Ruger vs. Remington

[MTO4Life]

Hi All,

I know this is a bit off from bird guns and fine shotguns, but I have a question. I'm looking into getting a new .22, and am torn between the Ruger 10/22 and the Remington 597. Any thoughts/comments? One nice thing about the Ruger is the myriad of aftermarket items. Anyhow, I just thought I'd post for some ideas. Thanks.

[ACooper]

Get the 10/22, they last forever and you can get anything for them.

[tn red]

10/22

[Greg Jennings]

I have a couple of 10/22s that I've tweaked extensively over the years. Read that to mean that I dropped a fair amount of money into them.

What I've found is that if you're interested in a squirrel/rabbit/plinker rifle, they're TERRIFIC. On the other hand, being autos and the barrel attachment design limits them if you're looking for a higher level of accuracy. No amount of money will get you past that barrier.

So, if you, by some chance, are going to run down the rabbit hole I did, save yourself time, frustration and money by getting a bolt action. CZ, Remington 541, Cooper, the different varieties of Anschutz, Remington 40X, Suhl 150 are somewhat in increasing order there.

I'm so tempted to get into rimfire tactical match with a Anschutz 65R Biathlon. Very nice little rifle ready to go for that stuff. With the winter we've had here, though, I'm thinking about the rimfire benchrest league at a nearby club that shoots indoors.

Summary: 10/22 unless you're looking for one-hole groups, in which case you need to look to a well-make bolt gun.

Greg J.

[lvrgsp]

Mto,
What is your primary use going to be for this rifle? If it is going to be any kind of serious target, match shooting then I would say got with the other options Greg suggested.....
If you are just looking for a squirrel, rabbit, varmit rifle, and I had to choose...then the 10/22 first you can accesorise endlessly with them, they are not quite as accurate out of the box as the 597, however in saying that the 597 is known to have had alot of jamming issues they did help that with the gen 3 mags, but never cleared the prob totally. I will be real honest I have been a die hard rem fan for many years, but as of late it seems to me rem's quality in some guns has gone down hill, especially in the blueing and finish dept. Better shoulder that 10/22 as well they have a shorter stock.
I'll get chastised for this but........if its just plinking your doing, I would not look past the Marlin model 60, pretty accurate out of the box, not as high of quality as the 10/22 or 597, but a very functional rifle none the less, with a few mods the model 60 can become a very accurate match rifle, many folks do it....
There a reason it has been the most popular selling .22 rifle for years.

EDIT:.....If I was choosing I would go with
1. Marlin model 60....it's a get it and go rifle very inexpensive.
2. Ruger 10/22....not as accurate endless uopgrades a bit more pricey built like a tank
3. Rem 597....pretty accurate out of the box bad issues with the mags and jamming
There again JMO,
OK guys chastise away.....

[Greg Jennings]

with a few mods the model 60 can become a very accurate match rifle, many folks do it....
OK guys chastise away.....

The only thing that I'd remotely disagree with is not defining what kind of "match".

There are a lot of matches that the autos will do fine in. In some, an auto is REQUIRED. In other kinds of matches, an auto of any kind just isn't going to cut it. But, we're probably getting pretty danged es-o-teric for GDF. The kind of stuff that I'm talking about is probably getting too esoteric for rimfirecentral and leaning hard into benchrest.com territory.

I'm jonesing for this one: http://www.killoughshootingsports.com/W ... /suhl.html , but I really need to get a 6BR barrel made for my son's CF rifle to compliment his 30 cal VFS barrel.
Greg J.

[MTO4Life]

I guess I could've been more clear, and that's my fault.

I'm not looking for benchrest accuarcy (one hole groups... although that is tempting!). What I wanted was a reliable gun, that is capable of good accuracy, is fast (hency the semi auto) and can be customized if necessary. What I am going to do with it is this. My friends and I have a summer competition, where we meet every month for skeet shooting, and some speed shooting with 22 rifles. It's like our own Steel Challenge. The 22 needs to be accurate, but quick as you are timed (as best as we can do it with our stopwatches!) and I'm looking to get my 22 as I was using one of their guns. It'd be a tinker gun, and I'd be shooting some groundhogs as well for fun. Anyhow, that is what I wanted, but I do appreciate the replies. Greg, that link is one smoking 22 rifle. I can see what you would like about it!

[lvrgsp]

with a few mods the model 60 can become a very accurate match rifle, many folks do it....
OK guys chastise away.....

The only thing that I'd remotely disagree with is not defining what kind of "match".

quote]
Those matches requiring the .22 auto.

[Greg Jennings]

I don't know about the aftermarket for the Marlin 60. The 10/22 would support you. Not saying the Marlin 60 won't, just that I know *nothing* about its aftermarket.

I think you'll eventually want a stock, a trigger and a barrel.

Here is where I got some of my stuff: https://www.volquartsen.com/ . My stock is a lot like the premiumt laminate on this page: https://www.volquartsen.com/category/14 ... -lr-action . I had a rail put on the bottom of the forearm and can add a hand rest. I'm short-armed and low hipped; have a hard time with a normal silhouette stock.

This is where I got my barrels: http://www.riflebarrels.com/products/ru ... arrels.htm . Mine is a custom profile that is straight the first 2". I have the barrel bedded those first inches. That's a secret of getting the 10/22 heavy barrel to shoot. Since it was to shoot rapid fire, I have a Bentz chamber.

How fast do you need it to be? If accuracy starts limiting you on an auto, you could consider a Fortner straight pull action. That's what 90% of the biathon shooters use..

For what it's worth,

Greg J.

[lvrgsp]

The aftermarket for the Marlin model 60 has grown considerably in the last few years, for the price of the 60 vs the 10/22 and add the mods in with it, far less to mod the 60 out then buy the 10/22....probaly the first mod would be the trigger assembly, some could get kinda sticky. There are whole forums out there for just the 60 and many aftermarket parts for them. The beauty of the 60 is the mods to become a fairly accurate ( Yes I know Fairly Accurate is subject to ones opinion, as everything on this forum can be at times... ) very reliable rifle with alot less spent for the mods on the 10/22. There is a group of guys doing some Mil Spec mods to the 60 thats crazy awesome. As Greg pointed out were really spliiting hairs here but I think any of the three will work well for you, just depends on how far you want to take em....10/22 is a nice rifle just more to customize as Greg said, where as the 60 is not gonna cost as much..
I'm a big Marlin fan so you can see my biased opinion ...as a matter of fact I'll be getting another one here this next week to start tricking out....
Let us know what you get and how you like it and any mods you do...always enjoy hearing about em

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M02C9KcHfK4
JMO,
Chip

[Greg Jennings]

The aftermarket for the Marlin model 60 has grown considerably in the last few years,

Chip, you'll have to carry the topic on any Marlin 60 stuff. My Sportsman's Team Challenge days are *over* a decade in the past now. My info is terribly, terribly dated.

One thing: does the 60 have a threaded barrel or a clamp like the 10/22 and related?

[lvrgsp]

Greg, the Marlin 60's have a pressed and pinned barrel, you really need a gunsmith to change one out if you wanted to, although that would be the last thing I would do to the Marlin, there excellent barrels. The biggest problems with the Marlins is they can be finnicky with certain ammo's, there triggers can seem to be a bit sticky. One thing is if you tear one down to clean it and you even think you might have bent the little spring for the spring and rod guide assembly, get a new one more than like;y it will start jamming on you, those springs can be a bit fragile at times.....

Edit:...Greg I am talking about the tube fed Marlins here, you were probably aware of that but just wanted to add that.

[Greg Jennings]

The Anschutz are pressure fitted and need a stout-hearted gunsmith to swap them. Ditto the Suhl; the two are related...were one in the same prior to the Red Army rolling across Germany.

I need to quit thinking about this. I'm breaking in one centerfire and am having another built for my son right now.

Greg J.

[lvrgsp]

The Anschutz are pressure fitted and need a stout-hearted gunsmith to swap them. Ditto the Suhl; the two are related...were one in the same prior to the Red Army rolling across Germany.

I need to quit thinking about this. I'm breaking in one centerfire and am having another built for my son right now.

Greg J.

Nah man you just need to buy you one of the 60's and trick it out...there a neat little rifle....
I'm not trying to take anything at all from the 10/22 or the 597, I've had both of them as well as the 60, but you know as well as I Greg the mods for the 10/22 can be very very pricey. And except for the "bleep" mags with the 597 jamming all the time it was very accurate, now rem did come out with the 3rd generation for the magazines, but I had tired of it by then. They all have there little problems here and there....When you ask most poeple who do not like the 60's, as to why they do not, usually the response I get is because they do not care for them being tube fed

[jbogacki76]

Chip is right on with the .22 stuff. But, you guys need to drop the .22 stuff and get one of those .17hmr's..... wooo weee they shoot flat and straight.

[Middlecreek]

Pick something out from Volquartsen and never look back. They would be great for what you are looking for and will be cheaper in the long run if you have plans to do some tinkering, many people have learned this the hard way, but it is fun to tinker with them. Here is a pic of a top of the line VC in 17HMR... we get pretty serious about our coon hunting around here!!



Their "superlite" is also an awesome hunting/plinker and shoots lights out for weighing almost nothing.

[lvrgsp]

That is a sweet set up my man....what's the scope on the rifle?

[Greg Jennings]

I like the Volquartsen stuff. I have Volquartsen components in one of my 10/22's. They're pretty pricey, though. Also, if one is looking for an auto, they fill the bill but for real lights out accuracy, no auto is going to cut it. Close, but not there. They're just not going to be any 250 autos much less 250 with a high X count.