Under $300 is easy if you are talking about new, Savage Mark II FV,

 

Picked up a very nice Charles Daly/ Zastava. Impressive build quality, very accurate and a nice trigger to boot.

good Luck with your quest

also came across one of these in that price category Norinco NS522 Review and Uber Article | The Hunting Gear Guy

Rich

 

This year I picked up a nice Remington 512 with a tubular magazine. Bolt action, fairly heavy barrel. It's very accurate, very nice finish and a joy to shoot. I can't remember but I'm sure I paid under $250. I just missed a Sears 42-103 (Marlin Mod 80) in excellent shape with two magazines for $150. You cant go wrong with Remington though.

 

A great shooting rifle, I severely dislike tubular magazines, everyone I own is finicky as hell.

 

You may find a well used Winchester model 69(A) or 72(A) for under 300 but you'll probably be looking for a while. Savages and Marlins seem to grow on trees around me. Probably your best bet for a quality older American bolt repeater for under three bills would be a Remington: either the "5-Teen" series or their successor the 581 or 582. Good luck with your search!

 

I have a Remington 341-P, tube fed, with aperture sights. Will shoot s/l/lr. Mine likes most ammo and will shoot some good groups at 25 yrds. They come up every now and then.

 

I bought a very nice Ward's Western Field from a friend of the family. I paid $150 for it and probably gave a slight premium since it was a friend of the family and he needed the help.

It wanted it because it already had the aperture rear sight.

I posted a thread with several pics a while ago to see what the actual model it is. One of the many knowledgeable (thanks @bone ) correctly identified it as a Steven's Model 56.

When I did a little research it was made in the late 30s. 5 shot magazine, but it looks like a Savage 5 or 10 rounder may work.

Here's how it shoots...50 feet, elbows rested on a crappy shooting bench.

 

Remington 581-S
It’ll digest s/l/lr from the magazine.

It does a good job with CB rounds as well for closer vermin where sound could be an issue.

Living in the city a couple of decades ago I had to dispatch a opossum that had gotten into the backyard of the house I was leasing.

 

Marlin model 81, 781 if you want tube fed. They can often be branded as Sears and Roebuck. Check out the pawn shops. If your don’t mind something new the Savage mkii is excellent for the price as stated already. Good luck 👍🏻

 

An old Mossberg would be my vote.

 

In the $300 range, You could get a new Savage .22 LR bolt action. They're relatively accurate and comes with a warranty.

 

I would think your current rifles would be excellent for your plinking and pest jobs, but I understand wanting something else.
My pest and plinker rifle is an old stevens semi auto with a magazine. The bolt can be locked like a bolt action if noise is a problem. Pretty quiet with long barrel and CB longs. Magazine is a little more convenient.

My family has a Winchester 69 that hasn’t had a magazine in probably 70 years, Great grandpa hid it back when my grandpa was a young kid, to save ammo. Back in the 1930’s.

It is an old family gun, think I will ask to borrow it, 😂😂😂

 

You can get a repro mag fairly easily. Wisner is the company that makes them. They just have a W stamped on the bottom instead of the Winchester logo. Purists sneer, but shooters cheer.

 

Here's a great old Marlin.........I heartily recommend it.

I even more heartily recommend a Remington 581.........

Any of my 581s would do this:

The Marlin 925 is ALMOST as good.

Good luck!

 

Dad actually bought one 30 ago, but with the button release in the stock, he lost it on the first rabbit hunt. $25 was a lot for a .22 magazine back then so he never tried again.
I would probably change the spring to gorrila strength if it was mine.😂😂😂

I have owned many pre 64 winchesters, I use them, nice pieces of machinery but not a hard core purist, so something that works would be perfect.

These days a $40 magazine is common.

 

Any of the name brand guns no longer in production. Don’t be afraid of off brand guns like jc Higgins, Ted Williams (sears) ,Montgomery wards, etc. They were all made by the name brands and are very capable guns that can be found at great prices. Take your time and you will find one somewhere. They are truly gems and are some of my favorite finds! Good luck and don’t forget to post when you find one you are looking for.

And welcome to the forum!

 

A new Savage would be a good way to go. Possibly a new Ruger American Rimfire.

In the old stuff, it’s hard to find any of the “better” name brand units for sale, and they tend to be $250 or more. Especially Winchesters. Those collectors are nuts.
But almost ANY older gun that wasn’t abused is going to be a decent rifle.

I’ve had good luck with anything made by Remington or Mossberg in the ‘40’s-‘60’s. My older Savages aren’t as good as the newer stuff. Marlin has some older models that are good as well.
Old Mossbergs often had adjustable triggers, and target peep sights as well as a regular leaf on the barrel, but on some models they used a nylon plastic trigger guard and grip that gets old and shrinks. The guns still work though, it’s just not as nice to look at.

A great shooting rifle, I severely dislike tubular magazines, everyone I own is finicky as hell.

Huh. I’ve never had a single issue with them. But I only have 20-30 of them, maybe I’ve just been lucky.

 

Shop around, lgs, pawn shops, armslist, etc. Youll find something that tickles your fancy.
The Zastavas , aka Rem Model 5, Charles Daley, or model 99, mentioned above are excellent shooters.
Some had beautiful stocks, some did not, but all were beautifully blued. You might even find a BRNO , or a CZ for close to your price .
Take a bore with you, make sure the bolt runs smooth and that trigger is acceptable,check the firing pin for mushrooming, chamber face for
pinging, barrel for bulges , crown for dents and cracks. Check the screw heads for buggering, and the stock for cracks, Used guns are being sold for a reason, 9 put 10 are fine , but that 10th could be a lemon. Me id cough up the extra dough and buy this, KYGUNCO

 

. Me id cough up the extra dough and buy this, KYGUNCO

That is indeed a superb option.

As I looked at it I found myself salivating a little.

 

I have a Remington 511-x that I’ve had since ‘72, and a Winchester 69a. The Remington was my first gun I bought myself when I was 12. Wouldn’t take $300 for either but if you come across one I promise you will be happy.

 

Are those squirrels just waking up from a nap? I don’t see a mark on them!

 

They don't get much attention, but a Marlin XT 22 is crazy accurate even with a not so great shooter (me).

 

Haunt the local gun shops and pawn shops and gun shows for a Mossy 4x, 14x, etc. with the S100 or S130 peep sights already on it. Mine is a crusty and rusty but complete 44US-c that I got at a pawn shop for $75... I see not rusty ones in my area for 250-350 depending on condition and which shop has it.

 

Looks like most members are recommending newer guns-post 1980s.

I have a few Winchesters, Remingtons and Savages. Most of the older guns are great shooters
regardless of brand and satisfying to own!

But out of them emerges an older Savage 23 that is a very accurate sporter rifle.

That is my vote for an older (vintage) sporter for pest control, fun plinking.

Ed

 

Looks like most members are recommending newer guns-post 1980s.

I have a few Winchesters, Remingtons and Savages. Most of the older guns are great shooters
regardless of brand and satisfying to own!

But out of them emerges an older Savage 23 that is a very accurate sporter rifle.

That is my vote for an older (vintage) sporter for pest control, fun plinking.

Ed

Yep, they are, I have the whole set, 23, 23A, 23AA, 23B, 23C and 23D. The 23A was the first rifle I ever shot; it had a rear peep sight. My prize possession is the 23AA, 1942 vintage.

 

A good source for older .22 bolt guns are local gun auctions. Some of the time they go cheap. Other times, you'll get a couple guys that absolutely have to have it. Recently, I saw a model 75 Winchester go for $2200. Some people have more money than brains.

 

It’s already been mentioned, but keep your eyes open for old Winchester’s, Remington’s, Mossbergs, department store brands, etc. Any of those are far better than what’s offered today IMHO.

 

$300 is a hard niche to fill. An older Marlin is a good value. An older Brno model 1 is prob 400 and a big step up in quality.

 

I'd be looking at the older Winchesters like Model 69s and 72s.

Extremely well made, attractive, balanced, pointable. They feel like a man's rifle, not the anemic childlike .22s offered so often today. Many later models (1950s) have receiver sights and grooved receivers for easy mounting of scopes. Usually falls within the budget you're looking at. And if you've got a C&R they can come right to your door.

 

I have owned an example of each of the rifles mentioned in the OP. The Savage isn't all that old as it is a very early MK II model with the accutrigger. Based on my experience it is more accutrate than the newer Model MK II that replaced it. Of the others all have been good and especially my Winchester 69 A. I would carefully check any older rifle with a tube magazine to make sure it loads dependably. I have had a couple that the lifter mechanism had worn enough that they didn't function well. I also believe magazine fed one's are slightly more accurate than the the tube fed ones.