Survival .22 Rifle

gangsta965084

gangsta965084

Joined
Jul 27, 2009
Messages
696
I have been on the hunt for a gun ever since i turned 18, Today I went by my local Dicks Sporting to see thier offerings. Shotguns and .22 are what I was looking for, but after much thought I decided on a .22. Me being fresh out of Highschool and on my way to college I jave very low funds, so my limit is $200. My limit is so low because I dont see myself using it all that much, well only in the summers anyway. Here are the .22 that interest me a Marlin 795, Remington 597, and Ruger 10/22. The price for thouse goes up left to right, thr Ruger being $209. I know that this type of thread has been done to DEATH, i would really appreciate it if you all could leave some input along with pictures. Uses for the .22 would be traget practice and maybe a pack gun or a SHTF gun.
 
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You can turn the 10-22 into this for under 400 bucks...... need I say more?
 
Haven't got any pictures sorry. I don't know what the second-hand market is like in your neighborhood, but you might find a really nice older .22 that someone else doesn't need any more..... that doesn't cost much.

I think a .22 rimfire is a good choice for a first rifle.

I would not recommend a semi-automatic as a first rifle though. You'd probably be fine using it, but you have to be so aware that when you've fired a shot, there is another one in the chamber ready to go. Also they can be a tad more finicky when it comes to not performing well if they get a bit of dirt in the action. A good old bolt-action with a removable magazine (or a single shot) is, in my opinion, likely to be a safer, more rugged and reliable weapon. Some semi-autos are bound to be better than others. I don't know anything about the Marlin and Remington that you mentioned, but I do know that the Ruger 10/22 is a good, popular gun. I have one. I think the trigger pull is a bit hard for me... and I have had an odd misfire, but that probably means I haven't been keeping it clean and oiled enough.

I have several .22 rifles available for my use. If I had to pick just one of them to rely on, it probably wouldn't be a semi-auto.

I have used bolt-action .22 rifles many times over the last forty plus years. They are capable of great things if they are sighted in and used carefully.

I wouldn't be surprised if this thread gets shifted. It will be interesting to read the other responses. Good luck with your search.
 
coote said:
Haven't got any pictures sorry. I don't know what the second-hand market is like in your neighborhood, but you might find a really nice older .22 that someone else doesn't need any more..... that doesn't cost much.

I think a .22 rimfire is a good choice for a first rifle.

I would not recommend a semi-automatic as a first rifle though. You'd probably be fine using it, but you have to be so aware that when you've fired a shot, there is another one in the chamber ready to go. Also they can be a tad more finicky when it comes to not performing well if they get a bit of dirt in the action. A good old bolt-action with a removable magazine (or a single shot) is, in my opinion, likely to be a safer, more rugged and reliable weapon. Some semi-autos are bound to be better than others. I don't know anything about the Marlin and Remington that you mentioned, but I do know that the Ruger 10/22 is a good, popular gun. I have one. I think the trigger pull is a bit hard for me... and I have had an odd misfire, but that probably means I haven't been keeping it clean and oiled enough.

I have several .22 rifles available for my use. If I had to pick just one of them to rely on, it probably wouldn't be a semi-auto.

I have used bolt-action .22 rifles many times over the last forty plus years. They are capable of great things if they are sighted in and used carefully.

I wouldn't be surprised if this thread gets shifted. It will be interesting to read the other responses. Good luck with your search.
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Thanks for your input but i really want a semi auto
 
collapsable survival .22 rifle th henry ar-7
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Collapsed and stored inside stock

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It's really tough to beat the Ruger 10/22 although the Marlin and Remington you mentioned are good choices as well. I think the Ruger 10/22 has too much going for it to pass on though. It's rugged, reliable, accurate, easy to use and I believe there are more after market options for the 10/22 than ANY firearm in the US. Perhaps worldwide the AK-47 has more options but I'm not sure.

Get the Ruger 10/22 and anytime you get a little extra cash you can make an upgrade. I'd start by getting some larger magazines, a sling and a scope. You don't need to spend a lot to get quality add-ons.]

Good shooting!
 
if you go to henry's website you can type in your zip and see if they carry it in your area.
 
Personally I agree with Coote on the bolt action, but not so much for the safety factor as the greater range and better accuracy. With an auto loader I think about 40 or 50 % of the power of the round is spent in kicking out the brass and loading the next round. I have seen animals killed with a bolt action .22 that I wouldn't even attempt with an auto, and I have shot rabbits at ranges I wouldn't attempt with an auto.

That said, I have put plenty of rabbits and squirrels in the pot using a Ruger 10-22. But I also did that with an old Marlin model 60 before that.
 
gangsta965084 said:
HOLY SHH.. that looks amazing but if its not at dicks sporting then its a no no for me
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Have you ever asked at the gun counter if they can order one?

Dick's keeps a LARGE catalog behind the counter and can order a lot more stuff than they stock.

Having said that, the Ruger 10/22 has it's reputation for a good reason, they are dang near indestructible!
 
I have looked through it and i dont remember seeing it, i will check it out when i go back if they dont have it then ill get another gun
 
The Marlin 795 is an accurate rifle with a poor trigger. But if you learn to shoot it well, you will probably be able to pick up an old military surplus with a long, hard, gritty trigger and shoot it well. If you shoot it enough the trigger will lighten up and smooth out or you might find a gunsmith to do a fluff and buff and lighten the hammer spring for you. It is compact and lightweight and with the rebate I got, less than a C-note. With a trigger job it will shoot with any non target, non custom made 22.
I bought a used 10-22 several decades ago and it was a tack driver with a 4x on it. I sold it when I was short on funds. I don't know about the newer ones. I've heard that the stock trigger isn't as good as the older ones but it is probably better than the Marlins.
I don't know about the Henry AR-7 or the Remington.
 
I have owned a 10/22 for some time now. Its a very reliable, fun, and modular firearm. Its a gun that can grow with your skill level and will provide many years of use. I know its the most expensive gun in your list, bit I wouldn't recommend it if i thought it would disappoint you, and I am taking price into consideration. My only complaint about the firearm is how poor my trigger was out of the box. Within 1 month I purchased a volquartsen trigger group. this however isnt by any means a necessary purchase and there are lots of cheaper alternatives. I just wanted to tell you how my experience with my 10/22 went. Currently the only thing on the gun which is stock is the receiver itself, everything else has been switched out for what is in my opinion superior products. This happend after the course of only one year. 10/22s are an addiction, they are easy to customize, very fun to shoot, and .22 ammo is both readily available and also affordable.
 
I would like to echo the comments of Coote and Mistwalker about the merits of a good older high quality bolt action....that said I offer a comment on safety of .22 autoloaders... don't rely on the extractor (by just operating the bolt) to pull a live cartridge out of the chamber....be sure to remove the magazine and visually check the chamber....I shot the Chevy Sportsman's Team Challenge for 5 years, and my $125 10/22 and an additional $600 evolved into a < 1moa 100y group with high velocity ammo (knock down steel) with a 24oz trigger.... if you want accuracy, mount the scope on a cantilever mount (drill and tap the barrel), not the aluminum receiver... there are drop in hammers that lighten the trigger pull...if you can find a model without a barrel band, group sizes with different brands of ammo will be more consistent
 
I would buy a used 10/22. One at least old enough that it has the metal trigger guard. For your budget you aren't likely to do better than that. If you could find a used Browning Semi-Auto that would be a rifle you would never want to part with. I wouldn't bet on finding one for 200 or less though.

I haven't been in a Dick's in years. I don't remember if they ever have any used guns so my suggestions may be way off base for you.
 
Chum said:
It's really tough to beat the Ruger 10/22 although the Marlin and Remington you mentioned are good choices as well. I think the Ruger 10/22 has too much going for it to pass on though. It's rugged, reliable, accurate, easy to use and I believe there are more after market options for the 10/22 than ANY firearm in the US. Perhaps worldwide the AK-47 has more options but I'm not sure.

Get the Ruger 10/22 and anytime you get a little extra cash you can make an upgrade. I'd start by getting some larger magazines, a sling and a scope. You don't need to spend a lot to get quality add-ons.]

Good shooting!
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You don't really need to get any add-ons at all, but if you want to, the 10-22 is the way to go. Like the man said, there are more aftermarket items for the 10-22 than any other.

If I had only one rifle (smack my mouth), it would have to be a .22 -- there is plenty of room for other opinions on this, but this is the way I feel. I shoot more .22 rimfire than all my centerfire calibers combined. And I shoot a lot. Reload, too.

I don't currently own a 10-22, but I have before and will again. If you want a semi-auto, I personally feel that's the way to go. No slam on the other semi-autos. My favorite .22 rifle is a Marlin bolt action, but you know best what suits you.
 
mistwalker said:
Personally I agree with Coote on the bolt action, but not so much for the safety factor as the greater range and better accuracy. With an auto loader I think about 40 or 50 % of the power of the round is spent in kicking out the brass and loading the next round.
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I don't want to start something but this is a complete misunderstanding of how a semi-auto works. When a gun is fired, a certain amount of energy is liberated. Half of it goes into propelling the bullet out of the barrel. The other half goes into recoil. This is one of Newton's laws -- to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The energy that is used to operate the action on a semi-auto comes from the recoil, not from the force that propels the bullet out of the barrel. In other words, there is less recoil hitting your shoulder. Not much of an issue with a .22! Quite noticeable on a shotgun or a 30.06 though.

So, the amount of energy imparted into the bullet is a function of how the ammo is loaded, the configuration of the barrel (primarily its length), etc. The same bullet in two guns with identical barrels will have the exact same muzzle energy, if one of them is a semi-auto and the other is a boltie.

Bolties are often more accurate due to stronger lock-up. I agree with that part. However, in .22s, this is of minimal consequence. Variation in ammo makes more difference. Try 5 different brands in the same rifle and see how broad the differences are. Amazing. When I buy a new .22, whether rifle or handgun, I buy a sample of every .22 round I can get my hands on, and test extensively to find out which one the gun "likes" best. Then I buy a case of that and really dial in the sights for that round. This is a lot of fun, and you can burn the rounds the gun doesn't like by tearing up tin cans and such.
 
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