Gun Review: The Ruger 10/22 Rifle

The first choice among many shooters for an affordable and reliable .22 caliber rifle is the Ruger model 10/22. Having been in production since the 60's the rifle is part of firearms history and continues to be popular to this day. It is one of the best selling .22lr rifles in the market.

It is a semi-automatic rifle that usually comes with a standard 10 round magazine. Prices can range from the low hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on the configuration. The lowest price stock model is good enough for most people's needs. If one wants to do competitive shooting or to just have a tricked out rifle they can attach match grade barrels, receivers, triggers, and an almost endless supply of accessories.

The factory stats for the standard model are as follows:

Caliber: .22 LR
Capacity: 10 Rounds
Finish: Blued
Stock: Hardwood
Barrel Length: 18 1/2"
Groove: 6
Twist: 1:16" RH
Overall Length: 37"
Weight: 5 1/4 lbs
Front Sight(s): Blade
Rear Sight(s): Adjustable
Other Features: Cross Bolt Safety
Suggested Retail Price: $ 250.00

The basic edition is a carbine which is fun to use for plinking and target practice. It can be scoped and used for small game/varmint hunting. Accuracy of the rifle depends on the shooter and the particular loadings. Standard high velocity or match grade rounds tend to have the best accuracy. Hyper velocity rounds using low weight bullets such as the Stinger made by CCI can be somewhat erratic but can do the job. Velocitor rounds performed quite well and keep their power down range.

The iron sights are standard adjustable with some of the newer models coming out with fiber optic sights. The stock on the tested model is made of walnut and the steel is blued. Ruger does make synthetic models witch can be attached with a rubberized synthetic stock to make the rifle more weather proof. These models will command a higher price tag though.