Advice on a new 22 lr

[Drm50]

If going into used market just about any bolt action 22 from up into the early 60s would be a target grade rifle compared to today's products. To get comparable gun you have to put out $500 today. Back then a company would be out of business for selling shoddy guns. Not
today, people keep buying them. Some complain but most just lean them in a corner and buy something else.

 

[T. O'Heir]

What's your budget? You want a semi, bolt or other action? You want a box mag or tube?
"...Some stores will let you dry fire..." Not a .22 they won't. Dry firing a .22 can start a riot.
"...out of business for selling shoddy guns..." Lots of 'em sold then. Lots of companies that are still operating sold junk in the 60's.

 

[kenny53]

I have two 10/22's and three model 60's. They all work great. I picked the Marlins in Pawn shops for about $100 each. Pawn shops are a great place to pick up rifles. Don't be afraid to give a low ball offer.

 

[FrankenMauser]

Other than semi-autos...

Cheap and simple: Marlin XT-22.

Higher quality and more refined: CZ 450-series, Ruger 77/22, Browning T-bolt, Browning BL-22.

Somewhere in between: Ruger American Rimfire, Henry H001.

 

[Erno86]

I suggest investing in a ridiculously priced Cooper.

 

[sparkyv]

CZ 455 Trainer if shooting open sights. The Trainer has excellent tangent sights. 10/22 if scoped.

 

[Dufus]

I have used a Mossberg 144LS since I was a kid. It has always shot really good and it has provided too many squirrels and cotton tails to count over the years.

A good classic gun if you wanna look for one. They are available on some firearm sites.

 

[Dranrab]

There are a lot of good 22's out there for a good price. It's hard to go wrong with a Savage. They are about the best bang for the buck out there.

 

[FrankenMauser]

It's hard to go wrong with a Savage. They are about the best bang for the buck out there.

Savage has had increasingly more common quality issues over the last few years.
The problems are growing as they get closer and closer to bankruptcy.


They might still pass the "it's good enough" bar for most people, but I wouldn't buy one.

 

[BigBL87]

As mentioned, Savage is a good bang for your buck. I will admit, though, that both of mine did have minor quality issues that I had to fix or get fixed since FrankenMauser mentioned QC issues.

My Savage Mark II had one of the scope base screws crossthreaded, so when I removed it and tried to replace it the threads had stripped out. Savage took care of me, but it was an annoyance. Now that it's all fixed, it is easily a sub-MOA rifle. Smallest group I've shot was about .6 MOA, which I'm sure could be tightened with a better shooter.

My Savage 10 FCP also had a scope base issue. This time, two of the base screws heads stripped out such that I couldn't remove them. I ended up using a dremel to cut a slot in the screws and used a flat head to get them out. Destroyed the bases in the process and had to replace them with Warne bases (which, by the by, I actually like better anyway). I think it was a combination of being overtorqued when installed and just poor metal quality on the screws.

That said, I'm very happy with both rifles. My Mark II FV in particular is probably my favorite rifle to shoot. I ended up dropping it in a Boyd's laminate stock and topping it off with a Mueller APV 4.5-14x40 scope. Added a pic of it below.

If I were to go a route other than Savage, my first choice would easily be a CZ.

 

[NoSecondBest]

One thought on the CZ's. You can easily change barrels on them and have a .22lr, a .22WMR, or a 17HMR. I have all three and they all shoot great. It's a five minute job to change them and they give you a magazine for each caliber. The barrels can be bought new for around a hundred-thirty bucks. My gun in 22lr will shoot under a half inch at 50 yards for five shots and also shoot right around three quarters of an inch at seventy-five yards in 17HMR. The first shot I ever took with the 17HMR was at a woodchuck at a lasered 208 yards and it simply dropped dead at the shot. They are truly an impressive gun and well worth the money. You can get three guns in one. They sell these guns in single calibers or in combo packs. You can easily buy barrels on line from many sources or right from CZ USA yourself. No FFL required for barrels.

 

[Dano4734]

That cz combo looks really sweet I think i made my decision thank you

 

[RC20]

I have an now out of production CZ452 Military Trainer.

I alwyas was looking for a gun to match my moms Winchester Pump from back in the day. I went through 4 x22s over the years.

CZ is sweet. Its really more a hunter type than a target but I use it for target.

Very accurate, iron sight is good and you can mount a rim fire scope easily (Wanre mounts)

Its got a decent trigger, not the greatest but certainly decent. I have a lot of fun with it at 50 yards and for sure sub MOA.

Nothing against Ruger or Savage. I would not buy a 10/22, but true of all semi auto.

 

[joe45c]

Dano, You are a better man than me. To be able to limit yourself to just ONE .22 Good luck with your CZ they are fine rifles.

 

[FITASC]

Another vote for the Marlin 60; less expensive than the Ruger, holds more, longer barrel and is generally more accurate.

 

[GarandTd]

I bought a used Marlin 981t last year that is pretty darned accurate. At 50 yards, I use spent shot gun shells and Dumdums as targets. At 100 yards, if it's not windy, I've put all round into a roughly 1" hole. I have a cheap 3-9x40 scope on it. For iron sight work, I have a Remington Apache77. It's the box mag version of the tube fed Nylon 66. It's pretty accurate as well. Feels like a BB gun.

 

[Dano4734]

I had an old mint Winchester tube fed 22 mint condition i gave it to my kid for hunting spruce grouse in ak. Very accurate with iron but now i want to do some squirrels hunting here so the cz will probably do me just fine

 

[PatientWolf]

Enjoy your CZ.

Report back on it when you have time.

 

[10-96]

Yeah, he'll be happy with his CZ's. His wife? Probably not so much. I started out with a .22LR 452 Military Trainer- thought for sure that was all I needed. Now I'm up to 6 CZ rimfires. It's amazing where a guy can find a new purpose for one if he looks hard enough. Lol

 

[NoSecondBest]

A couple of groups from my CZ 455 American with both .22lr and 17hmr barrels. Stock gun shot off my porch railing at camp. The unmarked orange dot group was six shots shot at 75 yards and the other is labeled at 50 yards with Norma ammo. It's a stock gun.