Which would you rather have?

[pharmseller]

So here's the question:

My son (11 years old) has, for his exclusive use, a Marlin Mountie made in 1955. The Marlin has a Williams peep and is in excellent condition. Butter smooth and very accurate.

I have a Browning A Bolt, also in .22, with a Leupold scope.

My son thinks he got the short end of the stick, despite his ability to shoot bread-sized rocks at up to 175 yards with the Marlin, offhand. He thinks he would do better with the scoped Browning.

As experienced shooters, which gun would you rather have? My son will be reading your responses.

Thanks,

P

[jeepnik]

Scope the Mountie. That should make him happy.

[AJMD429]

Marlin/Peep - until my eyes are too old and I have to use a scope.

[pwl44m]

For just the Gun, the Mountie. I don't care for a Bolt 22 although I have several. It almost sounds like You would rather have the Bolt or there wouldn't be a squabble. when I read "a piece of bread" I thot well who couldn't hit that but then at 175 yds I doubt I could even see it.
Perry

[earlmck]

Oh my gosh! The scope is just an unnecessary lump for a fellow with eyes like that. And the A-bolt doesn't even have a decent lever on it.

No contest here: the Mountie by far.

[buckeyeshooter]

Mountie. The Marlin 39 is in my opinion the finest .22 ever made. Yes, there are some that may-- I say may, shoot smaller groups. But it handles great, looks great and has been in production a long, long time!

[gamekeeper]

What's a Browning A Bolt and scope

[stretch]

Clearly the combination is working for him!

If he's shooting that well, the scope and bolt
will ony be different - not necessarily an improvement.

He should also consider that not all rifles are made the
same. Even those from the same factory and year can
be different. A Mountie from that era was doubtless
made to higher standards than they are today. And it's broken
in, and it's smooth, and it shoots like a house afire. Whether or
not he realizes it, he's got a good one. Hang onto it!

-Stretch

[bdhold]

for me, the Mountie.
For your son- he's going through a phase, let him shoot what he wants.
But don't scope the Mountie.

[Old Savage]

Give him both. I love looking through scopes. Peeps look "CLUNKY". Like watching a movie through a key hole.

[gundownunder]

I would most definitely go the Mountie. I have a 39A with the barrel shortened to 18" and it will put 5 shots into 0.4" all day long with my old eyes and a cheap scope. I'd love to know what it would do with a good scope in the hands of a good shooter. My local lever action rifle club has a 1959, 39A and on the odd occasion when I have shot it it has proven to be capable of shooting A grade scores with any cheap ammo you chuck into it, and that gun has had who knows how many 100,000s of rounds through it. I've never shot an A-bolt but I bet it wouldn't be any better than the Mountie in accuracy, fit and finish, or the way it feels in your hands.
If he feels he got the rough end of the pineapple why not swap, and see if he still feels the same way after giving the A-bolt a fair trial.
If the scope is the issue for him, why not scope the Mountie?

[Grizz]

As an experienced shooter I prefer the Marlin that I have. My all time favorite rifle.

This is why your son should have BOTH. Because he is not yet an "experienced" shooter. By using the bolt gun he will learn the manual of arms for one of the most common rifle actions. He will learn to shoot with a scope, and that will improve his open sight shooting. And the trigger time will help cement the eye-hand muscle memory, making him a better all-round marksman. He will learn something about inherent accuracy.

If it were me, I would extract a promise that the Mountie never leaves your DNA pool, because it is that special. Bolt guns are a thousand dimes per dozen, or something like that.

Grizz

[RIHMFIRE]

both! but I would grab the Mountie first!

[jdad]

Scopes are for old, aging, eyes and silhouette shooters.

[alnitak]

Mountie, of course!

[Borregos]

The Mountie

[Pete44ru]

I'd keep the Mountie, but then, I'm older now, and have come to my senses.

Give him the Browning too, but only if he agrees to pay for it. Then he can shoot what he wants.

It's about time for him to move up, anyway - AND GET A JOB to pay for his own shootin' irons ! !

With my son (now 46), it was motorcycles - when he wanted one (at age 12), I said "OK". ( I sucked him right in)
After we went to look at some, and he found one he wanted, I told him he's have to pay for his own.
He went out & got/worked 3 part-time jobs at the same time to get first a dirt bike, then later an Olds 4-4-2 (then multiple cars/bikes, etc - all on his own dime).

I've always liked what some incentive can do to someone.

.

[Dave]

The Mountie is way cool. It is also shorter and lighter than the A bolt. I won't even mention the shiny finish on the A bolt. You don't need a scope if you have a peep for 22 range.

[pneuby]

WOW! I'd certainly rather have 12-15rds on-tap than having to reload a 5rd mag over and over. Plus, the sheer joy and balance of that Mountie. The lever is the superior plinker, for sure.

[Blaine]

The dumbest thing I ever did as a kid was trade off my wonderful, fifties Mountie for a Remington Bolt, because, as everyone knows, bolts are more accurate

[walks with gun]

I'd give him the browning.

[dogngun]

I can't even SEE 175 yards without my glasses, so I'd go with the scope, but I'd certainly let him shoot the Browning to remove the mystery. I had a Model 39, and I know I'm in the minority, but didn't care much it...
I went back to my old Marlin Glenfield bolt action for squirrels...it's now the only .22 rifle I own...It is a tack driver.

Give him the Browning and keep the Marlin yourself.

mark

[wolfdog]

I would keep them both for myself and let him find his own.


Honestly I would want the Mounty, my first 22 was a bolt action (Which I bought myself with money I got mugging the paper boy) I was acurate enough but did not have the fun factor of the lever 22 that my buddy Pat had(I think it was a Marlin but can't remember) I tried to talk him into trading a bunch of times but he wouldn't.(Too bad I didn't live dwon the street from Blaine)

[Griff]

The Mountie!

[Marlin32]

Marlin. Learned to shoot on a 39A, been using levers ever since. I own one bolt action.
I Sako Forester in 243, bought it from a guy(more like stole it, one of my better deals) when I was about 16, Dad and I both had deer permits that year, so I needed a gun, this one available. Only year I used it, the next year, bought a Marlin 357mag for deer.

Need to learn to shoot open sights as a youngster, I still would in the timber, but now my eyes, (used to puzzle me why people used scopes for deer, good grief, if you couldn't hit a deer with open sights, shouldn't be shooting guns, but alas, years later I found out why, eyes age!!!!!)

[Jayhawker]

Give him the Browning and save the Mountie until he grows up. When he's mature enough, he'll appreciate the difference.

[BC in TN]

What jay hawker said

[rjohns94]

If your son didn't buy the rifle, then in no case can he consider that he got the short end of any stick. Not sure how far he wants to shoot a 22 lr. 175 yards seems far enough. For my taste, the Mountie wins hands down as does the son who has a father that has gifted him such a fine life time firearm.

[BobSki]

If your son didn't buy the rifle, then in no case can he consider that he got the short end of any stick. Not sure how far he wants to shoot a 22 lr. 175 yards seems far enough. For my taste, the Mountie wins hands down as does the son who has a father that has gifted him such a fine life time firearm.

Now THAT is the most honest and decent reply you could ever get. Your lad is very lucky to have a dad that gifts him a firearm of any description. If I were him, I would be grateful for being given any end of the stick. I would say shoot, enjoy and appreciate the gun your dad gave you while saving up for another that you could ADD to (not replace) your original gun.

My father is 88yrs old and in poor health. I now know that things he did for me as a youngster are precious and my attitudes at my younger age didn't show enough appreciation for it.

When your lad is in my position and close to loosing his father, he will bitterly regret not still having that first gun his dad gave him and he will bitterly regret not showing full appreciation to his dad for the things he did.

To your son I would say; Enjoy your rifle, it is a fine rifle, it is a rifle that many young men would give their right arm to own. More than anything, it is the first rifle your Dad gave you. That makes it more precious than anything you will ever buy over the counter, it makes it priceless and irreplaceable. When you no longer have your Dad (and there WILL come a time when you won't) you hopefully will still have that precious gift he gave you and a heap of great memories shooting together.

All the best to you both
Bob

[.45colt]

Young Man, some times We just need to Listen to our Parents and Elders even if at the time it doesn't seem very Cool or make sense. the Marlin is a Fine,Classic .22 AMERICAN MADE rifle.keep it, shoot it, and as You get older I bet You Will be glad that You have it.

[L_Kilkenny]

For the youngin: Bolt action rimfires are boring as all get out. You want something you can scope save some coin and get a 10/22.

For Pharmseller: He wants the bolt gun, trade him back quick. Then rub in his nose in it till the day you drop (hopefully many many moons from now) and then will it to someone else.

LK

[shooter]

I'd keep the Mountie.

With that being said, I have a similar story. When I was 14 I had to have what I thought was the biggest, baddest, perfect "all around" cartridge. I wanted a .300 Win Mag. to replace my suitable hunting rifle. I wanted a "man" gun. My dad said "ok, but it's on your dime". I paid for it, and soon found out that I would pay for it over and over again at the bench. That gun beat me to death on the bench. I soon wised up, sold it, and got something more sensible. Nothing wrong with a .300 Mag, or a .22 bolt for that matter, but sometimes kids have to learn the hard way. I think he'll get bored with that bolt action real fast. He'll eventually learn that sometimes dad really does know what's best.

[Birdman]

For me it's the Mountie all the way. For your son, which ever keeps him shooting.

[Tycer]

Trade him. Keep the Mountie for yourself. He can have it when you croak. In all the "if you could keep just one" threads you'll see I listed the one as my '53 Mountie.

[TedH]

I would rather have the Marlin, especially if I could consistently hit a piece of bread at 175 yards. But, I think when I was his age, I would have rather had the scoped bolt action. It sounds as if he is at no disadvantage, shooting like that with the Marlin though.

[Ji in Hawaii]

A-Bolt with a 3 year option to trade