I have a bunch of 22s and my favorite aside from my CZ452 bolt action is my Marlin 39a levergun. The Marlin was made mid 70s and is a beautiful rifle. Also shoots like a hot damn. Accutate and smooth as glass. I have sold all my semis. Never had any good luck with Savage since I had the 99 series 30cals. The new ones all look to my eye like they are not finished or need more work. A good bolt action will last a lifetime or more. A good semi, well thats another story. I get bored with them. Then again all my 22s are very good quality. Still you have to start somewhere. Buy something and shoot it. All you get here is someone elses opinion, the only one that really counts is yours. You will find out soon enough if you like it. For accuracy and reliability nothing beats a bolt, even a cheap one. My Cooey 39 would easily shoot as good as my 1022 or Remington Speedmaster and it was made in the 60s. The guy I sold it to will likely get another 50yrs out of it.
Savage or Marlin
- Thread starter ddtank
- Start date
Some people demand quality - they want nice machining and good fit and finish and all that, and are willing to pay for it. For these people, CZ is usually the absolute cheapest they'll go, with many looking towards Annie or other fancy names.
Others just want something that is cheap but accurate, and don't really care what the gun looks like as long as it goes bang. And for these types the savage is a perfect choice. They aren't as nice as other (more expensive) guns, but they shoot well and for me that's what really counts.
Hey dd~I think I'd sort of echo what bogie said; Still you have to start somewhere. Buy something and shoot it. All you get here is someone elses opinion, the only one that really counts is yours.
It's true, not necessarily helpful though. Asking that opinion in an open forum you'll get replies from guys who just bought their first gun and love it. Other guys replying may have owned more than 50 22LR rifles and have arrived at the opinion they're offering you. Other guys (and I'm buddies with one) think that all 22s are basically rubbish, and not worth 2 cents...let alone, hundreds or even thousands of dollars. I guess to really offer any constructive criticism, it would be helpful to know what your budget is (before scope/rings/spare mags), the intended purpose, etc.
To answer your question at face value~I've probably owned as many Savages as I have Marlins and as a rule, sort of prefer the Marlins. I currently own 2, but only 1 of them is a 22...and it's my only semi, a model 795. Were I setting out to buy a budget-minded, new-production 22 today...it would probably be between the Ruger American and the Savage B22. With that said, I honestly believe CZs are better guns than either of them, but a CZ452 (discontinued, but can be found new/used) will cost somewhere around 30% more than a Savage B22. Worth it? Yes. In your budget? I have no idea!
I have no experience with the B22 but it's a new model with some interesting upgrades/improvements from their Mark II series.
At the end of the day...buy what strikes your fancy, shoot the heck out of it...see how you feel about it then. It will meet your expectations or it won't. Buy another, do the same thing. Repeat, repeat, repeat... Just remember that more $ can buy better build quality/accuracy/materials/longevity...but won't necessarily buy more enjoyment. If you want to knock over pop cans, you don't need an Anschutz. If you want super-tiny groups @ 50+ yards, that probably won't happen with most Marlin/Savage guns either.
It's true, not necessarily helpful though. Asking that opinion in an open forum you'll get replies from guys who just bought their first gun and love it. Other guys replying may have owned more than 50 22LR rifles and have arrived at the opinion they're offering you. Other guys (and I'm buddies with one) think that all 22s are basically rubbish, and not worth 2 cents...let alone, hundreds or even thousands of dollars. I guess to really offer any constructive criticism, it would be helpful to know what your budget is (before scope/rings/spare mags), the intended purpose, etc.
To answer your question at face value~I've probably owned as many Savages as I have Marlins and as a rule, sort of prefer the Marlins. I currently own 2, but only 1 of them is a 22...and it's my only semi, a model 795. Were I setting out to buy a budget-minded, new-production 22 today...it would probably be between the Ruger American and the Savage B22. With that said, I honestly believe CZs are better guns than either of them, but a CZ452 (discontinued, but can be found new/used) will cost somewhere around 30% more than a Savage B22. Worth it? Yes. In your budget? I have no idea!
I have no experience with the B22 but it's a new model with some interesting upgrades/improvements from their Mark II series. At the end of the day...buy what strikes your fancy, shoot the heck out of it...see how you feel about it then. It will meet your expectations or it won't. Buy another, do the same thing. Repeat, repeat, repeat...
Just remember that more $ can buy better build quality/accuracy/materials/longevity...but won't necessarily buy more enjoyment. If you want to knock over pop cans, you don't need an Anschutz. If you want super-tiny groups @ 50+ yards, that probably won't happen with most Marlin/Savage guns either.Yes, you are quite right of course. It seems with the budget end of the market it will (literally...) be hit or miss as to whether there is sufficient quality there whatever the brand. Just a matter of getting lucky or not with a good one (I guess they are all "good enough" - maybe I mean a really good one).
Really big fan of the marlin 795, I enjoy a semi for plinking, sometimes it's fun to be able to load up a 27 round mag and unload on some steel spinners as fast as you can hit them. I do a fair bit of bench shooting with it and it is still pretty accurate for a .22
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
I have a Marlin xt22 with a heavy barrel, its a great little bolt. Can't comment on the savages but when I buy a .22 semi auto I'll buy a Marlin 795.
