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what kind of 22 should i be looking at getting i wan a 22 to shoot out raccoons and use it to take bob cats too im looking at a 22 mag whats every ones thought on this subject

look at the take down 22's they work awesome. come apart and fit in your pack nice. still have a scope to make real tight shots. works great.

I like using a bolt action with a clip.Safe around the tree and easy to load and unload.Tubes are a pain to load and unload. Semi autos have another round ready to go. When the game comes out of the tree easy to forget to take it out and a nuicence when your trying to keep the dogs from tearing up the hides.

I bought myself a magnum research 22mag early last winter and it goes every where I go. Well worth the extra money I should have got one years ago. Its just like a ruger 10/22 only a 22mag. Good luck John.

Redneck, Larry is right 10 and 2 safety first.I do not like live ammo in the chamber when it's dark uneven ground and brushy.I have seen autoloaders fire from a limb, and a hound jumping and hanging a claw on the trigger.Both of these things happened with the gun in my hand.No more autos for me only bolt lever or revolver.22mag is ok but not necessary for coon or bobcat. mag ammo cost is higher and may limit target shooting some.I prefer a 45 colt for my defence a 22lr rifle to harvest game.Ol'Curt

I have a savage mark 2 bolt action with a heavy target barrel and an 3-9 tactical light up scope. very accurate for long shots up very tall trees. here in michigan alot of our coons go to the very top of some extremely tall trees, so i need a very accurate .22. it weights about 7-8 pounds but is worth it. iv been out with guys that couldn't hit one once with 30 shots no joke. usually takes me with my gun one or two shots. lol

For Coons I use a Remington Nylon 66 that is clip fed, very light and very durable and accurate enough to lay one between a coon's eyes in the top of a tall tree. While the 66 is no longer being made good used ones can still be found. The Remington 597 would be a another good choice, it is chambered in both long rifle and 22 mag, clip fed also, the trigger is a bit heavy but it really groups well for an auto and is reasonably priced.


Al

I use a Ruger 10/22 and really enjoy it. I also have a Marlin 22. Mag and haven't used it for years, just has to much pop for an old coon. As far as safety goes I never load a gun until I see the animal in the tree. Rugers are nice because you can lock the slide open and put it on safety. So you know the gun is unloaded and cant go off just by glancing at the gun.

a good bolt 22 mag should take down any small game animal cleanly and ethically, but most importantly safely.

I too am a bolt gun fan, although I just bought a Henry lever gun that is a shooting fool. If your going for a bolt gun, it's pretty hard to beat a Savage for out of the box accuracy.

I found the 22mag. is a little to much for bobs. If you like alittle fight go for the regular .22 .
TODD

I have a ruger 77/22 22 mag and simply love the gun.

Ruger 10/22
Nothing else comes close

You have lots of accessories for down the road, including a suppressed barrel with subsonic ammo that is killer.

Also other things like stocks and mil spec type stocks.
This is all the SAME gun.

I think the area you hunt in might dictate the model of rifle you wish to carry. As our friend said up in Michigan a lot of those bigger northern coon tree high and an accurate scope sighted 22 would be the best. In other areas the bulk of the shots are in medium trees and a person could get by with an iron sighted pump or lever gun. I don't have any idea how many coons I killed over the years but I am sure it would number well over a thousand, and the bulk of them have been taken with a 22 handgun, and high speed hollow point ammo. I shot a good number also with a 22 Mag. and feel it is really more than you need and with the hollowpoints up close in a rifle it will make skinning more of a nasty blood shot ordeal. Bobcats die very easy and genarally a high speed 22 Lr. thru the lungs at the range you will shoot a treed cat and they just fold up and die and no hide damamge at all to speak of.
I love the 22 Magnum and i have several of them my most accurate a custom bolt action with an octoganal barrel and it's a dandy prairie dog gun out to 100 or a little more but I don't carry it around in the woods. I have a pump action rossi that is a blast to shoot running jack rabbits with and it is pretty light but for tree game up to the size of a bobber i still pack a 22 LR.

Mike Leonard wrote:I think the area you hunt in might dictate the model of rifle you wish to carry. As our friend said up in Michigan a lot of those bigger northern coon tree high and an accurate scope sighted 22 would be the best. In other areas the bulk of the shots are in medium trees and a person could get by with an iron sighted pump or lever gun. I don't have any idea how many coons I killed over the years but I am sure it would number well over a thousand, and the bulk of them have been taken with a 22 handgun, and high speed hollow point ammo. I shot a good number also with a 22 Mag. and feel it is really more than you need and with the hollowpoints up close in a rifle it will make skinning more of a nasty blood shot ordeal. Bobcats die very easy and genarally a high speed 22 Lr. thru the lungs at the range you will shoot a treed cat and they just fold up and die and no hide damamge at all to speak of.
I love the 22 Magnum and i have several of them my most accurate a custom bolt action with an octoganal barrel and it's a dandy prairie dog gun out to 100 or a little more but I don't carry it around in the woods. I have a pump action rossi that is a blast to shoot running jack rabbits with and it is pretty light but for tree game up to the size of a bobber i still pack a 22 LR.

thank you mike for your input on this and thank you to every one for there info onn this given subject