My first semi auto.22....Ruger, or ???

Check out your local gunshop for a good older semi .
There are alot of really nice used older rifles out there , very dependable, accurate , with alot more character than a 1022.
 
Thanks for all the input so far guys! I guess I should have said what my plans are.....or atleast, try to half figure them out myself.

I have a friend with about 100 yards of property where we were planning to setup a VTAC board and some targets for some fun plink action. I know long range accuracy is not the forte of a untouched semi auto .22. That said, I am not married to the idea of a Ruger 10/22, especially if there is better out there for the money. My max budget on this is around $600...and yes, I have always kinda been the start with some basic and hot rod it to your liking, so that same appeal brought me to the Ruger 10/22. However, I am all ears for what may be a better choice. I have not looked into the T22, although I have spent a good amount of time looking into parts on the DLASK, Anarchy outdoors, and Spectre websites just to name a few.

As for a bolt gun, I do want one. But when I think bolt, I think a .308 or 6.5 Creedmoor centerfire....and I do plan on picking one up, but once I have a place to shoot some long distance.


Im gonna throw i different spin here.
GSG-16 if you want a FUN plinker.

Its tatticool and as accurate as most other semi's (no where near as accurate as a bolt)

the 10/22 only has 10rds in a mag, the GSG has 22rds and comes with 2 mags.

Put a cheap red dot on it and off you go.
 
It is tough to beat the Ruger 10-22 for a fun gun , but you will be stuck with a 10 round mag . A good used Remington 597 with the 30 round mags are still around in the pre-owned market at a fairly low cost , so that might be an option if you are looking to do some rapid fire spraying .
 
Im gonna throw i different spin here.
GSG-16 if you want a FUN plinker.

Its tatticool and as accurate as most other semi's (no where near as accurate as a bolt)

the 10/22 only has 10rds in a mag, the GSG has 22rds and comes with 2 mags.

Put a cheap red dot on it and off you go.

Down side with GSG is the warranty is nearly slim to none, as people are having troubles getting theirs repaired

Where Ruger you really don't need to go thru warranty as there are parts galore.

I have a GSG, a 1022, a bolt 22 and another single shot 22, plus a 22 pistol. Long term I'd pick the 10/22.
 
Save yourself the hassle, skip Ruger and just buy a Dlask. Grey Birch also looks good but I don’t personally have experience with them.
Why start of with a low quality, overpriced inaccurate gun when you can get a quality Canadian made gun the first time?
 
It's worth being cautious with such claims without qualification. With the .22LR ammo available, no .22LR, semi or bolt, is able to "shoot very accurately" at 300 yards, let alone 400.

Regardless of rifle, the ammo itself cannot produce very accurate shooting at such long distances, unless the criteria is progressively loosened as distance increases. The performance of .22LR always gets worse and worse with distance.

I'm sorry but this is a stupid comment. EVERY caliber gets worse with distance. Expectations are loosened as distance increases for EVERY caliber. Futhermore, "Very accurately" is a highly subjective term. For you to say that none of them can shoot "very accurately" at 400yds is nothing more than your opinion on what merits being called "very accurate".

A 10/22 is the perfect way to get into some fun shooting without spending to much. I bought one 45 years ago and it still serves me well.

Thats exactly what my friend was told. His 10/22 is neither reliable nor accurate compared to other semis I've shot. (Still better than the Mossberg Plinkster another friend had mind you, that thing SUUUUCKED...)

That said, they do have a very good reputation for a reason, and chances are you'll get one that works just fine. My buddy just pulled the short straw on that one I think...

Save yourself the hassle, skip Ruger and just buy a Dlask. Grey Birch also looks good but I don’t personally have experience with them.
Why start of with a low quality, overpriced inaccurate gun when you can get a quality Canadian made gun the first time?

How about because a base model 10/22 can be had for $300 or less on sale (seen many at $280 in recent months), while the other two cost over twice that? Full retail on the 10/22 is getting pretty high, but on sale they're still sub-$300 guns and there isn't exactly a lot of options in that price range outside of Savage rifles (especially with the Remington bankruptcy, as no more Remington or Marlin rimfires are being made). Not that theres anything wrong with a Savage, I own a few.

Now, I'm not saying people SHOULDN'T buy Dlask and Grey Birch stuff. They absolutely should! Both because they're supposed to be good products, and they're Canadian made! But not everyone can afford it, and even if they can afford it not everyone can justify the additional cost. The simple fact they exist shouldn't stop someone from buying a 10/22 for less than half the price if thats what they want.
 
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Down side with GSG is the warranty is nearly slim to none, as people are having troubles getting theirs repaired

Where Ruger you really don't need to go thru warranty as there are parts galore.

I have a GSG, a 1022, a bolt 22 and another single shot 22, plus a 22 pistol. Long term I'd pick the 10/22.

Not gonna disagree. a 10/22 has a long reputation of reliability and parts availability
But the GSG is sooo much FUN!! :)
 
You have had multiple sets of advice from folks recommending a Bolt action over a Semi, and I say the same, as all the semi's I have owned are not nearly as accurate, or as fun to shoot.I have only shot a 10-22 once, and was not impressed.You can make them shoot, if you spend far more than they are worth on upgrades, as the factory gun is not accurate or fun.Change every single part on the Ruger 10-22 to expensive aftermarket, and it still won't shoot as good as my stock, 350 dollars used; Anschutz 1403 bolt gun.Semi's are good for plinking ordinance downrange, but for precise shooting you need a quality bolt action.
 
10/22 is my choice and these can be made to shoot very accurately all the way out to 400yds.

Doesn't need to cost a ton.. although you can easily dump a bucket load of money into this platform.

Most of our current rifles started life as Carbines bought in end of season sales... so the upfront cost is very low too.

Being able to double tap a gong at distance is certainly one of this platforms many benefits over a bolt when competing in LR rimfire PRS.

Jerry

Qualified enough me thinks.....

Start with a 10/22 carbine that you find on sale. Shoot it and if it runs properly with bulk HV ammo like CCI blaser or better quality Fed, it will run well when upgraded. We break in our donors for several hundred rds... and they weren't that bad for accuracy either. Ones we picked up in the last couple of years have run really well w/o any of the typical part swaps... maybe lucky, maybe Ruger has got their mojo back????

The key to any rifle is the barrel and a properly speced barrel with matching ammo will turn the 10/22 into quite a tack driver. Match barrels for the 10/22 are some of the least expensive you can get for a rimfire due to the quantity of supply and suppliers. Stocks and chassis options are plentiful and range in cost and features.

Bed it properly and away you go. The 10/22 with a match barrel can still fit in his $600'ish budget. Not sure which other rimfire can offer that????

Like the Rem 700, there is so much parts and support for the 10/22 and the platform can be made to work very very well.

if you prefer a bolt, then that opens up a whole new conversation and there are also many choices and directions... but you will also need to be discussing a larger budget if you want a match barrel added.

Jerry
 
I'm sorry but this is a stupid comment. EVERY caliber gets worse with distance. Expectations are loosened as distance increases for EVERY caliber. Futhermore, "Very accurately" is a highly subjective term. For you to say that none of them can shoot "very accurately" at 400yds is nothing more than your opinion on what merits being called "very accurate".

Don't apologize for thinking the comment is stupid; a lot of ill-informed people might think that way. The accuracy performance of .22LR as distance increaes is not a matter of opinion.

While it's correct to say that no "caliber" (to use your term) improves with distance, many centerfire rifle calibers don't suffer egregiously deteriorating performance out to 400 yards like the .22LR does. Unlike centerfire, which can often maintain a nearly similar level of accuracy between 100 and 200 yards (a linear or near linear increase), and even further (e.g. 1 MOA at 100 and 1 or nearly 1 MOA at 200), the .22LR round has no such ability. Of course, no round or caliber maintains the same level of performance at all distances, but the .22LR is a poor contender for shooting very accurately out to 300 or 400 yards.

The problem for .22LR is that its performance gets progressively worse as distance increases, much more than other target shooting "calibers" for which claims of "very accurate" performance might be made. As an illustration, on average, .22LR group sizes increase by a factor of about 2.8 between 50 yards and 100. That is to say, on average, a .5" ten shot group at 50 becomes a 1.4" ten shot group at 100 (.5" X 2.8 = 1.4"). Between 100 and 200 that would only get worse -- that is, more than a 2.8 factor. From 200 yards to 400 yards, it would be even more. In other words, .22LR performance (accuracy) deteriorates exponentially with distance.

This is why it's worth being cautious with claims without qualification of shooting very accurately out to 400 yards. With the .22LR ammo available, no .22LR, semi or bolt, is able to "shoot very accurately" at 300 yards, let alone 400. There are many "calibers" with which it is possible to shoot very accurately all the way to 400 yards, but .22LR is not one of them.

If someone wishes to describe .22LR as "shooting very accurately out to 400 yards" with qualification that's fine. To do so without, however, risks misleading readers or sounding ill-informed. The question is what qualifies as shooting very accurately at 400 yards?
 
Qualified? A claim was made but no criteria for "very accurate" is offered. What qualifies as shooting very accurately out to 400 yards?

Again, this comes back to purpose. Is the purpose to kill magpies at 400 yards? Then it’s not “very accurate”. Or is the purpose to consistently ring a 20” gong at 400 yards? Then maybe you’d call it “very accurate” for those purposes.
 
Don't apologize for thinking the comment is stupid; a lot of ill-informed people might think that way. The accuracy performance of .22LR as distance increaes is not a matter of opinion.

While it's correct to say that no "caliber" (to use your term) improves with distance, many centerfire rifle calibers don't suffer egregiously deteriorating performance out to 400 yards like the .22LR does. Unlike centerfire, which can often maintain a nearly similar level of accuracy between 100 and 200 yards (a linear or near linear increase), and even further (e.g. 1 MOA at 100 and 1 or nearly 1 MOA at 200), the .22LR round has no such ability. Of course, no round or caliber maintains the same level of performance at all distances, but the .22LR is a poor contender for shooting very accurately out to 300 or 400 yards.

The problem for .22LR is that its performance gets progressively worse as distance increases, much more than other target shooting "calibers" for which claims of "very accurate" performance might be made. As an illustration, on average, .22LR group sizes increase by a factor of about 2.8 between 50 yards and 100. That is to say, on average, a .5" ten shot group at 50 becomes a 1.4" ten shot group at 100 (.5" X 2.8 = 1.4"). Between 100 and 200 that would only get worse -- that is, more than a 2.8 factor. From 200 yards to 400 yards, it would be even more. In other words, .22LR performance (accuracy) deteriorates exponentially with distance.

This is why it's worth being cautious with claims without qualification of shooting very accurately out to 400 yards. With the .22LR ammo available, no .22LR, semi or bolt, is able to "shoot very accurately" at 300 yards, let alone 400. There are many "calibers" with which it is possible to shoot very accurately all the way to 400 yards, but .22LR is not one of them.

If someone wishes to describe .22LR as "shooting very accurately out to 400 yards" with qualification that's fine. To do so without, however, risks misleading readers or sounding ill-informed. The question is what qualifies as shooting very accurately at 400 yards?

The simple fact we are discussing 22lr means that this whole expose is pointless. Again, it's a subjective term, and comparing it to centerfire is an apples and oranges thing, it's not a reasonable comparison to make for numerous reasons, some of which you've already highlighted.

Virtually everyone who's in the market to buy a 22lr knows 22lr has limitations. When discussing accuracy of a 22lr it is expected that you are talking relative to other 22lrs, not relative to all guns.

Besides, if you want to get real technical you're not even talking about accuracy you are talking about precision.
 
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Qualified? A claim was made but no criteria for "very accurate" is offered. What qualifies as shooting very accurately out to 400 yards?

Could you guys take it to PM, as this might be discouraging to the OP asking to buy his first gun. Not everybody cares for laser accuracy. If he asking about a 350$ 10/22 I doubt he cares about shooting 1 hole. I seen enough threads derailed by you two in fighting.
 
I just would like to say, all of the replies are GREATLY appreciated! I wanted to quote more to ask specific questions, but not sure I can multiquote over various pages...
That said, this stuck out the most to me

You'd probably be well served with any of the more common 22LR autoloaders to start. Before buying any farkles, budget a couple hundred for a variety of ammunition so you can find something that groups well with your rifle. Your rimfire "ammunition library" is something that you will build as you go forward, useful with all future rifle purchases. Whether a new barrel, stock, or complete rifle, you'll probably find it changes what type of ammo groups well.

Personally, in your shoes I'd go with a basic 10/22 or Savage A22. Probably a package rifle with both irons and cheap optic. That way you have more context for deciding about upgrades to sights.

There's no substitute for experience, so just get something with a proven track record and get shooting. It's a pretty good bet that your choice of platform at this point is going to show its limitations as you gain experience, so don't waste time trying to get the perfect rifle right now. Just buy smart and you'll lose little (if anything) on resale.

I feel that this really sums me up best. I know this gun won't be a long range gun, and I guess I wasn't specific in my original post- I think of plinking as shorter range, fun, trying to hit targets, maybe using a VTAC board to spice it up, and over not a large distance- whether by definition thats what it is or not. Something I can shoot at my buddys property and have FUN while building skill. Not trying to sound like a hater, or that .22 is not a good caliber, or a childs gun, but I want this to be my learning gun- get good before hot rodding it, if I even do, and just have some fun. Eventually maybe move up to a bolt .22, or a larger center fire caliber in bolt or semi auto. But I want to build some chops.

Black Friday is coming up...I am going to see what is out there. I know one vendor near me is selling the 10/22 with a red dot for $400. I am not married to the Ruger idea, so I will check out the savages and the GSG mentioned again and see if there are any other deals out there. I am not opposed to spending money, but a good point was made about the guns holding their value, especially without mods, so maybe that's the way to go on my first gun. The Ruger's appeal was all the modification support out there, but I saw when pricing out a gun how easy it is to spend alot on the platform, and it made me rethink a super awesome gun off the start if I end up totally disliking it.

If I am not mistaken, I thought I also saw magazines for the 10/22 semi to hold 20 or 25 rounds? But maybe I am wrong on that. I appreciate the pointers! I am looking forward to my first purchase
 
I just would like to say, all of the replies are GREATLY appreciated! I wanted to quote more to ask specific questions, but not sure I can multiquote over various pages...
That said, this stuck out the most to me



I feel that this really sums me up best. I know this gun won't be a long range gun, and I guess I wasn't specific in my original post- I think of plinking as shorter range, fun, trying to hit targets, maybe using a VTAC board to spice it up, and over not a large distance- whether by definition thats what it is or not. Something I can shoot at my buddys property and have FUN while building skill. Not trying to sound like a hater, or that .22 is not a good caliber, or a childs gun, but I want this to be my learning gun- get good before hot rodding it, if I even do, and just have some fun. Eventually maybe move up to a bolt .22, or a larger center fire caliber in bolt or semi auto. But I want to build some chops.

Black Friday is coming up...I am going to see what is out there. I know one vendor near me is selling the 10/22 with a red dot for $400. I am not married to the Ruger idea, so I will check out the savages and the GSG mentioned again and see if there are any other deals out there. I am not opposed to spending money, but a good point was made about the guns holding their value, especially without mods, so maybe that's the way to go on my first gun. The Ruger's appeal was all the modification support out there, but I saw when pricing out a gun how easy it is to spend alot on the platform, and it made me rethink a super awesome gun off the start if I end up totally disliking it.

If I am not mistaken, I thought I also saw magazines for the 10/22 semi to hold 20 or 25 rounds? But maybe I am wrong on that. I appreciate the pointers! I am looking forward to my first purchase

10/22 mags are a legal gray area currently. The rcmp has declared anything over 10 rounds to be illegal due to the existence of the charger pistol, but there are some major problems with their interpretation. However the import and retail sales of them have been prohibited for some time (like 5 years) due to this interpretation.

Long story short, they may or may not be legal, nobody has been charged with their use or possession but you can't buy new ones. Chances are most people who still have em won't sell them either.
 
Hey everyone,

Forgive me as the search function is not so great here....I am looking to make my first gun purchase a .22 caliber rifle. I have shot handguns, shotguns, and rifles before, but figure a .22 is a good place to start as someone who wants to get into shooting seriously with their own gun (Im also looking at acquiring a semi auto .556 rifle before they are outlawed, but more to have vs shoot right now). I had contemplated building something from complete scratch, as I am very mechanically inclined, but figured it might be best to start basic and build from there.

All things point to the Ruger 10/22 semi auto. I don't see myself leaving the gun "untouched" for long, and it seems the Ruger has a whole host of upgrades for it. In trying to decide with the various options, I am stuck between whether its worth spending for the "takedown" model with the barrel that can unthread, or just going with the basic, no stainless (does that really help or matter?) model that is about $350 everywhere you look. A bx25 trigger, stock of my choice, and maybe a scope or red dot later and I would probably be pretty happy. Or should I be looking at another .22 completely? Savage? GSG? I want something that will work well with maintenance and has options for customizing and growth.

I am open to input and insight....and I always love to hear the "if I were to do it again" stuff, as that's usually the best advice in my own experience lol

If you buy the 10-22 you just x3 the price your paying because that is how much money you will invest in one - and it will only be worth less than you originally paid in the end. My advice - look at a Savage model in 22 and call it done.
 
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