My vote goes to the JM Browning semi-auto. Granddad had a Remington Model 24 that sot shorts that I shot whenever I could as a kid. That rifle is now in my safe. Knowing that I'd probably never inherit it and that if I did it would be late in life (and it was), my first big purchase once I got out of the service was to spend $125 on a Browning .22LR SA-22. Glad I did. My daughters all grew up shooting the Browning. I didn't get Granddad's Model 24 until a couple year after he passed away at 100 years old. It still shoots well enough I can hit clays at 100 with the irons on a regular basis.
I absolutely hate Browning SAs because they eject hot brass down your shirt sleeves.
My favorite .22 semi-auto are Ruger 10/22s 'cause they are modular and can be configured in so many different ways. Ruger 10/22s are like peanuts, in that one is never enough.
