Hi everyone!
I'm in the market for my first .22 LR bolt gun and for weeks I have been on the fence about which make/model I want to buy. I'm also conflicted in terms of pricepoint. I was hoping you could help me make up my mind.
I have been shooting for years now. I was in the CF for 8 years and shot everything from 5.56 to 7.62 to slugs and 9mm. I am now in law enforcement and therefore have a lot of experience shooting pistols. At home I have my own guns that I occasionally practice with and have shot a lot of friends rifles. All this is to say that while I am sure i'm a bit rusty, I'm an experienced shooter. Moving on...
The way I see it, every gun owner should own a .22. It's that gun you take to the range to work on your marksmanship principals. It's that spend-all-day-at-the-range-for-twenty-bucks gun. It's a staple for many, many reasons, and unfortunately, it's the gun that i've been lacking for as long as i've been shooting
The thing is, the rifle I buy will serve multiple purposes. I want to plink with it at the range. I want to hunt small game. I want to be able to take it into the mountains for a day or two on those camping trips I love so much and not have to worry about anything breaking. I also want to teach my wife to shoot with it. As much as I love hammering targets with my .308, the price of ammo is definitely not conducive to teaching a new shooter, nor is the caliber very inviting to some beginners...
I guess you could say that i'm looking for a good 'ole fashioned mountain gun. Reliable, reasonably accurate, durable, sturdy and an all-round fun time.
Over the last 2-3 weeks I have been doing my best to research the top .22 bolt guns on the market right now, and throughout my research, 2 manufacturers have stood out in my mind: Ruger and Savage. I also hear great things about CZ, but haven't seen a lot of info around about their guns, nor have I seen any at any of the dealerships I've been to. (I live on the east coast.) There's also Browning and Remington, but what I have heard over and over and over again is that while they're good rifles, they're just way to expensive for what they are. So with all this in consideration, between the Ruger and Savage line, I've further narrowed it down to the 2 models I like the most: The Ruger American Rimfire or the Savage Mk II BRJ.
My observations about the Ruger American: (I have not held this gun yet, and my opinions may change when I do.)
+ Durability. I hear good things.
+ Loads of positive reviews.
+ Cheaper than the BRJ.
+ I love the magazine.
+ Has iron sights so I don't have to put a scope on it the day I buy it.
+ I haven't been able to confirm this, but (I think) everything but the caliber is identical to the Ruger American Bolt Action in .308? I hope to purchase and graduate my wife to the American .308 after she learns to shoot a .22, and doing it on a rifle that feels nearly identical would be great for the muscle memory and the learning experience.
- I've heard this is a very good budget rifle, but i'm just not sure i'll be satisfied with the build quality. I've seen a few people saying that the body was wobbly. At this point that's my only concern. I think I prefer the black synthetic to the colored wood synthetic of the BRJ, but I may change my mind when I see the gun in person.
My observations about the BRJ: (I have held this gun, it looks and feels great.)
+ Craftsmanship seems excellent
+ Smooth bolt action
+ I hear great things about the quality and accuracy of Savage guns, especially in recent years.
+ While I haven't made up my mind about whether or not I like it yet, the wife loved the coloring of the wood. She doesn't know anything about rifles, but she almost instantly picked this one out of a dozen others sitting in the display case based on the coloring alone. The fact that she likes it and is eager to use it is a big plus as far as i'm concerned.
- I despise the magazine.
- No iron sights, and cost is about $600 for the gun alone.
- Not sure what I personally feel about the coloring.
- There's not much on the internet about these guns. I'm not sure if there's a good reason for it or if they are actually just hidden jems like most of the few reviews I have seen about them seem to indicate.
I have spoken to various gun dealers and as soon as I mention the word ".22" they start walking over to the Ruger section. I guess this is to be expected given the popularity of the 10/22. However, when I mention that i'm looking for a bolt gun they sometimes end up recommending a Savage. I guess a lot of people think that Ruger makes the better semi auto while Savage makes the better bolt action.
In terms of buying philosophy: I'm not sure if I should just go cheap and save the money I don't spend on that inevitable .308 purchase later on down the road, or if I should get something a little pricier and better quality. After all, it should be a gun that I have for at least the next 10 years if I take care of it properly, not to mention the enjoyment I'll get out of it during all that time, so why not spend an extra few hundred dollars and get something nice?
I'm willing to pay up to $800 for the gun by itself, as long as it comes with iron sights and I don't need to put a scope on it in order to properly aim at anything the first time I use it. For something like the BRJ without iron sights, $550 - $600 is probably my limit.
I want another .308 as much as the next guy, but I get the feeling that most of my time spent shooting in the future will be spent with the .22. Either for quality time with the family, or because I love to shoot ammo that doesn't break the relatively small bank that I have access to for my shooting hobby.
What do you think of either of these guns?
If you wouldn't suggest either of these rifles to suit my needs or interests, what would you suggest instead?
Your advice is appreciated,
Thank you for your time!
I'm in the market for my first .22 LR bolt gun and for weeks I have been on the fence about which make/model I want to buy. I'm also conflicted in terms of pricepoint. I was hoping you could help me make up my mind.
I have been shooting for years now. I was in the CF for 8 years and shot everything from 5.56 to 7.62 to slugs and 9mm. I am now in law enforcement and therefore have a lot of experience shooting pistols. At home I have my own guns that I occasionally practice with and have shot a lot of friends rifles. All this is to say that while I am sure i'm a bit rusty, I'm an experienced shooter. Moving on...
The way I see it, every gun owner should own a .22. It's that gun you take to the range to work on your marksmanship principals. It's that spend-all-day-at-the-range-for-twenty-bucks gun. It's a staple for many, many reasons, and unfortunately, it's the gun that i've been lacking for as long as i've been shooting
The thing is, the rifle I buy will serve multiple purposes. I want to plink with it at the range. I want to hunt small game. I want to be able to take it into the mountains for a day or two on those camping trips I love so much and not have to worry about anything breaking. I also want to teach my wife to shoot with it. As much as I love hammering targets with my .308, the price of ammo is definitely not conducive to teaching a new shooter, nor is the caliber very inviting to some beginners...
I guess you could say that i'm looking for a good 'ole fashioned mountain gun. Reliable, reasonably accurate, durable, sturdy and an all-round fun time.
Over the last 2-3 weeks I have been doing my best to research the top .22 bolt guns on the market right now, and throughout my research, 2 manufacturers have stood out in my mind: Ruger and Savage. I also hear great things about CZ, but haven't seen a lot of info around about their guns, nor have I seen any at any of the dealerships I've been to. (I live on the east coast.) There's also Browning and Remington, but what I have heard over and over and over again is that while they're good rifles, they're just way to expensive for what they are. So with all this in consideration, between the Ruger and Savage line, I've further narrowed it down to the 2 models I like the most: The Ruger American Rimfire or the Savage Mk II BRJ.
My observations about the Ruger American: (I have not held this gun yet, and my opinions may change when I do.)
+ Durability. I hear good things.
+ Loads of positive reviews.
+ Cheaper than the BRJ.
+ I love the magazine.
+ Has iron sights so I don't have to put a scope on it the day I buy it.
+ I haven't been able to confirm this, but (I think) everything but the caliber is identical to the Ruger American Bolt Action in .308? I hope to purchase and graduate my wife to the American .308 after she learns to shoot a .22, and doing it on a rifle that feels nearly identical would be great for the muscle memory and the learning experience.
- I've heard this is a very good budget rifle, but i'm just not sure i'll be satisfied with the build quality. I've seen a few people saying that the body was wobbly. At this point that's my only concern. I think I prefer the black synthetic to the colored wood synthetic of the BRJ, but I may change my mind when I see the gun in person.
My observations about the BRJ: (I have held this gun, it looks and feels great.)
+ Craftsmanship seems excellent
+ Smooth bolt action
+ I hear great things about the quality and accuracy of Savage guns, especially in recent years.
+ While I haven't made up my mind about whether or not I like it yet, the wife loved the coloring of the wood. She doesn't know anything about rifles, but she almost instantly picked this one out of a dozen others sitting in the display case based on the coloring alone. The fact that she likes it and is eager to use it is a big plus as far as i'm concerned.
- I despise the magazine.
- No iron sights, and cost is about $600 for the gun alone.
- Not sure what I personally feel about the coloring.
- There's not much on the internet about these guns. I'm not sure if there's a good reason for it or if they are actually just hidden jems like most of the few reviews I have seen about them seem to indicate.
I have spoken to various gun dealers and as soon as I mention the word ".22" they start walking over to the Ruger section. I guess this is to be expected given the popularity of the 10/22. However, when I mention that i'm looking for a bolt gun they sometimes end up recommending a Savage. I guess a lot of people think that Ruger makes the better semi auto while Savage makes the better bolt action.
In terms of buying philosophy: I'm not sure if I should just go cheap and save the money I don't spend on that inevitable .308 purchase later on down the road, or if I should get something a little pricier and better quality. After all, it should be a gun that I have for at least the next 10 years if I take care of it properly, not to mention the enjoyment I'll get out of it during all that time, so why not spend an extra few hundred dollars and get something nice?
I'm willing to pay up to $800 for the gun by itself, as long as it comes with iron sights and I don't need to put a scope on it in order to properly aim at anything the first time I use it. For something like the BRJ without iron sights, $550 - $600 is probably my limit.
I want another .308 as much as the next guy, but I get the feeling that most of my time spent shooting in the future will be spent with the .22. Either for quality time with the family, or because I love to shoot ammo that doesn't break the relatively small bank that I have access to for my shooting hobby.
What do you think of either of these guns?
If you wouldn't suggest either of these rifles to suit my needs or interests, what would you suggest instead?
Your advice is appreciated,
Thank you for your time!
