.22LR rifle recommendations

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bender

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I've never owned a .22 rifle, but I have fun shooting my son's CZ .22 452 Scout at the ranges. It's a bolt rifle, but it is too small for me.

I was thinking about buying myself a .22LR rifle just for fun at the range. No preference between bolt or semi-auto. Would prefer to buy one cheaply and used. I know there have been threads around about .22 rifles and I've read thru some of them.

Actually I'd like some kind of old military training rifle in .22LR but I don't know what is available out there. I have not had much luck googling for those.

I don't want a 10/22, I don't like the company... What's out there used and cheap? After a few models are recommended, then I can do the research myself, Thanks!
 
If you like bolt actions, Marlin is cheap, but fairly good. Ditto Mossberg.

Stepping up in quality, there's CZ. They make a bunch of different models.

If you look around the surplus market, and gun shows, you might get lucky and find a British SMLE .22 trainer, or a Mauser M98 trainer.

If money is no object, just order an Anschutz and forget the others!:D
 
If you get a CZ 452 American you'll have a rifle with a threaded barrel and an action designed for pillar bedding. Then you'd have a rifle that's very accurate and would hold it's zero. Second choice in bolts would be Savage. That would be a distant second.
Autos don't lend themselves to trigger improvements like bolts do. You can buy a trigger kit for a CZ452 for $14.
 
You could go American-made with a T/C .22LR Classic:

gun steel barrel
gun steel receiver
barrel screwed to the reciver
the "metal parts" are 100% steel
fiber-optic sights
5 or 10-shot magazines
American walnut
lifetime warranty
accuracy guarantee
$279.00ish
 
If you're not going to go crazy about accuracy, there's the Marlin Mod. 60. I have one and love it. I have a Marlin bolt action heavy barrel that's really accurate, but I don't know where you could ever find one. It's a Model 880 sq. Some people love the Remington 597 to death. I had one for a while and sold it. It sucked.
 
Give the CMP a once over. They sell old .22 lr military training rifles. The Kimber 82G is an incredible gun. Got one last year and am extremely pleased with it. I plan on picking up an H&R M-12 soon too.

http://www.odcmp.com/Services/Rifles/index.htm

(Only issue with the 82G is that there is no real support for it as Kimber no longer services the gun.)
 
thanks for the recommendations. I forgot to say in the first post..."no single shots".

I didn't know about the T/C classic. I may look at one of those.

Before I posted here, I did see some info on the Enfield trainers. I may be interested in one of those also. I wonder if they can be found at gun shows?

I remember from the other .22LR threads here, that the marlin 60 was recommended pretty often. I may keep an eye out for one of those at the monthly gun shows also.

It's an unbelievable difference after shooting my 30-06, or 8mm mauser at the range, and then shooting my kid's .22LR a few times... it's like a toy... I still want one though !
 
Another recommendation for the Marlin 39A. This rifle is an investment that will last at least one lifetime and, with care, well into the next generation of family marksman.

NailGun.

+1 on the 597 sucked!
 
my wife has a marlin 60. i put a semi cheap bushnell scope on it, and her and the stepdaughter have lot's of fun busting cans with it. it's more accurate than you'd think.

i also have a stevens mod. 62. i paid about $130.00 for it at wally world including a tasco 3-9x40 scope. i put a tacstar wls 2000 light on it, and it's a deadly nighttime critter gun out to about 50 yards. that's about the farthest the light reaches.

the stepdaughters friend uses it when they decide to have spinner target competition.
it's way more accurate than i thought it would be.

both of them are pains to clean, but the savage is much easier than the marlin.:D
 
you know, an excellent little choice for a mil trainer, is the model 69 romy trainer!!! has express sites on the rear. You should be able to pick one up for 100 to 120.
 
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also, any of the old mossy or H& R mil trainers would be very nice, you can sometimes find a mosin trainer, but they are usually some bucks.
 
What about lever action.........

I have a Henry I enjoy shooting often and its accurate. I think Henry makes fine little rim fires......:)
 
I don't want a 10/22, I don't like the company... What's out there used and cheap? After a few models are recommended, then I can do the research myself, Thanks!
Click to expand...

Within your limitations, I would look for a used Marlin model 60. They go for $60.00 to 100.00, (used) and are surprisingly accurate.

After you have a .22 and realize how much fun they are, I would look at a Marlin 39a or a CZ-452.
 
I'll check for some of these recommendations at the monthly Saxet gun shows here.

I didn't think of a lever .22, but I like lever guns, and maybe I'll check around for one of those too, if I can find a nice used one.

Thanks!
 
You could go American-made with a T/C .22LR Classic:

gun steel barrel
gun steel receiver
barrel screwed to the reciver
the "metal parts" are 100% steel
fiber-optic sights
5 or 10-shot magazines
American walnut
lifetime warranty
accuracy guarantee
$279.00ish
Click to expand...

I wish I would have known about that rifle before I bought that el cheapo 597.:cuss: :mad:
 
I'll ressurrect this thread since I was the one who started it.

I ended up buying two el cheapo .22LRs: a marlin 981T (bolt) and a Savage 64 semi-auto.

Haven't shot the marlin yet, but I think it will be great. I also bought a Bushnell 3x9 rimfire scope for it.

I took the savage shooting today. I was not real happy with it. It functioned fine, except for one thing. The bolt does not stay open after the last shot. I thought it was supposed to. After the last shot, the bolt cycles again and if you pull the trigger, you dry fire...

I tried 3 diff brands of .22LR: remington high-speed, winchester wildcat and CCI mini-mag.
 
If you ever want to upgrade, try the T/C R-55

My Classic had some problems so they replaced it with the R-55. That gun is sweet! There are plenty of used Classics out there, just be sure to check the chamber for a groove worn there by the extractor.
 
Look for a Browning in semi or pump

Browning used to bake a great little 22 pump years ago, and Remington used to make a wonderl pump action 22 as well.

I saw a remington NYLON 66 the other day, it didn't even have a serial # on it.
 
I have a Marlin bolt action tube fed. It will shoot S, L and LR. It will hold 17 LR and 25 short. I shoot it in a 22 league and it is a tack driver. I think the model is 918T and it cost $145.
Rusty
ec8e2f55.jpg
 
My Marlin, a 925M is a DAMN nice little rifle and accurate to boot.

Can't do much wrong with one either in the LR or Mag calibers, I think. :)


D
 
The TC Classics had jamming problems when they were first introduced. I have picked one up often, especially the target version, and almost bought one. Fine looking rifle. I assume they have the bugs worked out now since it is a couple years old now. They would be high on my list if I were buying a 22 semi-auto now.

My favorite shooter is an old Remington 541-S. Love that rifle for shooting at the range or a walk in the woods.

For me, I want the new Weatherby Mark XXII bolt action. It IS in my future.
 
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