okay all my friends have 22's (rimfire) so i was looking at a Remington Model 597 http://www.remington.com/firearms/rimfire/597hbls.htm
would this be a good first rimfire and also when i viewed the picture i wasnt sure if it had iron sights on it or what.

This gun has no sights. It is set up for scope mounting. You would need a set of rings designed for 22's and a scope.

These are nice looking guns and well made. You might want to think about a bolt action for your first 22. I shoot a CZ 452 Lux and it is very accurate and wonderful to carry and shoot.

Bolt actions because they have to be loaded for every shot make you concentrate on your shooting. Auto's are fun, but with ten shots available instantly you tend to shoot more and concentrate less on good shooting techiques.

hey thanks for the option of the bolt action but ya know those are kindof out of my price range im 15 lol still getting the money in pretty slow but thanks anyways

Schurmy,

Had you given thought to a .22 lever gun?

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/firearms/leverAction22/Golden39A.htm#

I have an old octagon barrel .22 Marlin lever rifle. It is essentially the same rifle as Marlin's current production except the barrel and checkering. I had a great time shooting it at your age, and I still shoot it from time to time. This rifle breaks down for easy cleaning, and packing if need be.

no dude im leaning towards a semi one this is my first gun i dont want to pay tomuch

i just want a 22 that is accurate able to shoot targets kill birds, squirrels, rabbits, possums. stuff like that this is my first gun i will own.

schurmy I'm telling you, you want a Marlin 7000 the best auto out there for accuracy out of the box.Put a decent scope on it and all your friends will be green with envy at your ability to shoot.

Schurmy

If your set on a semi-auto check out Walmart if there's one near you. They handle both the Marlin and Ruger's and at the best prices you can find about anywhere.

Sometimes you an buy a 22 rifle there with a scope already on it. I think the marlin's come that way.

By the way welcome to the forum, it's nice to see young folks join in and talk about hunting and shooting.

Check hunting laws for use of a semi-automatic. I know that in PA they're not allowed.

i just want a 22 that is accurate able to shoot targets kill birds, squirrels, rabbits, possums. stuff like that this is my first gun i will own.

i just want a 22 that is accurate able to shoot targets kill birds, squirrels, rabbits, possums. stuff like that this is my first gun i will own.

Schurmy, when I was your age I used my .22 exactly as you're looking to do. In fact, just the memory of it brings a grin to my face. My gun was originally my fathers, and it had a scope on it. I took the scope off and shot with the factory iron sights ... and woe to the bird, squirrel or rabbit who poked his head up when I was on the prowl. Shooting water moccasins in the head down by the Sabine River bottom was particularly fun. That gun was very old, with the blue mostly worn off, and it did not lack in the accuracy department. I rarely missed what I was looking for and a lever action with any practice at all, allows for very fast follow-up shots.

Good luck on whichever model rifle you choose and I've no doubt you'll have a good time with it.

- GL

Schurmy,
For the money, and it sounds like that is a concern I'd look into a Ruger 10/22. Comes with sights and csoping is a snap. For your first rifle, being able to add your own upgrades over time as you can afford them is a nice feature. It also teaches you a lot about your rifle. And for the price of getting into a Ruger 10/22 you could find yourself a good used bolt .22LR to go with it.

If you do go that route you will need to get to know these guys, midwayusa.com, brownells, midsouthshooterssupply.com. If one of them doesn't have the part you want, the other will. This way, you can add custom parts to the Ruger as you can afford them.

Good to see new shooters and welcome to the forums.

Schurmy,

Another suggestion on the money saving theme ... check out Wal-Mart's sporting goods. I don't mean just what they happen to have on display. They keep an order catalog with an annual price schedule in a large 3-ring binder behind the sporting goods counter for all the major gun manufacturers, with each section grouped by manufacturer. These prices for brand new rifles shipped directly is the best price you will find for a new rifle. Not only that, but you will have access to a much larger selection than the usual on display in the store.

The way it works is you make your selection, then you will have to take the UPC number and product description to the lay-a-way department and make the order there. After submitting the information in lay-a-way, make sure the lay-a-way attendant verifies the product description back to you from their screen to avoid any possible delays and glitches. You have to put down a minimum of 50% of the price including tax, then pay the balance upon receipt of the rifle. The reason why I explained is, some Wal-Mart personnel are ignorant of their own procedures, and may want to brush it off rather than try. Don't let them do that ;).

Happy hunting :cool:!

"okay all my friends have 22's (rimfire) so i was looking at a Remington Model 597 http://www.remington.com/firearms/rimfire/597hbls.htm
would this be a good first rimfire and also when i viewed the picture i wasnt sure if it had iron sights on it or what.

im 15 lol still getting the money in pretty slow but thanks anyways

no dude im leaning towards a semi one this is my first gun i dont want to pay tomuch

i just want a 22 that is accurate able to shoot targets kill birds, squirrels, rabbits, possums. stuff like that this is my first gun i will own."



I've been reading your questions with interest and you've gotten a bunch of good answers from our forum members.

One thing I'm concerned about is that at fifteen I doubt that you will be able to purchase a firearm by yourself. I also am concerned about you shooting and hunting without getting into trouble.

Most states require a yung hunter to have a hunting license to be in the woods with a gun. Most states also requre young hunter to take a hunter safety course prior to obtaining a hunting license.

You might want to look into the requirements to get your license and what you need to do to be legal with a gun in the woods. Contact your local fish and game office and they will give you all the information you need to do these things.

All of us here on the forum will be glad to help you, Just ask. Most of us whom have been hunting and shooting for years want new and young shooters to join in and hunt and shoot, we also want you to be legal when doing this.

Give me a PM if you have any questions and I'll be glad to help you any way I can.[I]

i just want a 22 that is accurate able to shoot targets kill birds, squirrels, rabbits, possums. stuff like that this is my first gun i will own.


I would recommend a CZ 452 Scout if you're looking for something inexpensive and accurate. The problem with it is that it's bolt action, which i think you mentioned you were looking for semi-auto. I would've bought myself a semi-auto rimfire rifle too but in the state of minnesota it's ILLEGAL to use towards animals. Im not sure about centerfire rifles though.

If the criteria is 1) Cheap, and 2) Semi-Auto, then I think the Ruger 10/22 is a tough one to beat. I think they'll digest just about any ammo, although a friend had some trouble with feeding awhile back with a plastic 30 round clip, and it was a clip problem, not a rifle problem. He stuck to the Ruger 10 round clips and didn't have the feeding problems.

Ruger 10/22.

What do you want out of the rifle? Something fun to shoot , or extreme precision? An old bolt action chambered for S/L/ LR may serve you very well> I have used these w/ great success. CZ makes a great rifle, but a Browning A-bolt
Gold Medallion is the best. They no longer make these as far as I know. I have one, and it it the best .22 (Mag) I have ever shot! Less than .5 inch @ 150 yards! JP

Added, If you are looking for a cheap .22 semi-auto check out the Marlin 60. You will need to scope it!

I hear the Remington 597 is a good gun, and some of the 597 models have open sights so you don't have to buy a scope right away. http://www.remington.com/firearms/rimfire/597ss.htm

You might also look at the new Savage 22s. All of them have free floating button rifled barrels!! Their stainless semi-auto rifle shows a list price of $202 on their web site http://www.savagearms.com/64fss.htm A well made stainless 22 will last you a lifetime. If you get one and use it a lot, think twice before you ever sell it. Any of the old guys on this Forum who sold their first 22 probably wish they still had it.

Schurmy - Faucetb is right about the hunting safety course. My wife and I and our 3 sons all took the course here in Florida and it was excellent. Not only about gun safety, they spent time teaching about wildlife and much more. Plus here in Florida they took us out shooting 22s and shotguns before we were certified. My not-a-hunter wife thought the course was great. She just took it to see what they were teaching us 4 guys. It gave her a much greater appreciation of hunting and responsible hunters. Call or email your state wildlife department. They can tell you when and where those courses are offered.

Sincerely,
Dave

The thing you want is a ruger 10/22. I to am 15, and i was able to afford it. Easy to clean, semi-auto, endless options. My brother is 12 and he has one to. The aftermarket accessories are unlimited. My brother's rifle has a folding stock,
and bipod, i have a sling and am looking at folders and bipods. We have high capacity mags. It's all cheap and easy to get. Just don't get 50 round banana clips. 10/22 definitly what you want in my opinion. My $.02.

okay all my friends have 22's (rimfire) so i was looking at a Remington Model 597 http://www.remington.com/firearms/rimfire/597hbls.htm
would this be a good first rimfire and also when i viewed the picture i wasnt sure if it had iron sights on it or what.
If you must have an autoloader, get a marlin before any remington. it will be more reliable , cheaper, and more accurate, 99 % of the time. i've had many of both , in 22lr and 22 mag, the marlin was almost funtioning perfectly and the remington was almost allways not. rangerruck
one more thing, if the savage has an autoloader, it will be a mag fed whereas the marlin you can get tube fed. so them marlin will hold 12- 15 rds depending on the model you get. But i will say that of all the big factory rilfe makers, savage probably makes the best , most accurate barrel out there, unless you want to get a custom barrel!

I own a Marlin 795 and love it! It is a 10 shot autoloader. I could easily hit the paper at 50 yards, but no precise. The paper was pretty much peppered with holes. I tried at 100 yards, but the bullets fly about 6 feet above the target. I gave up on 100 and went back to 50. A week or so later, I baught a simple .22 scope. I got it zeroed in at 50 and it was very easy to hit. I zeroed it in at 100, same results. The target was about the size of your fist. I hit it about 3/10 times (I am not the best shot, been shooting for less than a week(.