Why buy the .22?

[sholling]

We have the same shooting habits. I also shoot smallbore competition and the accuracy of those rifles is incredible. Have you ever tried Anschutz rifles?

I have a Model 64 MP/R but it's not as much fun as my custom 10/22s. The Annie weighs about a ton and can get a bit stubborn about ejecting spent rounds. I have a couple of 10/22 that's I've modified to shoot better than I can so I tend to reach for those. On the other hand that two-stage Anschutz trigger is amazing.

[Merc1138]

^^ thats a majority of what ive noticed. people being as cheap as possible; cheapest gun, cheapest ammo, you can probably recycle cans and fund your hobby if you wanted.

I first bought a 10/22 because i saw one on sale for $250 and figured "why not?" it quickly turned into a hobby of its own. I find it relaxing to sit at the range, and calmly and quietly make accurate holes in paper. you just sit there and focus on shooting and stop thinking about everything else. It hasnt really been super cheap, my 10/22 has about $800 in parts, and i dont buy crap ammo, but damn is it fun. I was having a crappy day so i went to the range, came back happy as could be, i even did the dishes that night.

Still cheaper than buying a custom centerfire rifle and shooting premium factory centerfire ammo.

[Dion]

Every time I open my safe to decide which gun to bring to the range, I always bring the .22 - sometimes it's the only gun I bring. It's one of the few guns you can take to any shooting station at the range. I can't take my 7.62X39 SKS to the 15 yard range if I wanted to, and my 9mm EAA Witness handgun wouldn't be very good (at least in my hands) at the 100yd. station - so the .22 rifle is a jack of all trades. Those examples are silly, but it's to make a point: the .22 is the Swiss Army knife of the gun world.

Unless you have a hopped up .22, I don't think they are superb at anything but shorter distance plinking, though. Good? Yes. Great? Debatable. I'm always impressed with those 200yd. small groups with 10/22's.

[JCM]

Good thread... I'm about to decide on a Marlin 795 with Turner's holiday pricing....

To teach kids about shooting though, does it make a difference on handgun vs rifle? That's kind of how I'm justifying the purchase to the wife. Personally I'd like to add a rifle to my collection since I already have 3 handguns.

[CmpsdNoMore]

Rifles are a LOT easier to learn to shoot for most people. the longer sighting radius and added stability of the stock are the main reasons.

One of my favorite .22 rifles is my Mossberg 702 plinkster with tech-sights. I'm not all that great with iron sights, but I can easily hit within 2 inches at 50 yards standing. Not bad for a $100 rifle.

[Merc1138]

Rifles are a LOT easier to learn to shoot for most people. the longer sighting radius and added stability of the stock are the main reasons.

One of my favorite .22 rifles is my Mossberg 702 plinkster with tech-sights. I'm not all that great with iron sights, but I can easily hit within 2 inches at 50 yards standing. Not bad for a $100 rifle.

Plus with kids, it's a lot easier to keep a rifle pointed in a safe direction, as well as identify(as the observer) which direction it's pointed in.

[rp55]

Get the Marlin 795. Excellent accuracy and fun shooter. Do not get a 10-22. At some point you will see a sweet aftermarket part for it and give in to temptation. It then becomes an obsession like gambling. Sooner or later you will get to the point where the only factory part on the rifle is the receiver. Mine is like that and for the money I have put into it could have bought an AR.

[softscrubb]

Going today to get the Marlin 795 from Turners.. ...

[aermotor]

Going today to get the Marlin 795 from Turners.. ...

That's really too bad. Should have went with the 10/22. Oh well.

I would get rid of my 795 in a heartbeat for another 10/22 if it wasn't worth practically nothing.

[Merc1138]

That's really too bad. Should have went with the 10/22. Oh well.

I would get rid of my 795 in a heartbeat for another 10/22 if it wasn't worth practically nothing.

We get it, you like the 10/22. Lay off the fanboy-ism already.

[aermotor]

Has nothing to do with fanboy, it's a better gun times 10.

[Merc1138]

Has nothing to do with fanboy, it's a better gun times 10.

Thank you for the stereotypical fanboy ridiculous statement that can't actually be quantified, but is made for the sake of trying to somehow prove your point

Why is it 10 times better? It's certainly not cost.

Does more aftermarket parts make it a better rifle?
No(if anything it shows a bigger demand to have to improve the thing out of the box).

Are there more sold, and does that make it better?
No, and no.

Is the 10/22 more accurate than a marlin "times 10"?
Definitely not, unless you've found a 10/22 that shoots groups 1/10th the size of a marlin.

Is it 10 times more durable?
Doubt it. I could probably break either of them against a telephone pole in just as many swings.

Will a marlin 60/795 hit tin cans at 100 yards like a 10/22? Yes.
Do they both shoot the same cartridge? Yes.
Can scopes, bipods, buttpads, and other common accessories be mounted to the 10/22 and marlins? Yes.
Are aftermarket stocks available so people have some options to get a stock that fits them better for their 10/22 or marlin? Yes.

edit: There is one definite advantage to a 10/22, that would be large capacity magazines. But not everyone has those as an available option.

[Dion]

Thank you for the stereotypical fanboy ridiculous statement that can't actually be quantified, but is made for the sake of trying to somehow prove your point

Why is it 10 times better? It's certainly not cost.

Does more aftermarket parts make it a better rifle?
No(if anything it shows a bigger demand to have to improve the thing out of the box).

Are there more sold, and does that make it better?
No, and no.

Is the 10/22 more accurate than a marlin "times 10"?
Definitely not, unless you've found a 10/22 that shoots groups 1/10th the size of a marlin.

Is it 10 times more durable?
Doubt it. I could probably break either of them against a telephone pole in just as many swings.

Will a marlin 60/795 hit tin cans at 100 yards like a 10/22? Yes.
Do they both shoot the same cartridge? Yes.
Can scopes, bipods, buttpads, and other common accessories be mounted to the 10/22 and marlins? Yes.
Are aftermarket stocks available so people have some options to get a stock that fits them better for their 10/22 or marlin? Yes.

edit: There is one definite advantage to a 10/22, that would be large capacity magazines. But not everyone has those as an available option.

I had a Marlin 60 and I have to say that it was ridiculously accurate out of the box, with open sights. I sold it to another CG'er, and I hope he's enjoying it.

I have an old Sears Mod 3T that is very, very accurate.

[Eljay]

Good thread... I'm about to decide on a Marlin 795 with Turner's holiday pricing....

To teach kids about shooting though, does it make a difference on handgun vs rifle? That's kind of how I'm justifying the purchase to the wife. Personally I'd like to add a rifle to my collection since I already have 3 handguns.

It's safer. There's a lot less of that "Look, I hit it" and then turning to the side and muzzle sweeping everybody. At Chabot you're supposed to be 8 to shoot rifles and 12 to shoot handguns just to throw some numbers out. (Although I've seen some awfully small "8 year olds" on the rifle range).

[Merc1138]

It's safer. There's a lot less of that "Look, I hit it" and then turning to the side and muzzle sweeping everybody. At Chabot you're supposed to be 8 to shoot rifles and 12 to shoot handguns just to throw some numbers out. (Although I've seen some awfully small "8 year olds" on the rifle range).

True, but I've seen some of those small "8 year olds" on the rifle range act a lot safer than some of the idiot adults there who aren't under child supervision.