What is the Ruger 10/22 really like?

I love mine, first gun I bought, have shot 10k rounds out of it. It does jam when mags or gun get really dirty. Also now my extractor has a bit of a burr, so needs to be replaced, however it is still a stock rifle. I shoot 1.5 and 3 inch gongs 4/5 times at 50 yards after 10k rounds
 
Mine shoots half an inch at 25 yards with most ammo off the bench.

It's a great little rifle.

Great prairie gopher rifle indeed, especially in a target rich environment.
But, if you are a really fussy precision rifle shooter, the really nice Volquartsen variant is a much better choice IMO.
Or, place your favorite bolt action here.......
 
Great prairie gopher rifle indeed, especially in a target rich environment.
But, if you are a really fussy precision rifle shooter, the really nice Volquartsen variant is a much better choice IMO.
Or, place your favorite bolt action here.......

I have a CZ 455 LUX with a Bushnell Legend 4x14x42 with a mildot reticle for accuracy.
 
Like many things, older ones were superior in build quality. New ones are ok, but benefit from a few upgrades.

Overall they are inexpensive, fairly accurate, cheap to feed, and easy to upgrade!
 
It's a great little fun gun or small game hunter, limited in performance primarily by a lack of quality parts, and less than stellar machine work. If you are prepared to drop the funds, a KIDD or VQ will solve all of the inherent problems of the platform, and blur the line between "fun gun" and "target gun", though it will never quite hold a candle to a true bench rig.
 
My 10/22 only really comes out in grouse season. They're minute of grouse head at 30 meters. And can quickly put a family of four on the BBQ! I shoot mine best holding onto the 25 round mag.
 
I've got a bunch of 10/22s, none of them look like semi auto 22's

Theye all look different:

A WWII Thompson
An Al Capone Chicago style Thompson
An AK-74
An AK-47
An MP5
An AR-15

There are a few others I want to get, I wonder if there's one that looks like an Uzi? Could have a fake supressor barrel shroud to keep it as a rifle. I'd also love one that looks like a Barrett 82A1, I wonder how a 22lr would do with a loooong barrel like that?
 
10/22's are generally good shooters, as long as you are not looking for a great trigger or super accuracy. Besides the modular design, the 10 round flush magazine sets them apart. They do work very well for hunting gophers when teamed with a heavy barrel etc. Unfortunately, that usually makes them expensive to set up.
It's best to try one out and make your own decision.
 
I bought mine in 1968 when my oldest Son was a year old.
No idea of the round count, it has never let me down regardless of how badly it has needed cleaning.
It has by far been one of my best firearm purchases.
 
Good rifles, dependable and fun to shoot. There is a ton of aftermarket support to make it your own. It is a decent shooter. Not the most accurate but fun. There are cheaper more accurate .22 lr semi autos but the Ruger 10/22 has earned a place in a lot of people's gun safe.
 
My SIL bought a Ruger 10/22 takedown model for my grandson that came with the compact carrying case and two 10 shot mags. I wasn't impressed until we took it to the range. The rifle clicked together perfectly and worked through 4 boxes of Winchester .22lr ammo without a hitch. I'm not real good with iron sights because the old peepers aren't what they used to be,but,I had no trouble with that little rifle bouncing pop cans around and blowing up clay skeets all over the sand pit at ranges out to fifty yards. We had no trouble popping the centers out of paper targets.The iron sights were right on and it handled beautifully for a short synthetic-stocked rifle.
 
What is the Ruger 10/22 really like?

I know that out of the box it is small, handy, utilitarian, but is it a good shooter?

I've tried one, and it confirmed what I read here: it's a great little plinker... after you replace just about everything on it. Otherwise it's an affordable and adequate plinker, much fun to shoot because it's semi auto and has no recoil.
 
What is the 10/22 like? Well it is either the most or second most popular 22 rifle in the world. It is a constant battle between the Ruger and Marlins Model 60, in all of its guises. It is a good gun neither it nor the Marlin will give minute of angle accuracy but I find the Marlin to be a bit more accurate. The trigger is okay it gets better with use and there are drop in replacements available. The 10 round magazine is nice in that you can carry a spare already loaded in your pocket.

There are a lot of accessories for the 10/22 but that is not really what you asked. If you get a 10/22 you'll have a good functional 22 that will give good service. Just don't expect $500 performance out of a $250 gun.
 
I bought a new one maybe 9-10 years ago (I've lost track) and sold it less than a year later. Other than the look of it (which I liked) and the fact that it cycled everything well, the crappy trigger and accuracy was a big disappointment. Wasn't expecting a match-grade gun or anything, but even a pop can was relatively safe past about 40 yards. It was pre-extended mag release days too...so no fun was had in cold weather getting mags to drop.

Anyhow, I slag them from time to time on this forum because I'm not a tinkerer and don't feel the desire to buy a NIB fixer-upper if I want to hit small things at 50 yards consistently. That said, I get the "fun" factor of personalizing guns...I just don't feel the desire myself. I think the Marlin 60/795 are better shooters with a better charging handle, but their mag releases still sort of suck and the iron sights are awful. If I could bend someone's ear at Remington (=Marlin) I'd love to see a walnut-stocked 795 with great iron sights, a heavy barrel, matte black metal finish and an upgraded mag release system. I'd buy one on the spot. For now, my plastic stock, blued 795 with a $50 Chinese scope remains as my only 22 auto-loader and any stock 10/22 I've ever shot doesn't come close to it's accuracy.

So...with that ramble over with~go buy a 10/22 and decide for yourself. I knew what their limitations were supposed to be when I got mine, I just wanted to see for myself what all the hype was about. Fun plinker and in my opinion, kind of nice looking rifles.
 
OP here.

I'm not interested in getting one. I'm not a big .22 enthusiast. I have a bolt action Winchester and a MAS-45 that I do shoot once in a while. I've had the same box of .22 shells in the house for the last 20 years. I don't even shoot at grouse any more, not interested in them either.

Just curious if the 10/22 was an okay rifle or if people got them because they were like Barbie dolls; you can dress them up.
 
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