.22 semi-auto rifle suggestions?

i know nothing about rimfire rifles aside from the fact that there are a lot of them. i'm thinking about getting a semi-auto for plinking around the house. i want something that is as accurate as possible without spending more than, say, $300-400. are any of the .22 caliber AR15 clones accurate enough to do small game hunting/target shooting with? or should i stick to something more traditional for good accuracy? what are some suggestions?

Ruger 10/22 without question. Your hunt is over, go buy one and be done with it. Crap, now you can decide how to build it up from the "bazillions" of aftermarket parts available. This is the question now and not what "semi-auto" rimfire to buy. .02

Didn't Ruger make an AR style 10/22? That would probably be your perfect solution if you're wanting both.

Here you go!

http://www.ruger.com/products/sr22/models.html

The Ruger 10/22 is a great .22, but don't forget the best selling .22 rifle in the world the Marlin Model 60, lots a people say they are more accurate than the 10/22 in stock form. I have had mine for 35yrs, never kept a 10/22 more than a couple of years at the most.
Either one would make you a good hunting/plinking rifle. I just like the Marlins better.

The marlins a good gun. A little cheaper than the 1022.

wow, that was fast, LOL. i figured the ruger would be the top suggestion. i take it that both the ruger and marlin are pretty accurate out of the box?

Ruger 10/22s are great for plinking. I wouldn't say the basic 10/22 model is great for 100 yard shots, but tons of fun and reliable. Like others say, there are tons of accessories/upgrades for them available on the market. They are lots of fun!

Buy a Savage bolt action 22....

Of course the Ruger 10/22 is the most customizable gun in the world. Just not all that accurate. Depends on what you want it to do.

If you buy a Ruger 10/22 run the factory rotary mags...Think they even have 25 rd ones now

That's my 2 cents

i second (or is it third) the marlin model 60 if you are looking for a semi auto.. i picked one up at a pawn shop to resell and was difficult parting with it after i bought it... brand new, less than 160...

my s&w m&p 15-22 is accurate enough for small game. but is considerably higher than your listed price range. i love that little rifle. look for a deal...

not a big fan of the 10/22. dont know why. i love ruger...

if you want tack driver, get a bolt action... the savages are good, but so are the marlins.

speaking of marlin... my marlin levergun is plenty accurate for hunting. so are the henry's... man... now I'M confused... lol

I picked up a Marlin (well, actually Glenfield) Model 60 a while back at a pawn shop for $100 out the door. It wouldn't feed well, but after a good cleaning it runs like a champ. The only ammo I've ever shot in it is the el-cheapo stuff from Wally-World. I've only got iron sights, so I can't speak to the accuracy beyond about 20 yards. I can hit a tin can, though, and that's what counts.

Just today I saw a rifle very similar to mine, maybe a few years newer, at another local pawn shop. They were asking $99.99 for it. I'd bet you could get that one out the door for $100.

My recommendation depends on what you want to spend. I own a 10/22, and love it's customizable nature, but I have also shot Marlin model 60's and they are wonderful guns, and more accurate than my factory barreled 10/22. If you just want to buy a gun for relatively cheap, and get to shooting accurately, go for the 60, you won't be disappointed. But if you are willing to spend a little more, go for the 10/22 and put a Green Mountain barrel on it, and it should outshoot the Marlin, and most anything else except a good bolt action gun.

dbarnes357 wrote:My recommendation depends on what you want to spend. I own a 10/22, and love it's customizable nature, but I have also shot Marlin model 60's and they are wonderful guns, and more accurate than my factory barreled 10/22. If you just want to buy a gun for relatively cheap, and get to shooting accurately, go for the 60, you won't be disappointed. But if you are willing to spend a little more, go for the 10/22 and put a Green Mountain barrel on it, and it should outshoot the Marlin, and most anything else except a good bolt action gun.

I agree!!

i personally recomend yo get one of the two talked about the (glenfield) Marlin 60 or the ruger 10/22. you will not go wrong either way.

the 60 is my favorite all time gun but i love my 10/22 because i can coustomize it anyway i want. love shooting both.

10-22 - bull bbl.... the only Marlin I've shot is a friend's 17hmr...and sorry to say it was a POS...... the post says semi auto...10-22 period.

well, i know i said semi-auto but i would consider a bolt action if the difference in accuracy was very significant. i don't necessarily need a competition gun, but i would like it to be as accurate as possible out of the box so that i can work on my accuracy without worrying about the gun's accuracy.

as far as bolt guns, the savage 93 BRJ looks pretty promising. any opinions on something like that. it's actually a .22 WMR. how much difference is there between the .22LR and .22 WMR?

lpdb185 wrote:well, i know i said semi-auto but i would consider a bolt action if the difference in accuracy was very significant. i don't necessarily need a competition gun, but i would like it to be as accurate as possible out of the box so that i can work on my accuracy without worrying about the gun's accuracy.

as far as bolt guns, the savage 93 BRJ looks pretty promising. any opinions on something like that. it's actually a .22 WMR. how much difference is there between the .22LR and .22 WMR?

I would shoot for one of the heavy barrelled Savage Mk II's in. 22lr before I would consider a bolt. 22wmr. The ammo is expensive and IMO doesn't offer anything that a. 223 can't do better and for about the same price.

The 22WMR is only good for a North American or other derringer type gun. And then it is only mildly better than a .22 minimag.
I recommend the Savage bolt gun. I have yet to see a .22 AR that imulates a real AR unless you get an upper and the special mags. I think they would run over your $400 price doing that.
Someone who has done that could probably pipe in with more accurate numbers. BRich?

I used to love the 22 mag until I got a 17hmr. Now I wouldn't consider the 22mag if 17hmr was available. Ammo costs the same and is far more accurate and flat shooting.

I'd venture to say he got a bad one. Mine was a very dependable tack driving rifle. Never gave me a minutes trouble.

TomBomb wrote:10-22 - bull bbl.... the only Marlin I've shot is a friend's 17hmr...and sorry to say it was a POS...... the post says semi auto...10-22 period.