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

Attachment 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

Attachment 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.


Now it's a modded Savage MKII FV, heavy bbl. Apachee 1lb trigger, Spike Camp stock, 4-16x44 glass. Nice.

[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.