Where to start?

...what are dickens?
I shoot bolts because I haven't found ammo that they are fussy cycling. Semi's tend to be more so.
My tube mag bolt will load&shoot lr/l/s, high velocity and low power "quiet" rounds without failures. Not many Semi's can.
I'm still voting Marlin 60 with Tech Sights all for <$300. Holds 14+1 in the tube and many are reporting they run great out of the box.
 
if your looking to blast then get a ruger 10/22.

you can keep it stock and shoot it like that and its a perfect gun.

if you like to tinker there are a bazillion after market add on's for that platform to choose from.

my original 10/22 i shot stock for 28 years and loved ever second of it, now im older and have daughters so i need an excuse to get out into my shop and tinker, so i mess around with my guns and build them up to fantastic one of a kind guns. ive now built 4 of them and its totally fun. infact im already starting to make up a parts list for another one to build this winter.

i don't like to think of it as an addiction.... i like to think of it as a hobby that has me by the balls!
 
fire any ammo out of the bolt that you want, it should jus go bang. I prefer subsonics, CB's and shorts in my bolt .22, but they aren't going to work in a semi very well, unless you cycle it yourself.

the 2nd hand stock 10/22 that I have has fired thousands upon thousands of bulk federal rounds and never had 1 single issue with it... 2x standard 10rnd ruger mags and 1x steel lips 25rnd butler creek. maybe I'm just lucky...
 
Winnipeg Toymaker said:
I would suggest for a first gun....buy a bolt action. Cheap ones are for sale in the EEs everyday. They can be easily sold if you decide that shooting is not for you. And the big benefit it that a bolt teaches you to be patient and accurate and they tend to be more accurate and safer for a novice than a semi. IMHO. Big names or prices. do not mean better shooters. My old 1940 Marlin 81s have placed very high in many competitions and they cost only $100 each . but if deep pockets you have, there are some competition rifles that shoot better.
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plus one on this, i have never spent more than 100 on a rimfire, and have always been pleased with accuracy out of my .22's
 
What does not work very well mean?

Is cycling it myself much different than operating a bolt?

I'd be lookin to use the cheapest ammo available.
 
so the moss 702 plinkster gets NO love?

i think im leaning towards the 795.
are customs stocks, custom barrels, and hi-cap mags available for it?
 
popcanhunter said:
so the moss 702 plinkster gets NO love?

i think im leaning towards the 795.
are customs stocks, custom barrels, and hi-cap mags available for it?
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I haven't had a chance to test-drive a 702. I'm sure I would love it though...I do have a weakness for rimfires.

There are stocks, and hi-cap magazines for the Marlin...I dunno about barrels. Those factory micro-grooves sling lead just fine right out of the box. Only one more reason for Marlin love. I suspect you could have an aftermarket barrel made if that's your goal.
 
You asked the question a couple of times about "what happens" with semis and certain ammunition.. A semi uses some portion of the energy from the round going off to cycle the action. Different amounts of powder from one ammo type to the next can mean; 1. different points of impact on your target 2. failure to cycle in some cases (will go "bang", but not clear the empty/load another) 3. stovepipes (lower power rounds can prevent a full/fast bolt cycle and the closing bolt grabs the empty trying to eject) 4. damage to the gun, ie, highest power ammo hammering the bolt buffer.

There is more, but those are the biggies. While I'm no fan of 10/22s, mine ate everything I fed it, minus the super-quiet 710fps stuff. Same goes for my 795, the difference being that it's an accurate gun. You'll likely have no need to every swap-out a 795/60 barrel~no. They are considered a standard taper barrel, but are closer to a heavy barrel already.

Coming from an airgun background~I can understand the appeal of something that shoots quickly with minimal effort. (the opposite of airgunning) Bolt guns, however, get less dirty than semis, are easier to clean, and seem to always have an accuracy edge over semis. Sounds like you should get a couple of rifles. :)
 
I would suggest get a bolt and a semi to really learn it all
I really enjoyed the 795 great gun
i got a Marlin XT and a 795
After awhile i found myself leaning towards longer precision shots so
the bolt came to the forefront for me .
In fact i just sold my 795 because i realized i had not taken it out in months
and purchased a larger caliber bolt to reach out farther.
But every trip that XT comes with me great cheap fun and practise.
Si if you know what you like get it if you dont get one of each as they are quite affordable
and once you find what interests you ,you can upgrade these quality starter rifles will always sell
and you wont loose a dime.

Cheers and safe shooting
 
wow, great info. thanks guys.

and yes, i fear i will end up with a collection of 22s, but im hoping that if i do enough research and planning, my collection of 22s can be a bit more reasonable than my collection of airguns. im embarassed to admit how many airguns i have, but i can articulate a "reason" each one is in the collection. left unchecked, i would have two for every combination of specs available, one to play with and one to look pretty.

i assume my obsessive hoarding will not be negatively judged here, as you probably all suffer the same condition haha.

i like long distance percision shooting. i like hi-cap rapid fire backpackable/tactical fun (but dont like the AR look). i like pretty looking wood and fancy metals. im definately going to need a few 22s.

i have a few months to plan it out, before i can buy any though (probably a really good thing)
 
Depending on your wish list, you might find the triggers on entry-level semis to be unnecessarily heavy/gritty. I think lawyers for Marlin/Remington/Ruger dictate the effort required for safety reasons. lol I think you can rule-out a stock 10/22 for long distance/precision shooting, or even most .22s under about $500. Depends on the level of "precision" you're after. Triggers will hold you back on most entry-level .22s, especially the semis. I put a Rifle Basix trigger in my Marlin 917M2 and it's a beauty, WAY nicer than the Savage Accutrigger....and I think they're pretty good!

BTW~don't "fear" a collection of .22s...strive for it. :) You'll sell-off an airgun or two when you see what a decent .22 is capable of.
 
long distance shooting for me is how far away can i hit that popcan using open sights.

i dont fear the collection, i fear the cost.

i already want to sell off some airguns, but if i do then i have to realize a loss. if i just keep them i haven't lost a cent!
 
Buy any first rifle your heart desires. Shoot the hell out of it. And while you're doing that, learn about the hundreds of different models of old and new .22 rifles that are out there and then start collecting.
 
Dagmaar said:
Cooey 60 or 64 .
Heritage and decent accuracy !
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Just get a old Cooey bolt action in descent shape a couple of boxes of 500 round ammo and go to the range and shoot until your face hurts from smiling, then shoot some more. See what the others are using, ask questions, maybe try a few of their guns and find out what you like what you can afford. Then take the cooey and shoot some more
 
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