Hey,
I'm looking to begin building my rifle collection. I'm a young 19 year old guy with little rifle experience. Right now I own 3 shotguns but no rifles. I'm looking for a good, inexpensive, and most of all reliable .22 and .35 rifles. Does anyone have any suggestions? Band doesn't really matter, just quality and the most bang for my buck.

Jim, What kind of hunting are you doing? What kind of game, ranges, etc.? Are you talking about a .22 rimfire or a 22 cal centerfire? Also, what kind of 35 cal. cartridge you looking for? 35 Rem., 35 Whelen, 358 Win, etc? What kind of actions?
Put in another post and be a little more specific.
If your looking for say a .22 rimfire and a 35 Rem. you could look into Marlin lever actions. That way you could have 2 rifles with similar handling characteristics. The prices are reasonable and the quality is definately there.

Thank you for your response. I'm hunting primarly deer and possibly, in the next 5 to 10 years black bear. I don't know what the difference is between 35 rem and the 35 Whelen cartridges. Honestly, I just didn't know that there was a centerfire .22 cal. I thought that all .22's came in a rimfire cartidge.

I plan on shooting this in the Pennsylvania woods, meaning a good amount of brush and not too many open spaces. So a range of about 100 - 150 yards with the .35.

My older brother owns a .35 Marlin lever action and sold me on the idea of the heavy hitting 35. I'm just not sure of the make and model I should purchase. Although, I was told by someone else, that I should purchase a bolt-action because they are more accurate. I don't know if this is true or not, but I do like the look of them.

I was interested in the newer Remington 673 Guide Rifle in a 350 Rem Mag. The .22 I plan on using primarly for target practice, squirrels and rabbits. Thanks Bronko.

JQ
Any of the Marlin 336 models in .35 are good choices, the 336D is the "guide" version with the 18.5" barrel. This model is tough to find and pricy. I had been hunting with my 336/35cal for 15 years and absolutely love it. My son now totes it and I made the jump to the 444 big bore, what a kick in th pants to shoot and hunt with. As for the 35 Whelen, I traded the one I built on a K98 action to a bud for the new 444. Nice bullet as it is the 30-06 punched out to .358 and packs alot of power at both ends. It was just to long & heavy for my style of hunting (thick brush & swamp) The center fire 22's they speak of are mainly classified in the "varmint" areas, rounds like the 223, 22-250, 221 rem. fireball and the like. If you hunt the thick stuff take a look at the Marlin 1895GS in the historical 45/70 caliber 18.5" barrel stainless. That will be my next purchase.

Bolt actions may be more accurate than levers on average. But for shots within 150 yds, just about all of the levers out there will be accurate enough for shooting deer. Buy the action type that you like, and make sure the rifle fits you well. Many guys buy whatever everyone else has, and start off going down the wrong road. Pick up a bunch of rifles and action types and see what feels best to you. you should be able to cycle the action comfortably without taking the gun off your shoulder. I would really consider buying a used rifle in good condition.

For a 35 cal, I would look for a used Marlin in .356 Win (Hard to find) or 35 Rem (new or used). Browning makes a lever in 358 win. Of those 3, the 358 is the winner in my book, but any of these will suit your needs. The Browning will be more expensive, especially for a new one.

The 350 mag is a great round, never sold well for some reason. If you plan to handload it could be a good choice. The 356 can be tough to find ammo for too. 35 Rem and 358 Win should be available, but of those 2 the 35 Rem will probably be easiest to find.

I like the Remington Model 673 chambered in 350-Remington.

I went for the Browning 358 BLR. It shoots well, the ammo is available locally for me and i hand load which dramatically increases my choice of bullet weights and styles. This lever has no trouble of shooting 1 MOA and i picked it up used for $350.

If you happen to luck into a Savage 99 in 358 Win that would be the way to go. 35 Rem is ok, but 358 Win or 356 Win is much better. Unfortunately Savage 99s are rare in 358 Win and Marlins are rare in 356 Win. You can get a Browning BLR in 358 Win but it might be out of your budget.

For the life of me I can't figure out why people like the Savage 99. They actions are rough, the triggers suck, the receiver is round in the back which makes drilling and tapping it next to impossible to do if Savage didn't do it when they made it, and they are ugly as home made soap. Sorry frizzellr.[&:]

For a first big game rifle I would highly reccomend a compact bolt action rifle in 308, 7mm-08, 257 Roberts, 260 Rem, 6mm rem. Thick woods or long range it would make a very effective and versatile rifle. The .308 would be, by far, the easiest to find a wide range of ammo just about any where you go. It is an extremely versatile round that will allow you to hunt everything from coyote size animals up to elk and moose.

I would top it with a compact scope in the 2-7X or 2-8X range. The 2 power will be plenty low enough to give you very fast target aquasition in the thick stuff.

Don't believe any of that "brush busting" junk that you may here about the big bore bullets. There is no such thing as a bullet that will go through brush and not deflect. A big bullet will deflect just like a small bullet. A brush gun is simply a gun that is small and light enough to allow you to handle it quickly and easily in thick cover. This could be anything........ a bolt, lever, semi auto, or pump action.


I am not dismissing any of the other types of rifles as being very good rifles but for a first one you should pick one that will give you the most versatility and "bang for your buck". A lever action is not it IMO.

I agree with Bigbulls on the bolt actions rifle but I would get a 30/06. Scope choice is right on the mark----I would make it a Leupold probably a VX II. As far as a 22 rimfire, I like Savage. Again a bolt action.

You can find a good used bolt action in either 30/06 or 308. 22----I think my Savage was $140, new.