Remington 597... Good buy?

M

MackDaddy

Guest
Looking to purchase my first .22 LR rifle in the coming weeks, I've researched these a lot and found that the Remington 597 seems like a good contender. I'm not looking for anything too expensivem, just a good quality, reliable and precise .22 LR rifle.

Anyone have any experience or opinions on this model? Can you suggest anything else in its price range which outperforms it?

Thx.

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Sgt. Mackay said:
I'm not looking for anything too expensivem, just a good quality, reliable and precise .22 LR rifle.
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Had one and it was a cheap POS.....jammed all the time, the clips are lousy and it shot like crap with everything I fed it :mad:
Sold mine after 3 weeks.
Can you suggest anything else in its price range which outperforms it?
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Ruger 10-22 is Easily a way Better Rifle :cool:
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BCWILL,

Thanks for the input, I wouldn't expect such crappy quality from a name like Remington but then again, at $300, you get what you pay for I guess.

Would a bolt action be less likely to jam then a repeater?

I looked into the Ruger 10-22 line but the prices were a bit on the expensive side, same price as most centerfire rifles. Then again, I'd be doing a lot of shooting with the .22 LR because of how cheap the ammo is compared to a 30-06 or .308 Win for example. I might bight the bullet and go for the Ruger 10-22 which was me second choice, simply based on price.
 
I wqould also recomend the 10/22. It's still my most used gun. If you are dead set on the 597 make sure the dealer you buy it from can do warranty work in house. I know a few shops that won't anymore and will simply send it back and who knows when you'll see it again.
 
Sgt. Mackay said:
BCWILL,

Thanks for the input, I wouldn't expect such crappy quality from a name like Remington but then again, at $300, you get what you pay for I guess.

Would a bolt action be less likely to jam then a repeater?

I looked into the Ruger 10-22 line but the prices were a bit on the expensive side, same price as most centerfire rifles. Then again, I'd be doing a lot of shooting with the .22 LR because of how cheap the ammo is compared to a 30-06 or .308 Win for example. I might bight the bullet and go for the Ruger 10-22 which was me second choice, simply based on price.
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I am not aware of the current price of a Remington 597 but if you say its a 300 dollar rifle then the Ruger 10/22s fit right in that price range too. Just looking at P&Ds inventory/pricelist online I see 10/22s starting at $225 and going up. I dont believe that is anywhere near the same cost as most centerfire rifles.

Now, if you plan to trick out your 10/22, then the price will rise, but stock out of the box its a very inexpensive and very fun to shoot rifle.

As for bolt actions, I own 1 bolt action .22, it is also a Ruger and I love it. Sadly it is nearly the same cost as a centerfire rifle, but IMHO its worth every penny. Other manufacturers have less expensive bolt action .22s, Savage and Marlin come to mind right now and I think they are fine rifles too if you wish to get a decent bolt action.

I understand that the 597 mag issues have gotten better but I really have not followed any of the discussions. You would really benefit from browsing the forums and archives at www.rimfirecentral.com and see what is being said about the 597 and any other .22 rifle over there.
 
Sgt. Mackay said:
I looked into the Ruger 10-22 line but the prices were a bit on the expensive side, same price as most centerfire rifles.
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Actually Wholesale Sports lists the Synthetic blued version for 250 Bucks which is a Great Rifle for that kind of money ;)
(this price is typical for this model 10-22)
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Wholesale sports has blued barrel, synthetic stock 10/22's for 250$. The Remington 597 goes for about 160$. For the extra 90$, IMHO, you get a much better gun.

I asked the guy at the gun counter when I bought my 10/22 why he didn't reccomend the 597, his answer was that he often gets 597's brought back in for repair or warrantee work but he's never seen a 10/22 that has to be sent back.
 
I was mistaken, the price on the 10/22 is pretty close to the 597. The more expensive rimfire rifles I mentioned earlier were bolt action by Ruger.

Now, here's a stupid question.

What's the advantage, if any, or a synthetic stock over a hardwood one for say? The Ruger 10/22 seems like a better choice then the 597 now that the price it match and the offer it in hardwood, american walnut and synthetic.
 
Sgt. Mackay said:
What's the advantage, if any, or a synthetic stock over a hardwood one for say?
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Personnal preference really. Niether has an advantage over the other.
Wood feels better and looks nicer to me, but marks up easier.
Plastic feels cheap, but takes a beating and resists the elements.
Whichever fits your needs ;)
 
For a basic 10/22 I dont think the stock will make a huge difference. Some people like synthetic because its stable and not affected by moisture which could affect the point of impact.

I like synthetic stocks because they dont scratch up and dent as easily as a wood stock.

I also like wood stocks because the wood grain on some looks just incredible.

One advantage to the wood stock IMHO is that if you decide to put a heavy barrel on your 10/22, you can open up the barrel channel on the stock with a broom handle and sandpaper and save yourself needing to purchase a new stock for the heavy barrel. I dont think it would be too easy to open up the barrel channel on a synthetic stock.
 
BCWILL said:
Personnal preference really. Niether has an advantage over the other.
Wood feels better and looks nicer to me, but marks up easier.
Plastic feels cheap, but takes a beating and resists the elements.
Whichever fits your needs ;)
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Are the stocks of both the hardwood and synthetic hollow or full? Is one heavier then the other?
 
If you wish to uprade it, 10-22(alot of aftermarket parts) but, IMO, if you want good accuracy out-of-the-box, then go with the Marlin 7000. Forget the 597........always jamed and poor accuracy with anything you put in it!! I had one of those 597 couple years ago...first and the last for me!!:mad:
Mine(7000) didn't shoot as it should be (1 inch @50) but alot better than my previous 597 and a bit better than my friend's 10-22. Anyway, after a brick trough it, it should be better....I hope so, and if not, I'll bring it back to Marlin (they are supposed to deal with bad accuracy problems) Mine seem to be the exeption, cause i've always heard good comments on those as for the accuracy.
And after 200 round trough it without any cleaning, no problem.......It shoot everything I put in it, and i've tried almost every kind of ammo available here to see what's his favorite.
You'll not be disapointed with either but from my experience and what I've red on many forums, just stay away from the 597.
You can also look there:http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/
Good luck
 
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BCWILL said:
Had one and it was a cheap POS.....jammed all the time, the clips are lousy and it shot like crap with everything I fed it :mad:
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I bought one for my 8year old daughter.... Never jams, the mags are perfectly alright and it shoots everything we feed it just fine...
So.. either BCWILL bought a defective rifle or..... He's shoots worse than an 8 year old girl....:D
 
Yeah...Don't forget to have a look at Marlin Model 60 or 7000. Both of them are have reputation about accuracy out the box. If you don't mind tubular magzine, Marlin Model 60 is pretty good choice since you will have almost zero probability to get ammo jam (opposite to 597..haha). Most people agree that both 60 and 7000 performs better than 10/22 out of the box, and I don't like the feel of 10/22. It feels like holding a toy gun. therefore, I guess you should consider all the the following:
Marlin model 60, 7000, Ruger10/22, CZ rimfire(which one depends on ur preference. It's way more expensive than other rimfire though). BTW, I have heard 597 HB is the worst HB rimfire in the world. Annoying ammo jam + horribily bad accuracy. :D
 
I really appreciate everyone's feedback on this matter as I never even considered Ruger and Marlin. Both the Ruger 10/22 and Marlin 7000 look like awesome rifles and from what I've seen read, they outperform the Remington 597 by leaps and bounds.

I'll call my local gunshop today and inquire into the price of the following;

Ruger 10/22 K10/22RPF
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Marlin 7000
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597

The 597 isnt as bad as alot of people here think. I own several and have never had a jam once! Remington bashers. Now before you get all bent out of shape I think the 10/22 is a superior gun in most respects. The Marlin 7000 is a real tack driver too! But for $150 you could do worse. I got one used for $80 works great. Make sure if you buy a 597 it has the metal clip not the plastic clip...they do suck!

I got a friend who has at least $600 in accessories for his 10/22 the sky is the limit on these things! But he also enjoys shooting a 597.
 
Also money spent on the Rifle does not make one a better shooter.
Marksmanship is something you have to work at, and cannot be bought. :cool:
 
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