RE: what is better for a first time .22 buyer?
Since you didn't say what you want to use it for, I'd say get something you can afford and enjoy. I remember shooting Remington's Nylon 66's when I was a kid (they were cheap back then) and I always enjoyed shooting Browning's lever action because it was like a cowboy gun. That Browning lever is very accurate and I recently bought one (they're not cheap either) for nostalgia's sake. I also have a Ruger 10-22 that I want to trick out with a bull barrel, pricey scope, etc. and make a 100-yard groundsquirrel gun that is cheap to shoot but will be expensive to build (go figure).