Wtb? Savage 64G or Remington 597 for first 22lr semi?

I can't comment on the Savage semi but I do have a MKII bolt that I've tweaked to shoot well. I've also had a 597 LSS (Laminated Stock Stainless) for nearly 20 years (my first rifle :) ) They don't appear to make wood stocked 597's anymore and that's a shame. It can shoot under an inch at 50 yards with SK+. I've got the old gen plastic mags and if I load more than 6 or 7 rounds stick and don't feed reliably. The trigger while very crisp, is much too heavy for bench work at 5lbs. Every semi is prone to the odd cycling issue, nature of the beast, but overall it runs pretty smooth. It is at it's best plinking pop cans off the fence at 20 yards or shooting reactive targets like the swinging metal plates with a shoot to reset spot :)
 
RabidM4U5 said:
I can't comment on the Savage semi but I do have a MKII bolt that I've tweaked to shoot well. I've also had a 597 LSS (Laminated Stock Stainless) for nearly 20 years (my first rifle :) ) They don't appear to make wood stocked 597's anymore and that's a shame. It can shoot under an inch at 50 yards with SK+. I've got the old gen plastic mags and if I load more than 6 or 7 rounds stick and don't feed reliably. The trigger while very crisp, is much too heavy for bench work at 5lbs. Every semi is prone to the odd cycling issue, nature of the beast, but overall it runs pretty smooth. It is at it's best plinking pop cans off the fence at 20 yards or shooting reactive targets like the swinging metal plates with a shoot to reset spot :)
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The new generation of metal mags, and even the newer 30 rnd plastic mags, have never given me any grief not sure if they fit the same in models that old though. The trigger is a bit heavy mine has come a long way just from shooting and getting broken in but there are a few different kits out there for fairly cheap. Volquartsen makes a target hammer which supposedly cuts trigger pull in half and there are also a couple companies that make trigger spring kits.
 
LS701 said:
They are, but theyre shorter on the 597, prefer longer barrel for accuracy. Have 2 savages with bull barrels and one with fluted and they look and shoot great!
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Longer barrels are not more or less accurate than a short one. Except you could draw that conclusion from handguns where the longer barrel gives you a longer sighting radius for less error in sight alignment. I guess you could argue adding open sighted rifles to that list as well. Also in a .22LR, anything longer than 14-16" actually gives you a lower velocity due to peak pressures dropping off and friction taking over and having a negative effect on velocity.

If those savage .22 barrels are anything like their 17 barrels, you must have a mighty fine pair of shooters there!
 
Finally recieved the 597. Side by side with my savage mark 2.
Removed the included scope but need a new base and lower rings:( the included rings are for the narrow intergrated rail...Re-using my tasco 6-24 cheepo but awesome (for the money) scope

Are the 597s not a free floating barrel? Looks like ill need to free float it

Both safety checked and unloaded btw.
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Mark ii dwarfed by the savage 10.
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cheapsk8 said:
If those savage .22 barrels are anything like their 17 barrels, you must have a mighty fine pair of shooters there!
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My mark 2 and the 93r17 are pretty much identical. Only visible difference is the mag size. Both shoot really well. My mark ii will easily do .5 groups at 50y with good ammo. The 17 is up for sale now:( replaced by the 597.
 
thepolinator said:
Out of the 2 the aavage, but i woild buy a marlin. Better gun for a better price
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Went with the 597. The savage went back up to 300 from 220 and 597 dropped to 280 with scope. Have 3 savage bolt actions (mark 2, 93r17, 10fcpk) and all great. Wanted to try a new brand this time.
 
Finally took the Remington 597 to the range and I am pleased, shot both a 10/22 with 21in barrel and the Remington 597. Both with same scopes and Remington out shot the ruger in 10 shot groups at 50yards.

Rwmington 50y with stand. Using blazer ammo
 
I had a 597 and sold it to buy a 64ss. First trip to the range after initial cleaning and that rifle performed 1000x better than that piece of sh1t remington ever did. Using bulk Blazer ammo and it was consistently shooting groups no bigger than 1 inch at 50 yards. The play in the trigger was the only thing I did not like about it.
 
I have had my Rem 597 HD ( 20 inch) out the past three week ends , over 600 rounds fired , no FTF , FTE ect , it came with 3rd generation mag , works 100% , I have Not cleaned the rifle in any way as of yet . The only mods done was I gave more clearance to the free floated barrel and the stock with a bit of sanding .

Not my best shooting but I am out of practice having taken a very long break from shooting .

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50 yards , first time out , Auto Match

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Today at the range , 100 yard and 200 yard test .

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100 yard , 8 inch gong test / Auto match

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200 yard , 8 inch gong test / Auto match , Winchester Super X , Blazer , Vector's

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While no brand is immune to the occasional lemon the 597 tends to perform more often than not. I haven't had a chance to get out to the range lately but worked on a few more tweaks to my 597. VQ hammer and extractor now trigger is 2.5 lbs. I shot this last time I can't wait to see if I get some improvement!

 
A quick summary of the 22 semi experience:

Rem 597: first I bought and first I got rid of. Too much plastic in the trigger group and had some of that plastic fail on mine. Accurate and fun to shoot when it works.

Savage 64: accurate and fun to shoot and it always works. I admit that I like clever and complex mechanisms so I don't mind the complex takedown; you rarely need to take it down as far as it will go. Only thing I do not like is the pot metal magazine. I have the MCARBO trigger and springs but have yet to install them. Is a keeper for me.

Marlin 60 and 795: accurate and fun to shoot. Plastic trigger components but the rest of the action is metal. Are keepers for me.

Savage 6A / Stevens 87: accurate and fun to shoot; complex mechanism is orgasm-inducingly awesome. My favorite 22 semis and definitely keepers.

Ruger 10/22: What a steaming load of half digested worm-infested dung. $400 for the stainless birch sporter. A very pretty rifle but the trigger group rattled in the receiver and actually moved backwards when pulling the trigger. Tightened it up by shimming the receiver pins but should not have to do that on a brand new $400 rifle. Checked others (sample size: 3 in total) of the same model at the store and they were all like this. Accurate once shimmed but none of us -- wife, daughter, son, me -- though it was particularly fun, even with 25 round magazines. Sold it to some fan boy for what I paid and who then replaced every part with aftermarket upgrades to prove to me how good the original gun was: the only original thing he has from the gun now is the box and the manual.

Humph.
 
I agree that there maybe some bad apples in any batch of production , that happens in most thing including automobiles as seen in recalls .

Also personal preference to the construction and size and shape and type of rifle comes into play , plastic stocks vs wood , metal parts vs plastic ect .

At the end of the day it's what you like , are comfortable with and can you shot well .

My 1974 Remington Nylon 66 Apache Black in 22 Lr , I bought it NIB in 1974 and have shot 100's of thousands of round with no issues ( the exception is CCI Stinger's the gun was not designed for the slightly longer case and does eject them due to a shorter bolt slide back space to travel rearwards ) .

As old as this gun is I shot it this past Sunday at the 100 yard gong with Auto Match ammo , rapid fire 14 rounds in the mag and one in the chamber , have a look ...... I think it still can hold it's own against more modern 22 semi auto rifles that are sold today .

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I can hit 12Ga. hulls at 100 Yds. with my 597 all day long.
Just a pure fact,I don't want to go into "compare to" game but I think it's pretty good for semi-auto.22 without mods.
Of course rifle is scoped with X12 scope...

Zygy
 
I'm a huge supporter of the 597, I added a volquatzen hammer to both of mine and they shoot great. My HB is good, and I added a pencil barrel to the collection (on sale for $150 locally) and it shoots just as good. When I bought the $150 gun I was looking for a used 22, the guy at the gun store said the 597 was a POS, I should but a $200 used rifle instead. I don't see why the 597 got a bad rap, but it shoots better than my old 64 (Lakefield) and is much more reliable. I had one scare, the HB fired out of battery, I had never cleaned it, and was checking to see what would happen if I let it go as long as I could. Clean the action! I would like to get a wood stock though, mostly for looks, as the plastic stock is pretty solid compared to the stock on my Savage FVRS. Enjoy, the squirrels and grouse hate my 597's lol!
 
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