Best ol 22 auto loadin rifle?????

[Marvin S]

Lets hear what you think was a great old 22 auto loading rifle that did not cost an arm and a leg.

My vote goes for the Pre War 6A Savage. The most accurate and reliable one I have had.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

I had a Black & Chrome Rem Nylon 66 when I was a teenager, it was cheap back then, but the prices now . . . WOW! . . . makes me wish I had kept it!

[autofix4u]

My vote goes to the Marlin model 60 & clones. I/we own about 15 of the darn things and each one shoots better than i can hold. With proper maint they are dead reliable, neglect then a little and you get a jam-O-matic.
Ok you can all burn me down for my love of the Marlin/Glenfields

[Mk42gunner]

I had an old Mossberg box magazine rifle that thought it was a target rifle. I think it was a Model 353??? The trigger was terrible, but it would outgroup the 10-22 that I had.

For newer rifles I like the Marlins, every one that I have had was more reliable than the Ruger 10-22.

Robert

[scb]

Remington 241

[JeffinNZ]

Hard to beat the 10/22 I would have thought.

[Gee_Wizz01]

I have a Belgian Browning .22 Auto. It is much more accurate than any stock 10/22 that I have owned. It is a sweet little rifle.

G

[deerslayer]

Marlin model 60. $139 out the door and they work great the best for the money in my book.

For me the even better part is just drop the bullets in and shoot no magazine spring to fight with for every round you stuff in just jam one rod in after loading.

After shooting mine one of my friends had to have one and bought a clipfed mossberg because they were out of marlins. After coming to the house and shooting a few times he traded it on a marlin and swore he would not go back to a clipfed .22.

[dbldblu]

Picked up a Marlin 60 at a pawn shop for $60. It is very accurate and very reliable. If you like to tinker, get a Ruger as there are tons of after market parts for them. If you want accurate out of the box get a Marlin 60.

[wills]

I always hankered after a Browning.

[hoosierlogger]

Another vote for the model 60. Dad bought me one as my first gun when I was 12 years old. I still have it and hunt squirrels with it every year. I can put 15 rounds of Federal bulk ammo in a spot the size of a nickle at 25 yards with it. Have never tried it with the good ammo.

[Lead Fred]

Got a 1979 Model 60, with the longer barrel and mag tube.

Yeah you can buy tons of stuff for the 10/22, Yet I dont need to.

[Marvin S]

The Marlin Glenfield 60 seems to be real popular, keep em coming. Right now I only have three 22 self loading rifles the Savage 6A, Winchester 74 and a Delux pre warning 10-22. I have owned the Mod 60s and Remington Nylon 66s in the past.

[HeavyMetal]

Back when I was in high school I picked up a used Mossberg from a retired farmer.

This was the 22 auto loader with the tube feed in the butt of the Mannlicher stock.

A huge asset to me in those days was the incrediable sight arrangement on this gun!

A fully adjustable peep on the rear that would fold sideways if I decided to add a scope, never did, and a selection of four flip up front sights mounted in a hooded ramp front sight base.

This thing was plain incrediable! I shot the snot out of it for about 10 years and lost it to a house fire caused by a dumb butt roomy!

Taught me two important things: alway value the treasures you find in your life and never have a roommate!

Sadly I have never found a decent replacement Mossberg, think it was the 151M autoloader, seen a lot of them missing parts, sights, and the fore stock. Seen many that were so shot out the feed mechanism was worn out and they sprayed ammo out the ejection port when fired.

Someday I will find another. In the mean time I have a Mossberg 353 bolt gun that was my sons that is almost as accurate.

I have a pair of 10/22's, one modified to english sporter style the other a real Mannlicher stocked 10/22 which is a very close second to the old Mossberg.

Shot tons of the Marlin Model 60's during grade school and high school. Nice reliable guns, if kept clean, but way to many of them out there for me to want one.

I like different but for a new shooter a model 60 would sure be a great place to start!

[Changeling]

Depends what you want to do, You would be hard pressed to ever find anything better for the money than a 10/22 relative to accuracy/handling/upgrading. It is accurate and can be made to be very accurate!

if your interest is totally "Accuracy" then you want to look at some of the benchrest .22's in bolt action. Be prepared to spend some big $$$$$$.

[oldhickory]

The Ruger 10/22 is the only auto loading .22 I've ever owned and I've been more than satisfied with it in all aspects for more than 30 yrs. I would buy a Marlin 60 in a heart beat for the right price though.

[Tom-ADC]

My nicest looking is a Remington 552 BDL my best shooting is an early Ruger 10/22 that I sent to Clarke years ago to have them do a job on it, that rifle is a tack driver period.

[dale2242]

9 million 10/22 owners can`t be too far wrong....dale

[mac1911]

remington 552 speedmaster 22short 22long 22LR load plink plink plink.........................simple,easy to clean and goes many rounds with out needing a cleaning.

New production models are not cheap, older used models can be found for short money

[txbirdman]

I believe the best autoloading 22 was the Winchester model 63. A nice one today will cost you $1000. I also like the Model 74. I bought a nice 1 made in 1939 for $175 last year. Obviously a lot more people agree with my 1st choice than with my 2nd. The most reliable .22 I ever owned (and indestructible) is the Nylon 66.

[9.3X62AL]

Over the years I've owned at least a dozen Ruger 10/22s, and every one of them was a reliable feeder/operator with a wide range of ammunition types. Accuracy is at least half-decent with all of them, and can be excellent with ammo they favor. About half of these examples are still in the family, distributed among the kids/nephews/friends' kids.

The most recent example is kinda par for the course. Bought as a 'beater' for 65 bucks, I threw a whatzis 4X scope on top of it just for grins before starting a "build" on the receiver. SHEESH! The Ugly Duckling ran 10-shotters at 50 yards from 1-1/8" down to 7/8"!! (CCI Mini Mags). It has stayed in that configuration, and has accounted for dozens of ground squirrels, crows, and jackrabbits--many of which were taken with head shots.

With that sort of track record, I can't recommend against a Ruger 10/22 in good conscience. There are other very good 22 rifles out there--the Marlin 60 and Nylon 66--but Ruger has been very good to me in this venue.

[peterthevet]

Another vote for the Browning .22 - my best mate at school ( and my shooting buddy ) and I would often buy a case of 22's (5,000) and then see how fast we could use them up shooting clods out of the air like the old time trick shooters!! Over the years we must have put 20 plus cases through that beautiful, lightweight,reliable, accurate rifle.....it was a joy to shoot!! How did we go with the clod busting.....well my mate got to the stage he could shoot 8 or 9 out of 10 consistently and fairly regularly could also connect on pieces from the main clod after the first shot!!!Pretty good shooting. I could regularly hit 6 or 7 out of 10....great fun and not that difficult with lots of practice.My mate shot a few birds out of the air with that rifle....not too shabby for a 22!!!!

[jmsj]

I've owned and worked on a ton of .22 rifles and my favorite has been and is the Ruger 10/22. With factory magazines they are highly reliable and very accurate w/ most any ammo. The only ammo I've found them to not shoot well is CCI stingers.

[krag35]

I have had several of the ruger 10/22 carbines, they all did what they were supposed to do and did it well. Now I have a 10/22 rifle, longer bbl, no bbl band, thing shoots way better than I can hold it.

[smkummer]

The Colt 22 auto came in 3 styles (Colteer, Stagecoach and Courier) but the Courier did away with western styling (western styling on a semi-auto?) and has the full size forearm, 20 in. barrel and pistol grip buttstock for a great balance. Feels and points steady, so just plink away with 15 shots in the tube. Just like Nylon 66s, they are no longer $89 guns though. Downside is the easily scratched anodized reciever and the very small cocking handle.

[Marvin S]

Wow it looks like the 10-22 is making a strong showing here. The one I have is a very nice looking pre warning delux model. It has a power custom trigger group and a exact edge extractor to overcome the failures to extract and barely ejects the spent cases clear of the receiver. The accuracy is so so. I have too much money in it to get rid of it.

[Moonie]

My first rifle was a Marlin 60, gotta vote for it, never gave me a seconds trouble, wish I still had it.

[NickSS]

I have owned nylon 66s, Ruger 1022s, Winchester 63s, Marlin 60s and 70s, and a hose of other 22 autoloaders that I no longer remember. They all worked and were fairly reliable if kept clean and good ammo was used. I currently have a 1022 and a Marlin 70. the marlin is more accurate but the 1022 works longer between cleanings. If I was to pick the best 22 autoloader I have owned it would be and old savage tube fed one. It fed everything and was not fussy about being cleaned and also was accurate but I sold it anyway due to a nasty habbit is had of going full auto now and then for no apparent reason.

[257 Shooter]

NickSS, I have that same Savage. It would not shoot worth anything until our bull kicked it and cracked the stock. I glassed the crack and beded the barrel channel and it will 3/4" at 75 yrds and sometimes that well at 100. You have to replace the seer spring with a really heavy spring and it will stop that occasional full auto habit.

[Blazin]

I believe the best autoloading 22 was the Winchester model 63.
I agree. I have a 1949 specimen that is very impressive.

[Bill*]

Hmmmmm.....I must be the only guy with a Rem 597. And I like it a bunch :-D

[Firebricker]

Another model 60 vote here. Inexpensive and reliable. FB

[Murphy]

The 1st gun I ever bought & paid for with my own money...was a Remington Nylon 66, 1972.

I remember only one jam, and I have no clue how many thousands of rounds I put thru it. I wasn't into 'accuracy' testing back then and didn't know any better. It was however accurate enough to put many squirrle and rabbits on the dinner table.

Money problems (and stupidity) forced me to sell that gun after owning it for several years. 2 years ago, I got around to replacing it...and love it everytime I pull the trigger on it. It brings back many wonderful memories.

Thanks,

Murphy

[2ndAmendmentNut]

Ruger 10/22.

[Marine Sgt 2111]

10-22, wilson barrel, after market extractor and she shoots no matter what...

[rhbrink]

Am I the only one that likes the Remington 550-1 the best auto I ever owned and well the only auto too. Shoots shorts, longs, and long rifles, had it since I was kid shot about a million shorts through it mainly cause they were cheap. Wasn't too pretty shot ok good enough to kill squirrels, rabbits, turtles, beer cans and what ever else came along still have it.

[wcp4570]

rhbrink
I have to agree with you on the 550. Any old Remington is hard to beat. As for favorite auto loader I have a 550-1 that just is accurate and reliable as the day is long. Also have a Remington 552 that is not bad either but like the full wood stock better. I have to admit that anything with Remington on it has a place in my safe, when I find one that has lost its way I like to take it home to become part of the family. Don't get me wrong, I have other 22's, including a 10/22 and enjoy shooting them all. I've never owned or fired a marlin 60 but have read that may report good accuracy and reliable performance. May have to try one some day.

wcp4570

[BillP]

I think it depends on your age:

Early Savage autoloaders...Remington Nylon 66 series...Ruger 10/22.

[JScott]

Two pages in and nobody has mentioned the Winchester 77? Okay, I'll do it. Hard to argue with the success of the 10-22 for a currently produced gun. There may not be a neater looking autoloader than the Browning takedown but mine and the others I have shot were not very reliable.

[roysha]

Another vote for the WIN 74.

[Marvin S]

Yes the old Remingtons, Winchesters of days gone by where indeed fine guns without equal today. But they where and are pretty expensive.

Not to stir the 10-22 hornet nest up to bad but it seems alot of folks end up spending more money in after market parts on them than the gun is worth.

[clodhopper]

Proud owner of 4 10-22s.
You can spend a lot on parts, but don't really need to.
Most of them work if they are just clean.
Spray and pray cleaning is a bad practice with the ruger, gunk is forced into the fireing pin recess, and extractor plunger/spring recess.
Have never had one that needed the exact edge extractor. but have bought pawnshop beaters that needed the bolt and mag cleaned.

[kyle623]

You can go overboard with a 10/22, but if you can find an older one in good condition, the ones with the metal trigger assembly. they are great guns. mine is bone stock other than a little trigger work and i can strip a walnut tree pretty easily. the old winchesters are nice too but they are getting hard to find, i have 4 or 5 in the safe that get regular use a well.

[txbirdman]

I've got one of the old Ruger's with the metal butt plate and a nice walnut stock. I bought it for my son but he didn't like it much some I bought him something else and kept this one for myself. When my boys were younger we used to shoot turtles at my stock tank with .22's. So this one became my "turtle gun". When my grandson gets a little older (he's 5) maybe I'll dust it off and take him turtle shooting. It's my equivalent to prarie doggin'

[uncle joe]

well lets see my first gun was a win mod 190 that i eventually was able to shoot quarters thrown into the air and cut cards in half with, i also have a mod 62 that will strike a match for you, and my number two child shot a 22 target with my 10/22 yesterday so i guess the fave is the one you shoot best with or all of them lol
uj

[Newtire]

I had a m-60 Marlin and after a day at the range and over a brick of ammo, it started to jam. cleaned it and no more jams. My Rem 550-1 wouldn't make it that far without jamming but is a much more classy gun and shoots all 3. Now that shorts cost more than Long Rifle, no advantage there.

Got another 60 in a walnut stock that my buddy picked up somewhere's and topped with a sweet little 4x bushnell. I talked him out of it.

The first one I bought, I paid $38 at K-mart, this next one set me back $150. Still, not a bad deal for a real shooter.

I know it's not a clip fed but is accurate as all get out.

[Hardcast416taylor]

We had a Remington 550-1 on the farm. Between my brother and me it saw lots of service with nary a problem. We started with open sights then managed to get a Weaver B-4 scope on it and finally a 1" scope on it in the `80`s.Robert

[GDLT31]

BROWNING.It's compact,light,will shoot any longrifle round you feed it.I can clean it in 5 minutes.And has put many a tree rat and rabbit in my stew pot for almost 40 years.Yes I have Rugers,Remingtons,and a few others,but they just don't compare.I have hunted with all of them,but 99.99% of the time I go hunting I have that John Moses Browning .22 in my hand.

[dek]

another vote for the Rem Nylon 66. First firearm I bought. It's had about 50K rounds through it and has NEVER been cleaned. NEVER had a hiccup. Best, most reliable firearm I own - accurate too.

[felix]

Nylon 66, ah, yes, an idea that was perfect from the start. Prolly originated by a chemist at that, bored with making chemicals for shirts replacing cotton, and like paraphernalia. A DuPont gadget, no doubt. Remington could not, would not, do it on its own accord, I don't think. ... felix

[woodbutcher]

My best was a 352K Mossberg.Clip fed,fold down fore end.Neat little rifle.
Grew legs and wandered off one day,never to return.
Leo

[NoDakJak]

I have owned flocks of 22 auto loaders over the past 65 years. The first and one of the best was a Model 89 Marlin. $39 new and was more than a months wage for me at that time. I lused for a Model 63 Winchester but didn't manage to get one until about five years ago. It was a very snazzy package but the accuracy was very lackluster and it went down the road. The 89 Marlin was followed by a Model 74 Winchester. It appeared to be in excellent condition but you needed a cleaning rod to punch out about every third round. When Ruger announced the 10-22 I ran up to Fresno and ordered one. A few months later a shipment of six came in and I had my pick of the very first one sold in the Fresno area. I have owned a half dozen 10-22s since then. Perfomance is great but accuracy is only adequate. When I was a part time gun smith I worked on bunches of Stevens/Savage auto loaders. The clip fed rifles normally only required a good cleaning to get tem going. The tube fed mdels were a horse of a different color. The parts were stamped and very (extremely) sloppy fitting. After working on a few of these I normally advised scrapping them and buying another rifle. You could usually buy a new rifle for less than the expense of parts and man hours to get them going again. One of the finest rifles that I have owned was a Remington Model 241. Mine was chambered for 22 short and came from a shooting gallery. I wish that I still had it. This same rifle was manufactured and sold in europe ad the FN Selfloader. I saw several of them while stationed in England. This same rifle was marketed in this country as the Browning although it sported a different stock. I owned one Nylon 66 and consider it to be an ideal rifle for trappers and backpackers. I owned one of the earliest AR-7s but it felt so clumsy that it quickly went down the road. Surprisingly, I have never owned or worked on a Mossberg auto loader. My all time favorite is a Marlin/Glenfield Model 60 carbine. Clip fed! Definetly the most accurate 22 autoloader that I have owned. For years it rode with me when i went up into the Black Hills to harvest my winters fire wood. I can't recall shooting anything other than sqquirrels with it but it must have collected a half pickup load. I am in need of a 22 autolloader since letting go of the 63 Winchester. I believe that I will go looking for a Marlin. Hopefully I will find the Papoose. Neil

[Marvin S]

The Marlin 60 is going to be my next reasonable priced 22 auto as well.

[NickSS]

I had a Winchester 63 for over 20 years and it was the most reliable and trouble free auto-loader I ever owned in 22 RF. I really can't say how many thousands of rounds went out of it but compared to anything else I have ever owned including 1022s, Brownings, Savage/Stevesns, etc they can not compare. One of my biggest regrets is that I sold it to buy a Model 52 winchester to target shooting. The model 52 is a great gun but I should have sold something else to buy it,

[mrc]

My best 22 I ever had I picked up at a gun shop over 30 years ago for 150. Weatherby XXII it was used then about twice the money as other good 22's was bringing. No problems with it, shoots better than I can shoot. I dont see very many of them and it is one of the few guns I have that I would never put a price on it. Have had more enjoyment of this gun than any other gun I have owned.
Mike

[JIMinPHX]

It's hard to beat a plain Jane 10-22 if you ask me. Right out of the box, they just seem to work & work & work. The ones that I've messed with have even shot to point of aim right out of the box. That was always a pleasant surprise.

I used to have a real nice one in a deluxe bandless walnut stock that I bought from Roache Brothers on Mass Ave. in Cambridge, but the Boston assault rifle ban put an end to that. Even now that Ted Kennedy is in his grave, I still cuss that man on a regular basis. He was a truly harmful parasite.

[REDTAIL]

I still have & use my Rem Nylon 66 Apachie rifle that I bought NIB in 1972 & have shot many Woodchucks with this gun, to bad Rem stopped making them,A great rf rifle they were.

[WILCO]

Ok you can all burn me down for my love of the Marlin/Glenfields

I had the Model 60 Glenfield Squirrel Hunting edition. Great little rifle. Sold it off when I was young and stupid. :(

[diehard]

I own 6 Marlin 60s including the one I bought at age 12 from money earned shoveling out chicken houses (breeder stock barns no less...still scarred by all the flea bites). That one, made in 1973, is my most dearest treasure even though I didn't clean it for about 20 years of solid shooting with all sorts of the cheapest ammo I could find. It only jammed when using sub-sonic or low powered foddder, and then I only can remember two jams in my whole life--one which cost me a 2nd shot a tree rat running on the ground.

I've owned enough 10/22's to prefer the Marlin 60 ( but that is certainly only a subjective opinion).

The odd, and unique Stevens 78A is a cool .22 to play with as well.

[Dframe]

I had a Black & Chrome Rem Nylon 66 when I was a teenager, it was cheap back then, but the prices now . . . WOW! . . . makes me wish I had kept it!
I still have my old "mohawk brown" remington model 66. Wouldn't trade or sell it for ANYTHING

[MtGun44]

Rem Speedmaster. Accurate, feeds mixed S, L and LR. My M60 Glenfield is very
unreliable on ignition, have cleaned lubed all and replaced hammer spring. Still
misfires about half the time.

Bill

[diehard]

My M60 Glenfield is very unreliable on ignition, have cleaned lubed all and replaced hammer spring. Still misfires about half the time.

MTGun44,
have you checked the end of your firing pin? Worn, chipped, misshaped or just too short pins will do that as well. It's an easily replaced $6 part that might be worth a try.

[docone31]

Bill, try this solution. He has done a couple of my 10/22 bolts.
Made an huge difference.
https://sites.google.com/site/quesplace/
I cannot believe I forgot to post his link.

[Otony]

My first was a Nylon 66 and boy do I wish I still owned it...sigh.

However! I do own quite a few .22 rifles, and my favorite autoloaders are the Browning bottom eject design and the Remington 550-1. Both are superbly accurate, and sorry 10-22 fans, simply much nicer overall.

I picked up a clean Norinco clone of the Browning and trimmed the barrel and stock away to the minimum. It handles like a wand and shoots very nicely as well. Look for a write-up in Backwoodsman later this year.......

[rintinglen]

Well, back at the start I believe the man said best economical 22 auto loader. I wanted a nylon 66, but when I finally scraped up enough to buy one, it so happened that K-Mart had the Ruger on sale for 39.95, so thats what followed me out. I've still got it and have never regretted it.
But the best deal in recent years, until that duck licker Clinton cut off the importation was the Norinco browning copy. For 99 bucks, they were a steal. not as nice as the originals, but you'd have to set the way back for 73 to get a browning for that price!

[L Ross]

Anyone else remember a full color ad on the back cover of magazines many years ago featuring a Nylon 66 covered in water droplets leaning against a trapper's ash pack basket?
I still have a couple, one with a Williams 5D receiver sight, one scoped. They are too light with long mushy trigger pulls that shoot well despite those issues. Still have a few hundred rounds of Bridgeport "Golden" Bullets in the old red white and green cardboard boxes. They go with a Nylon 66 like pigs go with mud.

Duke

[Olevern]

I believe the best autoloading 22 was the Winchester model 63. A nice one today will cost you $1000. I also like the Model 74. I bought a nice 1 made in 1939 for $175 last year. Obviously a lot more people agree with my 1st choice than with my 2nd. The most reliable .22 I ever owned (and indestructible) is the Nylon 66.

up 'till just recently, Rossi/Taurus made a copy of the Win mod 63. I recently picked up one in blue (also made in stainless) for just under $300.00 OTD. I love it. They're still out there, even some new ones, for the looking and well worth the money asked.

[Shooter6br]

Rugers rifle and pistol get my vote

[Multigunner]

MTGun44,
have you checked the end of your firing pin? Worn, chipped, misshaped or just too short pins will do that as well. It's an easily replaced $6 part that might be worth a try.

Another thing that should always be checked is debris inside the cut outs at the breech for the extractor and its companion locator.
These cut outs gather atomized lead and other fouling and sooner ot later this prevents the bolt from closing completely. Even a few thousandths is enough to prevent proper support for the rim and soften the firing pin blow.

It takes some serious effort to get one of these little rifles completely cleaned out. Almost every one brought to me to cure misfires had a huge build up of lead in those recesses.

To get one of the Marlin or Glenfields clean you have to strip it down to individually clean ever parts inside and out. Toothpicks really come in handy.

The right ammo can go a long way towards reducing fouling, especially lead dust and shavings.

I have a Marlin 99 M1 carbine right now. Since it was not restorable to original condition I've reshaped the stock to look more like the GI carbine stock. This took a bit more weight off an already very light little rifle.
The cheekpiece of these rifles has always been too high for me, removing the comb makes it a better shooter for me at least.

[derek45]

RUGER 10 22

I like the Power custom trigger kit from Brownells

[Taylor]

Winchester 74 with a Weaver C6.We (brother and I) would sit on his porch and cut weeds one at a time,in the ditch across the road.I loved it! He gave it to me a couple of years ago for my birthday.

[David LaPell]

I once had a Winchester Model 74 rifle that shot really well, but I have always been a single shot fan when it came to my .22 rifles. Either in bolt action or falling block.

[superior]

I own a Ruger 10-22 Deluxe Sporter, a 10-22T, a Remington Apache 77 (clip fed Nylon 66 made exclusively for Walmart in the late 80's), and a 1948 Remington 241 Speedmaster. I love all of them but by far, my favorite is the 241. It takes down, has bottom eject and loads through the side of the stock. It's a work of art that shoots like I still cant believe. I love to shoot empty shotgun shells set up on a log at 25 yards, gallery style. When shooting spinners, clay birds on the berm at 75 yards, or any other target games, it's always a crowd pleaser. Even inexperienced shooters seem to hit targets with ease. I would never scope it.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I wanted a Browning .22 auto since I was 9 years old and got my first Sears Catalog. They were $79 in 1959. I could never afford one.

I finally found a good one for $500, and bought it for myself for my 60th birthday. I shot cans for 3 hours with and burned up 200 rnds of ammo that day. It was made in 1964 and I can hit a beer can at 50 yds nearly everytime Offhand with open sights which are right where they were when I got the gun.

There was a reason why these guns were that much money way back then. A very sweet litttle gun indeed. Still looks new after 46 years, wish I still did.

I bought a Marlin 39AS for my 61st Bday, $350. The Browning is a way better gun. Full pop for a M39 today is $679 !!!

Randy

[NoDakJak]

Oh what a tangled web we weave! I was forced to sell my beloved little Remington Model 241 in 1989 when I was injured. That was in Rapid City, South Dakota. Several weeks ago I was at a gunshow in Glendive, Montana and lo and behold, there was my old rifle. He offered me a really good deal as it was chambered for 22 Short only and the stock had been refinished. A friend of mine had originally purchased the rifle from a shooting gallery where it had been shot for many years. He had refinished the stock and had it reblued before I bought it from him. Even worse is that I have lost the dealers name and address. PM me if you have any info?
I bought a used Marlin 70 really cheap a few days ago. The clip retainer isn't working but that should be easy to repair. Neil

[RugerSP101]

Ruger 10/22 gets my vote.
I just bought my first one and Im very impressed with the design.
:)

[Newtire]

Am I the only one that likes the Remington 550-1 the best auto I ever owned and well the only auto too. Shoots shorts, longs, and long rifles, had it since I was kid shot about a million shorts through it mainly cause they were cheap. Wasn't too pretty shot ok good enough to kill squirrels, rabbits, turtles, beer cans and what ever else came along still have it.I have one of those 550-1's and it is a real good shooter. A year or so ago, I bought a newer version of that rifle and like it even better. A friend of mine had a Nylon 66 and one day, we took it in half to see how dirty the action was. It was filled totally with powder flakes but never missed a beat. Had several Marlin M-60's and they are hard to beat. Never got around to getting a 10/22 but that new takedown model looks mighty tempting.

[mac60]

I have 11 guns that shoot .22 lr., but anytime a need arises for a .22 rimfire I reach for one of these two.

89231

Springfield 187R and Glenfield 75. If I'm gonna be doing a lot of walking it's the Glenfield 75 as it's short and light.

[CastingFool]

I bought my Mohawk brown Nylon 66 back in 1973, used, for $30. I shot it a few times, and let my kids have shot it, they liked it because it was light. I like the rifle, but it's not my go to .22rf. My bolt action Rem 512 spoiled me. I once considered buying a 10/22 way back when you could buy them used for $35, from newspaper ads. Unfortunately, when I did make up my mind to do so, the ads just seemed to dry up. I will have my granddaughters shooting the 66 one of these days. Incidentally, I found a Nylon 66 with the black stock at a gun show for only $179. about 2 months or so ago, but my toy fund was kinda tapped out.

[357mags]

S&W M&P 15-22, that was easy!

[NoZombies]

I'll throw my hat in with the 10/22 crowd, just because they have been very reliable for me, and are very easy to work on. I think I've got a half a dozen variations.

If they were more common, I would say the Voere 2005/ Mauser 105. Reliable, accurate and just overall great little guns.

http://iownguns.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/S7300252.jpg

[Bullet Caster]

My vote goes for the Remington Apache 77 Nylon with a green stock. I've got 6 mags of 10 rounds - two are taped together end to end which gives me 60 rounds without reloading. I've put it against my dad's 10/22 and can match his MOA - he uses a scope and I use iron sights. BC

[smokeywolf]

Always kinda liked the model 1903 Winchester. Also, mom had a Remington 550-1 w/scope. That was a good accurate shooter.

smokeywolf

[shtur]

Browning grade II purchased 1967, still bringing home rabbits. Just got another rabbit meal with it today.

[Bullshop Junior]

I always loved the cheap marlins.

[Walter Laich]

10/22
even though I'm 67 it was my first and only .22 auto

[Marvin S]

Wow almost six pages and still going. Looks like the 10-22 and mod 60 and variants are fighting it out. Tons of each made kind of like the small block chevy.

[2AMMD]

I have my Great Grandfathers Winchester 1903 (predecessor to the Model 63) that is as smooth as they get. I like the balance and feel. It is a great rifle and design, but The ammunition is proprietary and obsolete. Aquila made a run of Winchester .22 auto. CTD has it for $21.00 Per box. Last time I checked , they still had some if you want it. I am too cheap to pay this price for.22 ammunition by any supplier (PLUS SHIPPING). I hope there are enough of us with these guns to support another run and maybe a slightly lower price. (Just hoping)
2AMMD

[9.3X62AL]

I meant--I truly meant--to do a "build" on my most recent of many 10/22 rifles that have come my way and gone on to kids and nephews. I made the HUGE mistake of shooting the little beater before attacking it with tools......it shot too well to disassemble and upgrade that radically. So, if another one comes along at The Right Price I will 1) just snag the thing and 2) NOT take it to the range prior to wrench-turning.

The Ruger 10/22 is the Barbie Doll For Rednecks Like Me.

[2400]

My favorites are the Nylon 66, Browning and the 10/22.

[grampa243]

9 million 10/22 owners can`t be too far wrong....dale

it's the AK-47 of the rimfire world :)

[jaystuw]

The best 22 auto I have: A 1970 vintage ruger 10/22 that I have been shooting for 40 years, Have 5 mags for it. Still going strong!

Most fun 22 auto: with the best comfort and feel. Remington 552 adl that I bought used with no brass deflector and "sundowner 1969" scratched on the frame, Maybe to commemorate a
memorable camping trip the previous owner took it on. who knows? Anyway, without the deflector, it ejects empty casings about 15 to 20 ft.! For some reason I get a kick out of that.

22 auto that I think is the best ever: I never had one, but the Winchester 03 and 63 are said to be really great guns, they sure look the part. I want one, but don't want to spend the 700+ a model 63 might cost.

22 auto that I want most: The unusual and very rare marlin model 50. The first economy 22 auto from the early 1930's. Uses a 6 shot box mag (that is harder to find than the gun) fires from an open bolt. and has a long grasping groove in the forend. Who could want anything more in a 22! just kidding, but I still want it!

Jay

[cwheel]

Another vote for Remington 241 take down. That old dog made in the 30's by far out shoots any modern 22 auto loader I have. Quality built.
Chris

[dragon813gt]

10/22
It's hard to beat the reliability of the rotary magazine. Not messing with feeding a tube is a huge advantage. Mine shot well out of the box. But then I made the mistake of buying parts from Volquartsen. Now I've spent well over twice the price of the rifle on new parts.

You can build a 10/22 without using any factory parts. That says a lot about the platform.

[Artful]

Ruger 10/22 - Nylon 66 - Marlin 60 - Norinco ATD/JM Browning copy in that order

[Joe_Kidd]

Marlin/Glenfield Model 60 mid '70s, first I ever paid for myself $39.95, still love the pressed 'checkering' squirrel stock, paid for it many times over selling skins. Never liked the Ruger 10/22, ugly gun to my eyes.

[DLCTEX]

My vote is the only one for the High Standard Sport King. Best shooting 22 Auto I ever shot. Would still have it except for a low life stealing it. I do have a Marlin 60 in the stainless, or stainless look with the salt and pepper stock and a silver scope. Good looking and good shooting rig.

[Bzcraig]

1st choice Marlin 60, always had a thing for tube fed guns. 2nd choice 10/22, just plain fun and so darn customizable!

[freespiritman]

Did that one look like the little browning, I think I had one it was 22lr only tube mag in the stock?

[dtknowles]

I have a Belgian Browning .22 Auto. It is much more accurate than any stock 10/22 that I have owned. It is a sweet little rifle.

G

I had a Belgian Browning .22 auto, it was not as accurate as I would have liked, tried lots of ammo and adjustments of the barrel to breach fit, still would not shoot much better than 2 inches at 50 yards. I sold it an got a 10-22 that was more than twice as accurate and of course I had money left over.

The Browning was a pretty gun but I did not like the tube magazine or the bottom ejection and I think the takedown feature is what was at the root of the accuracy problems. It was a handy little gun, very light. I should have kept it and still bought the 10-22.

Tim

[yoter]

Another Ruger 10/22 fan.

[buckweet]

Another marlin model 60 fan.
12 million model 60s owners caint all be wrong.
I've got kidd ruger 10/22s
Still like the marlin better.
The only other rifle that comes close to my marlins.. is my Browning sa22.
Sweet and accurate little autoloader.

[fortysomething]

Add me to the Remington 550-1 club. Dad bought it for me. Lots of fun. Still have it and shoot it.

[Bzcraig]

Another vote for Marlin 60

[marlin39a]

Ruger 10/22. I have several. Old walnut stocked, laminate stocks, international, target, tactical, and a takedown. They are all quality firearms, easy to maintain.

[Petrol & Powder]

OK, this is an old thread but I'll bite....

There are a lot of good choices.
At the top of my list is the Ruger 10/22. The Ruger is a simple design that is extremely reliable, affordable and durable.

They've almost achieved a cult like status these days but the old Remington Nylon 66 was an amazingly tough yet inexpensive .22 semi-auto.

The Marlin model 60 (and all of the variations sold under different names) was a decent rifle but not as durable/reliable as the Ruger.

In the just, "flat out neat" category - the Browning .22 with its bottom ejecting action, stock mounted magazine tube and small proportions is an incredibly cool little rifle.

[higgins]

Mossberg 152 semiauto with aperture sight my father had. I shot it on an indoor range when I took the NRA Junior program about 50 years ago, and didn't feel at all handicapped by not having a "real" target rifle. Sadly, it's now long gone.

[robg]

Had an anshuts semi looked like an m1 carbine shot OK pig to strip, heavy trigger and expensive mags got a 1022 now easy to clean, strip etc shoots well ,bits cheap easy to modify .1022 for me every time.

[saleen322]

The Thompson is a very fine rifle. American made, walnut stock, first class bluing, very good factory trigger, and great accuracy. But you could buy a Ruger for less money and people did not want to pay the extra for the quality. Really impressed with this one. Factory original and will shoot with a quality bolt gun.
http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt98/saleen322/22%20Rifles/TCR55-1.jpg

[Mauser48]

Not saying it's the best overall but my personal favorite is the winchester model 63. Accurate, reliable with any ammo, and is beautiful.

[Geezer in NH]

old needs to be defined. I go M60 as newest one , 10-22 ain't old IMHO.

The savage was a great old gun but o was the Rising

[Eddie2002]

Picked up a Marlin 60 with the long barrel and 18 shot magazine. Must of been fired till it stove piped a spent case then put away in an attic till I got it for 50 bucks. Gave it a good cleaning and tuneup and love it with a 3x9 scope on it.

[NoZombies]

old needs to be defined. I go M60 as newest one , 10-22 ain't old IMHO.

The savage was a great old gun but o was the Rising

The Marlin model 60 was introduced in (surprise!) 1960, the Ruger 10/22 was only 4 years later in 1964. Both designs are over 50 years old.

[tstowater]

I have two of the Model 60's and three 10/22's so I must like the 10/22's better. Still think that the Model 60 barrel is better.

[Ickisrulz]

I really like the plain 10/22 carbine. It was the first model I bought as a teenager. I like the size, weight and style. The only alterations I made are a little trigger work and the addition of a scope.

[GONRA]

Gotta .22RF LR Winchester M77 semiauto, clip, usual cheapo scope, home made compensator, in the late 1950's.
Mr. & Mrs. GONRA's 3 kids + neighborhood kids all learned how to shoot with this.
10,000 + rds......

After all these decades, should go out and blast away again.

3 grandsons would love it. BUT - older one has epilepsy. Can't shoot.
As you can imagine, Family Situation Gets REAL Tricky on this stuff....

[BossMaverick]

I'm another 10/22 fan. IMHO, its like the AR15 of the .22's. You can configure it any way imaginable and it doesn't need any expensive tools.

[FredBuddy]

Third vote for Winchester 190 - got mine in1965. When I mustered out in December of 1970, it started me on this "journey".

[Texas by God]

Nylon66 with Redding shotgun peep sight and 1927 Finn Mosin front sight. Part of me forever. My wife has a Coast to Coast Hardware (Marlin 60) that is flawless if cleaned every thousand rounds, and a Mexican Hammerli (Academy) tuber that cuts 1/2"@50yds. It looks like a pellet gun. Best, Thomas.

[WALLNUTT]

550-1 Grooved for scope

[shdwlkr]

Dad got me the mossberg 342ka bolt action .22lr when I was 12 and wanted my hunting license. Don't know whatever happened to it but would love to find one in good shape one day. Dad has been gone a lot of years now and it would kind of remind me of better times.



My best was a 352K Mossberg.Clip fed,fold down fore end.Neat little rifle.
Grew legs and wandered off one day,never to return.
Leo

[The Governor]

http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt309/burley_bucket/weatherbe.jpg

Weatherbe XXII

[BAGTIC]

I have several Remington 66. They are the most accurate and reliable auto loading rifle I have had .22 LR I have had. I also have a traditional Browning. I have had a couple Marlin 60 and they were good. Had one 10/22 but did not like it. I believe real attraction of 10/22 was its non protruding 10 round rotary magazine and the fact that its separate stock made it easy to modify. Local gun dealer tells me the first thing most new 10/22 buyers do is to start 'customizing' it to make it look like a military firearms. Boys and their toys.

[smkummer]

I responded to this awhile back with me liking the Colt Courier rifle. I since bought a pre-New Jersey ban Marlin 60 that holds 18! Shots. I know it's the best semi for the buck and prefer it over the 10-22. I have owned and or shot also the savage 87 ( neat as hell action but not easy to clean), Reising model 65 ( neat also as a garand simulator), Both the 550-1 and 552 Remington ( maybe a little costly?), browning ( maybe a little small?) and others. I believe most who comment here will be biased to whatever they shot and liked.

And the above Weatherby is a classy rifle. Who says a 22 has to be a small boys rifle!

[Drm50]

Winchester 63, by far. I don't look at 10/22 as being old. I have one from when they first came
out, very good and accurate gun. The quality of them has slid in past years, plastic parts suck.
Yes you can by all kind of aftermarket parts and make them into a target gun, but off the rack
Wally World 10/22 is not the rifle it once was. All the major brands had nice 22 auto loaders at
one time. When they started with pot metal actions, splined pins, plastics, C- locs, ect- they went
down hill. I will say the only one to hold its own against the old milled parts gun is the 10/22.

[NoZombies]

... Reising model 60 ( neat also as a garand simulator), ...

I'm guessing you meant Reising model 65? The model 60 was a .45 ACP carbine!

[smkummer]

Oops, I made the correction, yes a Reising 65.

[kerreckt]

I have an early 1970's Winchester model 190. It shoots shorts, longs and long rifle reliably and accurately. Bought it new and still have it. It must have 50k rounds through it. Can't remember it ever jamming. Just wish I could find some .22 shorts. I have given up on finding any longs.

[Multigunner]

I ran across a Nylon 66 in the LGS about ten years back . It was priced cheap but the plastic was badly broken up and splintered almost the whole length of the piece. It apparently still worked but wasn't likely to be reliable.
It looked like it had been in the trunk of a car that got rear ended.
While I might have been repairable with the latest crop of glues made for this sort of material I just wouldn't care to put that much time into it since any collector value would be nil.
It might have been worth what they were asking for it as a donor gun for parts if someone had one of these already.
They are very nice little rifles, I've handled a few belonging to acquaintances but never fired one as of yet.

Best .22 rifle I've ever fired was one belonging to my older brother. It could feed .22 Shorts, longs or long rifles.
The brand name escapes me at the moment.
It was a tube fed long barreled autoloader with slab sided receiver. The fore end of the two piece stock extended back to cover the sides of the receiver with a large diameter screw that secured the rear of the fore end at a point above the trigger.
I've never found any .22 that could equal it for pin point accuracy with any and all brands of ammunition, or one that was more comfortable to hold and carry.
The barrel was long enough that standard velocity shorts made no more noise than a pellet rifle, probably less than most of those for that matter, and it never jammed or failed to feed even old gummy cartridges thick with verdigris.

[1bluehorse]

remington 552 speedmaster 22short 22long 22LR load plink plink plink.........................simple,easy to clean and goes many rounds with out needing a cleaning.

New production models are not cheap, older used models can be found for short money


I have a 552. Bought it in 1970 still functions perfectly. Very accurate, no issues. Also have a "newer" 10-22 with wood stock and stainless barrel. Good little rifle. The Speedmaster is more accurate.

[Texas by God]

I ran across a Nylon 66 in the LGS about ten years back . It was priced cheap but the plastic was badly broken up and splintered almost the whole length of the piece. It apparently still worked but wasn't likely to be reliable.
It looked like it had been in the trunk of a car that got rear ended.
While I might have been repairable with the latest crop of glues made for this sort of material I just wouldn't care to put that much time into it since any collector value would be nil.
It might have been worth what they were asking for it as a donor gun for parts if someone had one of these already.
They are very nice little rifles, I've handled a few belonging to acquaintances but never fired one as of yet.

Best .22 rifle I've ever fired was one belonging to my older brother. It could feed .22 Shorts, longs or long rifles.
The brand name escapes me at the moment.
It was a tube fed long barreled autoloader with slab sided receiver. The fore end of the two piece stock extended back to cover the sides of the receiver with a large diameter screw that secured the rear of the fore end at a point above the trigger.
I've never found any .22 that could equal it for pin point accuracy with any and all brands of ammunition, or one that was more comfortable to hold and carry.
The barrel was long enough that standard velocity shorts made no more noise than a pellet rifle, probably less than most of those for that matter, and it never jammed or failed to feed even old gummy cartridges thick with verdigris.

That was a High Standard .22. My uncle had one. His was marked JC Higgins. Best, Thomas.

[Wedgie]

Another vote for Winchester 74 in short or long rifle. The short will cycle CCI CB shorts if it is well maintained.

[charlie b]

Hmmmmm.....I must be the only guy with a Rem 597. And I like it a bunch :-D

Nope, me too. :) Accurate but I wish someone had a high cap mag that was more reliable (and yes I tried several and even tried modifying). The stock 9rd mag worked well.

Had a Nylon 66. Very reliable but not as accurate as my bolt Rem 781 or the 597.

The most fun I had with one was the IMI Uzi .22 rifle. I never really tested the accuracy but it rang gongs well enough with the stock sights.

[1Hawkeye]

My favorite is the remington nylon 66 apache model the black and chrome version. Its the only plastic gun I own.

[Eddie Southgate]

Winchester 63 or the 1903. I'd still have a 1903 if they hadn't quit making the .22 Auto ammo .

Eddie

[Lloyd Smale]

Personaly I think the best selling ever 22 the 10/22 is the king. Ive owned about every 22 listed so far in this thread. Right now I own 3 10/22s and the newest a threaded bolt savage. One of my 10/22s a takedown is just average on paper but both of my wood stocked ones shoot as well or better then the savage bolt and every other 22 ive ever owned. Are they all that accurate? Nope. Ive had and got rid of a couple that were average but never had what id call a bad one. They run like a top, except "reliable" high capacity mags and with the amount of aftermarket stuff for them you can make them into about anything. Me, I leave them alone. Only mod ive ever done to one is thread my takedown so I can use a suppressor on it. There made right from the factory in about any configuration that trips your trigger bet it plinking, survival, competition or all of the above.

[skeettx]

SOOOO, from reading here, there is NO best 22 auto rifle.

If you get a good one of most any model, then that is the best one?
Is that what y'all are starting to understand?

Mike

[Traffer]

I bought a Mossberg Model 702 Plinkster. early in 2016. $99 at Wallmart. Yup you read correctly UNDER $100. It has a 10 shot mag but can use the 25 shot mag from the Mossberg 715 also. Shoots better than I can. Have not had a single jam/misfire/problem with it yet. Weighs just 4lb. Very comfortable for a full sized adult to shoot (although it can be used by child as well). My only complaint is that it is a bit tricky for a full tear down until you get the hang of it. It also has groves milled in for a scope. Now beat that for value!

[Texas by God]

I gave my son a Rem 597 and it is totally reliable and crazy accurate. The first two mags I had were off spec or something and it would jam sometimes. I talked to a nice women at Remington and she said they had improved them and she sent two new mags free. Problem solved. It's more accurate than any stock 10-22 I've owned(several). Best, Thomas.

[sparky45]

I'm sorry you all haven't had the opportunity to use a Remington 550-1, you'd certainly have fond memories.

[fatelk]

Oops, I made the correction, yes a Reising 65.

I wondered if someone would mention the old "Leatherneck". Heavy old rifle and mine's a little finicky about ammo, but fun to shoot!

I also like the old Mossberg someone else mentioned; tube magazine in the butt stock, forearm to the end of the barrel, sights with all the options. I have the one that my grandfather gave me, that he'd had since who-knows-when. It's also a bit finicky about ammo.

The 10/22's I've had, and have, I love to shoot, but I've always been a little disappointed in the accuracy department. My old Marlin 60 has the edge in that department.

[buckweet]

Best= Browning SA-22 short and long Rifle versions.
Number two - Ruger 10 22
Number three Remington 552 speedmaster
Number three Remington Nylon 66
Number four -marlin 795

[Newtire]

My vote goes to the Marlin M60/99/49. Bought a new Stainless "Remlin/Marlington" and it is accurate as anything and hasn't jammed once in 200+ rounds so far. My first M60, I paid $39 for. Bought 2-bricks of ammo and made it through the first brick and well into the 2nd before I had to clean it due to jamming.

[Newtire]

I have one & yes, you are right, a great .22.

[Vagabond55]

Dads old Mossberg 152k, the one with the fold down wooden forend. My first experience with a semi auto 22. Loved it then, still shooting it more than 50 years later.

[Traffer]

I have a Mossberg 702. Bought 2 years ago at Walmart for $99. Never had a jam or misfire. More accurate than I am. So why would I pay more? I wouldn't!

[KMac]

My favorites of .22's I have owned:
1) Browning SA 22
2) Remington 552 BDL Speedmaster
3) Marlin Model 99
4) Ruger 10/22
Still own 2-4. Want another SA22 really bad. Everyone knows in my family that a SA22 would be the ultimate Birthday or Christmas gift for me. They know because I have told them several times.
The model 99 is my favorite over the 10/22 only because I prefer tube instead of magazine for 22's.
All good guns, can't really go wrong with any of them.

[oldhenry]

Dads old Mossberg 152k, the one with the fold down wooden forend. My first experience with a semi auto 22. Loved it then, still shooting it more than 50 years later.

+1 on the Mossberg 152. I have one with peep sight & another (152K) with open sights. Mine have the tenite (plastic) fold down fore end (I think they came after the wood version).

[docbrown]

Winchester 190 - only because that is what I have. It is a tight shooting little rifle. I know it is nothing fancy, but it has taken many squirrel, 'possums and the occasional aggressive racoon.

[444ttd]

i bought a ruger 10/22 this year and i like it. its nowhere near as accurate as my marlin m25(22lr) is. the 10/22 groups at 1 - 1 1/2" at 50 yards. i put thru her 1000+/- rounds and she doesn't jam. federal is all i use(36gr hp) right now. when i'm about done with my ammo, i'll go to sg ammo.

https://www.sgammo.com/catalog/rimfire-ammunition/22-lr-ammo

[skeettx]

Give this 22 ammo a test

https://www.sgammo.com/product/22-lr-ammo/500-round-brick-22-long-rifle-federal-premium-hv-match-gold-medal-40-grain-solid-

[rbuck351]

I had a mossberg 152 I think. It's accuracy was not that good so it went away. I also had a 10/22 that grouped about 2" at 25yds so it went away. I have a Win 77 that I'm not overly fond of as well but I keep it because dad got it for me. I just picked up a very nice rem 66 in black and chrome but haven't shot it yet. When a take a 22 hunting it's either my Savage 1919NRA target rifle, quite accurate, or my Ruger MKI Target also quite accurate. I will be checking the 66 soon. Currently I don't have a favorite 22 auto rifle.

[Newtire]

Give this 22 ammo a test

https://www.sgammo.com/product/22-lr-ammo/500-round-brick-22-long-rifle-federal-premium-hv-match-gold-medal-40-grain-solid-

Will have to try that. I bought one of the new M60's and it likes the cheap black and white box Federals but not the big burgundy bulk pack. Also, CCI works great in some of my .22's but not others. I bought some Federal target but only 1080 FPS. Haven't tried it yet. Will keep an eye out for the high velocity target then.

Am pretty impressed by the m60. I, also was disappointed with my 10/22 . My Ruger MkIII pistol is great though. Think you need to wring each one out and find what it likes.

[Jedman]

I have owned quite a few 22 semiauto's all of the common popular ones and they were all good guns worth owning. Now I have sold or traded off all but 3 or 4 rimfire rifles and the only semiauto I own is a Norninco 22 ATD. I once owned the Browning and Remington version of this take down rifle but none has shot as good as this Chineese made copy. It shoots all ammo without a hitch, has a bore that never fowls and shoots 1/2" groups with ammo it likes and a 2 1/2 power scope.
This one will be with me when I pass.

Jedman

[abunaitoo]

My most trouble free, low maintenance, rifle is my Springfield 87A.
Almost never have to clean it. Almost never jams. As accurate as any of my other semi autos.
Clack, clack action is a attention getter at the range.

[rbuck351]

The Rem 66 I just got shoots well enough to be a keeper. Groups about 1/2" at 25yds with std vel ammo. High speed stuff opens up some. Haven't shot it enough to know about reliability but so far so good.

[robg]

My 1022 is an inch at 50 yards with winchester PowerPoint's and SK ,double that with blazer and american eagle.semi autos are much fussier than bolt guns about ammo.

[Texas by God]

The Rem 66 I just got shoots well enough to be a keeper. Groups about 1/2" at 25yds with std vel ammo. High speed stuff opens up some. Haven't shot it enough to know about reliability but so far so good.If you want to shoot it single shot, hold it with the ejection port facing up, lay a cartridge in the port and pull back and release the bolt handle. Nylon 66 jams are very rare IME.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Eddie Southgate]

Winchester 1903 or the later m63 .

[rbuck351]

Thanks Texas BG.
There is a wealth of info on this forum. I would have never thought to try that.

[txbirdman]

I like the 74 Winchester. Not the prettiest gun in the rack but I like the way the old ones point back when ironsights were the norm. I bought 1 at a small gun show for $175 a few years back that had the bad habit of going full auto on occasion. Replaced the sear and all is well. Made in the late 30’s. It’s a keeper.

[Texas by God]

Thanks Texas BG.
There is a wealth of info on this forum. I would have never thought to try that.

It said so in the manual that came with mine in 1972. I remember thinking “why would I ever do that?” They are so neat watching them feed- the follower actually throws the cartridge halfway into the chamber before the bolt hits it- like if you could see inside a Browning SA. Same design, different ejection method. Dad told me I’m to get his upon his passing( I talked him into one in the 80’s)- I must really like them.

[Walks]

I started with my Dad's old MOSSBERG Bolt Gun. Wanted to shoot his FN Browning SA, wouldn't let any of his Boy's ever shoot it.
My Grandpa bought me NYLON 66 just after they came out. My first New Gun, I think it was just to tick off my Dad.
Little brother "lost" the Nylon 66 when I was away in the Service. Beat the crap out of my New 39D, bought it just before I went in to the Service.

When I got out of the U.S. NAVY, I went looking for that new Nylon 66, there was a 10/22DSP in the rack at the old Gemco. It had sling swivels. The Nylon 66 didn't.

Got a used 552ADL a few years later, not as accurate as the 10/22. That Walnut stocked 10/22 would put 10rds into a 1/2" at 50yds all day long. Williams Peep Sight.

My Choice:
10/22DSP
552ADL
Nylon 66
FN Browning SA 22
Italian
Weatherby Mark XX (Dad's last .22LR)

[M-Tecs]

The OP asked for great old 22 auto loading rifles that did not cost an arm and a leg. I have limited experience with 22 auto. My primary 22 rifle since I was 8 years old has been a Winchester 75 target rifle so accuracy wise nothing touched it until I started playing with the tricked out 10/22's and match 22 boltguns. A good barrel, stock and Kidd trigger 10/22's are flat-out amazing but they are not cheap. Purchases a Nylon 66 new in the mid 70's but the didn't shoot very well. Same for the three Browning SA 22's. They are cool little rifles but I gave up trying to find one that shoot well.

In the late 70's a buddy had a Weatherby Mark XXII that I lusted after. That shot almost as well as my Win 75.

[15meter]

Winchester 1903 or the later m63 .

A second vote for the Winchester model 63. Inherited one from my uncle--4 digit serial number. Carried for years on either a John Deere 3020 or a 4020 while cultivating beans. It fit perfectly in the gap between the two back supports on the seat. When I was cultivating and a woodchuck would be dumb enough to come out of his hole for lunch, they didn't last long.

Woodchucks would ignore the tractor as long as you didn't make any sudden moves. Push in the clutch slowly, lean forward even slower and pull out the rifle s-l-o-w-l-y. And whack him.

Incorrect thinking now, but liked body hits, they made it back to the hole under their own power, self-burial as it were.

Unlike the one I whacked last week, head on just under the chin, first time I ever saw a woodchuck do a backflip and expire on it's back. Just glad this one didn't make it in to it's hole. This decided to make it's home under the barn. This one was done in with a hotrodded 10-22. Not sure I could have done it with the iron sights on the model 63.

And I don't need to poke holes into the barn trying[smilie=s:

[txbirdman]

Agree that the model 63 is a great gun and my favorite. But the last nice 1 I saw for sale cost “both arms and both legs”.

[fiberoptik]

I still have my old "mohawk brown" remington model 66. Wouldn't trade or sell it for ANYTHING

+1!
Sold to buy diapers..... =8;..^(


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[Eddie2002]

I picked up a 1968 Franchi Anniversary .22 breakdown which is a cool little rifle. It is a top feed with a tube mag in the stock and is picky on the ammo it likes but is accurate when I do my job. Found a period correct 60's Japanese 4x Monoscope for it which makes it a nice looking package. Still like my Marlin Model 60 with the long barrel and 18 shot magazine.

[fiberoptik]

I seem to remember my old model 60 took 22 rounds before all this assault rifle fear.


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[buckweet]

I'm going to have to say the Remington Nylon 66

[rfd]

had a brown rem nylon 66 that i bought when they first came out. a fun plinker for sure!

[Outpost75]

This has been a fun thread to read. Over the years I've owned most of the guns mentioned. Not a bad one among them. The one I kept is a Mohawk Brown Remington Nylon 66 which has an old Weaver B4 scope on it. Regret getting rid of the 550-1, but I gifted to a neighbor who needed it and didn't have two wooden nickels to rub together. He still has it.

Most accurate .22 autoloader I ever had was a Ruger 10/.22 which I had a pull-off Winchester 52 barrel put on, set back and chambered with a Bentz reamer, with Unertl scope blocks on it which I used for ammo testing. That gun was amazing, but a bit heavy to carry up and down the ridges bushwhacking squirrels, so I sold it and it is out there somewhere driving little bugholes...