In the market for a GOOD semi-auto .22

[rich0372]

I've been reading numerous posts on here and other forums trying to decide on a 22 rifle. This rifle will mostly be used as a plinker and a target rifle. I want it to be accurate right out of the box (no tinkering to get the results I want) I defeinately want it to be semi-auto because I would want to use it in plate comps. I came up with a small list.

Thompson classic or other model .22 I think this is my first choice

Marlin 60 or 70 These are OK but, was looking for something better.

Walther G22 I really like this one but I am not to sure on dependabilty and I hear it's a pain to take apart and clean. Plus the trigger was long a mushy

any other recommendations? I really don't want a ruger 10/22 (this time) I've shot them before and stock I didn't like them only after you sink $300 or more do I like them and I would just rather buy and shoot this time.

Edit I forgot I would want it to be accurate out to 100 yards for long target practice.

 

[cmidkiff]

Here's a few others for you to consider... CZ511, Remy 552, Browning SA22, Mossberg 702, and Volquartsen.

Of the ones you listed, that Thompson has always struck me as a fine looking weapon, though I've never owned one. Hard to find a larger magazine for it though.

The Marlin are solid, inexpensive rifles.

The G22 is loads of fun... might be a good choice for you. The one I've shot was dead reliable, and pretty accurate. They are, indeed, a pain to break down though.

 

[Chawbaccer]

The Browning 22 is a good little gun. A plus is it can be had in better grades of wood.

 

[Rossshady120]

10/22 ruger they will shoot all day and take a beating and their cheap

 

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

Here's another nod to the Browning .22 auto. 11 rounds of LR, takedown, holds its value well.

Difficult to scope, however, if that's a concern.

Regards,
Rabbit.

 

[rich0372]

Difficult to scope, however, if that's a concern

Yes I would like to scope and also use the iron sights

10/22 ruger they will shoot all day and take a beating and their cheap

I like the 10/22 but not out of the box...the trigger is horrible, plus I wanted something better than this

 

[M110]

I have a rem 597 thats been a great shooter right out of the box.

 

[Gord]

I will vouch for both the Rem 597 and the Savage 64F.

The Savage I've had for about five years and it's probably got close to 10,000 rounds through it - the magazines are aluminum and will eventually wear out, but other than that the gun has been fantastically reliable and will shoot into a 2" Shoot-n-C all day long at 100 yards. It's also very light, if you feel the need to slap some swivels and a sling on it. Fantastic iron sights for precision work. Slapped a fixed-4x Tasco Pronghorn with see-through rings on it years ago and it's never shifted zero.

The Remington will do the same, although it misfires a bit more often than the Savage does. The stock is far and away better than the Savage's, with a wide and flattened forend for resting on a sandbag or whatever. The sights are nice and beefy, and good for a field gun, but I find them to be a bit large for precision long-range shooting. This one has a $60 3-9x bargain Bushnell on it.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy either again, but if I had to choose, I'd get the Savage. The only thing I don't like about it is that the stock is really cheesy plastic with bad molding and a lot of visible seams.

 

[rlord]

10/22 with some help

Um, this may be the wrong way to do this, but i've got a 10/22 with a big 'ol bull barrel on a Hogue (or maybe Choate?) poly stock I'd let go for cheap. I haven't done anything to the trigger but I bet you'd save enough on this rig to be able to take care of that. Nice little shooter and a good place to start. Let me know if you're interested. No iron sights on it but it does have rings.
RL

 

[Monkeybear]

Get a CZ. Go to the store and put your hands on one and buy it.

 

[rangerruck]

kimber, t/c, cz, remmy, volquartzen, will be top of the line, the best quality, accurate, and of course the most money. I favor the remmy , as it will shoot short, long, and long rifle, with 100% reliability.

 

[Il Duca]

If you want the best, the absolute best IMO, try to dig up a Weatherby Mark XXII. Beautiful wood, accurate, reliable, exquisite bluing. And it has a selector switch that turns it from a semi auto into a straight pull bolt action. they don't make them anymore but they can still be had in near new condition. It will set you back of course, but they're worth it. Mine is probably th emost accurate rimfire I own, including the bolt actions.

 

[pinstripe]

New .22

I would not recommend the Marlin 60. I have had 3 of them, and while they are good guns, neither of them had a trigger for s^@#. If Marlin was to place a little more time and effort on the trigger, then they might have something. They are good guns if you keep them clean, other than the sloppy triggers. Who wants to invest $50-$100 on a trigger set for a $100 rifle. Not I. Good luck in your search.

 

[22-rimfire]

I have a TC Lynx 22 with the heavy barrel. The triggers are very good. I like it and it will likely outshoot everything listed out of the box. The problem with Thompsons is they jam and I don't know if the R-55 has all the bugs worked out yet. You need to break them in and they will shoot well. I'm told that the TC won the Camp Perry matches three years running in the sporter class. If you buy one and there are problems, TC stands behind their products 100%. I was looking at a R-55 Classic with the walnut stock in the last week and thinking about buying another one. You can pretty much expect half-inch groups at 50 yds with one and better with the right ammo. Dime sized groups are not a problem with the TC. Getting much better than that takes a lot of practice, experimentation, and effort.

One other rifle to consider is an old Weatherby Mark XXII (semi-auto) which shoot just about as well. Hard to find one in the $400 price range, but it can be done. I have one of these as well. There are few 22 semi-autos that will hold a candle to a good shooting one. Love it.

I won't buy another 10/22 unless I plan on putting a lot of money into one to customize it. The one I have is a stock deluxe model with the walnut stock and it shoots fairly well overall. I have a 4x scope on it. It does well at 25 yds, but not so good at 50 yds. The Thompson will just about shoot out the bull at 25 yds, no problem.

 

[BigdaddyG]

I second the used Weatherby Mark XXII. I just bought one after not having one for many years. Dang what a great gun!

 

[dm1333]

My experience with the R-55 is that it is a much better rifle than the Classic. Same looks, trigger, sights and feel without any jamming problems or chamber issues. I have seen some Benchmarks do really well in BR competitions.

 

[yesit'sloaded]

I own one of those takedown semis and make shots at the 150 yard steel targets all the time. Mine is a Remington Speedmaster which I believe is a close copy of the Browning. Not sure about groups that far out but it will make hits.

 

[22-rimfire]

Seriously, the Thompson Center R-55 Classic is the best shooting factory 22 semi-auto made today. These are real rifles and if you pick one up, you'll know what I mean. All steel. I honestly want another one. If you are thinking Weatherby, I saw one without the front sight on it for $400 saturday. The dealer has a number of them running up to about $1000. You generally can expect to pay in the $500-$700 range for one unless you find a bargain.

 

[ArmedBear]

The Walther G22 is a toy, not a good .22. The Marlin 60 -- probably the best budget .22 out there -- will outshoot it for a lot less money. It's a great toy, but it's not a "good .22".

Who wants to invest $50-$100 on a trigger set for a $100 rifle.

Uh, because for $150-200 you'll have something with a laminate stock that's got the right drop for a scope, a heavy barrel, and that really shoots well, vs. a stock 10/22 for $150-200 that's nothing more than a starting point for a decent rifle?

That said, I can understand the "I want it to work well right out of the box" requirement. It's only reasonable.

I'd consider the excellent though undermarketed Remington 552 or the T/C. Browning SA-22 is no fun to clean.

Or skip the semiauto and get a Marlin 39A lever gun. It's REALLY fun to plink with, easily accurate enough for 100 yard target shooting (24" heavy barrel, smooth trigger out of the box), not picky about ammo like a semiauto, a takedown, easy to clean, barrel cleans from the breech, and you don't have to clean out the whole receiver every time, either. Pretty cut-checkered walnut, too. It's not a semiauto, but the lever is quick enough for serious plinking and doesn't have the feed issues of semiautos (I have had problems with ejecting old PMC ammo, but PMC is no longer in business anyway -- everything else works great). And it holds 19 LR rounds in the tube magazine.

 

[Average Joe]

Ruger 10/22

 

[Vincent]

T/C R-55 Classic.......no question. My older Classic will shoot right with the CZ 452s shot for shot. It has done it in competition so this is not just internet blather. The Classic DID win Camp Perry 3 years running and last year the R-55 won. The R-55 won the Senoir class this year and when you look at the Camp Perry equipment list they are about even with the CZ in numbers of top 5 shooters.

FORGET all that. Pick one up and look at it. Finely posished and deeply blue barrel screwed into a steel receiver. The bottom metal is blued steel. They typically have very nice walnut stocks, sometimes much better than that.. This is rifle made the way fine rifles were made 50-75 years sgo but with modern accuracy levels.

Accuracy. Mine holds MOA or better all the way to 100 yards!!

I had no trouble getting for 10 round mags for mine but I oprefer the flush mounted 5 round mags. Talk about quality? Pick up a T/C Magazine and prepare to be amazed. NO plastic here except for the very bottom piece. Not even stamped steel. They are either investment cast or MIM steel. I'm pretty sure a small car could drive over one of these mags and it would just keep working.

Amazing build quality. Great Cutomer Service. MOA Accuary out of the box. Beauty. What more can you ask for?

 

[rich0372]

Thanks for all your responses I am going to the store tomorrow to look at T/C as I really like them I've never held one... so it might be the deciding factor. I will let you all no how I make out

 

[Danny Creasy]

Now now Vince

Not quite shot for shot.

Inside jab aside. I support Vincent's praise for the CZ semi-autos. Keep in mind that he is talking about the three position CMP Sporter Matches. The match includes both deliberate and rapid fire strings. So, a .22 auto that will keep em in .75 inch at 50 yards that does not jam and that can be fired with a tight sling strap hold and not shift POI is the bomb. You can get one that has a feeding problem but of the two I know of, one shot itself in after a few hundred rounds and the other was sent back to TC and flat out replaced (that's customer service). Once they start running smoothly, they are one of the few semi-auto .22 that can meet the requirements I listed above.

 

[rich0372]

Well I went to the gun store today

They only had one T/C and it was very nice but I saw something else that caught my eye What do you all think of a Ruger 10/22 22LR US Shooting Team Limited Edition 2007 it's got a thumb hole stock and the trigger was pretty good too. I loved it... They were selling it for $529.99



http://www.impactguns.com/store/736676011780.html

I also have a couple questions I know you could put a scope on it but could you put sights also (I'm new to rifles) being it's a bull barrel? Also will the 30 round mags work that you could get for the regular 10/22? Thanks

 

[Il Duca]

Well, I have never seen a 10/22 I would pay $500 for, this one is no exception. I have nothing against them, my money simply serves me better elsewhere.

You could put irons on that rifle. A rear sight may be a little hard to adapt to it though. There are models made for them (the M-1 style and others) but they aren't the target kind of sights you would want for it. To be serious about target shooting you would want something like a Redfield International or Palma, the Anschutz sights are also very nice. A front sight would be held on either with a screw on base or you would have to have it dovetailed.

So you really have to ask yourself if it's worth it to you to put irons on it. You also have to take into account that the stock on that rifle is designed for use with a scope, raised cheek piece and all.