Good General Purpose .22

[warren5421]

I am looking for a good general purpose .22 LR/.22 mag rifle to dispatch tree rats. The reds have pushed the grays out and are becoming a pest so I want to decrease the population and have some good eating. Longest shot would be 50-60 yards but most for a time will be more like 50 feet. My .45-70 Sharps is just a little over kill. I do have a .25-20 Marlin that works will but don't want to bang it up keeping it in the truck or on the tractor.

[Pine Baron]

My current .22 GP is an AR-7. Very handy, but used to be picky on the ammo, until I solved it by working the mags. I do miss my old Marlin 60 though.

[dverna]

Further to what PB posted. My buddy has a Marlin 60 and for a cheap gun it is amazingly accurate. You cannot go wrong with one, and if it gets a scratch or three it is not the end of the world.

Check your laws a loaded gun in a truck/UTV is not permitted in some areas.

[autogun]

A ruger 10/22 will work.

[roysha]

While the Marlin and Ruger are quite satisfactory, given the fact that 22 RF is comparatively dirty and you want this for a truck and/or tractor gun, which would add to the "dirt" situation, I believe I would opt for a manually operated rifle. I know, everyone but me cleans their 22 every day whether it is shot or not, but just in case a cleaning is missed, the bolt gun will more than likely forgive you whereras, I have had, on occasion, auto loaders malfunction because of grunge.

Both Mossberg and Savage make very nice synthetic stocked bolt guns that would meet your accuracy criteria quite easily with the selected ammo. Plus they are very economically priced.

[Sgt H]

Ruger American rimfire is another good option. It has the advantage IMO of using 10/22 mags, one of the best magazine systems for 22 available. Ruger has stainless/synthetic models available. Another plus is they are flush fit, less to hang up getting in or out of a vehicle. The Savage has mags that are flush fit also but I feel the Ruger is a better mag and time proven. I have an 8351 Ruger American that shoots .5" or a bit less with Eley club and consistently under .75" with CCI SV at 50 yards. Rifle has a Vortex 4x16 with MRAD reticle.

[BFJ]

Sgt H is spot on. I have CZ's, Ruger 77/22, Marlin 39, my Ruger American is accurate as the rest. Many models to chose from. And the 10/2 mag is hard to beat.

[hoodat]

Go old school with a little single shot of some kind. I've always got my eyes open for the old "boys rifles", and now have about five of them. Three of them take turns as my favorites, and a couple others still need a little work. They were made for banging around, and will shoot the tits off a squirrel out to 50 yards. jd

306535

[Misery-Whip]

Savage rascal, and teach a neigbor kid to shoot and help you.

[uscra112]

Go old school with a little single shot of some kind. I've always got my eyes open for the old "boys rifles", and now have about five of them. Three of them take turns as my favorites, and a couple others still need a little work. They were made for banging around, and will shoot the tits off a squirrel out to 50 yards. jd

306535

AMEN! Stevens Favorites or Crackshots, Remington #4s preferred here, but there's a Hopkins & Allen 822 with a Marlin 60 barrel on it that gives all the rest a run for their money. NOTHING is easier to keep clean than these old single shots.

[Bigslug]

Any bolt action with a clean bore and the capacity to accept a scope should do ya. I wouldn't do an autoloader out of desire to shoot more quiet ammo that might not cycle one.

[uscra112]

For a bolt single shot not much beats a Marlin 15Y. Easy to put a scope on, too. The one I bought to teach grandsons is still around here. Light and compact, easy to deploy quickly when a shot offers.

BTW I learned to hate reds when I was in Michigan, because they would destroy wood duck nests.

[FrankJD]

Cheap s/s bolt Crickett w/cheap Crickett 4x32 scope. My fave rat killer until I sold it.
https://i.imgur.com/0A9EMiO.jpg

Now it's a modded Savage MKII FV, heavy bbl. Apachee 1lb trigger, Spike Camp stock, 4-16x44 glass. Nice.
https://i.imgur.com/dep8EbW.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiO8LZJtcuk

[BadgerShooter]

I know they are sort of expensive, but a CZ452 is fantastic. There is/was a 452 trainer for sale on this site for the last several days. Super good iron sights and solid with a scope. I picked up a used 452 Varmint a couple of years ago. It shoots solidly sub minute at 100 with the right ammo and I have shot inch groups at 200 with it on a good day. It's minute of squirrel eyeball at 50 yards.

The cool thing about the sporter is that it is an excellent gun for CMP Sporter Rimfire competition just the way it is.
Another thing I really like about the 452's is they are solid steel and wood. Well made and extremely rugged.

[Geezer in NH]

Most 22lr with a scope will work. Get a good 22 scope you can adjust Paralex on. It will cost double your rifle.

Top Contender to me would be a 10-22, aftermarket barrel and a trigger kit, Fit barrel to stock or get a replacement for it. I would accept 1/2-3/4 inch at 50-100 yards. It will be a killer on squirrels.

Also need great ammo target stuff not cheap HP's

[trails4u]

For your intended purposes...I would buy a 10/22 and never look back. Inexpensive, accurate, dependable and about as modular as an AR. If your needs/wants change....you can change the 10/22 easily and relatively inexpensively.

[Texas by God]

At the ranges that you stated, I’d get a 510 Remington single shot .22 bolt action with original sights.
Mines not for sale, just saying.

[uscra112]

Nobody's yet mentioned those Henry lever actions. Expensive, but by most accounts accurate out of the box. I'd offer a Marlin 39a, except that I wouldn't keep it on a tractor. That calls for something you won't mind getting beat-up. Also short and light, no spendy scopes, no tripods, no 24" bull barrels. 10/22 fills the bill, except that the OEM barrels shoot patterns, not groups. (Mine once took four shots to anchor a woodchuck at ~25 yards. Sold it the following month.) Back to the "boys' rifles", 18" barrels, irons or slim scopes, traditional stocking.

[sigep1764]

My CZ 455 is awesome, but thats not really general purpose. If you go semiautomatic, the Marlin Model 60 can’t be beat for accuracy and availability. If you want bolt action, the Savage B22 is accurate and inexpensive. I have an FVSR with the heavy barrel and it is wonderful as well. I’d look for a composite stocked version of either of those rifles for knock around purposes with an adjustable objective scope.

[Sig]

My very first firearm, a Mossberg 144 given to me about 35 years ago is ridiculously accurate. Back when my eyes were better I could put 7 shots at 50 yards within a dime with peep sights.

[GhostHawk]

I have to agree with Trails4u. I have a Ruger 10/22 that I got back in the mid 70's when they were still made with walnut stocks.

For the first 20 years I shot it totally stock with iron sights. Then as I got into my 40's my eyes said no more iron sights.

So I "borrowed" my dad's Bushnell Banner 2x7 variable which came off his .270 deer gun for a 1x5. Had it l mounted by a pro. And for the next 20 years I was whistling death in the woods. Often taking shots out past 100 yards. 1 shot, 1 kill. Eventually the Banner died. Replaced with a Simmons and as it was in the middle of the 15 cents per round .22lr era it got zero'd, cleaned, wiped down, put away. Have not shot it since. One of these days I should as ammo is back around 6 cents.

[pertnear]

Okay, if the truth be told, you can't go wrong with just about any .22 rifle you pick up. The trick is to find the ammo it likes best & get a supply.

If I had to decide on just one, I agree a Ruger 10/22 is a great rifle mainly because you can easily customize it & parts are readily available. Lots of info & help available on the rifle. The only down side to a semi-auto is if you want to shoot sub-sonic, "quiet" ammo. The ammo won't operate the mechanism & you have to do it manually. If that's an issue, a pump would be a good choice.

JIMHO

[compass will]

my favorite is the 17HMR. its a "bang flop" gun. The gun goes bang, the rodent goes flop

[racepres]

my favorite is the 17HMR. its a "bang flop" gun. The gun goes bang, the rodent goes flop

Really cheap ammo too.....NOT

[725]

Whichever you prefer will work. It's the shooter most of the time and not the gun, per se, that makes the shot. I like the 10/22 alot, also, the Henry lever action. That Henry is the most accurate .22 I've ever shot.

[BLAHUT]

Just about any cheap .22 bolt will be accurate when you fine the ammo it likes ? That's the hard part, finding the ammo it likes, You will need to try every brand available. But there is the fun and a lot of trigger time.

[rbuck351]

Any older Savage, Mossberg or Remington bolt gun with a good bore will do what you want and you should be able to find a good one for $125 or so. I just picked up an old Remington M41 with a good bore for $105 that I expect to be a very good shooter.I haven't had a chance to scope it to see what it will do.

[robg]

1022 is my pick ,its better than me out to 50 yards .for real accuracy i use my bsa martini lefty international.

[georgerkahn]

Further to what PB posted. My buddy has a Marlin 60 and for a cheap gun it is amazingly accurate. You cannot go wrong with one, and if it gets a scratch or three it is not the end of the world.

Check your laws a loaded gun in a truck/UTV is not permitted in some areas.

Don once again hit the nail on its head with his post!!! Marlin 60s and equivalent generally are quite inexpensive to get, and function quite nicely. 306594 Don Verna mention "local laws" -- in the state in which I reside one may not even lean (have touching) a firearm with rounds in it any motorized conveyance!

Re this limitation, I have an old Mossberg bolt action .22 as the "tractor" firearm of my choice, with its magazines in my trouser pockets. As this rifle fires S-L-LR, I have one mag filled with shorts (left pocket) and the other (right pocket) with long rifle cartridges. At varmint ranges I shoot at there's not a significant POI between the two ammos. And, quite frankly, I aim (pun intended) to use the shorts when I can -- primarily to keep firing sound as low as possible.
geo

[schutzen-jager]

the Remington series of bolt .22's produced from 1939 till the mid 60's are dependable , accurate , + still available in most areas below $150.00 - steel + walnut , only plastic part was the butt plate - parts availability is still good because so many were produced -

[Digital Dan]

Had occasion about 20 years back to pick up a T/C Contender Carbine for plinking squirrel, match barrel .22 short. A 25 yard target when I zeroed the piece.
https://imgur.com/ah8rkFz

It put down a rather large number of squirrel, but to my surprise it also put down more hogs than the average plinker would imagine, with .22 CB shorts. My favorite load for squirrel was a modest cache of .22 BB and CB Caps.

https://imgur.com/CzbgttY

[oldhenry]

I agree with georgerkahn & schutzen-jager above ^^

The Mossberg 152 (semi-auto) & 142 & 142A (bolt) are carbine length & are handy. As georgerkahn states the 142/142A magazines are capable of LR or shorts.

Regarding the Remington 500 series: I have one of each & they are as accurate as any present high end (high price) models. My most accurate is a 511 that I bought in '74 from a pawn shop in Atlanta for $32.50. It looks like death warmed over. The PO had attempted to mount a side mount scope on the left side of the stock (not in the metal, but with screw holes in the stock). Most of my .22 rf rifles have undergone a face lift, but I would not consider changing anything on that particular gun: it's beauty is in how it shoots. Maybe screw holes in the left side of the stock is a well-kept accurizing secret (I have always suspected that harmonic science involves a certain amount of black Majic).

[jimlj]

About any used, beat up pawn shop .22 will fit your needs. Years ago I bought a Glenfield bolt action at a pawn shop for $10. It was ugly and beat but very accurate. Spent most of it’s life with me under the seat of the truck. The end of many sod poodles and squeakies.

[murf205]

Do any of you have a Marlin 60 and have tried the CCI Quiet ammo in it? I have an old 552 Remington that cycles them like a champ. Of course it is, like the Marlin 60, a short, long, long rifle gun which may have the softer spring to cycle the shorts. CCI advertises the 45 gr ammo for semi auto's. If a 10/22 would cycle them, that would ad another rifle to the mix.

[sigep1764]

I have not ran CCI Quiet in my Marlin 60s, but they run CCI SV with no issues.

[Shawlerbrook]

Lot of great suggestions and they all will work. Really depends on what type action( semi auto, bolt, lever, pump, etc) you prefer. For in and out of a vehicle I would go with a removable magazine rather than tube fed. That probably means bolt or semi. If you tend toward a lever the plain Jane Henry H001 used to be around $250 new and is a great little gun. For a semi hard to beat the 10/22.

[uscra112]

Yeah, the magazine tube on a Model 60 is too easy to dent. Ditto most lever guns.

Nobody cares if you trash the finish on a 10/22.

[murf205]

Yeah, the magazine tube on a Model 60 is too easy to dent. Ditto most lever guns.

Nobody cares if you trash the finish on a 10/22.

That reminds me of my buddies 10/22. He lives on the Kenai Peninsula and his rifle has NEVER been cleaned and has zero finish on the metal or wooden stock. The last time his grand kids were there, he gave them a brick of Remington Thunderbolts which are pretty nasty IMHO and they ran through them in less than 2 days with not a single FTF or misfire. He has owned the gun for decades and shoots it a lot. One tough little gun.

[Photog]

For hunting there are a couple of things that need to be considered, like transport, ammo changes (like no-powder, subsonic, high-velocity), sights, scopes, and fit to the shooter. I find that I am best with my Marlin 925.
Some points for the bolt action, mag fed setup:
1. easy to unload after hunting - tube fed rifles are a pain to unload (if you can't legally transport loaded this is HUGE)
2. ammo is less finicky in bolt action
3. subs work better in bolt action.
4. you can swap ammo mid-hunt just by changing mags. I carry a mag of CCI blazer (very accurate and not super expensive) for backup long shot but will normally just hunt with Aguila subsonic as its easier on the ears, won't scare as much game and kills rabbits/squirrels all the same. They both work just fine in a bolt.
5. the Marlin 925 is cheap, has a wood stock, nice length of pull, not to light, not too heavy, has decent open sights and is plenty accurate. I got mine on Gunbroker for less than $100 missing a mag.

[uscra112]

'Course all of that applies to a single-shot, too.

[warren5421]

I ended up with a Greenfield/Mossburg single shot that buba cut the stock and added a rubber recoil pad. He did keep the barrel clean as can't see any pitting. Open sights but will get a scope as old eyes don't work will with the open sights

[FergusonTO35]

Henry H001T or Ruger American Rimfire with receiver sight loaded with Winchester Power Points. I have both and they are awesome.

[15meter]

Any bolt action with a clean bore and the capacity to accept a scope should do ya. I wouldn't do an autoloader out of desire to shoot more quiet ammo that might not cycle one.

I've got single shot and clip fed bolt action 22's, clip fed and tube fed semiautomatics. I'll shoot everything from CB caps to the fastest in any of them.

If the action doesn't open on a semiautomatic, is it any different to pull the charging handle manually then operating a standard bolt gun?

Sounds like a straight pull bolt gun to me.

Or am I going to cause the downfall of western civilization because I'm doing irreparable damage to my semiautomatics?

[trapper9260]

I see no one said about the Savage Mod 24 in 22/410 . That would work also. I got one and like it .

[rintinglen]

As has been said, there are scores of suitable gun. About 4 years ago I got a Norinco copy of a Browning 22 Autoloader for a hundred bucks that has proven to be a real fun little gun to shoot. T'is a bit awkward to scope, but mine shoots well enough for headshots out to 40 yards.

[Texas by God]

I ended up with a Greenfield/Mossburg single shot that buba cut the stock and added a rubber recoil pad. He did keep the barrel clean as can't see any pitting. Open sights but will get a scope as old eyes don't work will with the open sightsGot pics?
Sounds like a sound choice.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I am looking for a good general purpose .22 LR/.22 mag rifle to dispatch tree rats. The reds have pushed the grays out and are becoming a pest so I want to decrease the population and have some good eating. Longest shot would be 50-60 yards but most for a time will be more like 50 feet. My .45-70 Sharps is just a little over kill. I do have a .25-20 Marlin that works will but don't want to bang it up keeping it in the truck or on the tractor.
I suggest a CZ, look on the used market.



I know they are sort of expensive, but a CZ452 is fantastic. There is/was a 452 trainer for sale on this site for the last several days. Super good iron sights and solid with a scope. I picked up a used 452 Varmint a couple of years ago. It shoots solidly sub minute at 100 with the right ammo and I have shot inch groups at 200 with it on a good day. It's minute of squirrel eyeball at 50 yards.

The cool thing about the sporter is that it is an excellent gun for CMP Sporter Rimfire competition just the way it is.
Another thing I really like about the 452's is they are solid steel and wood. Well made and extremely rugged.
Years ago, I had a CZ452 American...while it functioned great, something about it, I didn't like, maybe the stock just didn't fit me?

Fast forward to 3 months ago, at the local gunshow. I was surprised to see a fella carrying a older (1990s) CZ452 Lux for sale. While it showed some age, it shoots like a dream...best $400 I ever spent.

[truckjohn]

I would say look at the specific squirrel hunting you will do and buy according to that need....

For example, shooting squacks off a feeder from inside the house. Ranges are short, but not making a mess on the carpet is key. Weight is not a consideration but precision is. Neither is scope magnification, as the range and spot is basically fixed. Pick a scoped bolt action that rides well in your bags. Bolt action means it won't fling burning powder/brass onto the carpet. Long barrels cut the racket, which can be deafening in the house.

Tromping around in the dark squirrel woods... You'll be carrying a gun on top of your kit. Weight and comfort carrying is a premium, as you'll be moving around a lot. Many shots will be offhand or from hasty field positions. Ranges are often fairly short - under 25 yards, but the exact distances are all over the place from 10-feet to thirty yards. Shots could be up or down depending. Squacks move around a lot. Optics - not so much. I like hi-viz iron sights, but a bright 1-3 scope with thick crosshairs would do. Semi-autos rule here, as a quick follow up shot is welcome as is not fumbling with a bolt. Levers and pumps are good here, too. Short barrels don't tangle or snag quite as badly, and weigh less too. The noise and flinging brass isn't an issue. So they tend to win.

So you see how it goes. Figure out what you're going to do, then work your choice to fit that.

[15meter]

I am looking for a good general purpose .22 LR/.22 mag rifle to dispatch tree rats. The reds have pushed the grays out and are becoming a pest so I want to decrease the population and have some good eating. Longest shot would be 50-60 yards but most for a time will be more like 50 feet. My .45-70 Sharps is just a little over kill. I do have a .25-20 Marlin that works will but don't want to bang it up keeping it in the truck or on the tractor.

45-70 ought to work, knew a dude who used 338 Win Mag with a light cast load.

He claimed he waited for them to be on the back side of a 2-3" branch. You know, the kind where you saw fur on both sides of branch. Center up the branch and pull the trigger.

But he's a strange dude.

The strange kind of dude that takes the battery out of his car every night during the winter and takes it in the house. Makes his battery last longer.

That kind of strange.

And that's one of Rick's more normal stories.

I've been questioned on the veracity of the "Soybeans in Skeet Loads" story.

There are somethings you just don't need to embellish.

[robertbank]

No one mentioned the Marlin Papoose. I read about this model years ago and kinda always wanted one. A bit like a bad back itch it just never was going away. Ran into one on one of our gun forums up here last summer. I think paid a bit north of $600Cdn for it. The gun turned out to be as NEW. What a fun little shooter. Reliable as tomorrow's sunrise. The darn thing runs every type of LR I can find. Dirt cheap stuff to Match. I now use it for 22 Rimfire matches up here. I put a Vortex Crossfire red dot on it and away I go.

A bad back and a tired body limits walking any distance these days, so I tend to stick to action shooting competitions that don't require a lot of running about and the rimfire events fit that to a tee.

For the younger crowd <40 try to find one, you won't be disappointed.

Take Care

Bob

[Eddie Southgate]

Remington m24 or 241
Winchester 63

[ddeck22]

Another vote for the Marlin 60. I have one in stainless steel with a synthetic stock. Won't matter if it gets wet or dinged. This was a model from the early 2000's (60SSK)

[Rodfac]

This one works for me...a Marlin 39 Century Ltd with a 2x Leupold Alaskan up top. It's accounted for grackles by the bushel. Best regards, Rod

https://i.postimg.cc/NfRB1NyN/Marlin-Century-Ltd.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Rusty Goose]

I have a little Browning BL22 that is a kick shoot. The crazy short lever throw is really fun. It is so different than my 39A. Just a flick of the fingers, the trigger moves with the lever.

I'll add one to the NOT list. The Stevens M70 Visible Loader (miserable loader). Mine continually lives up to its moniker. Beautiful to look at, fun to cycle and shoot. But when you need it for an important shot, it'll choke every time.

[farmbif]

I had a visible loader. it would only fire about 1 out 10 trys. the way the end of the chamber is angled to a sharp edge it is very prone to chipping if dry fired. I'm guessing thats what had happened to the gun I had before I got it. many of them were used as gallery guns in carnivals and fairs. fixing one is not easy to begin with, and very expensive unless you can do it yourself, parts unobtainable. I was very lucky to find someone who really wanted that gun and made a trade where I came out about $600 ahead more than the less than $100 I paid for it.
I would not recommend the visible loader to anyone
as far a knock around 22's. there are lots of options. I guess my all around favorites are the 39a mountie, marlin 60 and 10-22, Remington 572's are a lot of fun too and the Henry is very smooth operating. but its pretty hard to beat the old Winchester slide action 22's, like the 1906, the 61 and 62,.
22's are kind of like potato chips it hard to settle with just 1

[scattershot]

Hard to beat a 10/22. Although, my buddy has a Marlin 60 that he shoots prairie dogs with out to 200 yards plus. I’ve seen him do it.

[uscra112]

It's mighty surprising that the M70 "Risible Loader" stayed in the line as long as it did.

[stubshaft]

IIRC - They make an insert for the Sharps to shoot 22lr's. My general go to 22's are an old Marlin 39 and a Remington 552.

[Texas by God]

The Stevens Miserable Loader earned the nickname- by earning the nick name. It would malfunction just sitting in the gun rack, it seems. The Marlin model 38 .22 pump was also badly designed- a shell carrier that has to climb a ramp to work? How drunk was that designer?
10-22s are great guns, the trigger and accuracy are usually so-so in my experience ( I’ve owned three).
Marlin/Glenfield model 60 is very good, accurate and reliable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[FergusonTO35]

No one mentioned the Marlin Papoose. I read about this model years ago and kinda always wanted one. A bit like a bad back itch it just never was going away. Ran into one on one of our gun forums up here last summer. I think paid a bit north of $600Cdn for it. The gun turned out to be as NEW. What a fun little shooter. Reliable as tomorrow's sunrise. The darn thing runs every type of LR I can find. Dirt cheap stuff to Match. I now use it for 22 Rimfire matches up here. I put a Vortex Crossfire red dot on it and away I go.

A bad back and a tired body limits walking any distance these days, so I tend to stick to action shooting competitions that don't require a lot of running about and the rimfire events fit that to a tee.

For the younger crowd <40 try to find one, you won't be disappointed.

Take Care

Bob

I have the non-takedown version, the model 995 and it is an excellent little gun. Put untold thousands of nasty cheap-mart bulk ammo through it as a kid and she still runs to this day.

If your budget is really tight, look at the Rossi RS-22. It's a clip fed Marlin copy and shoots great. So far mine has been just as accurate and reliable as my 10/22 and eats cheap ammo no problem. The fiber optic sights take some getting used to but work surprisingly well and are fully adjustable. Tech Sights for the Mossberg Plinkster fit perfectly and are reasonably priced.