New to the 22LR world, need help

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mrhex

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Hello everyone.
Long time reader, 1st time poster.

I am looking for a reliable 22LR, it will be used primarily for small game, racoons and rabbits mostly, pretty much something in between an air gun and a bigger rifle.

My options are narrowed down to

Ruger 10/22-FS
Remington 597-HB or AAC

in short, need something that is semi automatic that takes a magazine, as some of my hunts will be in the dark, I like to be able to have two or three magazines full in my pocket for quicker reloading.

Also the heavy barrel with the 1/2-28 tap at the muzzle helps with muzzle brakes or flash suppressors again great option for dark shooting.
-wish more of the 10/22s came with this option. i really dont want to take it to a gun smith to get them tapped like this-

I want to hear from people that have had them. Goods and bads, all welcome. I have heard of the problems with the 597 and the earlier magazines but I believe with the 3rd generation mags, that problem is fixed.
 
Welcome aboard.

Lots of great info, and opinions available here.

Both are fine rifles. I personally don't tolerate 10/22's on the premises, but you'll find they do have a huge following. If you wish to buy a rifle, then buy more stuff for it, the 10/22 would be your best bet. There is a huge aftermarket selection of stuff to slap on it. As a "platform" rifle goes, I can't imagine a better model. My personal experience was not very positive. I have owned 2 of them and found them jam-o-matics that offered poor accuracy. Lots of other folks report different results. IMO the best feature of the 10/22 is it's flush fitting 10 rd rotary magazine.

I love my 597. I bought it used, and have fired a few 1000 rounds through it. Accurate, full sized, and reliable. Not everyone has been as lucky with their 597, and some have been plagued with issues. Mine has run like a top since day one. Still a contender for buying aftermarket stuff (I'm guilty of having 2x hi-cap magazines), but considerably fewer offerings than the popular 'ol 10/22.

Regarding muzzle brakes/flash reductions for night shooting...I don't have much insight to offer. I have never been in a situation where I required the mighty .22's recoil to be abated, nor any personal use for flash suppression during night shooting. You may find there is no practicable use too...they do look funky (see 10/22), and "dressing" a .22 seems to be almost as popular as shooting them in some circles.

I'm kind of jealous you've narrowed your selection to just 2 rifles! I'd like to own them all. Don't overlook the Marlin 795, as it's a fine .22 that is very affordable.



One opinion down, more to come.
 
Marlin 795 would be my first choice. Like Camster, I won't own another 10/22. Mine never jammed, but was the most inaccurate 22 I've ever owned. My most recent 22 purchase~a Savage Mark II FV-SR bolt action. I mention it because it has a threaded barrel, and mine is surprisingly accurate. (in spite of some of the reports I'd read) The stocks are cruddy, but I added a cheek riser to mind and it fits/feels great. I'll echo what Camster said too~I can't say I've ever felt the need to hide the "flash" of a .22, if there even is an appreciable flash. Anyone close enough to see it would surely hear the gun's report anyway. I get it if you like the look of them (I like the AGW one) but as for it ever being "needed"...can't really say.

Back to "Flash suppression"...the only "flash" I ever see with a .22 is a few sparks coming out of the ejection port on my 795 when someone else is shooing it.
 
Sounds like a Dlask modified/manufactured Ruger 10/22 is in your future.

I have a Ruger with several Volquartsen parts, and an additional Dlask 12.5inch barrel. I just have not gotten around to mounting that threaded end X-Treme barrel.
 
Marlin 795 all day. Very affordable, extra mags are plentiful and there is a decent aftermarket should you want to upgrade.
 
No love for 10/22?? They just need a barrel and they're good to go! 250$ rifle + 175$ barrel + 130$ trs-25 red dot. = 555$ .22. Building them is fun though. Better for building what you want, but maybe not as good out of the box.
 
Personally anyone new to the .22LR as was stated and wants to hunt small game would be better served with a bolt action IMO. And if night is of high importance than money should be invested into excellent optics. It only takes one well placed shot to get a kill and shouldn't require a multi-shot burst from a semi-auto. Unless your hunting zombies.;)

But if a semi-auto is a must, my nod goes to the Marlin 60 and if a box mag is a must than it goes to the Marlin 795.
 
Side issue: make sure it is legal to discharge a firearm in the dark where you are. Most hunting regulations state 1/2 hour past sunset as last legal light.
 
My Marlin 60 isnt too bad a gun, functions well and relatively easy to do your own trigger job and get her nice and crisp, well as best you can a $200 rifle haha

My personal favourite for a .22, and I'm biased I will admit, is an old Cooey, or really anything older. They just seem to fit and feel better to me. Not to mention theyre really rather cheap, leaving you plenty of room for more money spent on optics or other such things. The tube mag albeit not interchangeable is easy to load and doesnt leave you the issue of dropping a mag out in the bush. My vote also goes towards bolt action, between bolt and tube mag, Id lean towards a cooey 600 or the like. As I said, I'm indeed biased but that would be my .02
 
For small game, personally I would buy a Savage MKII or CZ bolt action with 10 round magazines and a varminter barrel. Every one of those I have fired has been slick and consistent, with the quality feel nod going to CZ (the Savage 22s get a nod for being manufactured in Ontario, tho!), and unlike some of the semi-autos, will fire any type of ammo you care to feed them. Top it off with a decent quality rimfire scope, and rabbits beware.

I love my Ruger 10/22s, but most certainly not right out of the box; with the factory barrel, I had one that needed a sight pusher and maximum adjustment on the rear to even get a shot on paper @ 20 yds. My Rugers get a trigger spring kit, upgraded extractor, a scope or sight upgrade of some sort (I prefer fibre optics), and a couple now sport Green Mountain fluted .920 bull barrels (waiting on Wanstalls to get more Tactical Solutions X-Ring barrels in for a featherweight project). Nothing beats a 10/22 for availability of upgrades, and you will need some of them!

My Marlin 60SS is fine out of the box (if not as much fun as the Rugers), topped with an entry-level MAG 22 AO scope; it is the adjustable objective which makes this rifle work for me. The Marlin 60 holds 14 rounds of LR, but in the tube and not a magazine, so it will probably not fit your want list like the 795 will.
 
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I own a Savage Mk II BVSS and I love it. Deadly accurate. With the right ammo, a good shooter can do loonie sized groups at 100 yrds. I use CCI mini-mag LR 22 (LR high velocity - not actual mag ammo). I use it for small game hunting as well. Though it is a bolt action, not semi-auto. Feels like a real gun (centerfire), and not like most toy-like rimfires.
 
Grouse Man said:
Side issue: make sure it is legal to discharge a firearm in the dark where you are. Most hunting regulations state 1/2 hour past sunset as last legal light.
Click to expand...

Pretty sure you can hunt raccoons at night in Ontario. I don't do it mind you, so I don't keep tabs on the regs. for night hunting.
 
Remington 597 needs very little upgrades other than a Volquartsen hammer and possibly extractor. Good shooters out of the box with stock barrels. They also have adult sized stocks compared to 10/22s and HB barrels on most models.
 
Marlin 795 ftw!!! Just my opinion though, got mine used in stainless steel, good to go in stock form, accurate and reliable, I just fed 1000 rounds through it last weekend alone with me and the wifey, and was using cheap winchester bulk m22 ammo with no misfires, jams or stove pipes. Very good gun, the more you shoot it the better it works.
 
thank you everyone for the inputs, yes i did also look at the marlin 795, but they dont offer the heavy barrel nor the threaded muzzle. so i took it off the list. there are other companies that make semi auto .22 but there is almost no support for parts. a prime example is the marlin 60, the candian tire here has a few on the shelf but they come with one 10x mag and i cant get another one in unless i get it online or from some back yard gun shop or something.

as for why i want a semi auto, mostly for hunting in the dark (which is perfectly legal for coons), its mostly for pest control, and they do tend to come out for food and often in numbers.

i could just post a few pics of the trail cams up, there are 5-8 at a time and even with the dog proof coon traps there is still a good number of them.

good points on the 10-22, accuracy is important specially for smaller moving targets, i would also want to go for clean kill too, wouldn't want to let the little bastard suffer. gut shots suck. even if they are pests.
 
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