the 597 and haven't had any issues with the 3rd gen 10round factory mags. Went through 6 30 round mags before making the magazine the target and giving up.
 
I started with a Pietta PPS50. I have 3 issues with it, and those are... the open sights suck. the mag is plastic. theres no way to hold the bolt open. other than that, its awesome (as far as semi-auto 22's go). has a rail for opticts to solve the crappy sights issue. steel mags are available. but theres no way around the bolt thing.. if you want it open (for cleaning or whateveR) you have to hold it open. super cool and fun gun tho (again, as far as semi 22s go).

In hindsight I wish I went with the 10/22 for two reasons... parts..every where I look its 10/22 parts, but theres NEVER pietta parts... the other reason being drum mags. pietta has 50rd drums available, 10/22 has 110rd drums available. in defense of the pietta, there are STEEL 50rd drums available, and i dont think the 110rd ruger drums are steel (could be wrong).

as for bolt vs semi.... after takin the semi out a couple times, i thought "this is perfect if im swarmed by a herd of rabbid rabbits, but i would enjoy my range time more with a bolt".

i enjoy operating my gun. up, back, forward, down, trigger, up, back, forward, down, trigger, up, back, forward, down, trigger is much more operating (and therefore [for me] much more fun) than trigger trigger trigger. plus bolt operates in the cold. bolt runs cheap ammo. bolt tends to slow your ammo consumption, and therefore cost per hour of range time.

if your intended use requires rapid shots, obviously a semi is needed. if rapid shots are not required, go with the bolt.
 
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