# newb here can some explain



## hotrodfeguy (Mar 19, 2006)

What is a .22LR .22MAG what are the differnt sizes? What are they used for? I am looking at getting a .22 for rabbit and P-dogs. I like what i see so far in the 10/22 or the marlin 795SS semi. But I am a newb


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## elderberry99 (Aug 18, 2005)

I just bought a Marlin 795 last week and mounted a Bushnell 4X scope on it. Shoots and handles great. If I had to do it again, I would in a second.
Very good rifle.
I had a 10/22 a few years ago and got rid of the thing. I did not care for the rotory clip. I have a Remington and the new Marlin and have to say the Marlin shoots just as good if not better then the Remington.
.22 mag ammo is too expensive for just shooting.


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## Dave_w (May 25, 2005)

.22 mag is a slightly longer cartridge, about .22-cal, which packs more powder per cartridge than .22LR. It offers a slightly flatter trajectory and longer range at the expense of being more expensive (both in terms of ammo and the price of the guns that shoot it).

I'll second the .22mag opinion, but depending on the ranges you want to shoot, something along those lines may be necessary. Most people, with a little practice, can be effective out to maybe 100 yards with simple .22LR. With a little talent, some ballistics knowlege, and a decent rifle, that range can be extended slightly. That's enough to cover a decent-sized field, but if you really need to reach out, you'll need something more. As a beginner cartridge, .22LR is great. It's inexpensive, so you can afford to practice enough to get good. And .22LR rifles and pistols tend to be pretty cheap themselves, so you don't have to invest a lot of money to get a good gun. The 10/22-TAL Ruger Factory Race Rifle, for example, featured a whole pile of trick parts for the bargain basement price of $450. We're talking a competition 3-pound trigger, a free-floating hammer-forged bull barrel with competition crown, Barracuda thumb-through stock in beautiful walnut, and match chamber.

If you're looking for a do-it-all cartridge for varmint, .223 is the way to go. Very pricey compared to .22LR, but you'll only need one rifle, and you'll only have to keep one caliber in stock. That particular cartridge, in capable hands, will pick off any little critter that's close enough to see, and a few that aren't. It also lets you use the versatile AR15-type carbines. You can take one of those, bone stock and not really all that trick ($650-$750 buys a good one), and gradually upgrade the rifle as your skill improves. A top-of-the-line DPMS tack-driver runs $1500 or so, although you can build a gun that's just as good in your basement for significantly less.

The rotary mag thing is a personal preference. I like magazine-fed rifles as opposed to tube-fed because I can reload the bleedin` things that much quicker. Yeah, I know you can get speed-loaders, but then you might as well be using a magazine. Three loaded magazines will keep my 10/22 fed all day, assuming I reload the empties while I'm not shooting anything.

The 10/22 has the advantage of being a really great, reliable gun for really not a lot of money, along with the massive aftermarket to customize and upgrade the rifle. The Marlin has the advantage of being ridiculously cheap and not sucking. The Remington, ummm....I dunno. No one I know shoots one. I think that might say something itself.

Good luck, man.


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## Dave_w (May 25, 2005)

Oh, I just reminded myself of a gun. CZ makes a pretty good bolt-action that comes in .22LR, .22mag, and the .17-cals. The CZ 513 is a basic no-frills rifle, and the midrange models, when chambered in .17HMR, will shoot a .5"-.6" group at fifty yards. Not bad for an off-the-shelf rifle, although my custom 10/22, loaded with Wolf Match Grade, will shoot a half-inch group at 75-100 yards. To be honest, though, ANYONE's custom 10/22 will do that, so I'm not particularly talented or anything.


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## Bore.224 (Mar 23, 2005)

hotrodfeguy , The .22 magnum is worth the extra price still cheap you can get ammo for around $6.00 for 50 rounds. The .22 mag also has some great varmint loads like the Remington 33 grn V-max bullet, also CCI makes a 30 grn TNT hollow point. The TNT round has very hight velocity and explosive performance on game , should be a good round for p-dogs out to 125 yards or more. The 22 mag is extreamly underated and is capible of taking up to coyote inside 100 yards, I know a few guys who have taken lots of deer with it as well "NOT RECOMENDED". The ruger 10/22 is really good but I would go for a good bolt action rifle as it is easy to clean and you will not have to worry if it will feed the ammo you chose. Ruger and Marlin make some good rifles in this config. DONT BUY A CHEAP SCOPE buy the best scope you can afford maybe a little more. Good shooting!!


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## pennsyltucky (Oct 30, 2005)

i have a remington 597 in 22lr. very good gun. i like it better than the 10/22, but it doesnt have much aftermarket stuff, which wouldnt matter unless u like to modify things. it shoot 2 inch or less groups at 100 yards with the cci stingers and velocitors without a gun vise. stingers shoot about 1 inch higher than the heavier and slower velocitors. but they are both waaaayyyy better than regular crap ammo. i lightened the slide, and modified some other things and now it will cycle with the subsonic shorts, which i doubt a 10/22 will do.

now if pennsylvania would just allow me to hunt with it.........


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## Dave_w (May 25, 2005)

Subsonic shorts? Why bother? No offense, I just don't see the need in a varmint gun, or even in a plinker or target rifle. As for keeping a gun completely stock...the only rifle I have that's like that is an old WWII-era Enfield .303, so don't ask me about that, lol. I'm never happy.


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## Gohon (Feb 14, 2005)

pennsyltucky, When you say subsonic shorts I assume you mean the cb-shorts by CCI which are actually a super subsonic round. Very little power and noise but also not very accurate, at least not in most guns I shoot. I would be very hesitant to modify a semi auto to shoot and eject them though as it would seem to me that regular 22 LR rounds would beat the action to death.

Now when it comes to regular subsonic LR rounds, that is all I use now days for squirrel and rabbit hunting when a 22 is called for. Very accurate at the 50-60 yards, especially for head shots I strive for and with plenty of killing power at that range. With considerable less noise than regular 22 LR's they don't seem to spook the game as much, allowing me to take several from one stand. So for pin point target shooting or small game for the freezer I give the heads up to the regular subsonic. For varmints such as PD's and ground squirrels I would want to use something with more punch such as the stingers or something along that line as mentioned.

For a first 22 I always recommend a 22 LR as a starting point and the 22 mag as the second gun. The 22 LR is a lot cheaper to shoot and the more you shoot the better you will become. This is not to say you don't want to get a 22 mag but that should be your second purchase and as mentioned the cost to shoot the mag is about doubled..... 4-6 dollars a box. Where I live the 22 mag Remington Premier V-Max cost about $10 a box of 50 if you can find them. Not cheap to shoot but they do extend the range considerable.

All rifles mentioned are good rifles but don't rule out the Savage bolts such as the Mark II. I have one and it is a tack driver out of the box.


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