Ruger 77/22, CZ 452, or Marlin xt-22?

[sheriff160]

I currently own 7 CZ rimfires, and have owned a 77/22 and the Marlin the past. The CZ bolt action line of rimfires are probably the best rimfire rifle buy for the money out there. There is nothing wrong with the 77/22 but my Ruger .22 American shoots just as accurate, it just doesn't have the walnut furniture and the American lacks the polished finish. I am quite fond of my American because it shoots so well and because it takes a lot of abuse. I wasn't to impressed with the Marlin, I only kept it for a few months and then traded off. If you are shopping, don't forget to look at the Browning T-Bolt. They are usually in line price wise with the 77/22 and I would take the Browning over the 77/22 any day. I own an older model and one of the new production models.
The CZ trainer you are looking at and the CZ Lux are the same model, the trainer comes with a beech stock and the Lux is turkish walnut. I have a CZ 452 American that I cut the barrel down to 16" for easy carry in thick brush that I kill a lot of game with. My 452 in .17 Mach 2 shoots like a stinkin lazer!

 

[rico903]

Owning several of the CZ 452s, the Full Stock model is a hard one to put down. So much nicer than my 77/22. And more accurate.

 

[willy]

Checkout the Savage MarkII G. Pretty darn accurate and very affordable. It will also feed shorts,CB's, and quiets from the clip. The MarkII FVT and FSS are also good options.

 

[rico903]

I have the 77/22 cause it takes the same mags as the 10/22 and i wanted one that said i want a CZ as well

The only problem is, nobody stops at 1 CZ

 

[MachtSchnell]

The only problem is, nobody stops at 1 CZ

Exactly

 

[terp91]

I still have the Marlin, and will probably keep it for a beater. It functions well after tweaking some issues, and it's a better candidate for a scope since CZ's have really nice irons.

I've got both an XT22 and a 795. Newer production Marlins can be a little rough around the edges, but QC has seemed to be getting better. I've got TechSights on the 795 and a 4x scope on the XT. They share 7 & 10 round mags and accuracy is acceptable at 50-75yds.

For the price Marlins are good rifles, and the laminate & synthetic stocks can take a beating. They aren't CZ's by any stretch, but nobody really expects them to be.

 

[Uncle Duke]

I won't argue that at all. The 77/22 is a fine gun. There's better yet from other manufacturers as you climb higher on the price pole. Most buyers will not or cannot cough up the extra scratch to buy them, though, especially when they see the low-end semi-autos at Wally World for $150. The Rimfire hits the sweet spot for price/quality/features for most buyers.

Yep! The only .22 rimfires I owned for 30 years were a Marlin 25 and a Marlin 60. Both decent rifles too. Sold the 60. And just couldn't see spending much money on a 22. But the more I thought about it, the less sense that thought made to me. What was I shooting the most rounds of? What rifle was in my hands most often during the course of any given year? Between paper and tin cans and small game hunting.......

Have a Ruger 77/22 in 22WMR and love it! Also a CZ455 which is dead nuts accurate. Wouldn't part with either today!

 

[chooks9]

Checkout the Savage MarkII G. Pretty darn accurate and very affordable. It will also feed shorts,CB's, and quiets from the clip. The MarkII FVT and FSS are also good options.

The Savage is a very good gun for the money, definitely a better deal than the Marlin.

 

[rico903]

One thing I didn't see mentioned about the CZs is that the 452 barrels are screwed in. The newer model 455s have changeable barrels in .22LR, .22WMR and .17HMR. No 17HM2 yet that I know of. The 455 is available as a single caliber or 2 caliber set. Extra barrels are about $100. People were slow to move on from their 452s but the 455 is catching on and has good reviews on RFC.