This, to me, is a budget question first. For the rifle alone~ Under $500? $500-$700? $1,000-$1,300? Less expensive guns can sometimes be gems from an accuracy POV, but if paper-punching at, or beyond 100 yards all the time is your goal, it's simply not the best tool for the job. Fun? Oh yes!
The guns most capable of good results out of the gate are CZ-grade and beyond. So, in the $600-$1,200+
I hesitate to say that because;
1. Less expensive guns can often achieve it
2. Good ammo is key, as is a willingness to buy/try multiple varieties to test
3. A good scope is required~something allot of guys don't bother with because it's "just a .22"
Leave semis out of the equation altogether for now. Factory semis (Ruger, Marlin) tend to have heavy, gritty triggers. Pull weight probably determined by lawyers.
As for the Ruger~I've handled the Ruger American bolt-action 22s, but have never shot one. If I was trying to keep the gun in/around $500, it's probably what I would pick. When a CZ452 can still be found for $600-$675...I personally think they're worth saving a little longer for. Anschutz 64 action rifles~top shelf shooters, just got my first one a few months back. I'm still a HUGE CZ fan...but boy are the 64s eye-openers.
At the end of the day~the purchase price has to make sense to you. I mean...I wouldn't have a clear idea of what the 64 Action Anschutz really is in my hands had I not spent over 27 years shooting Savage, Marlin, Ruger (10/22) Winchester, Cooey, Norinco, Rossi, Chiappa, H&R, etc. Having put countless rounds through those (+CZ and BRNO) I think I'm well equipped to grasp what you get for the bigger ticket price of a 64. Worth it or not?
