.22 Suggestions?

[tombogan03884]

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 

[alfsauve]

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

[tombogan03884]

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".

[Bill Stryker]

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.

[Hazcat]

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.

[Sponsor]

[Ron J]

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.

[tombogan03884]

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.

[Bill Stryker]

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.

[tombogan03884]

The only .22 Rifle I own is an Ithaca M39 lever action single shot

[SwoopSJ]

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"!
Swoop