The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: SwoopSJ on June 24, 2008, 11:50:52 PM
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I've recently been looking into purchasing a couple .22s (rifle and pistol) and would appreciate some input. I have heard nothing but good things about the Ruger 10/22 and the Mossberg plinksters, but have never shot either. I know, I know, I've never shot a 10/22? I guess I just like the testosterone rush of big calibers, but I also appreciate the price of .22 ammo. As far as pistols go, I used to own a Browning Buckmark 5.5 Field that I loved. Tragically it was stolen, however, so I'm in the market for another pistol as well. These guns will be used almost exclusively for plinking, but I'm kind of ocd about accuracy no matter what the guns purpose. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Swoop
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Browning Buckmark or Ruger
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I would get a nylon 66 over a 10/22 any day of the week. TC also makes a good auto rifle, but they are harder to find.
AS far as 22 pistols. it really depends on how much you want to spend.
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I would get a nylon 66 over a 10/22 any day of the week. TC also makes a good auto rifle, but they are harder to find.
AS far as 22 pistols. it really depends on how much you want to spend.
The TC is WAY overpriced and prone to failure, I know because I helped build them.
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10/22. If only because there are so many accessories made for them. I don't know if Cabela's still offers it, but they had a device that took two 10/22's and made a "Gatling gun" out of them.
Handguns, I really like my Taurus 95 in stainless steel, I also liked my Ruger autoloader and the single action convertable .22/.22 mag, but I foolishly traded them in.
Art
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Nylon 66 (if you can find one) and a Ruger Single Six
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My vote is a Henry lever-action and a Walther P22.
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Rifle; Ruger 10/22, Marlin 60.
Pistol; Avoid the SigArms Mosquito. Lots of problems with those. Ruger MK III is a good bet.
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Really depends on how high end you want to go . the most accurate is Anschutz, for around 2000.00 or a really good plinker like my Mossburg 702 for around 100.00, plenty of good 22s out there in rifles, now a pistol is a bit more complicated. I like the Buck mark and the walther.
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I grew up with the Marlin 60 and took the kids out with it over the weekend. These can be found used for $60-$70
10/22's have all the neat toys for aftermarket
I had a first experience with the S&W 22A the other day and really liked it.
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I love my Remington 597
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Tough choice since there are a lot of great 22's that are on the market.
My 2ยข ... for a rifle you can't go wrong with a Ruger 10/22. I have an old beavertail Sporter and one with a heavy barrel & Leupold 2x7 RF scope on it. Both are very accurate and a lot of fun to shoot.
For a handgun, I have read great reviews on the Browning Buckmark. I shot a Ruger Mk3 Target this weekend and it was fantastic in terms of accuracy. Can't go wrong with either. I have a S&W 2206 and a S&W M41 that I like very much. The S&W will only run match ammo so it's a little expensive to plink with. But in terms of accuracy, it is amazing.
The SIG Mosquito had some REALLY bad reviews. However, from what I have read here and at the SIG Forum it seems that some folks are happy with their "skeeters". While I am a huge SIG fan, I would think about the Buckmark or Ruger Mk3 first.
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Thanks for all the help folks. It seems that almost everyone looks favorably upon the 10/22 and the Buckmark, so thats the way I'm leaning (for now at least). However, I must admit, I am caught up in the whole cool factor concerning the Walther pistol. If anyone has had any range time with it or the Mossberg Plinkster I would like to hear your impressions. Also, has anyone used Caldwell, Birchwood Casey, or similar .22 targets (spinners or resetting)? Seems like they would be a lot of fun, but I just wonder about durability when something is so modestly priced. Thanks again for the suggestions.
Swoop
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The TC is WAY overpriced and prone to failure, I know because I helped build them.
??????????????? It sounds as if you were mad that day? ;D
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ruger charger 10/22 dont by till you see it and a henry golden boy lever action. the ruger is a long range pistol and it stands on its own leggs.you would be blessed to have either one.xd40lover,
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Thanks for all the help folks. It seems that almost everyone looks favorably upon the 10/22 and the Buckmark, so thats the way I'm leaning (for now at least). However, I must admit, I am caught up in the whole cool factor concerning the Walther pistol. If anyone has had any range time with it or the Mossberg Plinkster I would like to hear your impressions. Also, has anyone used Caldwell, Birchwood Casey, or similar .22 targets (spinners or resetting)? Seems like they would be a lot of fun, but I just wonder about durability when something is so modestly priced. Thanks again for the suggestions.
Swoop
Not long ago I got to shoot the walther 22, a man and his son who was going to Iraq was shooting and we traded pistols for a while. I was impressed with the little bugger, I was hitting those little spinning targets and water bottles like I had been shootin this thing for years. Good pointer and a blast to shoot, they even sell it in a package with a suppressor 8) I own a 702 but just bought it and no range time yet.
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SAVAGE makes the best bolt action .22 in the world I have 1 on order right now (it takes a while to make a good gun)
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The great thing about the 10/22 is the after market products available for them. It like buying something from Sears. Thier list of add ons for each product is insane.
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??????????????? It sounds as if you were mad that day? ;D
No, they were about 3 times the price of a 10/22 the last time I checked, the magazine (10 round only) was a 2 peice steel casting that weighed a ton compared to other rifle mags (at least on early production models) the receivers were such an SOB to machine that the scrap rate was around 50% and the recoil spring was off set in relation to the bolt leading to potentaly uneven bolt travel. (the spring trying to push the bolt off to one side)
They may have solved the problems with the design but if they did it took over 5 years to do it. They were 2 years behind when I started and did not have it RIGHT 3 years later when I left.
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..snip.. It seems that almost everyone looks favorably upon the 10/22 ../snip..
Swoop
Okay, I'll raise my hand. I'm not enamored with the 10/22. Out of the box they're just so/so. Yes, there are many aftermarket products and you can spend gobs of money and time upgrading one......And that might be part of the fun. But to my way of thinking, I'd rather buy something out of the box that shoots better without modifications.
I really don't have a good suggestion concerning semi-autos. Currently I have Win 77 more for sentimental value since it was my dad's. If I were interested in a semi-auto I'd probably look at Remington.
But let me make a different recomendation. Why not look at a quality bolt action rimfire. Say a CZ 452. Excellent out of the box no mods needed. There are many very accurate bolt actions that are within the same price range of the 10/22.
Okay. Okay. The "negative" guy will now step down from his soap box.
Alf
[Yes, I owned a 10/22.]
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Okay, I'll raise my hand. I'm not enamored with the 10/22. Out of the box they're just so/so. Yes, there are many aftermarket products and you can spend gobs of money and time upgrading one......And that might be part of the fun. But to my way of thinking, I'd rather buy something out of the box that shoots better without modifications.
I really don't have a good suggestion concerning semi-autos. Currently I have Win 77 more for sentimental value since it was my dad's. If I were interested in a semi-auto I'd probably look at Remington.
But let me make a different recomendation. Why not look at a quality bolt action rimfire. Say a CZ 452. Excellent out of the box no mods needed. There are many very accurate bolt actions that are within the same price range of the 10/22.
Okay. Okay. The "negative" guy will now step down from his soap box.
Alf
[Yes, I owned a 10/22.]
I have not owned a 10/22 For my SERIUOS Firearms I want good out of the box, but for a 22 plinker, which will basicly serve as a toy, yes, I think fiddling and modifying is part of the fun ;D
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Tom,
I do allow that someone might want to have the fun of "building" up a .22 and for the the 10/22 is perfect.
I agree that there is accurate and there is accurate. I still like my plinker to have a little more accuracy out of the box than the 10/22 seems to capable. And I recommend that beginners go for accuracy else they may become frustrated at not being able to hit where they are aiming.
Swoop seemed to think that love of the 10/22 was universal. It isn't. Just my 2 cents.
Alf
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Tom,
I do allow that someone might want to have the fun of "building" up a .22 and for the the 10/22 is perfect.
I agree that there is accurate and there is accurate. I still like my plinker to have a little more accuracy out of the box than the 10/22 seems to capable. And I recommend that beginners go for accuracy else they may become frustrated at not being able to hit where they are aiming.
Swoop seemed to think that love of the 10/22 was universal. It isn't. Just my 2 cents.
Alf
Well like I said, I've never owned one the appeal for me is the after market stuff. And I have to agree with you about accuracy for beginners. Its more fun to get hits with an ugly gun than to miss all day with one that "looks cool".
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I don't own a 10/22 either. I do have some .22s. The Marlin M39 is my best .22 rifle. I shoot lefty so that rules out a lot of nice .22s I guess -- T/C for example -- but after reading Tom's post that my not be a bad thing.
I think my Woodsman Sport with a 4" barrel is my favorite. But my S&W M41 is clearly the accuracy winner and not bad to plink with either, mine eats even the cheap ammo.
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Favorite pistol is my Ruger Single Six 5.5 inch. Most accurate rifle is an OLD J Stevens Springfield model 84C- bolt action. Darn thing is a tack driver even after all these years. Weighs a good 8 lbs, heavy wood stock.
And yes that model was 84 C- not 84-C.
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I don't own a 10/22 either. I do have some .22s. The Marlin M39 is my best .22 rifle. I shoot lefty so that rules out a lot of nice .22s I guess -- T/C for example -- but after reading Tom's post that my not be a bad thing.
I think my Woodsman Sport with a 4" barrel is my favorite. But my S&W M41 is clearly the accuracy winner and not bad to plink with either, mine eats even the cheap ammo.
Bill ... I wish mine would like something other than match ammo. My M41 is like a girl I used to date way back when in So. Cal. Take her out for a burger and she would turn into a she-bitch. Take her to a nice place in Newport and ... well, she was all about me printing a tight group.
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I've shot and been impressed by the Ruger Mk II, but the older examples I'm familiar with were a bear to reassemble. I have no experience with the newer models. So based on that experience would put the Buck mark slightly in the lead, however the Ruger will more readily accept optics on their basic model. I would say between those 2 that the accuracy edge would go to the one you were more comfortable with as they are about equal in mechanical ability.
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Ron J,
I have heard about girls and guns like that. ;)
My M41 is at least 20 + years old which may explain it. I was issued a similar one in the early 70s that really ran well with white box military ammo for practice and the good stuff for matches. I used that one for about 4 years. I am sure it shot better than I did. So I bought my current M41 after I retired from the Army and had to pay for the guns and the ammo. NB: I still always had to pay for ammo for personal use for my plinking rifles, Woodsman, and such. So, I bought a good supply of the cheap stuff and not too much of the good stuff over those years. That old cheap .22 ammo is what I am working with to this day -- I do buy some better stuff from time to time however. ;D
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The only .22 Rifle I own is an Ithaca M39 lever action single shot(http://www.mazeguy.net/silly/smirk.gif)
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Thanks again to everyone for the wonderful advice. I broke down today and bought a Ruger Charger and ordered a Browning Buckmark 5.5 Field. Yeah, both are pistols, but I wanted to replace my stolen >:( Buckmark and that Charger is pretty darn cool. I already have a few .22 rifles anyway, thanks to my grandfather. I just don't like to shoot them often, but they won't take much abuse as range guns. Now to invest in a few spinners and I'll have my own little "shooting gallery"! ;D
Swoop
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I have Brownings and Rugers in this caliber.. in pistols and rifles in both. :)
(I know~~I'm a bit gun spoiled) ;)
Love them all~~~
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Most .22's are good now days. I too would choose a Browning Buckmark over a Ruger MKIII. I own both of those and I like the Browning Buckmark better. Accuracy is about the same out of the two I have, both being super accurate, especially with CCI Stingers. Chargers or 10/22's are both good. 10/22's aren't as accurate straight out of the box as other rifles, but you can customize the crap out of them and they work forever. Just buy lots of ammo while it's cheap. ;)
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10/22 hands down. After market parts are everywhere, and that means thet you can make it look and perform how ever you want. For a hand gun, the Brownings are great, but I'll let you in on a secret, the S&W 22-A1 will win the bull's eye. The Smith's sights suck. They are an embarassment to all things holy, but the bore is the best I've seen. I have seen many .25 inch groups with mine and my buddies'. We all have red dot scopes on ours. I am sure someone will make a barrel with great sights on it soon.
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Rifle; Ruger 10/22, Marlin 60.
Pistol; Avoid the SigArms Mosquito. Lots of problems with those. Ruger MK III is a good bet.
I was so close to buying a sig mosquito until I started reading this site and gunandgame.com and saw all the bad reviews. Thank God for the internet.
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I was so close to buying a sig mosquito until I started reading this site and gunandgame.com and saw all the bad reviews. Thank God for the internet.
Amen. I ended up buying a Ruger Charger, which I had never heard of until it was mentioned on this forum. I mounted a Nikon pistol scope on it and headed to the range yesterday. After 10 minutes of sighting in, I wreaked havoc on a Birchwood Casey resetting target (also new). ;D That darn Ruger is too cool! I would also highly recommend the resetting target by BC (mine has the little animal silouettes), its exponentially more fun than shooting paper targets or cans.
Swoop
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If they weren't so darned expensive...these are just too cool. 8)
(http://www.americantactical.us/images/gsg_textured_800x600.jpg)
http://www.americantactical.us/gsg-sellsheet-for-web.pdf (http://www.americantactical.us/gsg-sellsheet-for-web.pdf)
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Ahh crap! I see the wallet taking another hit in the very near future. GA has them (GSG-5) listed from $520 to 560, hopefully my local shop can do a little better. I am a victim of gun lust once again!
Swoop
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I'll second or third the S&W 22a. I never considered it until I rented one at the range to teach more daughter to shoot.
For indoor rangework the sights are good enough and it has the feel of a full size gun. Talk about easy to clean, you
really don't have to take it down to do it. You can drive a truck through the breach area with the slide locked open.
Hit it with a brush and boresnake it a couple times, run a patch through and you're done. Nice no hassle gun.
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FWIW - Just picked up my own GSG-5 on the 11th. I have never had soo much fun plinking in my life. Guess I took my self to seriously. :-*
I was pleased with the accuracy, I was able to hit a 4 inch spinner consistently with open sites at 20 yards off hand. I put over 500 rounds through it. I had three FTF all with CCI Stingers. I also shot some mini mags and some unknown Federal lead round nose 22s. All B4 the first cleaning. Take down is a pain as you need to unscrew two flat head double headed screws to remove the stock and the trigger group / lower. Other than that, you can get to the internals to clean it quite easy. Certainly better than most 22s. I was also impressed with the trigger.
If you want a pure fun gun, you will love this one. There seems to be quite a wait right now to get one and some gouging on price.
Take Care
Zman