Choice time

[Kid Hunter]

So I'm thinking about buying either a new .22 or a 12 gauge at the end of the summer and I'm wondering what you all would prefer. If you wouldn't mind also posting why and what you find them useful for that would be great!

These are the two I'm looking at.
http://ca.wholesalesports.com/storefront/firearms/rimfire-rifles/model-795/prod102862.html (http://ca.wholesalesports.com/storefront/firearms/rimfire-rifles/model-795/prod102862.html)(.22)

http://ca.wholesalesports.com/storefront/firearms/pump-action-shotguns/model-88-field/prod161520.html (12G)

I like these two because they're pretty cheap, the reviews are good, and they're at Wholesale sports which is pretty much the closest place.

[dougster]

it depends on what you want to hunt, if you are thinking small game go with the 22, but i would recommend the savage arms 22 they sell. i bought it a few years ago and it has been awesome, i threw a 3x9 scope on it and its lethal.
if your going for birds you would probably want the 12g, but i would recommend the remington shot gun, it is very reliable, my brother bought one and its great, we can pound through hundreds of rounds in a sit and it never jams... awesome gun
both are at wholesale

[Kid Hunter]

Well I'd like to try and get some rabbits but I'd also like to try and get some grouse too. So I'm not really sure what would be best. I definitely wouldn't be able to get both because of the cost. I don't want to spend all the money I make over the summer on this.:)

[dougster]

im also against anything semi-auto, IMHO it is a contradition to fair chase and promotes poor marksmenship.... its just to easy to keep pulling a trigger..... one shot one kill

[Kid Hunter]

Yeah I can understand what you mean when you're saying that. I haven't been into Wholesale sports yet to look at guns but being left handed it seems like(for .22's at least) that its either semi-auto or lever action(which are too expensive for me). Unless they just don't put left handed guns on the website. I also think the semi-auto would be a lot of fun for target shooting though. Just a couple reasons why I would like it.

[dougster]

the bolt actions really arent that expensive, go down to your local wss and have a look at whats there

[TyTy]

My opinion:

the 22LR, I have a ruger 10/22, its great. why the marlin i might ask? not a great difference between 10/22 -795. There is a great difference though between the marlin bolt and ruger bolt 77/22 (i think is the model). If you want a semi-auto, i'd say go ruger, they have the rotary magazine, speed loader, extended clips.

if you want to savour your shots, buy a bolt action 22. a 22 is more fun for grouse/rabbits.

[mijinkal]

I agree with dougster when it comes to buying .22's. Go with the single shot and make each shot count. A little old school maybe.
Personally I'd get a .22 if you're planning on starting with grouse and wabbits. Rounds are dirt cheap and you can spend all day shooting at targets if you want. You can also move up to shooting yotes.

Shotguns are great, but unless you're shooting clays, they will get boring quicker than a .22, plus you're tire out your shoulder. I've also never shot a grouse or rabbit with a shotgun. I think it's a little overkill unless you're shooting a flying bird (wich I plan on shooting a lot of with a shotgun this fall). I usually just shoot em off the road.

[dougster]

yeah i use my 22 for all scedule c critters, grouse to yotes.... it is awesome i wouldnt trade it for anything, and yeah.. rounds are super cheap

[Gateholio]

im also against anything semi-auto, IMHO it is a contradition to fair chase and promotes poor marksmenship.... its just to easy to keep pulling a trigger..... one shot one kill

Ridiculous.

[dougster]

ridiculous? i said it was in my opinion.... i dont like semi autos and i wont ever own one.... i enjoy every shot and i strive to make every shot i take count. if im going to own a rifle its either bolt action of lever action

[Gateholio]

ridiculous? i said it was in my opinion.... i dont like semi autos and i wont ever own one.... i enjoy every shot and i strive to make every shot i take count. if im going to own a rifle its either bolt action of lever action

Your assertion that a semi auto firearm is in contradiction to fair chase and promotes poor marksmanship is ridiculous. The fact that it is your opinion does not change that it is a ridiculous statement.

[dougster]

how many people do you see with a semi auto that just point and shoot.... spraying lead all over.... if your using a bolt action you know that there is a pause after your shot.... it gives more incentive to take the time to aim.... im sure im not the only person on here who thinks using a semi auto.... especially to hunt isnt using as much sportsmanship as a bolt

[Gateholio]

how many people do you see with a semi auto that just point and shoot.... spraying lead all over.... if your using a bolt action you know that there is a pause after your shot.... it gives more incentive to take the time to aim.... im sure im not the only person on here who thinks using a semi auto.... especially to hunt isnt using as much sportsmanship as a bolt

You must believe that the trigger, and not the brain, controls the finger.

[dougster]

ive seen it...

[Gateholio]

So I'm thinking about buying either a new .22 or a 12 gauge at the end of the summer and I'm wondering what you all would prefer. If you wouldn't mind also posting why and what you find them useful for that would be great!

These are the two I'm looking at.
http://ca.wholesalesports.com/storefront/firearms/rimfire-rifles/model-795/prod102862.html (http://ca.wholesalesports.com/storefront/firearms/rimfire-rifles/model-795/prod102862.html)(.22)

http://ca.wholesalesports.com/storefront/firearms/pump-action-shotguns/model-88-field/prod161520.html (12G)

I like these two because they're pretty cheap, the reviews are good, and they're at Wholesale sports which is pretty much the closest place.

A .22 will teach you to shoot a rifle better than a shotgun. And ammo is real cheap. Unless you are going to shoot trap/clays then the .22 is the better choice. Shotguns get boring real fast when shooting stationary targets.

[Gateholio]

ive seen it...

You've seen a trigger control a finger? Interesting.

[dougster]

ive seen people spot a grouse and pop off 15 rounds trying to kill it... effectively destroying the meat... so disgusted i have never spoken to them since

[Gateholio]

ive seen people spot a grouse and pop off 15 rounds trying to kill it... effectively destroying the meat... so disgusted i have never spoken to them since

How exactly was that the firearms fault?

[peashooter]

Dude, you need to find some new hunting buddies.

[Kid Hunter]

My opinion:

the 22LR, I have a ruger 10/22, its great. why the marlin i might ask? not a great difference between 10/22 -795. There is a great difference though between the marlin bolt and ruger bolt 77/22 (i think is the model). If you want a semi-auto, i'd say go ruger, they have the rotary magazine, speed loader, extended clips.

if you want to savour your shots, buy a bolt action 22. a 22 is more fun for grouse/rabbits.

I'm going towards the marlin because I'm mainly looking at the price for quality. The marlin is a fair bit cheaper and all the reviews for it are great. Most if not all the reviews say that it rarely if ever jams and shoots good right out of the box and it just sounds like a great deal for the price.



Shotguns are great, but unless you're shooting clays, they will get boring quicker than a .22, plus you're tire out your shoulder. I've also never shot a grouse or rabbit with a shotgun. I think it's a little overkill unless you're shooting a flying bird (wich I plan on shooting a lot of with a shotgun this fall). I usually just shoot em off the road.

That's one reason why I'm thinking about the shotgun. I've done some pigeon shooting before and it was a ton of fun so I'd like to be able to do that more often but then there's the .22 which like you said, you can just shoot all day.


Ridiculous.


how many people do you see with a semi auto that just point and shoot.... spraying lead all over.... if your using a bolt action you know that there is a pause after your shot.... it gives more incentive to take the time to aim.... im sure im not the only person on here who thinks using a semi auto.... especially to hunt isnt using as much sportsmanship as a bolt

That's a bit like saying that road hunting is worse than hiking and hunting. It really depends on your own morals and how you feel like things should be done, I think.


A .22 will teach you to shoot a rifle better than a shotgun. And ammo is real cheap. Unless you are going to shoot trap/clays then the .22 is the better choice. Shotguns get boring real fast when shooting stationary targets.

Yeah I like that about a .22. I could get my shooting practice and improve my overall shooting with rifles. So that could be more beneficial overall to me.

[Steeleco]

The .22 of any kind will make you a better shot. I've a 10-22 and shoot rabbits and grouse with it all the time. My kids shoot 1000's of rounds a year at the range for not much $$ Can't do that with a shotty.

Bang for buck a good used 10-22 will afford you hours of fun and game on the plate. It's up to you how often you squeeze the trigger??

[Kid Hunter]

Well I definitely don't get out a lot for shooting. I sure would like to get out more and I think once I get a gun that I can just shoot and shoot and shoot I will go out more often.

[Brian011]

a .22 is definitely the way to go if you just want to shoot grouse and rabbits. if you want to shoot ducks and geese then a 12 gauge would be better. i have a 20 gauge also that is a good universal gun as well

[PointMan]

For what it's worth, I have an old Savage .22/.410 over under. It's an AWESOME grouse/rabbit gun. I know they're still out there, but only in used, last place I saw one used was for about $300. I think that's a bit high, but either way, couldn't find a better compromise to your dilemma.

[Lone Ranger]

I agree 100% with Gatehouse, why is it 'unethical' to hunt with a semi-auto? Its legal, and I see no reason why a person couldn't pump as many rounds in to an animal with a bolt action if they were so inclined to hunt like so. I hunt with bolt actions as well, but for me [personally] I prefer semi-auto .22s because they're far more fun for plinking with.

I apologize if its not appropriate to mention here on the post, but Kid Hunter I have an offer for you. I'm in S Langley, and I have a Marlin 980s-cf (http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/BoltAction22/980s-cf.asp) .22 bolt action rifle (stainless barrel, carbon fibre looking stock), near new condition with a Tasco 6-24x scope on it I'm considering selling in the near future. I already have several .22s and I bought it as an extra, and am planning on purchasing a .223 or .22-250 instead. I'll definitely be selling it much cheaper than a store's new price, so if you're interested it can get you into a rifle cheaper and you might even have enough left over to afford a 12 ga as well! Perhaps PM might be appropriate if you're interested. LR

[sawmill]

Ridiculous.

Indeed.I have a semi auto.22 Love it,tons of fun.

[sawmill]

how many people do you see with a semi auto that just point and shoot.... spraying lead all over.... if your using a bolt action you know that there is a pause after your shot.... it gives more incentive to take the time to aim.... im sure im not the only person on here who thinks using a semi auto.... especially to hunt isnt using as much sportsmanship as a bolt
For a guy who has not hunted(No CORE,so you couldn`t have)ya sure got have a lot to say.Figure out what a 4 point buck means yet?

[6.5x55mm]

Like others have said if you want a semi get the ruger 10/22, rugged and reliable that will last many years. Do not get a Marlin semi, nothing more frustrating than a semi that jams. If you are into that price look at the marlin 925 its a simple clip fed bolt gun with all metal parts. As for the maverick nothing wrong with them.

[BiG Boar]

Like others have said if you want a semi get the ruger 10/22, rugged and reliable that will last many years. Do not get a Marlin semi, nothing more frustrating than a semi that jams. If you are into that price look at the marlin 925 its a simple clip fed bolt gun with all metal parts. As for the maverick nothing wrong with them.

x3

If you want one of those crappy Marlins, buy the one my buddy cheaped out on, I warned him too. It jams more than Eddie Vedder did in the 90's.

I would ask people on here if they have any decent pump action rifles or old cooye 22's they want to get out of their gun safe for a reasonable price. Probably get both for the same price as a new one. Just explain your story and see what happens.

[hardnocks]

really for the price of a 10/22 buy one. birch stock and blue barrel can be had for $250 .

[igojuone]

You might want to check out Cabelas as the Marlin your looking at is priced at 169.95.
https://www.cabelas.ca/index.cfm?pageID=71&section=1187&section2=1725&section3=1738&ID=3789

[SR80]

yeah i use my 22 for all scedule c critters, grouse to yotes.... it is awesome i wouldnt trade it for anything, and yeah.. rounds are super cheap

How many coyotes have you wounded with your .22? And you call semi autos unethical?

[mxracer328]

dougster, i dont think that hunting with a semi-auto is unethical. if your "buddies" are tossin lead at them until they fall down then thay them selves are unethical. I can put 4 shots through my marlin lever pretty fast and probably ruin meat but i guess its not unethical because its a lever action.

As for you kid hunter i would go with the .22LR, for rabbits / grouse it would be perfect for you. As everyone else seems to be saying i would go with the 10/22 as well. they are awesome for a first .22. There are some pretty cheap break barrel single shot 12 Ga. out there that would suit you.3

http://ca.wholesalesports.com/storefront/firearms/rimfire-rifles/10-22-all-weather-model/prod101959.html

ruger 10/22 blued for $249.99

and if you have some $$$ left over

http://ca.wholesalesports.com/storefront/firearms/single-shot-shotguns/pardner-shotgun/prod219375.html

OR

http://ca.wholesalesports.com/storefront/firearms/single-shot-shotguns/pardner-shotgun/prod276700.html

20 Ga.

[Kid Hunter]

You might want to check out Cabelas as the Marlin your looking at is priced at 169.95.
https://www.cabelas.ca/index.cfm?pageID=71&section=1187&section2=1725&section3=1738&ID=3789

Yeah it's 169.95 at Wholesale too. You just have to select the blued barrel. Thanks though!


As for you kid hunter i would go with the .22LR, for rabbits / grouse it would be perfect for you. As everyone else seems to be saying i would go with the 10/22 as well. they are awesome for a first .22. There are some pretty cheap break barrel single shot 12 Ga. out there that would suit you.3

http://ca.wholesalesports.com/storefront/firearms/rimfire-rifles/10-22-all-weather-model/prod101959.html

ruger 10/22 blued for $249.99

and if you have some $$$ left over

http://ca.wholesalesports.com/storefront/firearms/single-shot-shotguns/pardner-shotgun/prod219375.html

OR

http://ca.wholesalesports.com/storefront/firearms/single-shot-shotguns/pardner-shotgun/prod276700.html

20 Ga.

I do kinda like the looks of those single shot shotguns.... Might have to try and get one of those if I have some extra change. Thanks!

One thing I'm a little confused about though, is how lots of you are saying that the Marlin is the gun that will crap out and has jamming problems but on the Wholesale site reviews say that the Ruger 10/22 is the one that jams and...well the price says it should be better but the cheaper one with better reviews is a little more appealing... :confused:

[Lone Ranger]

If it moves, and/or isn't maintained properly, it can always jam. I have had a couple bolt guns jam on me (usually old and worn out, but still) and have had auto's jam. I've had several lever guns jam too, and they're pretty darn reliable. I currently shoot a cheapy 10/22 usually and its only jammed on me once or twice in the 4 years I've owned it (rapid fire when plinking, and it pinched the spent brass with the bolt - simple pull on the bolt and it finished ejecting). Keeping your rifle clean and don't let an excess amount of oil build up (attracts dust and grime), and it'll be good to you.

The beauty of the 10/22's is that their design's been the same for decades. My landlord has one from the 70s and hers is the exact same as mine, shoots just as nice too. They're good guns, and to be honest if I only could have one .22 I'd probably have it in semi-auto just because they're just as accurate, and more fun when plinking. .22s are super cheap to feed, so ammo usage isn't an issue. LR

[RJ]

yeah i use my 22 for all scedule c critters, grouse to yotes.... it is awesome i wouldnt trade it for anything, and yeah.. rounds are super cheap

grouse and yotes aren't schedule c critters :confused:

[stinney]

hey kid hunter are you left handed? i thought i read that in an earlier post. i am left handed myself and recently picked up a ruger semi auto 22 and the 12g rem 870 in left hand. although i love both of them and enjoy them i would have to give the edge to the 22. reasons are cost of ammo, diversity of the gun (can pretty much shoot anything from single targets, multiple targets and critters), and no recoil so hours and hours of shooting/fun.
as for hunting with grouse a friend of mine used to hunt with a shotgun and used a 6shot for ammo however if he didnt take off the head he would lose a lot of meat. now he's converted to using 22s and shot placement

aside from lever action you arent going to find a left handed 22 but with the semi auto i dont even notice the brass flying past me. my recommendation is a semi auto 22. dont be sold on the marlin go in feel a couple and chose one that fits your mitts. good luck

[buck nash]

Ive got a 10/22 allweather with no mods except a $70 fixed 4 power bushnel scope. I can shoot bottle caps from 50 yards, using my backpack for a rest, with bulk winchester ammo and hit them 9 out of ten rounds. They're plenty accurate out of the box espcially for any hunting situation.

As for reliability, I often shoot a box of 333 rounds in a day and almost never experience jams, fail to feed, fail to eject etc. except when I tried a butler creek 25 round mag. Those mags often fail to feed the first 5 rounds properly but work reliably if I only load up 20 rounds.

Regarding ethics: well you gotta figure that out for yourself I guess. But I think the dougster might have some credibility issues, so I probably wouldn't look to him for guidance.

[mxracer328]

Yeah it's 169.95 at Wholesale too. You just have to
One thing I'm a little confused about though, is how lots of you are saying that the Marlin is the gun that will crap out and has jamming problems but on the Wholesale site reviews say that the Ruger 10/22 is the one that jams and...well the price says it should be better but the cheaper one with better reviews is a little more appealing... :confused:

i think the number of 10/22's out there is much greater than the marlin that you are looking at. so if a few jam then your more likely to hear about it. but how are the owners maintaining it? most of the time the jam would occur because the owner does not clean it enough. when i had mine out of the hundreds and hundreds of rounds maybe had it jam 6 times. mostly to me neglicting it.

with so many people on HBC directing you to a 10/22 i wouldnt think that they are an inferior product to a marlin. IMO

[Moose Guide]

the maverick works well, I personally prefer a bolt .22 like the rem. mod. 5, if I went semi auto it would be a ruger 10/22

[buck nash]

I voted for the 22 but...On the other hand, with a 12g you have the option to load it up with some slugs or buckshot and get yerself a deer (at about archery ranges) this fall.

Kind of a tough choice really. Thats why my first 2 guns were a 10/22 and a 12g rem 870. Bought them on the same day.

[barry1974w]

I'd go with a used .22 and a 12 gauge. Problem solved.

I'd be careful using a semi auto 22 as a south paw though. I've had two "bad" .22 shells over the years that I fired from semi autos and the resulting shrapnel sprayed my forehead and the far right side of my face. No damage, but I'm right handed. So if you go with a semi, wear your safety glasses.

[Kid Hunter]

i think the number of 10/22's out there is much greater than the marlin that you are looking at. so if a few jam then your more likely to hear about it. but how are the owners maintaining it? most of the time the jam would occur because the owner does not clean it enough. when i had mine out of the hundreds and hundreds of rounds maybe had it jam 6 times. mostly to me neglicting it.

with so many people on HBC directing you to a 10/22 i wouldnt think that they are an inferior product to a marlin. IMO

Yeah I think I'm starting to become more open minded about these .22s now. It makes sense what you're saying about the number of them out there too. I think I'm slowly being converted to the 10/22. I guess I'll just have to go and feel a few and see what I like.


I voted for the 22 but...On the other hand, with a 12g you have the option to load it up with some slugs or buckshot and get yerself a deer (at about archery ranges) this fall.

Kind of a tough choice really. Thats why my first 2 guns were a 10/22 and a 12g rem 870. Bought them on the same day.

Exactly! If I get the 12g I can use it for a lot of different things and I think eventually I would like to try duck hunting or something of the sort. Maybe I'll have to get both of them....


I'd go with a used .22 and a 12 gauge. Problem solved.

I'd be careful using a semi auto 22 as a south paw though. I've had two "bad" .22 shells over the years that I fired from semi autos and the resulting shrapnel sprayed my forehead and the far right side of my face. No damage, but I'm right handed. So if you go with a semi, wear your safety glasses.

I think I might just have to get them both. I think I'll keep an eye out on here for either of them...

I think I'd like to get one brand new gun though. One that I could pass on to my kids and that could stay in the family for a while. I think that would be cool. And it kinda seems like the 10/22 might be the gun for that.