First rifle, getting a .22LR. Deciding between a Henry Goldenboy or Savage MKII

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cjh030

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Hello, I'm new to the forums and looking for some help/advice.

I have recently sent in my PAL application and in the waiting time started to research the first gun I want to pick up. Now I know I want to get a .22 because of the cheap ammo for learning how to shoot well and getting a lot of cheap practice in. I like the lever-action style of the Henry and thought I had my mind made up but now I'm thinking the savage might be a good choice. I've heard good things about accuracy and the accutrigger.

Any pros/cons, experiences, or recommendations about these guns?

Thanks
 
I have the Henry Frontier model with the octagonal barrel. Very accurate, lots of fun. We have the Savage .22 bolts guns with the accutrigger on our mobile range, they're OK, I don't mind the trigger. I prefer the Henry.
 
One thing to keep in mind is that this will not be your last rifle purchase so really I would recommend you purchase something that is going to help you familiarize yourself with shooting, gun safety, and ultimately marksmanship. I made the mistake of starting with a centrefire, and a fairly inaccurate one. In the end it did the job and I loved shooting it but as I progressed as a shooter I wasn't sure if the dissapointing groups were a result of the rifle or poor shooting. In the end the rifle was holding me back and it wasn't until I was behind a rifle I trusted that I ultimately gained the kind of experience needed to be a sub-moa shooter.

I would imagine you're going to spend alot of time shooting off the bench, and this is where you will learn the most. It is EXTREMELY important to still practise shooting in real work situations (if you intend on hunting) mind you. Taking this into account I would recommend that your first rimfire be a bolt action as this is the mainstay in precision shooting, and would most likely be the most accurate option. I have a Savage MKII and it is a fantastic rifle, so are the Marlin, and CZ offerings.

Bolt Action (magazine fed)

Pro's
Generally more accurate than the semi or lever action options
Can be purchased or built into effective training rifles (similar in size, weight, and design to a centrefire rig)
Ease of loading (box magazines)
Accurate means of installing a scope
Cycle any type of LR ammunition unlike some semi-auto's
Affordable (Marlin or Savage anyways)
Easy to clean

Con’s
Generally lower magazine capacity then tubular magazines, or high capacity semi automatics
Generally restricted to 22 LR only (longs and shorts can generally be cycled as a single shot)
Can be less fun than a lever or semi when blasting off 500 plus rounds in a day

Lever Action (tubular magazine)

Pro’s
Generally have a higher capacity than most other factory rifles
Similar to centrefire lever actions
Can shoot any type of 22 shorts, 22 longs, and 22LR without any modifications
Generally well built with a better fit and finish than most rimfires (Henry especially)
A hell of a lot of fun to shoot

Con’s
Not generally as accurate as most bolt action rimfires
More difficult to load
Not as much fun off the bench. Generally was to be removed from the bench to reload and harder to shoot from a prone position
Scope mounting is more difficult
More difficult to clean
More expensive than a similar bolt action rimfire


I won't get into Semi Auto's as it wasn't on your list but you'll hear from alot of 10/22 fans I'm sure.
cjh030 said:
Hello, I'm new to the forums and looking for some help/advice.

I have recently sent in my PAL application and in the waiting time started to research the first gun I want to pick up. Now I know I want to get a .22 because of the cheap ammo for learning how to shoot well and getting a lot of cheap practice in. I like the lever-action style of the Henry and thought I had my mind made up but now I'm thinking the savage might be a good choice. I've heard good things about accuracy and the accutrigger.

Any pros/cons, experiences, or recommendations about these guns?

Thanks
Click to expand...
 
My first rifle was a Savage mark II BTVS. Once I was comfortable handling firearms I bought a Henry lever action and a ruger 10/22 shortly after. Both of those see far more use than my savage, which I just recently sold, but that is because I grew to hate the thumb hole stock, otherwise I would have shot it more. In fact I replaced it with a Savage 93R17 TR. I would still recommend a bolt action firearm as your first gun, maybe the Savage mark II TR, or the CZ455 combo as previously suggested would be a good idea. If you insist on a semi auto get a 10/22. There is so much you can customize on them by the time your done with it you could have changed it into something completely different. Just don't get something thumb hole stock ;)
 
First rifle should be a bolt action. develops your accuracy and less difficult to use prone or bench. Semis tend to give over to the spray and pray mindset . and levers can be fun but soon lose thier fun status. If range shooting or field, the bolt tends to have much more accuracy out to 200 yards. I shoot gophers each summer and BOLT CITY it is. IMHO.
 
I would also say that a bolt 22lr is the way to start more accurate and really lets you get technique down for larger calibers down the road

safe sporting
 
I was in your shoes and ended up getting the Henry Frontier (can be scoped) and have since bought several centerfire levers...for fun they cant be beat. As far as accuracy my Henry does less than an inch at 50yards with CCI minimags...i also like the savages and have been debating getting one but just enjoy my Henry too much! There's no wrong choice, just buy one and enjoy.
I do suggest you look at both the frontier and the golden boy because they are different handling rifles same action and barrel but different comb angles they fit differently.
 
I have a Henry .22 and a Savage MkII. Great guns, can't go wrong with either. As an earlier poster said leverguns are harder to clean this is untrue for the Henry. The manual specifically states to not disassemble it. I have 3500 rds through mine and it's just as slick as ever. The MkII fv-sr shoots about 1/2 the size groups the henry does. If your plan is to shoot tin cans freehand start with the Henry, if target shooting go with the Savage.
 
Opinions vary a great deal. What's the budget, what's the intended purpose? Have any buddies who could let you try different guns? For a first gun, a good bolt repeater would be reasonable choice. Lever off a bench gets old fast. Semi auto leads to spray and pray. My opinion, look for a CZ bolt and take the time to learn proper hold, breathing and trigger control.
 
First decide on the action: bollt, semi, pump or lever. Then within each category you can set your budget, pick a finish (wood/plastic, blued/stainles and availability) and from there choose one that is AVAILABLE (this is a big one since many firearms these days are on backorder)
 
Go with an old Cooey bolt action Imo its the best way to learn and you will easily find one under 200$ and you will more than likely be able to teach your children how to shoot with that rifle.

Or as Im sure its going to be proposed buy a 10/22 put 600$ in upgrades and complain your getting sh*tty groupings.
 
I've got both. Either is a great first gun... until you get a chance to add the other to complete your collection. :D

For serious accuracy shooting from rests and learning to read the wind and stuff like that the Savage is a great option. The accuracy vs cost of the Savage can't be beat. And it's pretty much tailor made to be used with a scope.

In my case after shouldering a few different Mk II models I opted for the BTV thumbhole version because the higher comb gives me more of an upper cheek weld when used with a scope. I don't know what some of these companies are thinking of when they put low comb "iron sights" stocks on rifles clearly intended for scopes. At best it gives the shooter a very unstable "chin weld" instead of the far more desirable cheek bone weld.

The Golden Boy isn't really at it's best shot seated from a bench unless you perch it on your elbows. It's simply too hard to cycle the lever when shot from bags. Instead it's more of a fun plinker to be used from a standing position for pounding something like a Caldwell flip up rimfire target at 25 yards. Or if you're steady enough and keen of eye sit the same target at 50 and go for it. From standing the lever action really comes into its own for fun times.

On the Henry I've actually got both a GB and the basic light round barrel H001. To be truthful I find the octagonal barrel tends to produce a pretty nose heavy balance and the lighter and more spry H001 sees more range time as a result. So before you jump onto a Henry be sure you heft and shoulder a few different models. The good news is that both are amazingly slick to operate and both are very accurate and make me look like a better shooter than I feel I am.
 
metalbender said:
Opinions vary a great deal. What's the budget, what's the intended purpose? Have any buddies who could let you try different guns? For a first gun, a good bolt repeater would be reasonable choice. Lever off a bench gets old fast. Semi auto leads to spray and pray. My opinion, look for a CZ bolt and take the time to learn proper hold, breathing and trigger control.
Click to expand...

^perfect advice. Others have expanded on the "why" of metalbender's comments (ie, pros/cons) but he hit the nail on the head. The initial sting of the CZ's cost will soon be long forgotten, and they are WAY nicer rifles than the Savages~and I've had both. I still have a couple of Savage's I like, but I won't be buying another. All my rimfire window shopping involves CZs these days. Levers~I had a Winchester 9422 and while I loved the idea of them, even shooting it was fun...but they are a pain to load compared to a box-mag-fed bolt action. Crappy things to clean too.
 
I started with a henry GB and loved it. I sold it and still kicking myself for that. I have a savage bolt that I donated to my parents vacation property as I didn't really care for it(it was an accurate shooter, but felt like a silly little toy) If you decide on a bolt invest in a CZ with open sights as you can develop both your skill sets(open sight and scoped shooting) Or buy the henry and never sell it.
 
I would start with a bolt action. So among your choices, get the Savage Mark2 with accutrigger. They are very accurate and have all the features of their centrefire counterparts. Later on you can put a scope on it and learn to shoot with a scope. The henry is an excellent rifle as well, just not as good of a first rifle as a bolt action. I have both a Savage FCT (with peep sights) and a Henry H001, which I just put Skinner sights on.
 
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