I've been exactly where you are. Here's what happened to me: I started with a 10/22. It was a squirrel killing machine, but I decided I wanted something "better." I bought a Ruger 77/22 and hated it. It wasn't as accurate as the 10/22 and the sling swivels (integral) were noisy in the woods. I had to wrap them with duct tape to quiet it down. Also, it was stainless and looked like a chrome Harley coming through the woods until I painted it. Next I went to a Mark II pistol (6 7/8" slab side bbl. Gov.'t Competition model). I put a Leupold 2x scope on it and it was GREAT--but VERY loud. It was handy to carry in a shoulder holster, as accurate as most any rifle, and so loud that it was killing my hearing and scaring the other five tree rats in the hickory tree that I could have killed but now can't because they scattered when I shot the first one. Soooooo, now I'm back to the 10/22 with RWS subsonic hollowpoints (blue trimmed box). It cycles 100% with them and is very accurate. One other thing--the slow bullets knock the rats out of the tree like they were hit with a baseball bat instead of a bullet in the head. Also, the semi-auto makes it much easier to kill several out of one tree as the only sound is the shot, no action sound. For ultimate killing efficiency I love the 10/22 or similar. Also, I highly recommend the Leupold 2-7x rimfire special scope that the bastards just discontinued. GRRRRR!!