Hard to beat a 10/22 for all around use and use as a survival gun. I've a stainless 10/22 with a folding butler creek stock ans a 3-9 variable power scope. It is a tack driver. Easy to maintain, with tons of aftermarket parts. Never had a failure to fire with it.

I own a number of .22's including a Remington Tube fed and a winchester lever tube fed, The 10/22 is the firearm I grab 95% of the time for plinking and hunting.

When I make custom Survival kits, the 10/22 is the recommended .22 rifle followed by the Marlin Papoose.

i suspect that being in real good physical condition has something to do with that.

if you find out where that mod 77 is, try to talk him/her out of it, you won't be sorry...

Hey, you've got options with a sweet lever-gun. You can put a sling on it . . . or not put a sling on it. Whatever. They also come with a short, heavy stick for beating back the crowds of shiksas. True story. Hard to go about your day surrounded by adoring women.

I did mention that I was biased, right? :-]

Having owned .22's from Marlin, Ruger, Remington, Winchester and Springfield Armory of different ages of manufacture I am speaking from a position of experience not preference. If we are getting into preference, ignoring the OP, Anshutz or Springfield Armory target bolt actions. Since we then leave the $175 region and enter the $2000 region I do not think it practical to go there.
BTW, I have a Marlin .22, it is what I refer to as a JAMAMATIC. Couldn't give me one. Have been working with the thing for 20 years and several gunsmiths. 1 round in three "stovepipes" sideways. Marlin has basically told me tough stuff, deal with it. When my Ruger 10/22 goes bang and there is another round in the mag it reloads itself reliably.

Or just call his/her parole officer. On that side of the family I am the good one. Everyone else has a P.O. that calls me looking for them. I am betting the 77 is long gone. Would be a parole violation for them to have them anyway. You know, felons with firearms and all that.

Somewhere there are two remington model 11 's and an old S&W .357 Mag that was built on the N frame (.44 mag and 45 LC) If I find one of them has them, I am going to drop dime and collect the guns.

Ironically, two have the same P.O. and he and I were in the army together. Small world.

"... Small world..."

indeed it is...

I was thinking xylocane (sp?) injections in the locker room.

Consider going up a little on power by getting a Marlin bolt action in .22WMR. They are nice rifles with a reputation for accuracy and reliability and they are available for around $180.

WMR isn't quite as cheap as .22LR but it isn't as expensive as .223. It also gives you just enough extra power to make a real difference. Given the same throw weight a WMR will usually have slightly more velocity at 100 meters than the LR has at the muzzle. It also shoots noticeably flatter which can make for fun shooting.

WMR is favored by many hunters shooting coyotes and other moderately sized nuisance animals because the extra power gives reliable results at 100 meter ranges even without perfect shot placement. It is powerful enough to be marginal but acceptable for personal defense. In comparison a .22LR is not considered as even a marginally practical round for personal defense. You would use it that way unless it is all you have. The .22WMR gives you a lot more to work with for just few cents more a round.

The Marlin in .22WMR with a low magnification scope is a handy weapon that will fill the bill for more rolls than a .22LR. The round is not quite cheap enough to go mad with like you can with .22LR but your not going to go broke feeding your iron for casual and occasional use.

I have a bolt action .22 that with an appropriate .22 scope. It uses 10 round metal clips. Wish I could remember the maker. I think it is a Winchester but honestly can't recall. Loved shooting it though. True tack driver.

My long term trusty .22 is a Ruger on a Butler Creek folding stock. Next year I am upgrading to a Tapco AR15 with 6 position stock and 4 sided rail system up front. That or maybe a Bullpup stock. I have always loved those. In any regard, Ruger has a great rep.

As far as higher priced .22's go, I can vouch for both of these. Both are awesome pieces. The Marlin lever gun is a classic, the CZ's are built like much more expensive guns. I've found both to be extremely accurate as well. The Marlin is also pretty neat as it can shoot shorts/longs/LR and it can be broken down into two pieces for storage/trasport.

Another neat .22 that breaks down into two parts is the Rossi/Taurus .22 pump carbines and rifles. This is basically a copy of the old winchester shooting gallery guns. The carbine models are a real nice size, light weight, easy to carry, and quick to point. They also have a neat feature of being able to slam-fire, meaning you can hold down the trigger and it will fire after every time you work the slide. This makes for a very quick, though inaccurate, shooter. If you ever wind up having to use it as a defensive gun though (not that a .22lr would be my first choice, but anything is possible), it's a nice feature to have.

Here's a review and pic:
http://www.theothersideofkim.com/index.php/ggps/7686/