.22 Rifles?

[Billbor]

I've got the basic Henry .22 lever action rifle.
- GREAT gun.

I bought it because:
- It shoots .22 Long Rifle, .22 Long, .22 Short, and .22 quiet subsonic ammo (that won't cycle in a semi-auto).
- Since it's lever action, it NEVER fails to cycle.
- Accurate shooter.
- I paid $300 new for mine.
- As a plus, it's made in the USA!

Good luck with your decision.

Billbor
Smyrna, GA

 

[luangtom]

Thanks for all of the input so far. I am leaning toward the Henry. Now, I haffta find one to fondle before I commit. If not, I will find a Ruger 10/22 in stainless at a gun-show.

 

[DSCR]

My 10/22 TD is set up as an Appleseed LTR, with tech sights.

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My 10/22 LVT is set up with a Sweet 22 scope. Shooting this one feels like cheatin'.

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My 39a is set up with a Skinner barrel mounted peep sight and front blade. Shooting this one IS cheatin'.

The Henry Frontier model with the octagon barrel is on my list too. And maybe a 22wmr, and maybe their Varmint Express 17 hmr.

Any and all lever actions I acquire will wear a skinner peep sight, either receiver or barrel mount.

One can never get too many rimfire firearms!

 

[luangtom]

Wow, those are some fine .22 rifles! I was out and about on Friday, the 31st, and found some 10/22s, some Henrys and then came upon a Rossi in .38/.357 and a S&W M&P 15-22. Oh my, so much to choose from.......

 

[JoKeR50]

No question 10/22. For a fun one try the M&P15-22.

 

[Bowman5spot]

I have some Ruger 10-22's and I love them I just have more than I need but it's a gun to have at the house and fun to shoot I like the 30 round clip with it thx Mark.

 

[luangtom]

Do the new Ruger 10/22s digest most all ammo on the market? Or, are they particular about certain brands? The old ones that we had digested everything we put through them? Do the new ones do the same?

How about the S&W M&P15-22? Do they digest most all the ammo one throws at them or are they particular about ammo? I have not owned a .22 of any sort for decades.

 

[DSCR]

Well, obviously I can only speak for mine. I read all the time how each gun likes one round better or even best. Mine hasn't been picky.

In my case, I have had the take down for almost a year and have shot several thousand rounds of all sorts. I can account for 2k rounds of thunderbolt with less than 10 low power shots or ftf. I found it to be fine and more than accurate enough for shooting Appleseed AQT courses of fire at 75 feet at my range.

Same with Golden bullet. Everybody complains about it, but I have had zero issues with several thousand rounds shot.

If anyone hates their Thunderbolts or Golden Bullets, I will be happy to take them off your hands.

Like the majority, I love CCI. Mini mags and SV. They shoot great and consistently, and are cleaner than most. No issues in any of my .22's. I shot 100+ rounds of SV today.

Federal bulk has been fine as well. They seem to be dirtier than the Thunderbolts.

The only ammo that I had more FTE's and FTF's in all my .22's, including my mark III, was Winchester dynapoints I think they are called? Their varmint rounds? I finally got through a 333 round box and won't be buying more of them. Winchester target round nose has been fine for the few I have shot.

Oh, and Remington Target rounds were awesome. Almost as good as the CCI. SV.

I haven't really spent any money on higher end target ammo so I don't know any better.

Like any mechanical device I am sure that each individual rifle may differ, but my 10/22 TD and LVT have not been picky at all.

Everyone talks about how bad the 10/22 triggers are. Again, I don't know the difference but mine are fine. I am not a bench rest guy that is picky and can't shoot without everything being perfect. I am not that good of a shot. I follow Appleseed principles and use a sling. If I can hit that 1.5" 400 yard silhouette at 75 feet on the bottom of an Appleseed AQT, standing and using a hasty sling technique, I feel pretty good about it.

If you get a 10/22, I personally consider only 1 or 2 mods as mandatory. Most important for me is the auto bolt release. It's a $10 part and 10 minutes of your time. It eliminates the most irritating thing about a 10/22. The other thing I do is use a nylon bolt buffer pin instead of the factory steel one. Not mandatory but I usually change that out.

Sights. I am not a fan of the open, buckhorn type sights on most .22's. If you are not going to scope it, I highly recommend either tech-sights or skinner peep sights. I am trying to get better using my scoped LVT, but out to 100 'feet or so, I shoot better with peep sights.

If I wanted the cheapest and best shooting out of the box .22, I would consider a Marlin 795 or a Remington 597. I had a model 60 that might have been the most accurate of all. The 795 is the magazine fed twin of the model 60 and I understand it does not have feed issues. I would like to add a 795 and a 597 to my herd at some point. Marlin makes a 795 LTR complete with tech-sights and sling, ready for an Appleseed weekend. You will find it on Gallery of Guns.

YMMV, but I hope you have as much fun and good luck as I have with my 10/22's.

 

[chevroletdiamonddave]

Get them both !!

 

[luangtom]

Here it is February 8th. I came home from a day of running around with my son looking at rifles. We hit the gun-show in Gainesville and saw some Ruger 10/22s and a Henry lever-gun in .22 basic and a GoldenBoy. No Rossi R92s to be found. We left there and hit three big-box stores and found more Ruger 10/22s and a couple more Henrys. No Rossi R92s. I wound up back at the gun-show and picked up a 10/22 in stainless with the black composite stock. It was cheap enough, $279 plus tax. I also picked up two of Ruger's BX25 magazines. Found some ammo at two locations and went home, basically, a satisfied camper. I am still on the prowl for the Rossi R92 in .38/.357........maybe next weekend at the gun-show in Norcross.