A good .22 Rifle

[Josafoot]

First off, I am a college student working part time so money is pretty low at the moment.

I plan on getting an M1 garand as I have "trained" to shoot one and have a decent spread and accuracy with one. (10 shots withing the 5 inches at 100 yards standing).

However as you may know 30-06 is getting expensive and I would like to keep up my skills without breaking the bank. I was thinking of getting a .22 rimfire rifle to do this with.

I am considering the following guns:

Henry H001 (Lever action Steel finish 18.5 barrel) `$270
Henry H001t (lever action Steel finish 20 inch octagonal barrel) $341
Henry H004 (lever action Golden Boy Finish) $397
Ruger 10/22 ( everyone knows what it is) $211

honestly, I like the henry's (particularly the golden boy) because they are very nice looking rifles, and are a bit different from the normal rifles seen on the range. Would I be wasting my money on it though? Are they good rifles? Are they comparable to the Ruger? I have heard the ruger is much better.

Just give me the honest opinion, be aware I am about to spend a good $600 on that M1.

 

[LoonWulf]

weeeelll, you know honestly im tempted to tell you to spend the money on a reloading set up, and a cheaper bolt .22. (if you have space for one, i did when i was in college but not the cash LOL).

Given the choices you offered tho, I personally would choose the 10-22 as a first .22.
The others are great and I dont think it would be a bad choice to get one, but the 10-22 offers more options for customization should you have a need for a specific kinda .22 at any point.

 

[Chris-bob]

I like the option of the cheap used bolt action and a reloading set-up. But if I had to choose from your list, the 10/22 would be the one.

 

[LAK]

If you can afford circa $350 get a CZ bolt-action. If you want to really save money and get a decent .22 get a Savage bolt-action.

 

[Manny]

To have good practice for the Garand you would be best served shooting a rifle with apperature sights. There are lots of old military training rifles from Mossberg and others that mimic the size of the Garand and have great sights but it may take some hunting to find one.

There are also numerous other .22 target rifles that come with apperature sights that can be found. Marlin use to make a nice one, might be able to find one.

Other than that you could get a 10/22 and put a set of Tech sights on it, I understand these are very popular with folks at the Appleseed Project. The sights are shown here:

http://tech-sights.

These sights are also available for other rifles.

Lastly, Savage makes the Mark II FVT that comes with a good set of apperature sights.

 

[az_imuth]

I don't think I have heard from anyone who purchased an H001T that wasn't completely happy with it. Not that there's anything wrong with the the other two Henry rifles, but the model T seems to be a favorite. Any of the rifles you listed would be great plinkers and wouldn't eat a hole in your pocket with ammo cost. If you're just wanting something to plink with that is loads of fun, get one of the Henry rifles. If you want a plinker AND something you can use for target shooting that is easy to upgrade, get the Ruger.

I own all but one of those rifles (H001T) and they're all good. I don't think you could go wrong with any of them. Head to the nearest shop that has them in stock and get the one that feels/fits you best.

Best of luck to you in whatever you choose!

 

[CajunBass]

I'm sure somewhere out there there is a "bad" 22 rifle, but I don't know that I've ever seen one. I don't care for the Henry Golden Boy, but that's only because I think it's too showey. If you like it, it's a good gun.

Other than that of the group you listed, I'd pick a 10/22. But then I already have, and have three or four of them.

Just pick one you like and have fun with it. Be sure to check out the used rack. You can often find a good deal there.

 

[sixgunner455]

To practice for your M1, get a 10/22, add Tech Sights and sling swivels, then do the hammer job or put in a Volquartsen hammer.

To just have something to shoot, get the one you like best. We have 3 .22 rifles in my house, and may get another couple. I like shooting all of ours, even my kids' youth rifle. My dad came through here and brought his Golden Boy, and ... I really, really liked it. So did a couple other guys he let shoot it at the range. My daughter was really liking the pink 10/22 stock I showed her, so I may end up building her a nice 10/22 in pink.

Lately, I've mostly been shooting a heavy barrel Savage .22.

 

[CaliCoastie]

well, i would go for the cheapest lever action you have there. now if i was to recommend, i would say lever(39a), or a cheap bolt action with a tubular mag(i like them). Your choice, what fits you best is the biggest question? hold them, find someone with them and shoot them if you are able. good luck and i dont think you will really go wrong with this direction. you can always switch off from the garand and give it a chance to cool down and shoot some 22.

 

[SDBoltz]

After attending an Appleseed shoot, it was readily apparent (that day) that the offerings from Marlin were the most accurate "out of the box" across the board. I own a 10/22, my son has a "tacti-cool" Rem 597 and we shoot with a relative that owns the newer Savage semi-auto (64?). After seeing the shooting scores I picked up a Marlin Model 60 and a Model 795 for my wife and daughter and they are indeed more accurate, super reliable and very fun. They cycle ALL ammo without issue including subsonic etc (which neither my 10/22 or 597 will do). Might be worth a look for <$200 - Not a whole lot of aftermarket for them at this point other than the Stoney Ridge 25rd mags and a few aftermarket stocks. Tech Sights or optics are a must for me

 

[mberoose]

+1 for Marlin

Love my 795, 60s are great too. Supremely accurate.

If you really wanted to go crazy, check out the Golden 39A.

 

[Furncliff]

Seems like aperture sights like the Tech Sights and semi auto would seem to be the best way to practice for the Garand.

 

[BCRider]

To those of you suggesting he buy the cheapest possible .22 he can get. Consider that a good .22 that he enjoys and likes to use will in all likelyhood be a lifetime investment. If he chooses well now then it is a good and wise long term use of limited funds. Far better to pay a little more to get a .22 rifle he truly likes to use than to get something cheap and crusty which he doesn't like and seldom take out to shoot. If that happens it truly is a misuse of his funds.

Josafoot, you're clearly taken by the idea of a lever gun for your .22. The list shows that. From my own Henry 001 and reading all the happy stories on a couple of Henry forums I'd say you can't really go wrong. They are not the most expensive lever action .22 out there but they have been around a long time and even the older well used guns are still going. So all in all they are a good gun at a reasonable cost point.

As for accuracy it likely can't match some of the fancier match style bolt rifles it's easily as accurate in practical terms as anything else in the price class. And certainly it is in the same class for accuracy as a 10/22 is going to be.

If you opt for the Henry option I'd say that there's no real losers in the line. Just decisions for what you want. The Golden Boy is pricey but you get a brass action. But it also has a sharper angle to the stock which focuses the gun more to use as a plain iron sight style or to use with a tang mounted peep rear setup. The Frontier model is a nice upgrade from the basic H001 but the octagonal barrel would be a little heavier. It SHOULD, everything being equal, also come with slightly nicer grade wood. THe basic H001 model isn't quite as nice due to the nature of the barrel bands and round barrel but it does have the advantage of being a little lighter in the barrel. But if you're used to shooting a Garrand and will be doing so a lot in the future then a little heavier barrel may not bother you... And of course the basic and Frontier models both have receiver dovetail rails to mount a scope where the GB does not.

I bought the basic H001. It's such a nice rifle that I truly wish I had gone for the Frontier. But more recently I'm thinking that I'll bite the bullet and get a Golden Boy and put a nice Lyman tang sight on it. I just need to find one and shoulder it to get a feel for how it fits. If I don't like it then a Frontier model it'll be.

At my age life is too short to shoot cheap guns. But really a cheap or compromise gun at any age is a poor decision and a poor investment. If it is not fun to shoot or look at they are soon set aside and forgotten. To me that is money sent down the flusher. As a starving college student spending your money wisely is the smart thing to do. If you have the funds to spare for a nice .22 rifle then you owe it to yourself to get one which you'll enjoy for the rest of your life. Even if it means having to wait and save up a little longer. Whatever direction you go with your choice keep that in mind.

 

[Robert101]

I suggest the Ruger 10/22 and here is why:
1. Semi auto is great for plinking and can be used on a bench.
2. A bolt .22 gun is better suited to bench shooting than just plinking. You can and would fire a lot more shoots with a semi-auto. More shooting is a good thing. Yea, I know quality shooting is key, but get out and shoot - a lot.
3. The semi auto is great for moderate shooting to 100 yards and the Ruger is plenty accurate for that.
4. The Ruger is easy and cost effective to modify if you want to customize later.

Have fun with either of the guns you listed - they are all good and no bad decision will be had either way.

 

[Sniper66]

Josafoot...The Henry is indeed nice looking and you are looking for something a little different..go for it. I have had lots of .22s, but never had a Henry, so it may be on my list in the future. I had a 10/22T, but never really liked it, so I sold it. I don't really like semi-auto rifles. But, the 10/22 is enormously popular and there are more parts and after market products available for it than any other .22. I hope that you evenetually own dozens of guns.

 

[SDBoltz]

BCRIDER: I don't think anyone here is telling anyone else to buy the "cheapest" rifle he can get. A few have suggested a "cheap used Bolt-Action" but that may indeed cost more than the semi-autos of today. The Marlin Model 60 I suggested is cheap by most standards in being about $170, but I saw one that a kid was shooting that was given to him by his father, who in turn was given to him by his father. So a 40yr old Marlin Model 60 was still very accurate, very reliable and has thus far been giving it's 3 owners a "lifetime" of fun.

I, like everyone else, wish I could shoot the best money could buy. But that doesn't mean an inexpensive gun is always cheap by any means. I'm in the process of having my 1st custom gun built. I've been hunting for 20yrs and have just now been able to afford it. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna tell the guy who wants to come deer hunting with me to stay away from inexpensive guns. Get a gun you can afford, shoot it and become efficient with it, and let's go! The more the merrier...

 

[tryshoot]

Had a golden boy in 22mag, beautiful gun, worked slick. Scratched it hunting, and it showed up bad! Didn't cry when I scratched 10-22, and think it is a better fit for the m-1.

 

[BCRider]

SDBoltz, from your last post we are of similar minds. But I'm afraid that wasn't how I read the posts as I quickly scanned them. If you did mention the idea of "inexpensive quality" as opposed to cheap then my apoligies for missing that while quickly scanning the replies.

I do whole heartedly agree with the idea of "used treasure". I'm building up quite the collection of old and VERY old .22's of all shapes and descriptions.

One of the stars of my collection is an old Remington 12 pump action that, near as I can tell, was born in 1927. It's rough enough that it's far from a collector piece. Especially since the rear sight was taken out and the reciever drilled for a screw to allow mounting a dovetail for the old style Tasco rimfire scope it wears. But I got it for a whopping $210 and it shoots like it's a tack driver. The first time out I was able to put 10 rounds into a spot the size of a quarter at 50 yards while totally ignoring the wind. If I were a more attentive distance shooter I'd likely be able to do better.

My little story isn't to gloat though. I wanted to point out, as you apparently also feel, that if Josafoot takes some time to learn the field and know what he's shopping for that there are some great bargains to be found in the used market.

 

[SDBoltz]

BCRIDER: Congrats on a finding that gem (-: And my sentiments exactly. The OP was asking about his particular list of rifles, and others have chimed in on what they would buy, and why. Plus the kid is in college, let him get something reliable and fun, and that allows him the M1 he's drooling over (I would be too), and he has a lifetime to get to the point of shooting the best money can buy. That way, for now he saves the really good stuff to guys like us

On that list I'd opt for one of the Henry's. The Marlin 39A is my favorite lever action .22 so if he were to come across a nice used one I'd jump on it. The ones I've seen are very accurate, maybe the 24" barrel and added velocity helps. I chimed in with a Marlin Model 60/795 and TBH, I'd get one of those before I got another 10/22 if indeed you plan on keeping it stock. The fact that the M1 is hot on the list of guns for the OP makes me believe he likes the tactical stuff as well. If that's the case he won't find a more supported platform for that kind of thing than the 10/22 (which so many of you have already mentioned)