Looking for a .22 rifle need opinions

[jimbobborg]

Midway USA used to carry a really sweet barrel and stock combo but apparently it's not made anymore. I'd ditch the stock and barrel and get a heavier barrel and nice wood stock and get a better trigger as your budget allows.

 

[blodter]

I've got a 15 22 and I love it. Good luck in your search!

 

[PresentArms]

Pretty gun!

Thanks, Its a Henry Golden Boy.

 

[Pinecone]

Semi Auto - 10/22 for a nice semi auto that allows you to do anything to it later.

Rem and Marlin rifles are also nice, but not as well supported in the after market.

Bolt - Savage is a heck of a deal for a very nice rifle. But if you have the funds, the CZ 45x line are VERY nice. And you can go up from there.

Tactical - I put this separately from just semi auto, but these are the AR looking ones. The S&W MP 15-22 is about the class of the field here. The Colts are OK, but do not use AR standard lower parts (triggers) making some upgrades impossible.

Lever action - Great fun, the Winchester is the top of the heap and the price is in line with that. Below that, all the others work and are basically OK.

But as I stated in another thread, get a 10/22, every real man HAS to have one. If you do not, you need to turn in your man card.

Around $250 from WalMart.

 

[Major03]

For best buys...

Semi: + 1 on the Ruger 10/22

Bolt: Savage MK II

 

[PIRANHA]

I have done research on the 10/22 mods available and I like what I see. With that said this weekend I'm going to start looking for a 10/22

 

[ankrklankr]

I have done research on the 10/22 mods available and I like what I see. With that said this weekend I'm going to start looking for a 10/22

Good luck on your search! The 10/22 is a good choice - don't know if it'll reach the 100 yds criteria, but it's a fine firearm. And Ruger stands by its product!

If you're thinking of possible after market modification somewhere down the pike, the 'Takedown' model is somewhat limited in this area, although it's still a good weapon. The main advantage of stainless over blued barrels is ease of maintenance. Both types shoot the same though the stainless is slightly heavier and a bit costlier than the blued models.

Later you may want to pick up bolt, lever, or pump action .22 rifles. Some of the least expensive, but highly accurate, are the Savage Mark II models especially w/bull (heavy) barrels. Some of the CZ line are a bit more accurate but that's mostly due the outstanding "iron" sights (for those who don't mount scopes); they can run up to twice, or more, the cost of a Mark II (but worth every penny). Ruger also has their .22 American line - supposed to be highly accurate and w/a price tag in between the Mark II and the more common CZ models. I'm not into lever or pump action so can't comment much on that style.

Whatever you choose, use it frequently and have fun!!!

 

[Udon]

I have done research on the 10/22 mods available and I like what I see. With that said this weekend I'm going to start looking for a 10/22

If you are not in hurry, Black Friday Sale soon, usually you can get a Basic 10/22 less than $200.

10/22 Target Version cost little more (Around $350+) but good buy if you are not planning to replace everything. It came with Ruger Target trigger and 20" Bull Barrel already install. It is little in heavy side because of the 20' heavy bull barrel.

Dicks just had a sale so not sure if it finished yet.

 

[clandestine]

the 15-22 is crap. I don't trust anything that S&W has put out in the last couple of years, and the 15-22 is no exception.

I'm not a hater, I've literally not been able to feed one full mag through my buddy's without a FTF or FTE

And then there was the issue with the M&P I bought with the slide cracking- TWICE

S&W used to be great, but now since they have become literally synonymous with "gun" they have let their quality control fall to crap.

I recommend the ruger.

Not only is ruger's stainless steel extremely corrosion resistant, but also harder than other manufacturer's stainless steels.

For reference, really good quality 416 R stainless steel for competition or varminter AR barrels is about 40-42 HRC hardness. Ruger's proprietary anticorro stainless is 46-50 HRC, and I've literally fired countless 550 round bricks through mine, to the tune of at least 75-80 thousand rounds over the years, and the rifling is still sharp and crisp, and the rifle is still a tack driver. Granted .22 LR is not known to burn up barrels, but still- the muzzle looks like a negative image of a perfectly machined cog or gear.

Rugers are built like tanks, I've never been able to wear one out- and even if you could Ruger stands behind their products like no other company, with warranty staying with the gun, not the original owner. They are everything an American company should be, and I will support them any way I can.

Ill just disagree with everything in this post.

Ill also go on record and say completely avoid a 10/22.

The 15-22 is the best bang for the buck on the .22 Autoloader Market. Bar-None.

The 10/22 requires tools and the new 10/22s are nothing special. After you upgrade the plastic trigger guard, the marginal barrel, and stock you will have more into it than a 15-22 and you still need tools to tear it down.

 

[Ranchero50]

I'll agree with the above on the new 10/22... I have an 80% receiver coming so I can replace the poorly made Ruger one on my Talo side folder. I also had to do a lot of work to get the bolt release to drop freely and there were issues with the trigger.

However I would not hesitate to buy anything from before around 2000. IMHO the current economy has Ruger pushing sub par quality firearms out the door.

 

[Pinecone]

My 15-22 has been flawless. No FTE, no FTF, just shoots.

 

[PIRANHA]

My wife actually likes the 15-22 better than the 10/22 in the looks department, and I lime them too however the funds are not avalible for it right now. Does anyone know if they ever go on sale or have rebates on the 15-22's?

 

[SuperMag]

I have several 22 rifles. For sheer fun factor, the Sig Sauer 522 SA carbine with a dot sight is a blast.

For accuracy, the Savage Mk II is a one-holer at 75 yards with good ammo.

The Ruger 10-22 is reliable and very accurate. It's also very lightweight and a perfect rabbit and squirrel hammer.

The Henry is a whole lot of fun--especially with shorts and CBs plinking steel plates. With LR ammo, it is ridiculously accurate with the stock open sights. And don't let the lever fool you--you can shoot accurately and extremely rapidly with a little practice.

The Remington 552 Speedmaster is an amazing shooter: it's the only semi-auto that will reliably cycle shorts, longs, and long rifle cartridges. And it's dead-on accurate. If you find one for sale, buy it.

There are a lot of choices available in the 22 rifle category. Most are very good ones. As you can probably tell, I have no real favorite (bolt, lever, SA, etc., are all fun).

Shoot safely and shoot often!

 

[photoracer]

My wife actually likes the 15-22 better than the 10/22 in the looks department, and I lime them too however the funds are not avalible for it right now. Does anyone know if they ever go on sale or have rebates on the 15-22's?

Why would they do that when they outsell the 10/22 10 or 20 to 1 right now?

 

[photoracer]

the 15-22 is crap. I don't trust anything that S&W has put out in the last couple of years, and the 15-22 is no exception.

I'm not a hater, I've literally not been able to feed one full mag through my buddy's without a FTF or FTE

And then there was the issue with the M&P I bought with the slide cracking- TWICE

S&W used to be great, but now since they have become literally synonymous with "gun" they have let their quality control fall to crap.

I recommend the ruger.

Not only is ruger's stainless steel extremely corrosion resistant, but also harder than other manufacturer's stainless steels.

For reference, really good quality 416 R stainless steel for competition or varminter AR barrels is about 40-42 HRC hardness. Ruger's proprietary anticorro stainless is 46-50 HRC, and I've literally fired countless 550 round bricks through mine, to the tune of at least 75-80 thousand rounds over the years, and the rifling is still sharp and crisp, and the rifle is still a tack driver. Granted .22 LR is not known to burn up barrels, but still- the muzzle looks like a negative image of a perfectly machined cog or gear.

Rugers are built like tanks, I've never been able to wear one out- and even if you could Ruger stands behind their products like no other company, with warranty staying with the gun, not the original owner. They are everything an American company should be, and I will support them any way I can.

Well I shoot a lot of rimfire competition and I see tons of Ruger 10/22s with trouble feeding, cycling, and jamming too much. Last event I was at, the PSA Rimfire Challenge I saw 4 10/22s in my squad alone have issues multiple stage issues even with factory mags. I saw one 15-22 have a problem on one stage alone. When he switched ammo the trouble went away. My partner and my 15-22s only had 2 dud rounds between us and our friend who won both the individual rifle and pistol had no issues with his 15-22. I don't think a single 10/22 shooter finished in the top 6 in either individual rifle or team, and maybe none made the top 10. I'm not saying there are not good 10/22s out there but all the ones I have seen in action shooting have been mainly $2000 VQ or Tac Sol custom rifles. But you can shoot that well with a 15-22 and even a $500 AR with a $200 .22 conversion in it or a $500 .22 upper on it.
I own Ruger firearms and they do make good ones, don't get me wrong. I just know what I see at all the events I compete in.

 

[Capsfan]

Ruger 10/22. Both are 20+yrs old, never had a problem with either one.

 

[rico903]

You'll have $1,000 invested to get a 10/22 to shoot as well as a $275 out of the box CZ Special/Trainer but they are bolt action. For SA, I'd say a S&W 15-22. I also own a 10/22 and Marlin 60 and Marlin 39A. The 15-22 is just plain fun and accurate for a SA.

 

[rockstarr]

i thought about the henry golden boy myself but id almost not wanna shoot it for fear of making that shiny finish dull or scratched up lol


marlins are tempting due to price as well, especially when they seem to out perform the competition for less according to most here.

then again most here hate the colt 22's in relation to the m&p15-22's but i love my colt and shoot quite nicely with it.

 

[SS396]

As I mentioned in post #15 above I really like the Marlin model 60, though I did have some jamming problems with it initially. It seems that problem has been solved. What I didn't mention was the deminishing quality control seen on Marlins after 2007. They were bought by Remington, thus the term "Remlins" that has been coined. Mine had a front sight that was slightly off center. I just compensated by adjusting the rear sight, but it still bugged me. Now I have a scope on it so it doesn't matter. I love the weight and feel of the model 60. I can hit an apple at 125 yards fairly consistently. The blued version at Walmart was $170.00 if I recall, and the stainless was $220.00. If I could only have one (and I was keeping it under $300.00), I think it would have to be the Ruger 10/22. Ruger is becoming my favorite firearm manufacturer.

 

[Melnic]

Hmm, My XT22 had a canted front sight too. when I looked into it, it seemed to be a long time issue that was never resolved. Yes, finish on a ruger is better than a Marlin. It's a more expensive gun too.