22 conversion AR kit or Marlin 60/Ruger10/22?

[PandaBearBG]

I decided I wanted to just shoot cheap 22 to give me lots of trigger time when I have the itch, to practice, or let the lady practice. However I can't decide between a 22 conversion kit for my AR or a dedicated low priced 22 long gun. It's gonna cost about the same and not sure what I should go with, so I thought Id ask the collective wisdom of THR.

I like the 22 Conversion kit because it would fit nicely in my Storm case which holds a couple rifles, pistol, mags, optics, etc, all cut out foam, looks nice and is handy for tossing in the back of the truck. Also it's light and small to have if camping or hunting to switch to cheap 22's just in case. I am not sure because I hear problems with some kits not working with cheaper 22 ammo and being pretty ammo specific. (If you know which is the most universal lover of any and all 22 ammo that would be much appreciated)

I like a dedicated 22 rifle because well its another gun! But that's more to lug around to the range, but I always go shooting with friends or my girl so theres more options for everyone to shoot at once.

Any advice or past personal experience would be much appreciated!

 

[hardluk1]

For me that is easy ,pick up a marlin clip feed for 100 or less and pass it your kids or grandkids one day. Dicks has them for 99.99 right now.That rifle will not weigh any more than just an upper would for a ar- and have enough money difference to buy many ,many, thousands of round of 22. If you buy the ruger it will cost twice as much as the marlin but then you will want to customize it and have a pile in it. HA

 

[BADUNAME37]

I, personally, would favor the Ruger 10/22 just because there are parts available to replace the entire gun if you needed, and many parts to improve the gun and make it just the way you want!

 

[ForumSurfer]

Marlins for fun, 10/22's if you want to customize it at all

First off, I have bought 60's (my personal favorite over the ruger), a 10/22 and I still want an ar conversion.

If you've never shot 22's at a range, I suggest you try it. If all I were able to do were punch holes in paper at a range, I admittedly wouldn't use it as often. 22's aren't fun unless you get to bounce around some tin cans, shoot some spinners or shoot some of the "race trees" with buddy. That's just me, YMMV.

I have a couple of marlin 60's, one scoped and one with irons. I use them for plinking, not competition or bullseye shooting. They are very accurate. My girlfriend, kids, father and a few other family members just love taking the rifles and 1000 rounds out for an afternoon plinking session.

I still want a conversion kit. I have zero experience with them, but it seems like it would be alot of fun. I'd be curious to see what happens with point of aim. If point of aim is very far off at 100 yards or less, I'd need a proper return to zero mount for my eotech and another dedicated optic of some sort for shooting 22's from my ar. I really enjoy shooting irons as opposed to glass, so if I have to rezero my irons every time I switch bolts on my ar, I'll likely be disappointed.

As far as ruger 10/22's go, you can't go wrong. Awesome rifle. Limitless accessories. But for me, it is overkill. Definitely the way to go if you want a 22 to modify to your liking. I just like to plink with my 22's, so I'm happy just grabbing a marlin 60 or two and heading out onto my property for an impromptu session. The most I care to modify are the sights or new glass. I have a loader that has 15 round tubes in a rotating cylinder, so between 2 or more of us we can keep both rifles chugging along well fed until they become ridiculously hot. If I damage a barrel, oh well it's a marlin 60 and I'm out $150...I've had the rifles since childhood so they have been pretty reliable. I can keep that 18 round tube fed and shooting just as easily as I can with a 10/22 and 3 or 4 magazines that eventually need reloading.

I

 

[KW]

I have an Oly/M261 conversion for my AR. It works quite well - I'll occasionally get a FTF but it's generally very reliable. Especially with the Black Dog Machine magazines (I've heard other haven't had the same luck with these though, so YMMV). Accuracy is just fine for plinking or short range training against silhouettes out of a 1/7 twist barrel. Hitting cans or clays at 25-50 yards is no problem once you get used to the holdover change. I have an ACOG on my AR and can usually just drop down to the 4-500m BDC marks and that will put me on target with the .22s. Close range (0-15 yds) "ready-ups" or "mozambiques" can be shot using the same POA as with 5.56.

All that being said, if you are looking to shoot tiny groups or hunt squirrels or something like that you would probably be better off with something more accurate like a dedicated .22 upper, or a Marlin/Ruger etc.

 

[offthepaper]

My Marlin 60's outshoot my 10/22 everytime I take them to the range.
You may spend a fair penny on modifications to get the 10/22 to shoot as well as the Marlin shoots out of the box.

The Savage 22's will outshoot both of them.

 

[ForumSurfer]

One more thing, I've noticed that my marlins prefer to run dirty. Once I clean them (thoroughly stripped), they tend to experience more failures. Not many, but more. If I run 1000 rounds through it without cleaning, it will pretty much shoot any cheap, bulk ammo that I run through it.

My nephew has one that has never been cleaned since the 80's other than occasionally spraying into the action and running a bore snake through it. It never jams. He gets the occasional "dud," but given the low numbers I'm guessing it has something to do with $20 for 555 round walmart specials he runs through it.

Then again, I've heard Marlin 60's are jam-o-matics despite my pre-1985 running fine since new.

 

[Al Thompson]

My solution was to get a S&W M&P .22. Very nice rifle, I'm quite happy with the purchase - over 1k downrange....

 

[dbshabo]

I've got a 10/22 and really like it a lot. I haven't shot it in a while because as someone above said I don't think it's much fun. I'll end up leaving it to my son or first grandson some day (hopefully not too soon).

I bought a CMMG 22 conversion kit for my AR's. I think I bought it from Palmetto State Armory. I have a really good time with the thing. I can run drills with it at my club. I set up IDPA type stages and have a blast (pun intended) practicing my trigger work and using my red dot scope. It's a lot more cost effiecient than using 5.56 or .223 ammo for these games. The AR doesn't get all fouled up either, cleaning is a breeze.

Shabo

 

[JoeMal]

Marlin 60. Mine eats everything and is very accurate with iron sights.

 

[Quentin]

I agree with Al, the dedicated AR like .22s are a lot of fun. I bought the Colt M4 22LR last week and it's been a blast. I have a couple Marlin 60s and Ruger 22 pistols but firing rimfire from something like an AR makes it much more interesting.

Every solution has pluses and minuses. I thought about the 22LR conversions for ARs but the fast barrel twist and larger bore play havoc with accuracy and may foul up an AR over heavy use. A .22 upper solves those problems but is much more expensive than a conversion or Marlin 60.

So I kept looking at the S&W M&P15-22 and Colt M4 Carbine 22LR. They aren't cheap either but I liked the idea of a separate rifle, not an add-on. It finally came down to money and which one to get if I saw a good sale. Then last week Sports Authority had the S&W on sale for $399.99 and Sportsman's Warehouse had the Colt for $459.99 (this one may still be in effect). I chose the Colt but no doubt the S&W is every bit as good. The first time I took her out and ran half a brick of Federal 550 down the barrel I knew it was the right way to go even though more expensive than a conversion unit.

And though it's more expensive you probably will shoot 5.56 less, saving money - yet still getting practice on something much like an AR. At 1/10 the ammo cost these rifles can pay for themselves after a few thousand rounds.

Of course it doesn't really do anything the Marlin or Ruger does but there's just something about them!

 

[wlewisiii]

I don't need to get all funky with a rifle and for a .22 I just want a good squirrel rifle. So I put a Marlin 60 on layaway this afternoon. It feels good, has a good reputation & is less expensive than even the cheapest Ruger.

I should be able to put some squirrels & rabbits in the pot & get good shooting practice in for a whole lot less than several hundred rounds of 7x57 or 7mm-08 would set me back

 

[ForumSurfer]

I should be able to put some squirrels & rabbits in the pot & get good shooting practice

You should like it. Grab 500-1000 bulk walmart rounds, some soup cans from the recycle bin and have a good time! My girlfriend is constantly buying bulk ammo because she likes hunting those pesky cans so much.

 

[LeverGunJunkie]

A conversion kit (that properly functioned) would give you more trigger time on your AR. I'm happy anytime I get to shoot mine.

But, you'd hard pressed to beat the performance and value of a Model 60. After 5 years of frustration with a 10/22, I traded it in for a 60, and never looked back (15 yrs ago). You'll be happy.

 

[Dustin]

my 20 year old marlin 60 outshoots my 2 10/22 rugers and one of the rugers is only a couple years old. i cant remember any instances where the marlin has jammed but my 10/22s jam all the time.

 

[charcoalburner]

Model 60 hands down

Having recently faced the same dilemma of choosing between a Marlin Model 60 and a Ruger 10/22, I debated for a couple of months and then read everything I could. I finally decided on a used Model 60 my FFL dealer had that was in excellent shape with the bolt hold open and gold tone trigger. I ordered a set of Tech-sights for it and went to the range yesterday with a mix of ammo. All groups at 25 yards with just iron sights and a front rest came in at under 1.5". My eyes aren't the best in the world anymore, but the techsights are a major plus IMHO. My Marlin prefers the Remington Thunderbolt 40 grain solid points. At .92" groups with irons, I couldn't be happier.

 

[JoeMal]

My Marlin prefers the Remington Thunderbolt 40 grain solid points.

Mine shoots Thunderbolts like a dream too....which sucks because Remington ammo is terrible overall

 

[NY Marksman]

I guess I'll go against the flow on this one. I have had several Ruger 10/22's and now own an AR with a CMMG .22 conversion kit. I find that using the AR with .22 ammo keeps my shooting form correct so that if and when the SHTF comes to pass I will be fully ready to take it to the limit. The conversion keeps the AR's weight the same as with the original BCG and so the AR stays balanced. Besides, I prefer the feel of the AR.