No need to just rush out and buy just because you've got a little cash. Take your time and wait if need be, save a bit and you'll be able to buy a better firearm. No need to settle for something less expensive now when just a bit more will get you a better model.

Saying you won't do any upgrades to a 10/22 is like saying you wouldn't want better performance and a bit of personalization - it's bound to happen even if there's no immeadiate intentions.

well the marlin and ruger both sound awwsome and the marlin being less expensive and not being able to be customized and the ruger a little more and can be customized. When i got to dicks i will look at every .22 they have and feel them and see what one i like. i really like the sound of both ruger and marlin

Bad qualities of ruger-usually lousy out of box trigger pull,less than steller accuracy. Marlin used to have a lot of problems with malfunctions-especially the older 1s,they only have grooved recievers for tip off .22 rings only,the tubular magizine is prone to being bent easily,and you cannot change/upgrade barrels. The remington 597 is prone to malfunction.

how do you make the ruger more accurate and fix the trigger pull?

The easiest way to do both is with drop-in trigger/barrel/stock parts. The first thing to do is get a hammer,sear,and spring kit for it. for ideas on upgrades go to www.midwayusa.com or www.brownells.com

how much would this all cost and what exactly would i need?

I've owned all three of these guns,I would chose a worn out ruger 10/22 over either of the other two,the marlins are alright,but as they wear some they start to jam every now and then,the 597 I owned was new as was the others,it functioned alright with no jams but the synthetic stock felt so cheap and flimsy,like a toy not a gun,the ruger I bought is the only one of the three that I still have,it is accurate enough with the factory barrel to kill squirrels in the tallest trees,they come with a scope base.The marlin shot good enough for squirrels also,but after several thousand rounds it started to jam occaisionally,no matter how clean or what kind of ammo.I've had way better luck with the ruger,the triggers aren't great but most 22 semi-auto's dont have target triggers,but you can easily get one for the ruger.My honest choice would be the ruger,you can get one for under 200,and most of the time you do get what you pay for,then save up a little more and get a 3x9x40 scope and you will become a small game nightmare,you should have lots of good years of service from the ruger mine is about 21years old now and has looked better,but it's rode years behind my truck seat and functions flawlessly every time.Just my personal opinion,you may decide differently.good luck.

The bottom line is all three basic models are $200 disposable rifles. Great for all around play. When I was younger I used to buy a bunch of cheap guns. Andthats what I got, a cheap gun.Don't get me wrong,I have so many guns I can't count them. Some are cheap ones too. But as I got older I went for the better quality higher end gunswhich you won't get in your price range. You have another post asking about upgrading. The only one of the three that you can upgrade would be the ruger, and that would cost you another $300-800 depending on the upgrades.For what you are asking and at your value range, just get the one that fits you the best andyou are happy with.None of them will put youin the olympics.

are both the marlin and ruger accurate out of the box? how much will upgrades for trigger and accuracy cost me?

Spend a little bit more and get a ruger 10/22.