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First .22 for an adult?
I'm looking to purchase my first long gun, and at first I thought I'd get a Remington, Savage, or Tikka in .308, but I wonder how much I'd really shoot it (I live in the city and don't hunt). I am planning to go to an Appleseed event to get some additional training and experience. I had not previously considered the AR or other "black rifles", partly due to cost, but I did read some favorable reviews of the Smith & Wesson M&P15-22 and thought it looked like a great low-priced introduction to that platform.
I like the idea of the .22LR cartridge because ammo is super-cheap, recoil is light, good small-game rifle for post-SHTF, etc. And it might be good if my first rifle was something my wife will also want to use. I also have a grandson who will soon be of a proper age. Seems like the adjustable stock would come in handy for the different-sized shooters. But would this M&P15-22 be a good choice for learning rifle skills, or would a traditional wooden-stock model be better? I read that some police departments use these to train. Are there any other models I should consider in the $400 - $500 range? (the M&P15-22 is $399 at a local shop). I do like the idea that if I had the M&P15-22 and somebody threw an AR at me someday I would know what to do with it. On the other hand, maybe my wife would feel foolish using a Rambo gun to plink at cans...or maybe she'd get off on it. I would also like to know if there's a good .22LR revolver at a reasonable price (under $500). It'd be nice to have an extra weapon around that can take advantage of the cheap ammo (we already have heavier weapons for home defense). Any and all advice is welcome. |
Re: First .22 for an adult?
Don't have any experience with the M&P15-22, but in a lower priced gun either a Ruger 10/22 or a Marlin model 60 would be a good choice. I have one of each, and I like the detachable magazine of the 10/22 (the Marlin is tube feed), but I actually like the way the Marlin handles and shoots better.
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Re: First .22 for an adult?
Check into the Ruger Charger pistol, great all around pistol in 22 cal. Price is around $220 to 280 used, $360+/- new. Light and dependable.
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Re: First .22 for an adult?
http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/index.php is a good place to read on this.
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+1 ....agree 100% |
Re: First .22 for an adult?
I would say go with something that "gets er' done" effectively yet "cheaply" (price) as in a Ruger 1022 because you can always spend a little more and turn it into an AR style rifle in the future and still come out at about the same price range anyway. Plus you would have different stocks to switch to and fro with.
For the versatility of aftermarket accessories, stocks, parts, etc. go with the RUGER 1022. For target shooting out the box I would think a CZ or maybe a Savage. Or you can go with the Henry Boy Lever action that can shoot 22 short/long/long rifle. I want to pick one of those up for my next 22 caliber rifle. Handgun, I would go with an automatic personally. Most guns people will get acquainted with will be auto's anyhow. Plus it keeps you used to racking slides, mag switches and the same general operation of the handguns you are likely to use anyway. Personally I have the U22 Neos for roughly $300 out the door. Excellent starter 22. Easy takedown and reassembling, full optics rail built onto the barrel, can switch between 4", 6 3/8", and 7 1/4" barrels (if not mistaken), eats every type of ammo I have fed it except WINCHESTER 333 bulk box. http://www.impactguns.com/store/medi..._neos_6_bl.jpg Here's what I have. Though I wanted and still want to pick up a Ruger MkIII Hunter with fluted barrel. :bear_w00t: |
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Farking bastids. |
Re: First .22 for an adult?
If you are purchasing to do an Appleseed:
Hands-down. Get a 10/22, then get a set of Tech-Sights to go with it. Buy a couple extra mags and a USGI sling and you're ready to go. When you show up at an Appleseed you'll see what I mean. 9 out of 10 participants will be using the same or very similar setup, and will be able to more readily assist you with any questions etc. Great gun, cheap to shoop. Make sure you get one that can easily accept a sling. The synthetic stocks do not work as well for that. I bought mine w/ synthetic b/c thats what came with the stainless barrel model, but I swapped the stock out for a Tapco one that had sling mounts built in so it worked out OK. For a sling - Dont bother with anything but a US GI cheapie. Thats what they're going to train you to use, and its best to show up with one thats ready to go than to mess around with some rambo tatical version that doesnt work the way they want it to. You need one that can easily make a loop on one end to wrap your arm in. If you cant find one, they normally have extras for 5 - 10 dollars. Good luck. Don't come back a cook! |
Re: First .22 for an adult?
How about something like a Henry lever action? I hefted a lot of different rifles in Gander Mtn one day, and thought the Henry had the best feel and was beautiful, too. It was the one with the heavy octagonal barrel.
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Re: First .22 for an adult?
Guys, he wants to do an Appleseed. You need a reasonably accurate semi-auto rifle than can easily accept magazine changes and hold a standard sling.
bolt actions, lever actions, and pistols are not suitable to his stated purpose. He's going to be doing mag change drills and shooting for 1" groups at 25 yards with this gun. |
Re: First .22 for an adult?
My first .22 was/is a Marlin Mod 60, never a problem, got a small 3X scope on her, nice furniture, I like the tube feed, sure it's a little slower to load, not much, but you have more capacity:ok:
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Re: First .22 for an adult?
As most others said, go with the Ruger 10/22. There are a ton of aftermarket products made for the 10/22. I like mine I went with the target model below:
http://www.ruger-firearms.com/produc...mages/1136.jpg As far as pistols go, if you are interested in a .22 revolver if you want a single action pick up a Ruger single six. In semi auto I myself would recommend picking up a Ruger MKIII or MKIII 22/45 depending on the feel of the grip you like best. |
Re: First .22 for an adult?
As stated earlier--10/22 with tech sights. Great appleseed trainer.
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Re: First .22 for an adult?
If you want a swiss army knife that you can rebuild and rebuild
get the Ruger 10/22.......hands down If you want a 22 that is build like a brick, has the same size and weight of an adult rifle. (and is the longest running production rifle going...) Get the Marlin 39a (its the one on the bottom) Tubular magazine, with patented closure system, holds 26 Short, 21 Long or 19 Long Rifle Cartridges http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z...n/P1010255.jpg |
Re: First .22 for an adult?
Thank you everyone for the excellent suggestions. I did a lot of reading on the rimfire forums - thanks Mad Max. Time to go get a closer look at the Ruger, S&W, and maybe a Marlin or Henry.
For the handgun, the Ruger single six looks interesting. I admit I'm drawn more towards the classic designs rather than the modern polymer semi-autos. |
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Here is what you need: A CZ-USA 452 American. A beautiful classic bolt action .22LR with adjustable trigger. $372 at BudsGunShop.com http://cz-usa.com/assets/product-ima...37x200_q85.png If budget is more of a consideration go with the Savage Mark II G with Acutrigger for $192 at Budsgunshop.com: http://www.savagearms.com/images/fir...um/markiig.png |
Re: First .22 for an adult?
For a .22 pistol get the Browning Buckmark Hunter - $365 if you can find one in stock:
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/i...1/14/14861.jpg You can get the target trigger with overtravel screw from Browning for $9 + shipping. There is a simple mod to lighten the trigger pull -- just flip over the sear spring! It is a dream to shoot. Easier to clean than the Ruger, you can change barrels without changing actions (the registered part of the Ruger), and it looks just perfect. The Beretta NEOS is ugly, but it has great ergonomics, is the easiest to clean of the .22 pistols, and the trigger isn't too bad once you have replaced the sear spring with a spring out of a Bic lighter. |
Re: First .22 for an adult?
I do tend to favor stuff that's simple, cheap, accurate, and reliable.
The CZ rifle and Browning pistol look sweet. I think I'll concentrate first on choosing a rifle, since that's my main focus at this time. |
Re: First .22 for an adult?
My 2 cents, for your stated use, get the 10-22 as others have said. For a few bucks you can trick it out for the appleseed shoot and do fine. Mine is a standard model stainless with a scope - I can put all 10, time after time in the 1" square at 25 yd and beyond, using the right ammo. (Try different brands of ammo to find what it likes).
I also recommend the Browning Buckmark for a .22 handgun for many of the reasons stated above by <SLV>. |
Re: First .22 for an adult?
I bought a Ruger 10/22 from Dick's a few years ago. Inexpensive and super fun. I don't shoot it nearly as much as I should.
Picked up a S&W 21A several months ago. My friend with an FFL hooked me up. I think it was $315 after shipping and state tax. Absolutely a fun gun! Accurate, reliable, and easy to shoot well. Been shooting at least 100 rounds a week through it. Been cleaned once. Dirty as heck right now but functioned fine last Saturday. .22's are a blast. I was brought up and learned to shoot on black guns and semi-auto service pistols. When I got the 10/22 I bitched to my shooting mentor that I couldn't believe he didn't introduce me to .22's 10 years earlier. Oh well....different times...there was a full on AWB when I got into shooting. |
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The browning is OK for a pistol. I still prefer the MK III Hunter: http://www.roostingthedunes.com/Temp...uger_mark3.jpg <SLV> the OP said he was going to an appleseed event. From what I know about appleseed you show up with semi auto rifles, not bolt actions. Can I ask you why you recommended the junk you did, downed the 10/22, but yet none of those "high recommendations" show up on your "Take it or Leave it Gun Shop" list? http://goldismoney.info/forums/showthread.php?t=435537 You even had the 10/22 on the gun shop list. |
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1. Never heard of "appleseed" before, so sorry I missed that. 2. I didn't recommend any Junk: CZ makes the finest .22 bolt gun I've ever handled; Savage has amazing accuracy and a great trigger out of the box, for a price nobody can touch. 3. The 10/22 is far and away the most practical tactical 22 carbine due to the plethora of aftermarket parts and high-capacity magazines. But I got the impression that the OP wasn't looking for tactical (as was the primary intent of my gun shop list), but instead was looking for an accurate plinker. |
Re: First .22 for an adult?
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Sorry if that came off as rude, but the guy was asking for real first time advice on a .22, he isn't adding a 3rd to his collection. Even for survival a 10/22 will be leaps and bounds over any bolt action offering. If you are hunting small game, if you miss your first shot with a bolt gun you are most likely done. With a 10/22 you have a chance to pull of a second shot easily to bring home your meal. A 10/22 can be modified or purchased to be an accurate target gun, or you can make it into a tactical looking fun gun. http://appleseedinfo.org/index.htm |
Re: First .22 for an adult?
I bought a:
Model 795 This rugged, economical 22 autoloader has the wide appeal that's made it a winner. The lightning-fast Model 795 features an 18" barrel, 10-shot clip magazine, and an automatic "last-shot" bolt hold-open. Its stock is black fiberglass-reinforced synthetic with molded-in checkering and swivel studs. It's fitted with an adjustable open rear sight and a ramp front sight. http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Images/photo_795.jpg http://www.marlinfirearms.com/images/btn_enlarge.gif nice shooting gun, except for the fact that it don't like the cheap ammo. Talked to a few dealers about the issues I had and asked if I shot high quality rounds like CCI Stingers out of it. Well I had and never had any problem. Both dealers I talked to about my issue (failure to feed or cycle) said the cheap 500 bricks of 22cal ammo you get at wally world are of such varying quality in each box. The loading standards to mass produce this cheap crap result in ammo that while the are not squibs, are not reliable enough power wise to make most auto loading 22 cals cycle correctly. The gun appears to jam when firing these rounds, when the truth is there is not enough energy produced in the firing of the ammo to drive the loading mechanism back far enough to be prepared for the next shot (kind of short cyling if you will). So long story short. Cheap bulk rounds will work for single shots and bolta actions, but my experience is to avoid them in you auto loaders. |
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PS - This rifle was my first gun. My dad gave it to me on my 13th birthday. He picked it up at a pawn shop for $50. May not seem like much, but at the time he was unemployed and we were living with my grandparents. I know it was a sacrifice for him. It is one of my favorite guns even though there are many finer rifles out there. |
Re: First .22 for an adult?
Oh, forgot to suggest for your Appleseed - Get good ammo! You are going to use 350 - 600 rounds that weekend.
Most people have good luck with most of the CCI rounds. Standard velocity or MiniMags (I like the minimags.) Neither of these rounds have ever jammed in my 10/22). Your gun will be dirty when you're done, if you can keep from shooting crappy dirty soft lead bullets your gun should be a bit more accurate than it otherwise would be by Sunday afternoon. Walmart's about $10 / 100. $60 in ammo isnt bad if it will go bang everytime and keep your gun in decent shape during the event. Appleseeds rock. Every red-blooded American should attend one! |
Re: First .22 for an adult?
If you want an accurate, scoped rugged rifle get a CZ 452. Mine is the most accurate rifle I have ever shot. The barrel is threaded to a steel receiver and is machined to accept scope rings without the "base" which requires tiny screws. This rifle will hold it's zero as long as the scope does not get bent. Get steel rings for it. Downside is availability of good rings that fit the CZ grooves. I ended up with $50 Leopold rings after trying two other kinds.
I prefer the feel and handling of the Marlin 60 over the Ruger 10/22. Both have non- threaded barrels pressed into aluminum receivers. The 10/22 requires a "base" for scope mounting. Both are worth the price but not very suitable for mounting scopes as they are not designed to hold their zero. The Ruger has the disadvantage of a fat stock but the advantage of aftermarket parts availability, which is important since both have sub-par triggers. There is nothing wrong with the Ruger Single Six revolvers. I got rid of mine because I lost interest in single actions but sometimes I regret it. They are accurate and TOUGH. They hold their value and are excellent starter guns. They come with target sights and are fun to shoot and quieter than the Mark 2/3, although the trigger is not as good as the latter. |
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