Need 22 rifle sugestions

[KahrMan]

I've had a pile of .22s and I would recommend looking for an older Remington Speedmaster Model 552 ACL if having a walk in the woods semi-auto .22 is your No. 1 criteria.  Currently Remington only makes the fancier and more costly BDL version. This .22 has been in production a long time.  The really cool thing about the 552 is that it will shoot nearly any .22 bullet you feed into the tube.  I didn't try Stingers but I shot in one tube a mix of short, long and long rifle, subsonic, Hypervelocity and HV.  Crazy but it would shoot them all.  Of course such a mix strings up and down the target but the gun would shoot them all.  In these times of shoot what you can get the Speedmaster's ability to digest a wide variety of ammo in a semi is an attractive option.  Used you should be able to find a nice one for 300-350, maybe less one that has seen some outer wear.  Of course if you want a nice little bullet slinger semi that is light and easy to carry others have mentioned the Marlin 60 and its Glenfield twin. Over 11 million 60's have been sold. 

 

 

 

I really like the look of the 552.

 

Since no one has posted it I'll recommend the Marlin 795. It's basically the magazine fed version of the model 60. I purchases one of these at Academy the day after Christmas for $129. I think they are $149 regularly. This is by far the most accurate .22lr out of the box I have ever shot. I did drop another $30 and replace the iron sights with Williams Fire Sights though. The stock iron sights leave a little to be desired. I sighted it in at 25 yards with CCI target rounds yesterday and was able to set clay targets out to 50 yards and hit 5 out of 5. It's really that good.

 

And boy are they light. It almost feels awkward using a sling as it feels like you don't have much attached to it. The Micro Groove barrel has me one over to Marlins. I will be trying the bolt version next.

 

Thanks.  I will check out the Marlin.

[Rowdy]

OK, one more option. Mossberg 702 Plinkster. It's in the lower end of the price range and it's fairly reliable.

[10-Ring]

Just though that I'd weigh in and give you my $0.02 as a guy who has owned and shot a lot of different .22s.  As the others have said, the SA22 is very hard to beat and one of my favorites of all time.  Super compact and a joy to shoot.  Stay away from the Norinco knockoffs, they are junk!  I also really like the BL-22, another one of my favorites and the .22 that I have probably spent the most time with.  I've also spent a lot of time with a Nylon 66.  They are probably getting hard to find in good shape but they are good guns.  I have a 597 that I picked up for $50 a few years back.  Nothing special but well worth what I paid for it.  IMO it's cheaply made.  It does not like to properly function if it gets a little dirty and the magazines have always been problematic.  I just keep it clean and I have a gun that I can leave in the truck and not worry about it. 

[whitewolf001]

My bud has a Speedmaster that is threaded, you know, for the baby seeking laser guided child destroyer, er, suppressor.

[wjh2657]

I have two Marlin 60's and numerous other marks. If I am headed into the woods, one of the Marlin 60's is in my hands. For reliability and feel, I just don't believe it can be beat. This is the consummate plinker/squirrel rifle IMHO.

[Rws0328]

Henry 22 lever action is the way to go. My throws out any short, long, sub sonic long rifle I put in the tube. Don't both with the scope Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[79troublehead]

550-1 Remington. Shorts, longs, long rifles will all feed and fire semi automatically, and while the longs are kinda non-existent, the shorts are a a nice quiet alternative to a pellet gun..

[Guest malbolja]

I have a CZ 452 in .17HM2, scoped with a heavy barrel and cheap trigger mod. Shoots the hair off a gnat's behind @ 50yards, I haven't fired it any farther than that. I'd like to get another with iron sights. Highly recommend.

[1gewehr]

The Remington 550/552 series are very high quality.  Take care of it and your grandkids will enjoy it.  The same is true of the Browning SA-22.  Most semi-auto .22s tend to be picky about ammo.  The low power of the round doesn't leave a lot to operate the action.

 

I am very fond of my Remington Nylon 66.  Very light weight, quick-handling, and has been very reliable for the 40 years I've owned it.  I also have a Brazilian, CBC copy of the Remington 66.  It has also proven to be a nice rifle.  They can be found for around $200 and sometimes less.

[frankmako]

the older marlins are good deals when you can find them in the pawn shops for around $125.00.  the only problem is ammo.  

[StPatrick]

I have a CZ-452 Lux that I'm very happy with.  If you want maximum accuracy with iron sights, it's the heat.  The Euro-style dropped comb on the buttstock is not a good option for a scoped rifle, as you'll never get a good cheekweld.  The CZ 452 / 455 "American" rifles will have a more scope-friendly buttstock.  You can't go wrong with a CZ, but you really will have a hard time finding a .22 rifle that you could go wrong with these days.  Most of the designs are decades old and proven.