I'm in the market for a fun plinking semi .22. I was leaning towards a 10/22 but with the magazine fiasco, I'm going to hold off. The primary use of this rifle will be introducing new shooters I bring to my range, so I'd like some cool factor. I'm thinking the STG44 or the ISSC scar knock off. I kinda like the pietta PPS50 as well but I'm leaning towards the STG at this point. Any feedback or other suggestions is appreciated
Fun .22?
- Thread starter RSK
- Start date
Skeletor68
Regular
- Location
- Wainwright
I was in the same boat you are in, wanted a .22cal just to have some fun and plink around with. Picked up a STG-44 .22cal and love it.
Guess it depends on your definition of a fun plinker. Classic/contemporary style or fugly, complicated tacticool.
I have a bull barrel savage bolt for nail driving and a JC Higgins Model 25 tube feed. Both are easy to load, handle and clean.
They'll eat anything except Winchester crap ammo which has a small base so extraction issues are frequent. But I think everyone has issues with Winchester .22 ammo.
I have a bull barrel savage bolt for nail driving and a JC Higgins Model 25 tube feed. Both are easy to load, handle and clean.
They'll eat anything except Winchester crap ammo which has a small base so extraction issues are frequent. But I think everyone has issues with Winchester .22 ammo.
Well maybe I should tell you about the range I belong to. Its mainly a pistol and shotgun range. 25yards max. So no point in longer range capable rifles. Rapid fire is allowed along with a few other perks. At some point I would like to get a nice CZ bolt action.22 but as I said this is to get new shooters into the sport and blow through cheap ammo with less regret. Higher capacity magazines are a plus. The look alike guns tend to excite the newer shooters more than the more traditional stuff.
I think that's a tougher question than it might seem at face value. Every fiber of my being wants to suggest a scoped, bolt action gun because I basically agree with Beermaker's take on the look-alike stuff being; "fugly, complicated tacticool" New shooters...if they are just that...would likely be thrilled with any gun they get their first chance with, and my fear would be planting the seed of a "spray and pray" type of shooting when I think it's sort of the wrong type of introduction. "Wrong" because nobody I've ever met ever does that...or does it for long. If its standing/offhand shooting...you have to give several people an opportunity in a relatively short amount of time, then maybe a semi is best. If a bench is available (maybe not in a shotgun/pistol range) then go with a bolt gun. You won't likely get jams, people will have fun, it will be more accurate, be easier to clean, etc. If you think that lacks any fun, explore what options you have for targets. 
In terms of fun guns/cool factor~as much as I hate to admit it, the Ruger SR22 is a rifle I want to have every time I see one. Get over the high-capacity deal, that wouldn't matter to a new shooter anyway. The 10 rounders are 100% reliable, affordable and work perfectly. That would be my pick if there was a little $ to be spent. Failing that, a Marlin 795. High cap mags can be had for it, but you won't have fun stripping/cleaning either of these guns quickly if they get gummed-up and stop running. I can take allot of ammo for that to happen, but depends on what you feed it too.
In terms of fun guns/cool factor~as much as I hate to admit it, the Ruger SR22 is a rifle I want to have every time I see one. Get over the high-capacity deal, that wouldn't matter to a new shooter anyway. The 10 rounders are 100% reliable, affordable and work perfectly. That would be my pick if there was a little $ to be spent. Failing that, a Marlin 795. High cap mags can be had for it, but you won't have fun stripping/cleaning either of these guns quickly if they get gummed-up and stop running. I can take allot of ammo for that to happen, but depends on what you feed it too.
- Location
- British Canuckistan
all .22's are fun!
the 10/22 is a blast and if you're a hands on person, there are a bazillion options to mod and make it better.
the 10/22 is a blast and if you're a hands on person, there are a bazillion options to mod and make it better.
I acquired a StG 44-22 recently. It's a great 22 LR semi-auto to shoot, very accurate. The only thing is that is very heavy around 9.5 lbs. This is not a problem to me but could be a problem to a kid or a slim build woman. After shooting for an hour or so in a standing position I can feel the heft of it. I'm a 200lbs pretty strong man.
Love my Marlins 60 and 795. M&P 15-22 is also cool to shoot. My friends kids handle all these rifles easily. Funny observation: girls prefer a tube fed Marlin 60 cause it looks old style and romantic. Geeks like 795 cause of its ascetic look. Soon to be frat boys like to pretend to be army riflemen and choose 15-22.
. Geeks like 795 cause of its ascetic look. Soon to be frat boys like to pretend to be army riflemen and choose 15-22.Fun 22. Well h*ll doesn't "FUN" describe all 22s? Well all 22s that function and are reasonably accurate. But using your requirement for a semiautomatic, for introducing a person to shooting, I'm going to suggest you go for the detachable magazine rifle.
I hope to be introducing a coworker to shooting soon. It id my intention to start him off with my Stevens Favorite, a single shot, then after he's confident with that move him on to a Marlin 39A with a Williams receiver sight, follow that with the scoped CZ 455, and finish with the also scoped Marlin Model 60.
Yes I hope to do this all in one outing, but will adjust as necessary as to the number of guns and the outings. But since he lives 45 minutes from the range and half an hour from me I hope to get as much "learning" done as possible in one trip.
I hope to be introducing a coworker to shooting soon. It id my intention to start him off with my Stevens Favorite, a single shot, then after he's confident with that move him on to a Marlin 39A with a Williams receiver sight, follow that with the scoped CZ 455, and finish with the also scoped Marlin Model 60.
Yes I hope to do this all in one outing, but will adjust as necessary as to the number of guns and the outings. But since he lives 45 minutes from the range and half an hour from me I hope to get as much "learning" done as possible in one trip.
