Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires 10/22 or Marlin 60 for Squirrel?

I don't care for mods and I like wood...So it would be a basic, standard model.

Accuracy and reliability, which is best out of the box?

Marlin

I'll take the 10/22 give me your address, and I'll send you the squirrel.

OK Whelenman, squirrel not included...I plan on scoping it and shots can be as long as 50-60 yards and as close as a squirrel can get, which is pretty close.

The rifle is actually for a somewhat younger (16 years old) shooter so the weapon will probably see a lot of plinking besides small game.

700LH...why?

Marlin. No magazines to remember.

Have both btw. Bought the m60’s used as barn guns, but those little buggers are shooters!

Both are good guns but I prefer the Marlin Model 60.

I've got both. The Ruger is more reliable than my old Marlin, but that old Marlin has killed a traincar load of squirrels, rabbits, coons, and whatever else needed killing. And my old Marlin, due to hard use, has a better trigger than my doctored up Ruger, I wish it was more reliable. though it worked well enough to kill all that stuff. I like the balance better, too. but mine is 1971 vintage, and it's a different rifle than the new ones with their shorter barrels and magazines.

The Marlin has slimmer more appealing lines and a nice heavy barrel for good accuracy while maintaining a lightweight and well balanced feel as well as a permanently mounted magazine that cannot be lost and is mostly bulletproof.
After years of use, internal action parts can eventually wear out. But replacement patts are available and not terribly expensive.

The Ruger has the cool M1 Carbine styling, but a bulkier feel and tacky-cheap plastic carbine style buttplate that looks like an afterthought.
Legendary reliability, but not as reliable accuracy as the Marlin.

I like both. And would let the kid pick his poison.

...........Marlin,,wood or plastic...I've had both and Marlin was a tighter shooter.

I have a couple of stainless Marlin 60s and think that they are a better choice than the 10/22 for the guy who isn't going to modify the rifle to better suit his particular wants/needs.

I think that every 10/22 that I have has had the trigger tuned or replaced with a BX trigger. The 10/22s would all start off better if Ruger would just put the BX triggers on all of them.

EDIT: I prefer to shoot tree squirrels with the 17HM2, but that ammo is around 5x more expensive than bulk .22 LR, so it isn't practical for casual plinking.

I have owned several 10-22's and sold them, I have gotten the compact RAR bug for suppressor use and ordered a WMR this week but I still want a Marlin 60. I have looked at several wood stocked models but I will wait until I find one of these, very nice in my opinion.

I agree with some of the others, if you're not going to tinker with it go with the Mdl60. I've had a couple of each and out of the box the Marlins has been more accurate with most ammo.

Greatest squirrel round ever IMO.

Good replies...as the op I have seen similar opinions elsewhere on the web....consensus seems the M60 is at lest the more accurate out of the box.

Volq hammer helps the 10/22 a bunch.
Don't consider such a parts swap to be tinkering.

Owned both ( actually owned 2 Ruger 10/22 rifles: a walnut barrel band carbine, and a stainless barreled syn stock version).

I Used them mostly for plinking and some bench accuracy testing ( not too stringent testing). Sold off the Rugers ( owned 1 at a time over 10 years), for no particular reason. They were 100% reliable and fun. They shot about 1.5” groups at 50 yards. I had a couple of bolt 22 lr, so didn’t “need” a semi-auto 22 LR.

Came across a Marlin model 60. Still have it. It is more accurate than the Ruger, as it flirts with 1” groups at 50 yards. 100% reliable. I don’t shoot super fast- maybe that contributes to reliability -who knows. I just don’t “machine gun” my firearms.

The Marlin model 60 has a more svelte feel. Narrower in you hands, and has some muzzle heaviness, which I prefer. The Ruger carbine 10/22 just feels clubbier and thicker in your hand while carrying- because they are. Not bad, that’s just their design.

Both are tremendous firearms.

I THINK there is/was a version of the 10/22 that had a longer, moderately heavier barrel. The 10/22 LVT? I thought it would be really sweet to put a 22” moderate heavy match barrel on a sporter version ( no barrel band) with a Bentz chamber. Just never got to it. Maybe the Ruger 10/22 LVT (?) is the configuration that would intrigue me.

It’s just tough to find fault with the Marlin model 60. Accurate, has some “heft” (man-sized), reliable, narrow/svelte, and all for $100. I will do some trigger work to the Marlin m60 ( it runs about 5 lbs, and I’d like to get it to 3 lbs-which is doable- and test some match grade ammo. Maybe it will be a 5/8- 3/4” grouper at 50 yards. I think it can shoot a bit better-we’ll see this year.

Again, both are fine firearms. I just like “long and lean”. Vs , “ short , thick and clubby.” I vote Marlin model 60.

and better barrels

just ended up with a 1970's MD 60 in a deal for $125 with a Bushnell Banner on it and after cleaning it is running about 5/8 at 50 yard with Aguilla Super Extra. Great trigger as well. Have never had an untouched 10-22 do that.

I scored a '67 standard 10/22. Kinda beat up but had some figure. Redid stock.
Turns out the inlet of the bbl channel was wrong. Had to sand the front down a bit.
Shot pretty decent after that. The old fingergroove still shot better. Blazer did .75" at 50 yds (swapped a Volq hammer when I got it, dunno how it would have done in stock form).

I tend to ding stuff up, and the first one after redoing a wood stock just sucks.
So my current 10/22 is a '95 model (receiver) w GM bbl and Volq hammer, in Titan plastic stock.

Dunno how it shoots yet.
Hopefully I find something it likes, because I won't be doing any further mods.