First 22 - what to get?

I would look at Savages for an inexpensive accurate gun
You could do some reading about the Scorpio EM332A or the NS522.
If you were willing to spend a bit more money I would highly recommend a Ruger 10/22
or CZ 452 bolt action. They are both very nice rifles.
Whatever you get, have fun.
 
Uphoria;
As I'm sure you have noticed by now there is a wide range of opinions on this subject. The best advice I can provide is to shoot as many .22s as possible before making a purchase. Friends with .22s would be my first choice, but if that doesn't work, join a local gun club and get to know a few of the members. There are always a few guys willing to show off their rifles and let you fire a few rounds, especially if you bring some ammo. You will typically find that some of the rifles will appeal to you right away and others will have the opposite affect.
Good luck with your decision.

ps: If you're sure you want a semi-auto my vote is for a Ruger 10/22 :)
 
Of the guns you mentioned I have both Marlin's Model 60 and Ruger's 10/22. I've found the Marlin to be the better buy, it takes some cleaning and shooting to bring out its best, but in the States you can pick up a Marlin Model 60, depending on which one you choose, for from a little less to considerably less than a Ruger. Also the bolt hold open is a nice safety feature.

Now having said that, I think that people should start out with a manually operated run, which is to say anything but an autoloader, for their first gun.
 
I will put my .02 in here. Savage Mark 2 for bolt, and Savage 64 FXP. Mark 2 is bolt, 64 is a semi. It was mentioned earlier here about not believing everything you read. 64 is a fine rifle, and all steel. Yes it is not the best but Cabelas just had them for $169, the FXP, and it comes with a 4x Tasco scopealso. Regular price is only $199. A very fun gun. But I too agree also that a bolt is very nice also.
 
if you have the chance of trying them well try them first if not buy your self a CZ they are great or a Savage i love those rifle and if you are just looking for some plinking well the 10/22 will do a great joob like my takedown
 
the 10/22 is the humpty dumpty gun yes you can make it whatever you want tons of mods from a not too accurate out of the box to a tacticool
10 variations ,,but if you want what you bought is accurate and you dont want to build a lego gun then its is not the one
there is a place for it but before you have something you have spent 600 ..depends what you want...savage marlin no mods accurate
 
The Savage MK2 is a pretty good rifle for the money and bought my wife one. I put a Cabelas forty dollar 22 scope on it and am very happy with it. That scope is actually better than some more expensive scopes I have had on 22s over the years, and bought a second one to replace a scope on my 22.
.
 
My 2 cents...

I'll echo what was posted earlier by JahredF, in that since you're buying a rifle chambered in 22lr, buy a good one since the ammo is stupidly cheap in comparison to any other calibre. I'd highly recommend a bolt action due to the better accuracy potential, simplicity, reliability, and the fact that bolt action 22's have robust all steel construction that will last forever vs the lightweight aluminum receiver on semi autos. It feels like a gun, rather than a toy. I'd recommend getting a gun that has iron sights, but can also be scoped (included rail or dovetailed receiver). That way you can shoot it and don't have to buy a scope right off the bat. You may find that you prefer irons.

The less you spend, the more idiosyncrasies you'll likely have to contend with. Things like crappy sharp magazines, cheap flimsy stocks, cheesy parts that beg to be upgraded right out of the box, etc. It's also best to buy in person with less expensive rifles. That way you can look the gun over to make sure everything is as it should be. The more you spend (CZ :D), the less important this becomes, in my experience at least. The many QC issues like crooked/canted sights I've seen on Marlin 795's, sloppy fit, and receivers that were machined crooked on Ruger 10/22's still haunt me. :rolleyes:

I've bought and sold a fair number of guns. I now have 5 CZ 452 rimfires, and I'm extremely satisfied with them. Savage bolt actions are less expensive, but have a huge fan base and have a solid reputation for accuracy. Watch some decent YouTube reviews, then go somewhere, handle a Savage, and a CZ, work the bolts, and see which one you like best overall.


Here's a good video comparing the Savage Mark II and their new B22 (available at Al Flaherty's for $363)

 
Sakoman .308 said:
I would look at Savages for an inexpensive accurate gun
You could do some reading about the Scorpio EM332A or the NS522.
If you were willing to spend a bit more money I would highly recommend a Ruger 10/22
or CZ 452 bolt action. They are both very nice rifles.
Whatever you get, have fun.
Click to expand...

Yes, I could not think of the number off hand; the Scorpio EM332A has a composite thumb-hole stock, the NS522 has wood. These are made in China, but have a way better finish, inside and out than the Norinco rifles. While both have rotary hammer forged barrels, the 522's is heavier, the 332 has been turned down (I think to reduce weight forward wtih the lighter rear stock on the thumbhole version; it still is plenty front heavy) I have both the 322 and a Norinco JW15; and now have a few thousand rounds through both. The EM322 and NS522 are built with Anschutz tooling in China; the JW15 is a Chinese copy of Bruno/CZ.

The JW will need a bit of polishing here and there; an easy trigger adjustment, and some break in time. Spare mags can be had for the JW for under $50; for the EM322, < $25.

I have scoped the 322 and shoot the JW with open sights. As bad as the open sights are on the JW, it still shoots amazingly accurate. My plan is to replace the crappy sight with either a JW-25 rear sight or a Williams Peep sigh. Both rifles are keepers. The JW is a bit loose in the stock and I will be bedding the action when I get some time; both are free floated (although I can't see where this will improve accuracy much as it already puts most shots in one ragged hole from a bench-rest at 20M. The Norinco with a scope will do the same.

Either of these will give you way more rifle for your dollar than pretty much everything else. If the US ever opens up their border to Chinese weapons again, it is my guess that the demand will drive the price up to where these will be no longer "entry level" fire arms.
 
Thanks for all the great feedback everyone. I think I'm going to have to hold a few of the guns mentioned and see how they feel in my hands. I will definitely post a reply with what I decide, though it might be a while since I am still waiting for my Pal to come in through the mail.
 
I picked up a pair of savage 64FSS xp's for my grandsons ....249.00 each with scope. ...both are more accurate than my 10-22.
For the price you can't really go wrong.
 
gunner065 said:
I would look a Remington 597. I have one and have not had one issue with them. Because an above poster "heard too many bad stories" should not be the sole reason to not look at the 597. JMHO
Click to expand...
My 597hb is as accurate as a bolt gun and groups like my BRNO at 50 meters, after I free floated the barrel.Trigger is a nice 4 pounds, much better than the 795, which is more like 10 pounds.
 
gandalfe said:
My 597hb is as accurate as a bolt gun and groups like my BRNO at 50 meters, after I free floated the barrel.Trigger is a nice 4 pounds, much better than the 795, which is more like 10 pounds.
Click to expand...

I agree that stock marlin triggers are terrible. For about $60 I put a mcarbo spring kit in my marlin 60 which greatly improved it (about 3.5 -4 lbs) and it will shoot under 1/2" groups at 50 yds now. I've actually been debating a 597 myself though as well.
 
Uphoria said:
Hey all,
To start off I'm pretty new to the gun scene. I have fired some guns before but would like to start my own collection. From my research, it seems that a 22lr is the best starting point. So I would like some thoughts and feed back on what you would recommend. I will be mainly using the gun to plink away at the range. I would like to eventually put a scope on it but I don't need to go nuts with modifications. I would like semi auto as well. My budget is to keep it under $300.00

I've been told good things about the Ruger 10/22, Marlin 60, Remington 597, and Savage Mark 2.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

My internet is so spotty I can't even look back to see if I've replied to this thread! lol My opinion? Handle as many as you can before you buy anything. My take on it is this;

1. Buy the best you can afford. Good 22s are worth saving a little longer for but if $300 is your ceiling (and not just the starting point) then there are lots of options that will give you a nice taste of 22 shooting. I'm currently enjoying a Cooey 600 (version that a scope can be mounted to) and while I don't really care for tube magazines, its a nice shooter I bought from the original owner for $125. Looks very lightly-used.

2. Bolt guns, as a general rule, are more accurate..have better triggers...are easier to clean than semis. New shooters I take out tend to focus on marksmanship with bolt guns, and find it hard to resist the spray-n-pray/brass flying of semis. It's also my experience that new shooters bore more easily shooting semis. That may not be you, but worth mentioning.

3. Sometimes you can see quality, sometimes you can't. If you hold a Marlin 795 and a Ruger 10/22 side-by-side..nobody would probably pick the Marlin. However, it is a far superior gun in my experience. All the Marlin needs is a $60 MCARBO spring kit and a cheap scope to be superb. Pretty great as it comes though~minus the cruddy sights and heavy trigger.

4. CZ vs. Savage/Marlin~again, if they were priced the same, nobody would likely pick the Savage/Marlin over a CZ. However, not everyone has a CZ budget. I didn't. However, If I was ever dumb enough to add-up all the 22s I've bought/sold (and money lost) and compare that to how things might have gone if I just saved longer and bought a CZ... :) However, just my experience.

Bottom line~I'd personally steer-clear of a semi as my first 22 if I were you. If you're set on that, then a Marlin 795 would be my pick. You can upgrade the trigger when $ allows, or shoot it as is. For a bolt gun, I think the new Savage B22 heavy barrel would be worth a look. (About $378) I'm a die-hard CZ/BRNO fan but even I could see myself getting one of those to try.

Good luck!
 
I have a pile of 22s and enjoy all of them for different reasons. Some for the way they feel, some for the vintage nostalgia, and all for the fact that they make 10/22 owners look down their noses at me when I unpack them at the range. But then I spend the day shooting while they spend the day dealing with failures to feed, failures to extract, light strikes, jams, boogered up magazines, and complaining about how they can't bring their 25 round "clips" to the range anymore.

Some thoughts on some different rifles:

Savage Mark II: dependable and accurate; I like the ergonomics of both the wood and plastic stocks; I've no problems with fit and finish other than the sometimes sharp edges you find on the magazines. No regrets and still have them.

Marlin 795 and Marlin 60: first uses a detachable box magazine and the second uses a tube; dependable and accurate; fun little guns. No regrets and still have them.

Remington 597: mine was accurate and fun when it worked; too much plastic in the action for my taste; actually lost a part while in use at the range, rendering it inoperable. Repaired it and passed it on. No regrets but no longer have it.

Cooey 60: vintage nostalgia; dependable and accurate. No regrets and still have them.

Savage 64: mine seems to be dependable; accurate; I like the feel of the plastic stock. No regrets and still have it.

Savage 6A and Stevens 87D: when God shoots a low-cost semi-auto 22, this is what he shoots. No regrets and still have them.

10/22: mine was a total piece of garbage. Poor fit and finish. Trigger group actually moved back and forth in the stock. Failures to feed and eject and fire and everything else. Nothing but regret. Sold it for more than what I paid for it, though. Guy made an offer before I tossed it into the dumpster at the range. Go figure.

CZ of various types: whenever I look at one my wife likes to remind me "Remember when you found that scratch on the stock of the Savage Mark II? Remember the wailing and gnashing of teeth? Now imagine that with an $800 rifle with actual wood". Have been tempted but have never made the plunge.

As others have mentioned, go out and actually handle and inspect as many as you can in person. How they fit and feel is far more important than anything a forum troll such as myself can tell you here.
 
enefgee said:
OP - there's a reason the 10/22 is so popular. The availability of parts isn't a deficit, it's an advantage, if you decide in a few months you want a more accurate, or just a "cooler" gun, you simply get some bits - not a whole new gun. 10/22 parts are everywhere, and relatively speaking they run from cheap to costly, so you can choose which way to go. The gun comes out of the box with mags that are cheap, sights that are usable, and accuracy that's more than adequate. Most everyone has or has had a 10/22, and they're simple both to fix and work on, they're also very durable. There are copies of the 10/22 that run from cheap (Philippine made Rock Island) to slightly more expensive (Dlask - made in Canada) to "Oh My God, they want how much!" (Tac Sol, Volquartsen) but they all have the same solid, basic design, and each one will accept the same parts and magazines, that are always available, and from more than one source. It's pretty much the ultimate beginners gun.
Click to expand...

100% correct in my view. Second long arm I bought. Err, maybe the third. Anyways, totally agree.

It's interesting as this thread is starting to sound like a Red Rifle "Just bought an SKS - here's the plan" thread - with the usual cut and paste comments.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom