Need help on choosing a .22

[Guest Jon]

Ok guys im looking to buy a .22 in the next few days. I went to Dick's in chatt and found a few guns that I am considering.

The first is the Remington 597 in OD Green. I love the looks of this gun and the feel. The clip kinda concerns me being a double stack. The guy there also told me they was having feeding issues. I read online numerous places that remington had fixed this issue and that the gun is pretty good now. Any one use it?

The second is a Savage model 64 BXP. Same price as the 597 and I heard it was a pretty dependable gun.

Then there was the Marlin 597. It seemed short more like a youth gun an didnt come with a scope. Something im looking for. But I havnt heard much on this gun any opinions?

and finally is the ruger 10-22. It cost more than the others but the guy praised it. I read alot of good things about it. I just didnt really like the design. It does not come with a scope. And I really didnt like the feel of it. So I kinda marked it off my list. But I still wanna hear what you guys think about it.

So can anyone help me choose?

[SavageSig]

Looks like you're dead set on a semi-auto.

Marlin 60 and don't look back.

[Guest Jon]

I will definitely give that one a look when I go tomorrow. right now the savage is looking really good gander mountain has them on sale for 149.99 with a scope

[Karnage]

Marlin 60 and don't look back.

+1

[gtssilver]

10/22 all the way. Trillions of options and extras. worth the little bit of extra $

Don't go to dicks sporting goods they are idiots and the prices are not that great. Go to Sportsman's warehouse they have a huge selection and you can compare alllll the guns you are thinking about all at once. Or go to one of the Walmarts that still carries guns and buy the wallyworld special 10/22. It has a longer barrel than any other factory 10/22, a nice stock, and a silver receiver/trigger group to match the SS barrel. All that for just a little bit more than a base model.

[mhm2a]

I have the camo Remington 597 with iron sights that was sold at Wal-Mart a few years back. It is picky about ammo.....but it loves the CCI mini-mags and I have not had any feeding issues with either ammo. When I was comparing .22's the 597 just had a better fit for me and that was the reason I made the decision to go with that one.

I added a Simmons 22 mag scope and rings about a year ago and I must say that I have been impressed with the accuracy at 50 and 75 yds. It is my go to squirrel gun and it has been handed to many first time shooters to get a feel for the sport. It has hooked a few of them as well.

[DaveTN]

Remington 597

The Good….

Mine was a tack driver out of the box. It outshot any other 22 I have owed.

It is closer to a full size rifle than some of the others.

I paid $145 on sale at Bass Pro with a Red Head scope mounted.

The bad….

I had all the fail to feed problems. It took 500 to 1000 rounds to break the gun in to where it would run the way it should. (There is a lot of info on Rimfire about the problem).

CCI mini-mags would work pretty well for me. Remington bulk packs were unreliable and Federals would hardly work at all in the rifle.

Overall….. I got mine broke in and then sold it to my BIL because he wanted something cheap. I wish I had not sold it.

If you want an accurate rifle without spending a lot of money; the Remington 597 is it. But if you don’t want to go through the break-in; I would stay away.

[Sidinman]

I have two ruger 10/22 's and I love them. Like gtssilver said there is alot of aftermarket stuff for them, so you can personalize it, if were you wanted. Never owned a 597 but have heard alot good about them.

[SavageSig]

60's are cheaper and more accurate than 10/22's out of the box. The barrel is better and the trigger is better (IMHO). 60's don't have cycling issues with cheap ammo. My buddy's 60 shoots BEST with the bulk Federal 550 crap they sell at Wally World. 60's don't have magazines to fiddle with, just a rock solid tube feed.

Finally, if you want to mount a scope, you can. If you want to get some kick-butt aperture iron sights, Tech Sights makes a really great set.

If you think 164 is a deal for a Savage 64, then I really suggest shopping around for a Marlin. Used, I've seen them as low as 70 bucks. New, I've seen the base model for around 150.

[ShamGlock]

10/22. If you don't have one you should. They are a staple of any gun collection. The aftetmarket options on this gun are endless and it is fun to play around with. The Remington 597 is a fun little gun as well.

[Guest rystine]

If you've got the time, energy, and money to customize it than the 10/22 is hard to beat. There's plenty of after market stocks that you could buy that would improve the ergonomics for you.

That said, if you don't want to spend the money buying aftermarket parts to personalize it, than the Marlin model 60 can't be beat. IMHO, out of the box the model 60 is the best rimfire rifle out there (for the price).

I think the 597 that you're talking about is actually the Marlin 795. I've got one that has been great, 1000's of rounds without any problems and very accurate. It's a very similar action to the model 60, except it uses a detachable box magazine instead of a tube magazine. I got mine with a cheap scope included for around $125. It is a little on the small side, but it works just fine for me. And Marlin has a $25 rebate on them right now, so you could probably find a rifle without the scope for under $100.

[gregintenn]

I'd shop around for a used Remington Nylon 66.

[1gewehr]

I'd shop around for a used Remington Nylon 66.

+1

That or a Browning semi-auto. For a non-auto choice, I'd get a Marlin 39a or Winchester 62a.

[gregintenn]

+1

That or a Browning semi-auto. For a non-auto choice, I'd get a Marlin 39a or Winchester 62a.

A man with excellent tastes.

[Guest SW9VEman]

My Marlin 795 has not given me any problems in the 1000-1200 rounds I have put through it.

[wjh2657]

I have a 10-22 and two Marlin 60s. The 10-22 is rigged tacticool for plinking with the grandkids but when it is hunting time the two Marlin 60s go into the field with grandpa and grandson. If you want to play the 10-22 is tops, but if you are going hunting the Marlin 60 is still the king.

[tnhawk]

The 10/22 is a good choice- easy to find aprts and accessories. It's easy to maintain and very dependable.

[I_Like_Pie]

My vote is the 10/22...the design is VERY simple and it is easier to maintain, upgrade, and, shoot than the others. A decent scope will only set you back $50 for all that you would need.

Don't overlook what history has dictated in making that 10/22 such a good gun. To many's surprise it is NOT the ability to customize. The secret of the 10/22s success is the magazine. It functions reliably, is not obtrusive, and is not at all picky about ammunition.

HOWEVER...the bottom line is that all the guns you mentioned are good guns. They really are. Get the one you like, and that is the one that will provide you with decades of trouble free shooting.

[Guest Jon]

Well thanks for all the advice guys. I looked into every gun mentioned in this thread. Found a few friends who had them so I could test fire a few.

At the end of the day I went to Gander Mountain and picked up this bad boy:

Remington 597. Only thing im gonna do to the gun is add a sling overall I like it alot.

Has anyone ever used remington thunderbolt ammo in the 597? I heard the gun likes it a bit more

[DaveTN]

Has anyone ever used remington thunderbolt ammo in the 597? I heard the gun likes it a bit more

I don’t know if mine was Thunderbolt, but a 500 round box of Remington was included in my first rounds. It didn’t work well, neither did federal or Winchester. CCI Mini-Mag gave the best results. However, as I said before until you have over 500 rounds through it you are wasting your time trying to find what it likes. Between 500 and 1000 mine became reliable using CCI.

An absolute must is that you go to the rimfire forum, go to the Remington section and look at the sub forum specifically for the 597. There is a wealth of information there on helping you through the break in process.

Before you disassemble or clean you rifle you should read the threads about proper guide rod screw tightening.

[I_Like_Pie]

It certainly looks sharp! Great score.

[Guest Republican]

OD Green makes everything look tough. Nice setup man.

[Guest .45]

10/22

[SavageSig]

If the rifle felt best to you, then nice choice. Now go pop some rims!!

The best way to find out if the Thunderbolts work is to buy a box of 50 and try them out. Rimfires are generally unique in what rounds they like. If the Thunderbolts don't work out, the Fed 550 bulk at Wally World is generally a pretty good round for semi-autos. And of course, as mentioned before, the 40 gr. Mini-Mags are generally great in semi-autos.

Edited February 15, 2010 by SavageSig

[Oh Shoot]

10/22

Very helpful. Now go back to sleep.