I've decided I want a .22 for cheap plinking fun and maybe some small game.  Should I go for the semi 10/22, or the bolt 77/22?

For the purposes stated, I'd go with the 10/22.  It's a lot less expensive out of the box and with the savings, you could always put a target stock/barrel on it and have every bit of accuracy that the 77/22 has.

Marlin.

Does anyone know where I can get a receiver?  I found a couple on Gunbroker, but the guy wants $110 for the receiver, and another $75 for his FFL fees and listing/relisting fees! ...I can get a complete rifle at Wal-Mart for less than that.

Anyway, I'd like to build it "from scratch" ...enjoyed my first AR build.  TIA

Spend a little time on www.rimfirecentral.com before you decide. Personally, if I could only have one it would be a bolt.

If ya want to roltin cans @25yds then an auto, if ya like knocking that tin can over@100 yds then go to a bolt.
 The inexpensive bolt 22lr in the marlin is very hard to beat.  The CZ is an excellent rifle for the money and I'll take it over the expensive 77/22 anyday.
 The 10/22 is a decent auto with all kinds of ways to sink more money into it.  But the 10/22 SS models are a good step above the blued model.
 The Ruger SS parts are quite good quality for a factory rifle.  But they are good parts bolted together, not trued and fitted.
 You can get ths SS and for $170 get it custom fitted and tuned and shoot with 10/22s with hundreds of dollars of custom parts bolted together
 Here's the reason,  the custom parts are bolted onto a stock receiver and there fore are not trued, tuned and mated for top performance.

 But if ya want a pliker thats a blast to shoot, get an AR15 and a 22LR conversion kit.  with a decent 20" upper you can shoot with any stock 10/22.  And run n gun with this set up is a blast and cheap..

If you want a good .22 for just plinking I would go with a 10/22

Another vote for the 10/22

THISISME

10/22
Nothing like plinking all day using the 25 or 50 round mag. The 25 round mag only takes a few seconds to load and just a few seconds to empty. My son loves the 10/22 for this reason and won't even try my bolt action .22s.

Both, of course.

Bought a stainless steel receiver yesterday ...figured I'd build it from the ground up instead of swapping everything out of a stock rifle.

I've had a 10/22 for about 20 years. No problems, a great rifle.

Quoted: Bought a stainless steel receiver yesterday ...figured I'd build it from the ground up instead of swapping everything out of a stock rifle.

I wish I would have done that (I may yet do that... but my barrel is fitted so tightly in the present receiver I am reluctant). Is it a 10/22 receiver and does it have two lugs?

Quoted: Is it a 10/22 receiver and does it have two lugs?

Not sure yet ...still waiting for it to arrive at my FFL.

I would go for the 10/22 from my experience the 77/22 is much more accurate out of the box, but the 10/22 is just so much more fun to shoot.

I like 10/22 because i can burn through 10 rounds in about 3 seconds, thats fun to me. If your into precision shooting youd probobly want a bolt gun.

Cerebus
  I bought the Ruger 10/22 with the Hammer Forged Target Barrel from Factory and shot it against a friends 10/22 he built starting with the receiver up like you are.
The Rifles shot identical and could not tell a difference in the either gun.
I did have maybe $50.00 less in the Factory Built Rifle than he did in his Custom Built Rifle, but that was about it.
You will not go wrong with the 10/22, all the shooters in my Family have one.

I'm not planning on going apeshit and dumping $800 worth of Volquartsen stuff into mine, but I figured it would be the rifle I wanted when I was finished.  The perfect stock, barrel, trigger, hammer, etc.  I've got the stock and barrel picked out ...next step will be to decide on the internals.

...that is if the damn receiver ever arrives.

Check out Randy at CPC.  www.ct-precision.com
I have a few hundred $$ in my 10/22 and that includes my fancy simmons optics
I pretty much just upgraded the stock to a Boyds blaster and the barrel to a green mountain fluted bull.  That cost was about $200 between both of them (stock was on sale).  The other 250 was for the scope and thework done at CPC.  Randy jeweled the bolt, worked the trigger nicely and did something with cutting the bolt face to match the chamber.   The gun hits what you aim at every time and the trigger is amazing.  No need to buy the volquartsen or Kidd trigger if you send the gun to CPC and no other upgrades are necessary.
Try it without any upgrades then try it after doing some upgrades and you will notice that the difference is like night and day