When I was 14 I purchased my first rifle, a 20" blued/walnut 77/22 Hornet. My dad (who still had his gun shop at the time) asked if I wanted to get the then new stainless/laminated version with the 24in barrel....I really wanted it, but I couldn't afford it....so instead of saving for a little longer I bought the 20" rifle. Over the next 10 years that rifle accounted for literally hundreds of woodchucks, squirrels, crows, foxes, rabbits, turkeys, coyotes,..... (I sound like Bugs Bunny reading about what Tazmanian Devils eat, haha). I was using a max load of Win 296 with a 40gr Vmax bullet. It was too long to run in the magazine, so I loaded some 45gr softpoints for the rarely needed follow up shot. That gun was and is a tack driver. My best friend ended up buying the stainless/laminate version several years later and it shot well also. Some years later my uncle purchased a stainless/laminate version and it shoot well too.
For the last couple decades it's been a hermit in the back of the safe due the Kimber .204 ruger that I upgraded too, not to mention most of my free time in summer is now spent shooting NRA highpower.
Good luck with your decision.
Regards,
Ross
