Cheap .22's...
 

Hey guys, how are the cheap Savage and Marlin .22lr semi-auto rifles?

IMO they are lemons and cherrys. Seems you get one that works with most any 22 ammo. Then you get one that doesn't seen to like anything. I have bought 3 or 4 of the model 60s over the years for the kids. As soon as they learned they had better luck with a bolt or a Ruger 10/22 the 60s were traded up.

Great, as long as you buy one that was built 20+ years ago!

Okay, cuz my bro in law wants to trade me a 30/06 Remmy 700 (donor action for me!!) for a .22, but for the price of a 10/22 I'd pretty much be better off just buying a bare action...so for getting shot maybe 20 times a year do you think the Savage would be worthy?

I have a mdl 60 and it works excellent. I also bought my daughter a clip fed Savage and it is a very good shooting gun. The stock on it is pretty cheap, but the rest of the gun is well made.

What? He is going to trade a 30-06 for a 22 and you think you would be better off buying a 700 action because it costs the same as a 10/22?

Do you speak English?

Try it again, Sherlock.

Well yeah...a 10/22 will be $300-350 after FFL transfer fees, background check etc...remember I'm in California. I don't care about the rifle, I only need the action...so instead of doing transfers on two rifles, I could just buy an action and have it sent direct to my smith without doing a transfer...thats where the CHEAP .22 comes in!

Buying an action requires the same FFL paperwork as a rifle.

True...but would only have to do it once...

So back to the original question...Savage/Marlin .22's?

True...but would only have to do it once...

So back to the original question...Savage/Marlin .22's?

I have both and they're both ok if you want just a plinking toy. If you can swing it, its definately worth goin for the 10/22. If not, then go for the marlin 60

I have had a 795 stainless for the past 2 years. I think it's a great .22 for the price. The trigger is ok, I'd prefer a little lighter of a pull, but I think liability concerns would make this comment fall on deaf ears as far as Marlin is concerned.

Like many .22s it has a decided preference as far as the ammo that it will shoot the most accurately. It cycles everything I've ever fed it however, I've never had any problems with jamming and I'm sure I have shot thousands of rounds through it.

I'm sure you can get more accuracy by paying more, but I don't require tack driving accuracy in a .22. With the right ammo, my Marlin will easily shoot golf ball sized groups all day long at 50 yards and that's plenty good for me.

I have never been impressed with the 10/22 and I'd take the 795 over the 10/22 any day of the week and twice on Sundays. The 795 easily beats every 10/22 I've ever shot as far as accuracy and the worst of the 10/22s was the one I owned for a brief period. No amount of tinkering with ammo would make that gun shoot anything better than tennis ball sized groups at 50.

Grouse