Getting to know the Ruger 10/22

Liamthedevastator

Liamthedevastator

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Hey folks! New to the forum, just got my PAL a few months ago:rockOn: I've held off on getting a firearm until I had a better idea of what I want to spend my limited funds on (putting myself through school). I decided on a .22 (cheap[er] firearms, cheap ammo, highly customizable) as a first rifle, so I went to my local Island Outfitters and asked them about bolt action .22s.

I was looking at a Savage bot action .22 when the fellow helping me pulled out a Ruger 10/22. Said that they were friggin' sweet and have huge aftermarket support. Being cheaper than the Savage also sold me on it, so I put down some cash to hold it. I'm not 100% sure which model it is, but it's got a flip down iron-sight and a strange striped black laminate stock. Gotta go clear that up with the folks at IO :p

Are all of the 10/22 models are mod-able with the same accessories? For example, will both the Carbine and Compact models fit in the same aftermarket stock? These details are a little hard to come by for a complete beginner to the world of firearms. I'm looking at thumb-through stocks for a longer rifle (I'm a lanky guy) and also because I think that they are the tits.

Anyway, I've done some research but where do you guys prefer to do your 10/22 upgrade shopping? Anything you'd qualify as an "essential upgrade" for a stock 10/22?

Looking forward to picking this puppy up. I'll be sure to post photos in a bit when I get my hands on it!
 
Kinda hard to answer all those questions, too many options.
Bolt release mod, new extractor, bolt buffer.

Then it's how much money do you have and what do you want it to do? I would do a trigger kit as well, or a complete drop in. Trigger should be better no matter what you do with it.
 
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Here is my custom Ruger 10/22. Started life as a Regular 10/22. I cut the stock down and made the new barrel fit. I put a dlask 12.5 bull barel on it, a tactical solutions extended mag release as well. all these parts just dropped in easy as pie! I did the auto bolt relase myself with a file and 10 min. I have a new extractor and hammer on order too. Really easy to do.

the sky and your wallet is the limit with these guns. you made a good choice.
 
Being so new to shooting, your first gun should satisfy you...not people on web forums...BUT...I'd feel bad if I didn't suggest that you look at some alternatives to the 10/22. You sound like a young guy, and the idea of customizing probably holds some appeal. The 10/22 IS the gun if that's what you want to do. However, take note of the fact that allot of the upgrades (triggers/barrels) exist NOT to make the gun just look nicer, but to make it shoot well. The flip side of that coin is that it's a gun that really benefits from some upgrades. If you bought a Savage bolt action, a CZ bolt action, Marlin bolt action you'd be getting an accurate gun with a good barrel and very decent trigger right out of the gate. A bone, stock, 10/22 won't likely be as accurate as any one of those guns, especially the CZ. The bolt guns are easier to clean too. If a semi is what really turns your crank, have your local shop show you a Marlin 60 or Marlin 795 as well. A 795 (the only semi I have) should cost you about $150 new, and my 795 shot circles around the 10/22 I had.

Again~your first gun, your money...so get what you like. Some of us have made all the mistakes though, learn from us! :)
 
From what I've read so far working on the trigger seems to be a good idea for increasing accuracy. It's kind of funny; I prefer to have accuracy, which is why I was interested in bolt action to begin with, but the 10/22 was cheaper and has lots of aftermarket support. Kind of a catch 22 (lol). If I buy the 10/22 I'll be missing out on accuracy right out of the gate, but upgrades are pretty cheap. The only problem is that I'm going to be spending money on upgrades to make it as accurate as the bolt action was OEM so price will equal. It really is up to preference I suppose:p

I really appreciate the advice to look at some cheaper guns... ended up finding some bolt action .22s that are cheaper than what this 10/22 is going to come to. The fellow at IO said that they sell like hot-cakes so if I decide to sell it after I buy it I suppose I won't have too much of an issue!

@.22LRGUY, my thought is that Semi-auto may be nice for me getting into shooting (my GF too) because I can spend more time on the trigger, and upgrading to a different firearm seems easy enough. I think I would prefer bolt action (I'll be getting a centerfire bolt action when I can afford it) for the accuracy and fun of cycling the action manually, but have you ever found it to get boring after an hour of shooting, for example?

@Gillen, what do you use your 10/22 setup for mostly?

Thanks for the replies guys, It's greatly appreciated!:D
 
Best mods
Bolt radius/chamfer
Bolt release mod
Bolt stop
These are the best for a new one triggers are great but I would hold off on buying an expensive trigger for it at least for a bit
These are money pits! I just wanted a beater .22 but ended up having $1100 into it before I knew it.
And to get your accuracy to a bolt action youll sacrifice reliability due to chamber size so itll be alittle more ammo picky.
 
Liamthedevastator said:
From what I've read so far working on the trigger seems to be a good idea for increasing accuracy. It's kind of funny; I prefer to have accuracy, which is why I was interested in bolt action to begin with, but the 10/22 was cheaper and has lots of aftermarket support. Kind of a catch 22 (lol). If I buy the 10/22 I'll be missing out on accuracy right out of the gate, but upgrades are pretty cheap. The only problem is that I'm going to be spending money on upgrades to make it as accurate as the bolt action was OEM so price will equal. It really is up to preference I suppose:p

I really appreciate the advice to look at some cheaper guns... ended up finding some bolt action .22s that are cheaper than what this 10/22 is going to come to. The fellow at IO said that they sell like hot-cakes so if I decide to sell it after I buy it I suppose I won't have too much of an issue!

@.22LRGUY, my thought is that Semi-auto may be nice for me getting into shooting (my GF too) because I can spend more time on the trigger, and upgrading to a different firearm seems easy enough. I think I would prefer bolt action (I'll be getting a centerfire bolt action when I can afford it) for the accuracy and fun of cycling the action manually, but have you ever found it to get boring after an hour of shooting, for example?

@Gillen, what do you use your 10/22 setup for mostly?

Thanks for the replies guys, It's greatly appreciated!:D
Click to expand...

No, not at all. In fact, most shooting sessions are allot longer than that. I'm actually planning on hitting the range today with my new .204 Ruger bolt action and I can assure you...that'll be at least 2-3 hours! :) Another factor to consider is how/where you'll be using this rifle, what distance you're shooting, and what your targets are. If you're standing, without a rest, you won't realize the most accuracy out of any gun, so semi/bolt...hardly matters. A semi might even be more fun for that. 99% of my shooting is off a rest of some kind. I'm either laying on my belly with a bipod attached (=shooting prone) or sitting at a bench with a proper rest and rear bag. Even if I'm shooting pop cans...I'm still using a rest of some kind...and a bolt action. I'm more inclined to get bored with standing...shooting a semi...but it's still fun 2-3 times a year.

At the very least...do yourself a favor and handle some of the 10/22 alternatives. The Marlins (as I mentioned) are more accurate out of the box, and have nice features that 10/22s don't...like last shot bolt hold-open, and adult-sized charging handle, a bolt release, etc. Heavy triggers like 10/22s have though. Handle a few bolt guns too, and if you're leaning towards one of them instead, make a point of handling a CZ.
 
I got a 10/22 because I'm fascinated with semi-auto and love to do mods.
If you want accuracy this isn't the gun for you, out of the box.
It is certainly a fun gun though.

Some upgrades are pretty cheap if you do them yourself, google 'Timney triggers' and 'Volquartsen anything' when you're sitting down.
I'm not knocking those guys, I love their stuff and if I was rich I'd call them and order one of everything.
Not rich yet, working on it.

You won't lose much with the 10/22 if you can bring yourself to sell it.
 
I must be the only guy on the planet that doesn't like the 10/22. I got one several years ago (mid to late '90s), and found it to be, basically, crap. Awful trigger, poor accuracy, rather cheap feel. Yeah, it's fun if all you want to do is throw a bunch of lead down range. But I wanted something more accurate. I figured that by the time I got it up to snuff, I would have replaced so much of it that it would essentially be another gun. So I sold it and bought a little Anschutz bolt action, which is much better overall.
 
I kinda think they are kinda crap.......... But I love mine. It's like a beater truck that you just got back from hunting with, what scratch, did not break, did a brake torque on the way home etc.
shooting at running gophers sucks with a bolt. However my bolt CZ HMR is super fun to really shoot. Buy the Ruger and just do the bolt release mod, buy 1 box of every kind of ammo you can find. Carefully shoot them on a calm day and buy a dump load of the ones your gun likes. Take your time and buy a really nice bolt gun. Uuhmm CZ
 
If your on a tight budget, modifying a 10/22 might not be for you. You usually can't stop with just a few mods. Plan for around a grand by the time your done. You don't have to deck it out to make it a fun gun to shoot however. Its a great gun to just take apart and put back together for the heck of it, and as said, there are lots of things you can do without spending a ton. YouTube is a good resource. I would recommend the first thing you do is break it down, clean up all the grease and polish your bolt and receiver. This really gets the gritty feel out of the action. Then get a small hobby file set and make the auto bolt release. For the trigger, I would strongly recommend a Kidd trigger kit. Its a world of difference for half the price of most aftermarket drop ins. When your ready to get the thumb hole stock you like, make sure you consider if your going to want a bull barrel (.920 bc)in the future. You can use the factory barrel in a stock inlet for a bull barrel, but not vice versa, if you get the sporter barrel channel, plan on paying for inleting or doing it yourself later on. The boyds ss evolution may be a good compromise, allowing for a different barrel size in the future without modification. http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/product.htm?pid=8894&cat=1214. With the stock and the trigger changed, you have already spent nearly what the gun cost. A quality barrel will run you nearly that price over again. Now you can look at replacing your bolt completely or upgrading the existing with a new extractor and firing pin, charging handle and spring etc. This is the order that has worked well for me, shoot a lot between mods and your rifle will tell you what it wants done next.
 
Okay, so the general consensus that I'm seeing here is that my idea that the 10/22 is "cheap" is, in fact, a naive misconception. I seriously appreciate the honesty here guys, it's kind of tough trying to pick up all the vocab and basic knowledge for this hobby!

I can see that the 'upgrades' I was talking about are pretty expensive once you factor in how much you can change (and how much I'll likely want to switch things up). As far as DIY mods I certainly don't have the facilities available to make my own stock, for example, so I suppose that's something to consider.

From what I hear they are really fun to shoot, but a bit of a pain on the wallet. I have the 10/22 on hold for another 28 days so I have lots of time to deliberate (not that I want to force my local Gun Shop to hold it for that long). I'm thinking I might go in tomorrow to have them take it off hold for me and look at their stock of other .22s, hopefully some Marlins.

I'm somewhat inclined to go with .22LRGuy's recommendation and check out some of those other brands of semi-auto (and potentially bolt-action). Marlin, CZ, all of which I can find cheaper online than at IO. :eek: Sucks that you can't stick your hands into a computer to feel the firearm on the other side :p

I definitely want to buy a rifle for me, and not to appease a forum (as was said before) but I trust you guys about the 10/22 maybe not being the best place to start if I am a bit strapped. Gotta leave some space for a range membership anyway! Unless I do what my buddies do all the time and drive out into Crown Mountain Land up in Shawnigan Lake

Edit: Would this Savage bolt-action, or this Marlin 795... which is $210 cheaper than the 10/22 I have lined up... the kind of thing I might want to consider instead?
 
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You're getting everyone's pet thoughts and trying to make sense of it? YOU ARE IN FOR A ROUGH TIME OF IT! ! ! ! :D

You're new to shooting so you likely don't really know what you want yet. Starting with a focus on a rimfire rifle is a nice way to go. Not the only way but most would agree, when they can't agree on anything else :D, that it's a good starting point.

But semi, bolt, lever? That's where it all gets really foggy in a hurry.

If you're looking for fun a semi CAN be fun. I emphasize the "CAN" because for me the need to cycle the gun with a rimfire is a big part of the fun. But I also enjoy a rimfire semi on occasion. Just not that often.

I've got a basic carbine length 10-22 and it's actually pretty decently accurate. Not as tight a group as with a good bolt but it's not too shabby. A 10-22 and a flip up and reset steel rimfire Caldwell target along with a brick of ammo could easily make for a really fun afternoon.

I'd strongly suggest not getting into the 10-22 upgrade mania. You start off with a Volquartsen trigger group for something north of half the cost of the rifle and end when you've replace everything on the gun so you now can build back the original 10-22 and sell it because you've built a new clone from parts.... to the tune of up around $2K. I kid you not. Tactical Solutions makes a 10-22 clone called the X-Ring which has no Ruger parts at all. And at $1100 Cdn it's a screaming deal since buying all those parts from aftermarket sources would easily cost 50% more. So watch out for Ruger Upgrade Mania. It'll cost you.

A nice bolt and a moderate price scope can teach you a LOT about accurate rifle shooting even out as far as 200 and 300 yards. Or a Henry lever action can prove just how much fun it is to cycle a lever for every shot and see a Caldwell steel target dance at 50 yards off a set of plain iron sights.

It all depends on what you want to do.

Of your choices listed so far I'm partial to the Savage option. I've shot a few and they impressed me enough to buy my own. Many will say that CZ is better. A CZ IS better and no argument about it. But I'm not convinced that it's enough better. Especially to some one like you that is just starting out.

I spend just under $500 on a Savage BTV and a Simmons 3-9 x 40 scope and this combo performs amazingly at 50 yards. And it's no slouch at 100 from the little I've gotten to try at that distance. It also is rapidly teaching me that using bag rests isn't as easy as it looks. I'm learning that the less I can actually contact the rifle the better it shoots. But the point is that I got a dead nutz ###y looking and good fitting thumbhole stock rifle and a pretty darn good scope for just a hair over 5 bills after taxes.

One of the most fun filled rimfire guns I've got is my Henry H001 lever action. As I suggested above a Caldwell or similar style flip up and reset rimfire target, the Henry and a few boxes o' bullets and you're in for a grin filled session. Or set up a row of a dozen cans out at 25 yards and rapid cycle and fire to clear the line. Then set 'em up and do it again. The fun per dollar is right off the charts with this option. But at the same time you can slow down and learn the solid basics of iron sight shooting just fine. On many occasions when shooting from an unaided prone position (just me, my elbows and the rifle. No bag rests) I've gotten 5 shots at a time in less than a one inch group. And more than half were within a 3/4 inch group. So the this surprisingly basic and fun rifle can still deliver good accuracy if the shooter is up to the job.

So stop and think about what you want to learn and how you think you want to shoot. Pick one which seems to suit your thinking. The good news is that a rimfire rifle doesn't need to bust the bank account too badly. And if you start out with an option that comes with plain sights first you can save the cost of a scope and put that towards ammo.
 
Gillen1 said:
BFTNnXP.jpg



Here is my custom Ruger 10/22. Started life as a Regular 10/22. I cut the stock down and made the new barrel fit. I put a dlask 12.5 bull barel on it, a tactical solutions extended mag release as well. all these parts just dropped in easy as pie! I did the auto bolt relase myself with a file and 10 min. I have a new extractor and hammer on order too. Really easy to do.

the sky and your wallet is the limit with these guns. you made a good choice.
Click to expand...

Aye yay yay... senior... that barrel looks very short. Dangerous to children
 
I'm new as well, but it sounds like the OP was looking at a Ruger American Rimfire - it has the flip down rear sight with black plastic stock with weird stripes. It has the replaceable stocks - short/long, high/low that fit all American Rimfires.

I bought on as my first rifle because I liked the idea of the bolt action. It's nice, feels good in the hands and seems accurate as well.
 
Oh man, that makes sense! Yea it had flip down rear sight and weird black stock.

Well, I had a long chat with the fellows at IO about the 10/22 versus the 795 and everyone in the shop was vouching for the 10/22. I'm really blown away by how helpful and emotionally invested the Firearm community is. As a new-comer it's interesting to see how off the mark people are with their perceptions of Firearm owners.

That being said, they were all extremely adamant about the 10/22 over the 795. They made a tonne of good points, but in the end I went with the 795 because of the low price point, good reviews, and all around lower costs. It's more important for me to get INTO the sport right now than get the "gun of my dreams" so this was the easier way to go. When I made the choice and relinquished my hold on the 10/22 they were really polite and supportive about switching over and getting me set up (even if they were a tad miffed that I'd taken the only black 10/22 off the shelf for 4 days, woops):redface:

Now I have a great little plinker and I can spend the money that I would have spent on the Ruger alone on Ammo! And for a .22 that's like saying I can buy a house with the money I saved :p

Thanks for the input everybody, it was a valuable learning experience! And now, say hello to my very first firearm:cool:



edit: mk, where does one look to start getting spare mags for a 795? I know I signed up for a treasure hunt when I passed on the 10/22!
another edit: Cabela's, duh
 
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ruger 10/22 is a gateway drug.... i mean gun!

i find it funny in your last post when you changed your mind about the 10/22 and went with the 795 against the sound advice of the lads from the gun store, then in the very same post your looking for mags. that is the one good thing about 10/22's, everyone has stuff for them.

and to answer a question from your original post about the thumbhole stocks for 10/22's;
yes, there are a bunch of them.
if your into Laminate ones you can go with Boyd stocks, nice and under $100.

2 examples of ones ive done.

Ruger1022barrelandstockswap012_zps789dbe74.jpg


5A0B4C2A-1A39-41EB-8305-E46AF318D4A7_zpsx5nltsbx.jpg


im sure Boyd's makes the same for your gun so you may wanna go have a look at their website.
 
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