Advice on buying. 22 semi

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Chris189

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Hey everyone, new to this hobby. Just got my PAL and would like to upgrade from my old Cooey model 60(works great).
I think I would like a Semi and have received advice to buy a Ruger 10/22. My question is.... Which one? There is stainless, takedown etc. I would like something I will have forever. Wood is nice over synthetic but not a deal breaker. I will be target shooting with my son and controlling varmint.

Any advice is appreciated and maybe even recommendations other brands.

Much appreciated
 
Hard to go wrong with a 10/22! They are immensely popular for a reason, and highly customizable (if you end up going down that road).

Ultimately this is highly subjective as to what your personal preferences are. If you take good care of your guns (clean/oil them), then a blued barrel works very nicely. If you plan to hunt in more inclement weather or aren't as attentive to cleaning, then I would probably go with a stainless barrel. Same might apply to the stock.

Personally, I would go with a Sporter model with the wood stock and blued barrel, as I love that classic look. I also love that they have open sights as a back up.
 
Maybe consider a Savage 64? Not knocking the Ruger for all the fun reasons above, I own one. I just don't shoot it as often as the Savage because I personally find the Savage easier to disassemble/clean/reassemble after the fun times. ymmv
 
I DO really like the Sporter. Maybe I will see if canadian tire can order one. Thanks!

Great advise on the Savage! They are almost half the price too.
 
Buy whatever 10/22 you can justify buying or you like, takedowns are decent, and accurate enough, but that's also dependent on use and wear on the locking lug/tightness of screw etc.

I would recommend a fixed stock 10/22, new or used, and see how you like it, as time goes on you can customize it to your liking, familiarize yourself with the platform
Eventually if you can afford it, get a second custom receiver and buy components that match your exact wants, barrel length/trigger/stock/bolt etc.

10/22s are the AR of the rimfire world, endless customization options, you can get a factory ruger for 450$ new, or blow 2000$ on a fully custom build that uses no ruger parts.'
The tenda year end special has one on sale right now too

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/2423913-Tenda-Year-End-Special!
 
Savage 64 has a longer stick mag , where the Savage A22 has a flush rotary mag
either is a good starting point for a new shooters, soon enough you will be buying another as the young guy grows into having his own
 
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Start with your basic carbine with wood stock. Get a few BX 10rds mags and test the rifle with some better quality HV ammo like CCI Blaser, Fed HV. The rifle may need a couple of hundred rds to break in but from there, it should run as fast as you can pull the trigger. As long as the set up functions properly (feed, fire, eject without fuss), you have a good base to build anything you want in the future....

If the rifle with good ammo is constantly stovepiping or has failures to feed, get rid of it.... and try again. Played with a number made 3 to 4 yrs ago and these ran superbly with some of the simple upgrades you want to add later right out of the box. Plastic trigger housing wasn't as bad as I had expected. Triggers however, were crappy... but that is an easy fix. Varying QC can be an issue

Test various types of ammo that suit you varminting needs... just know that all rimfires are very ammo sensitive so you may need some exploring to find what it likes to run on.

If you want more accuracy, match barrels with all options are possible. Same goes for furniture and really up to what you want to spend on. There is a huge aftermarket so it really boils down to how far down this rabbit hole you want to go.

The lever type safety upgrade is one of the best upgrades you can do... making a clunky cross safety into a slick and fast operation.

The upside to its performance can put it competitive with the custom bolt rifle in a game like PRS so there is no shortage of what you can do down the road.

Enjoy...

Jerry
 

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Buy a Dlask or a Magnum Research. The initial cost is a little higher but its a much nicer starting point and they are way more accurate (hence fun).
I’ve had 3 Rugers, sighted in 2 more, they all shot like crap.
 
My favorite semi 22lr are Marlin 795 and Winchester Wildcat. Marlin gives you high cap mags, Wildcat comes with a peep sight, pic rail, and reversible safety (but that last one only matters to people shooting lefty like me). Both have last round hold opens, which I am a big fan of in a rimfire semi auto so I don't have to count my shots or worry about dropping the hammer on an empty chamber. Both are very reliable and lightweight (4lb for the Winchester and 4.5lb for the Marlin according to the manufacturers).

Also, honorable mention goes to the Stevens 87/click clack guns. Very different gun than the two above - older, wood stock, tube fed - but for the price I paid ($150 off the EE IIRC) its a very fun gun, and I like how it operates somewhat differently than other guns - if you hold the trigger after shooting the bolt is held back, it only goes forward to pick up another round when you let go of the trigger. You can also lock the bolt in the forward position, turning your semi auto into a single shot with no moving parts which should theoretically increase accuracy although I've never done a side-by-side test to see how much difference it makes.


IMO the 10/22 is a great gun IF you want to upgrade it. Otherwise, I feel that there are better options out there for the same or less money. The 10/22 has a LOT of potential, but in its stock form its nothing special to me and it is missing features I look for like a last round hold open. The fact my buddies isn't very reliable doesn't help.
 
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Where is everyone on the Winchester Wildcat? I didn't like the cheap feel/look of the plastic stock but I did see one with wooden stock.
 
Chris189 said:
Where is everyone on the Winchester Wildcat? I didn't like the cheap feel/look of the plastic stock but I did see one with wooden stock.
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Most people take one look at the funny plastic stock and turn away. I really like mine, not a lot of lefty-friendly options for semi 22s though (wildcat safety is reversible and mag release is ambidextrous). Slapped a little 4x scope on it and it bangs the spinner at 50 with ease.

I did find the front sight was too big, made hitting anything beyond like 25yds difficult. Small scope fixed that issue, could probably take a file to the front sight and reprofile it but one of my Marlin 795s has tech sights which are much better so if I want to use iron sights I'll just use that.


The wood stock is news to me. I might have to get another Wildcat now if I see one of those for a good price...
 
Chris189 said:
Where is everyone on the Winchester Wildcat? I didn't like the cheap feel/look of the plastic stock but I did see one with wooden stock.
Click to expand...

I've owned both a 10/22 Carbine and the Wildcat, and I'd give the edge to the Ruger. Don't get me wrong, the the Wildcat is good: it is entirely functional, accurate, and inexpensive. It can run the 10/22 mags, which is convenient. Super easy to take down and clean. Nothing wrong with owning one at all.

But if you are looking for a gun to have forever, the Ruger is the better bet. You can do more with it as time/money/opportunity presents itself. The build quality is better (IMO), and it has a higher potential for accuracy. If you are looking for long term use and value, that'd be the Ruger. If you are wanting a great bush/truck gun that you can use and abuse without much fear, go for the Winchester.
 
^ The ruger still beats it as a rough use bush/truck gun, a crappier gun used and stored in harsher conditions isn’t exactly a recipe for success.

If you want a forever semi the 10/22 is the way to go out of the options listed by a huge margin. The wildcats charging is prone to snapping off, one thing to be aware of when they are discontinued.
 
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RRH.01 said:
^ The ruger still beats it as a rough use bush/truck gun, a crappier gun used and stored in harsher conditions isn’t exactly a recipe for success.

If you want a forever semi the 10/22 is the way to go out of the options listed by a huge margin. The wildcats charging is prone to snapping off, one thing to be aware of when they are discontinued.
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Haven't heard of that, but Google brings up a few reports of it happening to people who dropped their gun. I think I'll contact Winchester and see if I can't get a replacement just to have in case it ever happens to me.


slinkylegs said:
I've owned both a 10/22 Carbine and the Wildcat, and I'd give the edge to the Ruger. Don't get me wrong, the the Wildcat is good: it is entirely functional, accurate, and inexpensive. It can run the 10/22 mags, which is convenient. Super easy to take down and clean. Nothing wrong with owning one at all.
Click to expand...

No last round hold open with the Ruger mags though, only the Winchester ones have the pin that activates the hold open.
 
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