First 22LR rifle question

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604hunter

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Hi,

I'm looking into going hunting for my first time next season and want to get a .22LR rifle as a cost efficient way to practice some shooting at the range. I have planned on getting a Ruger 10/22 as it seems the general consensus is that the Ruger 10/22LR is tops. It's easy, reliable, has a #### ton of after market mags/parts, lightweight and as accurate as 22's get. and CHEAP.

One thing I have started thinking about lately is how important is it to have a bolt action on a .22LR vs a semi auto as a practice rifle? I want to practice my shooting but it would also be nice to have a semi auto to have some fun with too.

Thanks for any advice you can share.
 
10/22 is the tops? Maybe if you want to mod it. Marlin semi autos are far more accurate out of the box and $150-$200. There isn't much aftermarket though so if you want a honda civic get a 10/22.
Bolt action for accuracy Cz's are good for that and also built very well.
 
I have many rimfires. I love my 10/22. As for your purpose, I would say a CZ 452 or 455 would be the best choice if you can only buy 1.
 
Well I have a: 10/22, rem 597 HB, CZ/Bruno bolt action, Henry Arms AR7 & a Savage Single shot Jr... These are all very good for what they do, The first three are my hunters the AR7 is my survival back packer and the Savage Jr. is more for my little girl... Who is a very good shot it.
 
My 10/22 is my least favorite gun. It works fine, it's just so... Boring. Lever action with iron sights is more my cup of tea for .22 rifles.
 
Ok, when i said "tops" I probably should have worded it "most popular"...

It sounds like most people are recommending if I only get one .22LR that i should go bolt action not semi auto, is that correct?
 
Welcome aboard!

.22's are kind of like spices...lots of choices, and everyone has their own favourites. Few things to consider first:

What do you really want, and what do you really want to do with it? If you really want a semi, then a bolt won't do, and vice versa. I probably wouldn't spend over a grand on a good competition single shot, if grouse were my true target. What's your budget?

Go to shows n' stores. Handle as many as you're allowed, and decide what feels good.

10/22's are certainly not the "tops", or "as accurate as 22's get. and CHEAP...". 10/22's are not the pinnacle of accuracy in a .22, nor are they cheap. They do have a huge fan base, and if you wish to buy aftermarket parts for a rifle, they can't be beat.

I have a rimfire weakness. Usually have a float of about dozen, and have owned many of them.
 
I have 45+ years of rimfire experience... I've been through over a hundred rifles over the years in every action type and most configurations... Ruger 10/22's are not accurate when they leave the factory... To avoid CS problems Ruger uses very loose tolerances in their action, chamber and bore... This leads to good function with a wide range of ammo, but is not conducive to good accuracy. Due to positive extraction, bolt actions "can be" (but not always are) built to tighter tolerance and are an inherently more accurate platform... Lever actions on the other hand are inherently "fun." Considering how new you are to shooting, I would recommend that inspite of their mediocre accuracy and other drawbacks, a semi-auto is the way to go... You will have fun every time out, accuracy is relative to the gun you are holding, so you can still learn shooting skills with it, and a semi is a gun you will take out every now and then just to "decompress" by cranking of a brick at clays or pop cans or any other silly target. Your semi can be a Ruger, Marlin, Remington or Savage etc... That choice is yours, but there are some good reason to go with a Ruger.
 
kschneider said:
Should be quite a few used Mossberg 715T's on the EE soon, if you would consider a tactical .22.
Click to expand...

"Tactical" .22's are toys!!

I have an SR22 and really like it. It does, however, have it's limitations. They are, typically, not very accurate and would not offer much in terms of target shooting and skills development, especially for a first rim fire rifle. For me, tactical anything is something you buy when you already have everything else...
 
Greetings

I would like to state that 22's are awesome ,always the most fun in any trip to the range.
That said one should adopt the philosophy of the right tool for the right job.
Semi auto's lots of fun but accuracy as in food on the table no sir for that bolt action.
Marlin or savage can not go wrong .
Safe shooting
 
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hoytcanon said:
I have 45+ years of rimfire experience... I've been through over a hundred rifles over the years in every action type and most configurations... Ruger 10/22's are not accurate when they leave the factory... To avoid CS problems Ruger uses very loose tolerances in their action, chamber and bore... This leads to good function with a wide range of ammo, but is not conducive to good accuracy. Due to positive extraction, bolt actions "can be" (but not always are) built to tighter tolerance and are an inherently more accurate platform... Lever actions on the other hand are inherently "fun." Considering how new you are to shooting, I would recommend that inspite of their mediocre accuracy and other drawbacks, a semi-auto is the way to go... You will have fun every time out, accuracy is relative to the gun you are holding, so you can still learn shooting skills with it, and a semi is a gun you will take out every now and then just to "decompress" by cranking of a brick at clays or pop cans or any other silly target. Your semi can be a Ruger, Marlin, Remington or Savage etc... That choice is yours, but there are some good reason to go with a Ruger.
Click to expand...

The semi is definitely lots of fun, I bought one for my wife to start shooting and she loved it for 3 months till she shot my CZ 452 and saw a big difference. Ruger have released a new bolt action (American) in 22 and that may just close the gap in accuracy.

I for one am anxious to see them in Canada, they should be winners.
 
You want to buy a .22 for practice for hunting later? Did I read that correctly? What rifle will you use for hunting then? If it is going to be a heavier bolt action rifle then I would suggest something like a Savage bolt action rifle perhaps even with a heavy barrel, and the accu trigger. This will give you the closest you can come to a real rifle for actual practice (or something similar).
Going duck hunting with a shotgun? Well then no .22 is going to be much use for practice...
If you can give us more insight then perhaps some on here can help you a bit more. As for best, you will never get that from someone else. What is best for me may be not what you want what-so-ever!
Welcome to the sport. Experiment, borrow, etc. There probably isn't one right answer.
 
I must first say I really appreciate the wealth of knowledge and opinions everyone is sharing

I know I'm new to firearms but just as I keep thinking I have come to a decision I end up doing 180 and start looking at something else...lol.

It sounds like for all my needs I need two rifles, one bolt action and one semi auto. Right now two 22's aren't in my budget so I really need to decide on which one to go with. I'm looking at a sub $300 rifle to practice at the range but also take out and have some fun with ie "decompressing". I won't be hunting with this rifle but would like it to be accurate. I don't see aftermarket parts being that big of deal for me as the only item I see myself wanting is a larger capacity mag. if I went semi auto.

Would a semi auto marlin/savage be the happy medium between what I'm looking for?

Thanks again for the help
 
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