Your go to .22 rifle?

When it comes to rimfire i keep coming back to Marlin. I've had quite a few more expensive, and yes prettier .22's,but the Marlins cost less and in most cases shoot better. Right now it's my Marlin 880sq, a heavy bbl .22 lr that will put 5 in one ragged hole at 25yds all day, and 5 in a nickel at 50yds on a calm day. My Marlin 883ss .22mag isn't quite that accurate, but not far behind at 25yds, and right with the 880sq at 50yds.
 
I have, and have had, a lot of rebuilt Ruger 10/22's, love them, but they're not my preferred dancing partner.

My "go-to twenty two" is my first 22lr rifle. My granddad bought it new in 1971, gave it to my dad in 1977 when he graduated high school, and I got it in 1994 for my 10th birthday. Marlin Model 99 M-1. It's basically a model 60 action with a shorter barrel and mag tube, wrapped in a stock to look like an M-1 Carbine.

She aint pretty, she's been well used, and the finish shows it. Dad lost the rear sight (mounts on the receiver dovetail, looks like an M-1 Carbine battle sight) before I was born, and the front sight came off when I was in high school and I've just never put it back on (slip on ring with a set screw), and still sits on the shelf in my safe. Even without sights, it's my go-to hunting rifle. That thing was glued to my hands growing up, it's amazing there's even still rifling left, and the sight picture of the grooved handguard and the barrel band on the stock are so familiar that I don't need traditional sights on it to still hunt with it. Killed what has to be LITERALLY around a thousand coons with this rifle in the last 20yrs. She still feeds just fine as long as she's not filty or too dry, and as accurate as I'd ever need a hunting rimfire to be. She fell off my back when I jumped into a pond one winter to stop a coon from drowning my hound - I went back in and dove under about 15ft of near freezing water in the middle of the night after her.

Definitely going to be a bittersweet day when I pass it on to my own son, but he's only 6months old, so me and the old girl have a few years left together!!!
 
For out plinking at tin cans and such my go to is a heavy barreled Ruger 10/22.

If any kind of hunting is being done I pack A Ruger 10/22 Magnum.
 
Originally Posted By: keyston44Henry H001 lever action with Skinner peep sights.

Key

Good choice.
Henry makes a great little 22 for the money.
I have the Frontier model with Williams peep in 22WMR. Super accurate and great for treed critters.
Still like my old M39 better but my Henry ain't going anywhere.
 
Originally Posted By: rookie7Would any of you change your selection if the shtf and you had to grab one to bug out with?

Yea,,, I'd change it to something I could get ammo for.
 
Henry Lever Action for a few years now. I bounce around a bit.

I just got a CZ 455 since I'm a sucker for an accurate bolt action. I may pick up a NIB 452 if I can find one at a decent price. I'd like a mint Nylon 66 too though...tough to find.
 
Originally Posted By: RePeteOriginally Posted By: rookie7Would any of you change your selection if the shtf and you had to grab one to bug out with?

Yea,,, I'd change it to something I could get ammo for.


+1

22 and 22wmr is fairly hard to come by around here.

Plus I'm not bugging out to anywhere, I got everything I need right here at home.
 
Originally Posted By: GCWhat would an AR style .22 Long Rifle do for me that my M39A wouldn't?

I don't know. That's why I'm asking. I have both though.

In a bug out or survival/apocalyptic situation I would think any .22 rifle that uses a detachable magazine would be inferior to a rifle that uses a tube magazine.

The magazines (even though they are faster to reload the rifle if the mag is loaded) can be lost. If you lose your magazines, now you are limited to a single-shot rifle that isn't easy or quick to reload. Much less to lose with a marlin model 60, 39, or a Henry lever.

Just my thoughts. If I had to bug out, I would take all my .22s. It's much easier to carry 10K rounds of .22 than it is of any other caliber. In a pinch, the .22 will get the job done.

I want 2 more rifles: a Henry Golden Boy in .22 mag, and a Marlin model 60. I already have a 39A that I bought new in 1983. It now wears a Skinner peep.

JMO.
 
rookie7...Quote:It's much easier to carry 10K rounds of .22 than it is of any other caliber. In a pinch, the .22 will get the job done. ....This is a "Go To .22 thread", not a survival one...
 
Either my Browning 22 auto or the Browning T-Bolt (1966 model). Of course if I took my old Rem. 121 Field Master all would be well.
Tuco
 
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