Looking for a .22LR

Shootester · 02-06-2008, 09:56 PM

I'm looking for a .22LR that is no more than $200. I'm looking for a few suggestions. I also would like to know is a semi-auto hard to take care of? How hard are they to clean? Is a bolt a better option? I've been looking at the savage 64fxp, Remington 597, and two different Marlins.

bigbuddy21 · 02-06-2008, 10:10 PM

those aren't bad choices. also check out the mossberg plinkster. semi-auto is not hard to take care of or clean. the boltaction is a little more accurite. also for just a little over $200 you can get the #1 selling semi-auto the ruger 10/22.and later on you can get a lot of after market add-ons.

Bravo · 02-06-2008, 10:13 PM

This is my opinion, but I would buy the Remington 597 in a heart beat. This is based on my personal experiences. Pretty much ~5000 rounds with no failure to feeds or extract since I got the new magazines (my gun game with 2nd generation mags, all new 597's should come with the 3rd generation ones, which are the good ones).

The 597 is very easy to clean. You can drop the trigger block by punching to pins and then get way inside the receiver, cleaning the bolt and the rails that it rides on. You can also clean behind the bolt very easily.

The Remington 597 has also pretty affordable: GunBroker.com guns: Remington 597 blue 22auto 10rd (6550) (item: 91696761 ends: Feb-07-08 01:19:49 AM)

Not to mention very accurate, about 1inch at 50 yards.

Shootester · 02-06-2008, 10:14 PM

What makes the bolt action more accurate? I was looking at the 702 Plinkster, but I read that there were some problems with it feeding.

Bravo · 02-06-2008, 10:22 PM

Bolt actions are generally more accurate because the receiver is much more stiff when the round is being fired. The semi-auto action blows the bolt back during the firing of the bullet, which can cause receiver and barrel movement. This movement isn't much, but it's enough to make a bolt action slightly more accurate.

Shootester · 02-06-2008, 10:24 PM

Thx for the info. I've been wondering that for a while.

nathangdad · 02-06-2008, 10:27 PM

All the guns you mentioned are of high quality. They may be found in the used market for reasonable prices. A semi-auto is not difficult when it comes to care. All guns require proper cleaning, lubrication, and storage with a protective coating such as a light weight gun oil.

As this seems to be your first rifle, I would suggest not going with a semi-auto as many (not all) people become too involved with shooting a large amount of ammo rather than developing proper shooting technique.

Of the guns you mention, I would prefer the Marlin lever action as it has very high quality barrel with a long sight picture, can easily have a scope mounted later if desired, and is
(in a manner of speaking) about as tough as the new German main battle tank.

The NRA has some excellent booklets on gun care and shooting technique. This is an especially valuable resource for the beginning shooter and gun owner. I would advise checking out their resources then purchasing some of their books to get started properly. Proper shooting stance does make a significant difference.

Good luck and I congratulate you in advance for
becoming a good shooter.

ArkansasHunter · 02-06-2008, 10:37 PM

Shootester I honestly beleive you would be happy with any of the Marlin rifles wether it be a semi-auto or boltaction.
I recently bought 2 Marlin boltactions the 983 T 22 magnum and the 981 T 22 rifle.
I am very well pleased with both of them and you can buy either one if you shop for $150.00 to 170.00.
Please note that Marlin has changed the composit stocks on the models I bought.
Mine have the new classic style stocks that I wanted. There a little bigger and better looking too.

Go Marlin...A.H

Shootester · 02-06-2008, 10:42 PM

Anyone have first hand knowledge of the Savage 64fxp? I really liked this one when I picked it up, and the Savage 200 I have has been shooting GREAT! I got to say that I really like Savage!

.22guy · 02-06-2008, 11:33 PM

Marlin 60 or a Savage bolt. You're welcome.

Shootester · 02-06-2008, 11:36 PM

.22guy, do you know anything about any of the savage semi-autos?

Anyone know anything about the Savage Mark II?

Bookman · 02-07-2008, 07:51 PM

To go back to your earlier question, another reason why bolt action .22s shoot better than semi-autos is due to trigger pull. A bolt gun will almost always have a lighter trigger pull than a semi-auto. This make a difference in real-world shooting.

That said, you can't go wrong with the Ruger 10/22 or the Marlin 60 or Rem. 597. All are excellent choices for a semi-auto .22 rifle.

punkndisorderly · 02-07-2008, 08:13 PM

Bolt action's are more accurate mostly because the bolt returns to the same spot and locks every time. Semi-auto's, however don't always return to exactly the same spot, so the round is chambered slightly differently each time. That's a very simplistic explaination, but is about as good as I can do without writing a book.

I'd reccomend buying whatever you think you'll enjoy shooting the most. A bolt action will likely be a little more expensive than the semi, but you're almost guaranteed an accurate and reliable firearm. Semi's are more likely to jam, more difficult to clean, and more likely to be finiky about the ammo you use. Some won't feed subsonic or standard .22 ammo (not enough power to reliably cycle the action).

If decide that you want to go with a semi, I'd reccomend the 10/22 or Marlin. The 10/22 has an edge in that there are nearly endless combinations of aftermarket parts available, so you can upgrade the trigger, barrel, stock etc, if you decide to later. If you go for a bolt gun, the marlin or savage would be good choices.

Many people seem to love their Remington 597. I purchased one a couple of weeks ago and have had nothing but trouble from it. Hopefully Remington will make it right if I can ever find the time to call them (I'm putting in 60+ hour weeks right now). If you're interested in my experience with the 597, check here: http://www.gunandgame.com/forums/rem...ead-first.html (If You Are Thinking About Buying A 597 Read This First)

Snijro · 02-07-2008, 08:20 PM

you cant go wrong wit a good old mariln mod 60 but a ruger 10/22 is nice cuz you can make it better as u go along.

.22guy · 02-07-2008, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shootester

.22guy, do you know anything about any of the savage semi-autos?
Anyone know anything about the Savage Mark II?

I don't know much about the savage semis, sorry. I have a Savage Mark II, it's an older one, and frankly I don't shoot it much. But it shoots OK. I bought it, along with a case around 700 rounds of ammo, plus a Simmons 3-9x 40 scope for 80 bucks. Couldn't pass it up although I needed it like I need a hole in the head. I'll probably keep it for my kids to shoot.

I've heard great things about the newer Mark II with the accutrigger. They are reasonably priced. I'm kind of biased toward savage bolt guns, I have 3 and I think they are a great deal for the money.

Ron AKA · 02-07-2008, 09:20 PM

I would recommend you consider the Savage Mark II bolt actions. They have an excellent trigger, and a very good reputation for out of the box accuracy. The Mark II-F will bring you in under $200, and there are other models close to that number. See this link, and check out the other Mark II's. They are essentially all the same gun with only the stock changing and the barrel (heavy and not so heavy).

Savage Arms Mark II Rimfire Series Model Mark II F

A friend of mine got a Reminton 597 for Christmas. He is having serious accuracy problems with it, and frequent misfires. I would stay clear of that particular gun. If you must have a semi then the Ruger 10/22 is probably the better way to go. A bolt action almost always beats the semi when it comes to accuracy.

Ron

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shootester

Anyone know anything about the Savage Mark II?

Couple of reviews here on the BV model. The rest of the heavy barrels are essentially the same, with the stock being the primary difference, with some having the stainless barrel instead of the blued one.

Savage Mark II-BV Accu-Trigger .22 Rifle

Savage Mark-II BV .22 Bolt Rifle with AccuTrigger

And you may get a good price at Walmart. The BV is only $250. Not sure what other models Walmart carries. I have settled on the BV.

Savage Mark II BV .22 LR Bolt Action Rifle w/ Heavy Barrel & Accutrigger - Wal-Mart

Ron

02-06-2008, 10:10 PM	#2
bigbuddy21 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: new albany in. Posts: 973 Images: 5	those aren't bad choices. also check out the mossberg plinkster. semi-auto is not hard to take care of or clean. the boltaction is a little more accurite. also for just a little over $200 you can get the #1 selling semi-auto the ruger 10/22.and later on you can get a lot of after market add-ons. __________________ LAND OF THE FREE BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE!

02-06-2008, 10:27 PM	#7
nathangdad Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 2,440	All good guns All the guns you mentioned are of high quality. They may be found in the used market for reasonable prices. A semi-auto is not difficult when it comes to care. All guns require proper cleaning, lubrication, and storage with a protective coating such as a light weight gun oil. As this seems to be your first rifle, I would suggest not going with a semi-auto as many (not all) people become too involved with shooting a large amount of ammo rather than developing proper shooting technique. Of the guns you mention, I would prefer the Marlin lever action as it has very high quality barrel with a long sight picture, can easily have a scope mounted later if desired, and is (in a manner of speaking) about as tough as the new German main battle tank. The NRA has some excellent booklets on gun care and shooting technique. This is an especially valuable resource for the beginning shooter and gun owner. I would advise checking out their resources then purchasing some of their books to get started properly. Proper shooting stance does make a significant difference. Good luck and I congratulate you in advance for becoming a good shooter.

02-06-2008, 11:33 PM	#10
.22guy Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 4,146	Marlin 60 or a Savage bolt. You're welcome. __________________ Guns: they are like baseball cards except they are cool and you can kill things with em. -Billy

02-06-2008, 11:36 PM	#11
Shootester Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 217	.22guy, do you know anything about any of the savage semi-autos? Anyone know anything about the Savage Mark II? Last edited by Shootester; 02-07-2008 at 12:44 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

02-06-2008, 09:56 PM	#1
Shootester Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 217	Looking for a .22LR I'm looking for a .22LR that is no more than $200. I'm looking for a few suggestions. I also would like to know is a semi-auto hard to take care of? How hard are they to clean? Is a bolt a better option? I've been looking at the savage 64fxp, Remington 597, and two different Marlins.

02-06-2008, 10:13 PM	#3
Bravo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Maine, USA Posts: 1,882	This is my opinion, but I would buy the Remington 597 in a heart beat. This is based on my personal experiences. Pretty much ~5000 rounds with no failure to feeds or extract since I got the new magazines (my gun game with 2nd generation mags, all new 597's should come with the 3rd generation ones, which are the good ones). The 597 is very easy to clean. You can drop the trigger block by punching to pins and then get way inside the receiver, cleaning the bolt and the rails that it rides on. You can also clean behind the bolt very easily. The Remington 597 has also pretty affordable: GunBroker.com guns: Remington 597 blue 22auto 10rd (6550) (item: 91696761 ends: Feb-07-08 01:19:49 AM) Not to mention very accurate, about 1inch at 50 yards.

02-06-2008, 10:14 PM	#4
Shootester Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 217	What makes the bolt action more accurate? I was looking at the 702 Plinkster, but I read that there were some problems with it feeding.

02-06-2008, 10:22 PM	#5
Bravo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Maine, USA Posts: 1,882	Bolt actions are generally more accurate because the receiver is much more stiff when the round is being fired. The semi-auto action blows the bolt back during the firing of the bullet, which can cause receiver and barrel movement. This movement isn't much, but it's enough to make a bolt action slightly more accurate.

02-06-2008, 10:24 PM	#6
Shootester Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 217	Thx for the info. I've been wondering that for a while.

02-06-2008, 10:37 PM	#8
ArkansasHunter Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: South Arkansas Posts: 10,684	Shootester I honestly beleive you would be happy with any of the Marlin rifles wether it be a semi-auto or boltaction. I recently bought 2 Marlin boltactions the 983 T 22 magnum and the 981 T 22 rifle. I am very well pleased with both of them and you can buy either one if you shop for $150.00 to 170.00. Please note that Marlin has changed the composit stocks on the models I bought. Mine have the new classic style stocks that I wanted. There a little bigger and better looking too. Go Marlin...A.H

02-06-2008, 10:42 PM	#9
Shootester Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 217	Anyone have first hand knowledge of the Savage 64fxp? I really liked this one when I picked it up, and the Savage 200 I have has been shooting GREAT! I got to say that I really like Savage!

02-07-2008, 07:51 PM	#12
Bookman Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: 10 paces south of Canada Posts: 738	To go back to your earlier question, another reason why bolt action .22s shoot better than semi-autos is due to trigger pull. A bolt gun will almost always have a lighter trigger pull than a semi-auto. This make a difference in real-world shooting. That said, you can't go wrong with the Ruger 10/22 or the Marlin 60 or Rem. 597. All are excellent choices for a semi-auto .22 rifle.

02-07-2008, 08:13 PM	#13
punkndisorderly Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 144	Bolt action's are more accurate mostly because the bolt returns to the same spot and locks every time. Semi-auto's, however don't always return to exactly the same spot, so the round is chambered slightly differently each time. That's a very simplistic explaination, but is about as good as I can do without writing a book. I'd reccomend buying whatever you think you'll enjoy shooting the most. A bolt action will likely be a little more expensive than the semi, but you're almost guaranteed an accurate and reliable firearm. Semi's are more likely to jam, more difficult to clean, and more likely to be finiky about the ammo you use. Some won't feed subsonic or standard .22 ammo (not enough power to reliably cycle the action). If decide that you want to go with a semi, I'd reccomend the 10/22 or Marlin. The 10/22 has an edge in that there are nearly endless combinations of aftermarket parts available, so you can upgrade the trigger, barrel, stock etc, if you decide to later. If you go for a bolt gun, the marlin or savage would be good choices. Many people seem to love their Remington 597. I purchased one a couple of weeks ago and have had nothing but trouble from it. Hopefully Remington will make it right if I can ever find the time to call them (I'm putting in 60+ hour weeks right now). If you're interested in my experience with the 597, check here: http://www.gunandgame.com/forums/rem...ead-first.html (If You Are Thinking About Buying A 597 Read This First)

02-07-2008, 08:20 PM	#14
Snijro Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 93	you cant go wrong wit a good old mariln mod 60 but a ruger 10/22 is nice cuz you can make it better as u go along.