Howdy and welcome to our humble home. Since you are new to firearms, I would hope you would seek out some form of firearms safety course to start with.

Now, as your top two choices are semi-automatic, these are not known for their accuracy right out of the box. You would need to add to the existing rifle to get it to be a target rifle. If I may, I would suggest a simple bolt action rifle to start with. I have one of the Romanian Training rifles, like the one below and it is quite accurate and available for under $100. The receiver is grooved for a scope and rings can be had from KwikSite for this rifle.

Unless you are putting a centerfire rifle scope on this gun, there is no need for an Adjustable Objective lens on this type rifle. A fairly low priced Simmons should do you just fine for plinking.

Romaninan Training Rifle M1969

 

Hi perrypan.......welcome to TFF.

Yes, .22 Rimfire is definitely the way to go for a first rifle. They're reasonably inexpensive, accurate, and cheap to shoot.

I'd suggest that your first rifle be a bolt action. Savage Mk. II, Marlin 900 series, Remington 500 series, or similar rifles. The Romanian that Tex recommends is an excellent first rifle.

As a first rifle, a bolt action encourages you to take aim, rather than "spray & pray" with a semi-auto.

There are good, fairly inexpensive scopes to fit almost any bolt action .22 made.

Remember, for a first rifle, get something of decent quality, but don't go overboard on the expense. This is a rifle to learn with and have fun with. Later on, you can always trade up.......but for now, keep it simple, keep it reasonably inexpensive.....and have a ball!

 

Glad to see you at TFF, perrypan.

I would agree with Plano and Racer that you meed a simple bolt action to begin with. There are several good one available and you will never regret having one. I started on an ole Winchester model 67, which was and is a great, accurate single action bolt .22.

Hope you will stay with us and report your progress as you get into this fine hobby.

 

How about A Henry? Straight shooters out of the box!

 

Thanx a for the suggestion, but I forgot to mention I have had a lot of spring airgun experience. They are not a toy. They can usually shoot up to 1000FPS. Spring airguns are known for huge two direction recoil, and requre some skills to aim. I guess I am not so noob if considering airguns experience. Actually, I am more interested in buying a semi-auto .22 rifle as my first gun since there is no semi-auto for airgun. You know. After spending so much money on training course and liscense. It's natural to look for some difference. I have heard about ammo jam for 597, Ruger 10/22 is nothing but for mod, and Marlin 60 is a sweet rifle right out of box? Please give me info on semi-auto rifle then. Sorry that I didn't specify that in the beginning. BTW, wouldn't you guys think bolt action too basic or too troublesome? I am just afraid being laugh at at the range. If still think that's the best choice for me, please tell me which one is best buy.
I am too new to firearms, and things like:
"Savage Mk. II, Marlin 900 series, Remington 500 series, or similar rifles. The Romanian that Tex recommends is an excellent first rifle."
"How about A Henry?"
still not specific for me.

 

Well, now that we have narrowed it down. I would suggest a Thompson Center .22 semi-auto. These are shooters right out of the box. You will not be disappointed. I believe there are two models.


LTS

 

I'd buy a Ruger 10/22 with a nice scope.

 

I own a Ruger 10/22 with no regrets.I also own a Reminton mod 60 semi-auto, Colt Colteer semi-auto,Chimpmunk bolt action 22, Reminton bolt action,Reminton model 12 pump 22,and an Ithaca lever actoin 22,but the Ruger is my all time favorate.If i did not own the Ruger 10/22 I would consider theThompson Center 22 semi- auto.

 

Thanx for the reply. BTW, what kind of Ruger 10/22 should I get? I know a lot of people have been talking about how good 10/22 are after mod. But how is it right out of box? Is the Deluxe and Sporter edition worth the money? Somebody in the forum mentioned that one just need to get the most basic 10/22 first since we need to mod 10/22 anyways. That sounds a bit odd to me because I am not interested in doing that. Some suggestion plz...

 

Get the Thompson Center .22 auto. It needs nothing. Trust me, if you don`t want to modify a 10/22. And the TC will hold it`s own right out of the box.



LTS

 

CZ 452 (bolt) or Ruger 10-22
Huck

 

Marlin 7000 for an auto,best auto out there.Marlin bolt or CZ american the CZ,s are a little better but a little higher.Go to walmarts web site and look them over.unless you are willing to spend a lot of money on a scope get an ao scope,or one for a rimfire.A high quality scope wont have much in the way of parallex but the cheaper ones will.Marlin 7000 with a Bushnell Elite 3200 4-12x40 with ao tough combo to beat.

 

I agree with those who suggested the Romanian M1969. I picked one up a short while back and I'm very pleased with it. It's my first "real" rifle (I've had pellet and BB rifles in the past. They were good practice ), and I absolutely love it so far.
There were a few problem at first. Sometimes it wouldn't feed right, and sometimes it wouldn't eject the brass. But now that I'm used to the rifle it shoots great. Fixing the small gripes comes second nature to me now. A round wont feed right? I pull the bolt back a little (But not enough to eject that unused round.) and then try again. Doing this once or twice makes the round feed fine. Brass diddn't eject? Just tip the rifle to the right and it falls right out. These fixes barely make me break my shooting rythm.
And it's quite accurate, too. From 25 yards I rarely have a round land out of a 4" (measured across) ring. And I'm not exactly a veteran shooter. The first time I picked up a real gun was a couple months ago, maybe.
With little to no experience, you can take that rifle out to the range and have a blast with it. And it's cheap, too. They seem to go for around 60-100 dollars. I got mine for $60 (It was $99 after all of the fees and paperwork) at the local range.
The scope might be a problem though. Most of them seem to accept a scope fine. I tried the scope I have on another M1969 they had at the range and it fit perfectly, but the rail on my M1969 seems to be too small to accept the same scope. No idea why :-/
Overall it's a good and inexpensive rifle.

 

I agree with the 'bolt action' part, and will offer, in re, scopes:
Anything you shot on a spring piston air rifle, scope wise, is much more than you need on a .22rf, but will work just fine; the adjustable objective is to correct for paralax, since most cf scopes are built and adjusted for 100 yds., and sometimes are iffy at 50.
The Remington 500's, specifically the 510 (single shot), and the 513, ( a serious target rifle) can be had fairly reasonably, and shoot better than most can hold.
Winchester built a model 75, both as a target rifle, and a sporter, another excellent choice.
The Anschutz model 64 actions(several variations exist) are the ones with the Chrome bolt, and they all shoot pretty well, too.
Hope this gives you something more to work with.

 

If you are very serious about accuracy go with a bolt action. I used to shoot daily with a Winchester model67 w/peep sights and was the most accurate rifle I owned. If you really prefer semi-auto: Ruger 10/22 they are inexpensive, reliable, and accurate. Bought mine new for $119.00 put a $39.00 scope on it and can drop squirrels @ 50 yds consistantly (with good ammo) and if you want to add goodies to it later there is an almost endless supply of affordable accessories available. If you do consider a bolt acton you may want to look at a 17HMR. ammo is more expensive but highly accurate (and deadly if you hunt). The WalMart in my home town sells a savage 17HMR w/synthetic stock tapped for a scope for $149.00 new in the box.--But I love my 10/22!

 

Thanx a lot for reply. I just had a chance to play with Ruger 10/22 today. I am quite dispointed at its size. Geesus, 10/22 looks like a toy. Now I am thinking about getting Marlin Model 60 or 7000. Maybe a bolt action. Hmm...How do u guys think about Savage Arms Mark II. That gun is pretty cheap and looks great. And any of u have handled Marlin model 925? It looks not bad either.

 

My first gun at 14 was a 1022. It was very flexible and a good first rifle/firearm.

If you are a novice to firearms or do target shooting - most name bolt actions will do.

My latest which I picked up last week and I am breaking in at the moment - my Taurus Model 62 pump. I remember shooting this gun as a kid in the shooting galleries at fairs and amuzement parks. Very light and thin gun that takes down for backpacking. Accuracy so far has been decent.

It is hard to pick out a wrong 22 LR Rifle.

I've had a few 22 LR Pistols that have been duds from name brand companies.

Go with a classic tried and true design tailored to your wants and you will be happy.

 

get a marlin mod 60, it is THE FUNNEST GUN TO SHOOT, PERIOD! after that , if you want to try different stuff, go ahead. the rem 597 i would avoid, until you get better mechanically aquainted with guns in general. then you can decide if you like semi auto , single shot, pump , or mag fed, bolt fed,go to a range and ask folks to try theirs out. don't worry, they will let you. Range homeys are the nicest people around. savage and marlin will probably be the most accurate and trouble free , right out of the box, in that order, but it will be very close.
as far as scopes go the best entry scope for a 22 is the NEW MADE SIMMONS IN THE PLASTIC PKGING. it is sold at gander mt and problably the other bix box stores. MEADE TELESCOPES BOUGHT THEM AND REDFIELD and someone else, i don't remember. But they totally changed the way scopes are made and the way the glass is made. different tube design, differnt in all these wasys , click adjustment. zero hold, one piece tube, lens coating, magnification, everything. they left no stone unturned. if you want higher mag, get the tasco varmint, or it's clone the Barska. they are both 6x24zx42, i own 4 of them, and have them on everything from a marlin mod 60 to a parker hale 308 ultralite.

 

Savage will be putting the AccuTrigger on their rimfires in 2006, so I would suggest a Savage with an AccuTrigger.

The news has not hit the press yet, but check out what has been said about the AccuTrigger on the centerfires.

 

I have to go with the Ruger 10/22 as the best all-round .22 rifle bargain on the market. These are sweet little autos; they work flawlessly, they're fairly inexpensive, accurate, and they can be dressed up with all sorts of after market whistles and bells if you're into that sort of thing. There is much to be said for starting out with a bolt action though, as several here have pointed out. This is particularly true if you think you might end up eventually with a bolt action rifle for hunting deer and the like. If so, I would go with one of the Marlin bolts. These are excellent little guns and also relatively inexpensive. If you're feeling really plush, consider any of the .22 rifles built by Browning. They're on the expensive side, but quality doesn't get much better short of high-end competition rifles.

--Pistolenschutze

 

I've shot a lot of different 22s, as have many of our friends here. You're getting good advice. I've had a couple of Ruger 10/22s, a Marlin lever 1897T, and many, many bolt actions. The 10/22 is lots of fun, but as others have mentioned here, they have some characteristics that soon begin to annoy their shooters. Thus, they move to pouring lots of money into aftermarket upgrades. If you do this, very soon, you'll have a $1000 rifle if your want a gun that will improve your potential as a shooter.

Recently I wanted to help someone get started shooting by buying him a rifle. For me, it was an *easy* choice: the CZ 452, a modest, but fine, bolt action. Since, a similar model with a single set trigger has come available, the 453. Yes, the CZ will cost you about $300 plus, but it's a rifle that will really help you grow your shooting skills. Whatever you do, just have fun!

 

I forgot to opine regarding scopes for your 22LR. If you can invest in a scope that will take you a long way into your shooting future, get a Leupold 3-9x AO EFR (Extended Focus Range). A standard "rimfire" non-AO scope won't focus closer than 50 or 60 yards. That's fine for an experienced shooter, but you may want to start with closer targets, say at 25 yards. You'll need the close focus capability an EFR scope will give you to do this. You can get AO scopes that will close focus that are made in China, Bushnell and Simmons are a couple of good ones. These are a third of the price of the Leupold, but you'll get what you pay for. Again, invest what you can in your tools and you'll be investing in yourself.

 

Kimberlover, you are far better with short term memory, than I!
My thought, for a new shooter, is "Buy the best rifle you can afford", so as not to handicap the shooter with equipment shortcomings, which are rife on cheap rifles( lousy trigger, poor barrel work, etc), and here you come with an 'end run'!
I've owned a half dozen or so BRNO Model 1, or 2, rifles, and all shot well, or better; this is, today, the CZ 452. A little work on the sear, and striker, perhaps a lesser trigger return spring, and the rifle shoots way above it's price point!
I see them at gun shows, and most sell sub $300, NIB, which seems to be a bargain.
Norinco copied the rifle, right down to the screw in barrel, and sold their rifle for less than half that, some years ago; I would not hesitate to put $150+ into one of their rifles, as they will swap parts with the original!
'Course, if the budget allows, a Win 52, or a 40X Remington, are top flight rifles on which, bought right, you could never lose money, if maintained.
May all yer shots be X's.... Terry

 

Stash, you're right on! One should buy the best they can afford, and many fine rifles, now discontinued, are great alternatives to buying new. If one chooses carefully, an investment in a good quality used rifle is much "smarter" than buying a new throw away. Example: a new shooter at the range where I shoot was struggling with his new "bargain" Ruger 10/22. While he was bragging that he paid $179 for it, the other side of his mouth was spouting his dissapointment at his inability to hit anything he thought he was aiming for. He invited me to shoot his 10/22 to "see what I think." At first, I hesitated, but he kept after me so I relented and gave it a try. This poor rifle must have had a 10# trigger! After adjusting my technique to the trigger, I managed a silver dollar sized "group" at 100 yards with his non-target ammo. Immediately, he begins knocking himself as a poor shooter because I had "shot so well"! Now I'm on the spot and I had to set him straight and tell him the cold truth: his out-of-the-box 10/22 was not only difficult to shoot but that it was going to force him to learn all the wrong techniques in order to even begin to compensate for the shortcomings of the rifle. His now-fired bargain gun was not only worthless (trade-in value was now about 75 bucks) but it was harming both his skill development and his attitude toward shooting. Fortunately, he took the rifle back to the dealer and traded it in on a nice CZ 452. He's been happy ever since, and his skills are improving nicely. With more experience, he may learn which used rifles are worth the trouble finding and caring for. My "favorites" list include the Kimber 82s, Rem 541-T, Browning A-Bolt, and Sako Finnfire, not necessarily in that order. If one finds any of these that haven't been abused, they will never loose $$ value and they'll help their shooters learn proper technique and attitude.

 

Kimberman, I learned to shoot on an old remington pump gun, so worn it looked like a shotgun, thru the bore. It was all we had, and about making meat, at the time. It made meat, aplenty, but not without a lot of effort.
I swore that when I had kids, they would not have to learn in such an 'uphill' fashion, to shoot.
God, and life, have been very good to me, and I am fortunate to own many very accurate rifles, which my kids and grandkids have available, at a call. The only 'problem' in all of this, is that it absolutely requires total attendance to safety rules, for all. My Rem 40-X has a 2 oz "International" trigger, and it not equipped with a safety; it's a target rifle, and in such hands, needs none. But, put a seven year old behind such a rifle, and safety rules are everything!
I have several Win 52's, none of which would lift a 4 oz weight, and a bunch more, other brands.
Like I said, God has been good to me. My daughters, both, went thru the "AD" stage, like most of us, moving up in gear; all were in the berm, because they got the basics down, right.
Now, I'm doing the deal all over again, with 5 grandsons, with the same quality equiptment, and the same "harsh" rules; all shoot well, one, exceptionally well..
These kids will own my guns, when I am gone, and, so, deserve the time and effort, along with the hardware, it takes to shoot them to their limit ( the rifles, not the kids).
Your acquaintance, with the 10-22; would he/she have still been a 'budding shooter', next year, without your guidance and counsel???
You know, all of us know, that answer.
We owe it to the sport, and to our offspring, to put them behind the very best our budget will allow!
Just my .02.