With those qualifications, Ruger 10/22 in stainless, with a 30 round magazine, maybe a small Bushnell scope, nothing too powerful. I loved my Ruger, and kick myself for ever letting it go.

Fun little plinker!

Bah, humbug. 10/22's are for yuppies and people with big ol' chin beards! ;-)

Hit the pawnshops and pick you up a vintage Marlin Model 60 for $50 or so. If you find one marked Glenfield, that's cool, it's the version Marlin marketed via Sears. You'll know you got a good one if all exterior parts like sights and triggerguard are aluminum, not plastic. Check that the mag tube isn't bent, and carry a pre-fired .22 case to see if the firing pin dings the rim, and the ejector shucks it.

My Marlin was made in the early 70's and has had literally thousands and thousands of rounds through it, and still shoots like it was brand new. The only time I can recall a jam was when I was trying to shoot some ancient Mexican ammo.

Cleaning is usually limited to a couple of oily patches down the barrel, and a good spraydown of the action with Ballistol followed by blasting the gunk out with canned air. Every year or so I tear it down to the component parts and soak for a day in cleaner and work everything over with a stiff brush.

I don't scope my .22's. If it's too far to see bare-eyed, you don't need to be shooting at it with a .22, IMHO.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents of free advice. And I covet your hound, BTW. I'll swap you a good .22 rifle for him!

I'd recommend the Remington 572 Fieldmaster.

Pump action, full sized rifle, with a manual of arms nearly identical to a Remington 870 shotgun. If you want one carbine-length, have a 'smith cut and recrown it.

Wickedly accurate and more reliable on it's worst day than any .22 semi auto.

And it is a classy and beautiful arm, espcially in the more basic ADL configuration. The BLD was more pimped-out, but with no real functional improvement.

The Remington has the usual grooved receiver for .22 scope mounts. Fortunately these days, you can get 1" rings in such mounts, which will accommodate the some awfuly fine 'scopes.

The best of the 572's at Collectors will run in the low $300s. Average ones will be +/- $200.

But they shoot. Damn goodness, how they shoot!

Jim
Sloop New Dawn
Galveston, TX

Uh...hello...you need to come to Statham, Georgia and hit my step-father's store!! Yes, even if I am a bad friend, and forget to return calls. ;) Thanks for checking in, btw. And I can't tell you how sweet it is to see the good 'ol Brier Patch alive and well again.

(I know, you've been back for a while, but until recently, I had regressed into a lurking state.)