A well setup 22LR semi-auto won't lose anything to a well-setup bolt gun, in any kind of $$ equivalent environment. Having said that, I bought my boys (at ages 7 and 4) a Henry Mini Bolt and a pair of Romanian 1969 22 LR Trainers (bolt guns) to teach them marksmanship with rifles.
I personally won't buy another semi-auto rimfire rifle. I think that getting the mechanics and kinesthetics of an adult sized 22LR bolt gun down pat gives you a skillset portable to virtually any serious centerfire rifle.
I see a LOT of Savage bolt and semi-auto 22LR/17HMR/17M2 rifles at our club range. Given the popularity of the Ruger 10/22 series (I have one) I'm surprised at how much more often I see Savages, esp considering the local chains don't stock them. Some of them are owned by "the old guys" that spend a LOT of money on guns but VERY carefully. Some are owned by folks that have had other 22 rifles previously.
I've yet to see a Savage that is someone's "first gun." This tells me that the folks buying them are serious enough about shooting to A) go to the range and practice and B) do enough research to find the best gun for the money. A good friend of mine tracked down and paid top dollar for a left hand 17HMR Savage bolt gun, when he had a perfectly good stainless 10/22. He wanted to get serious about his rifle shooting and knew enough to find a Savage bolt gun.
I hope this helps inform your decision.
Regards,
Brian in CA
Bookmarks