Looking for a ruger semiauto

N

Nateman

Inactive
Hi all, I'm looking to buy a Ruger semi auto for general shooting. Whether hunting or plinking or whatnot. It came between the Mini-14 and the 10/22. Odd lineup. I am looking at the Mini because I really like the action/operation and the carbine style plus a good cartridge (.223). But money is an issue. If it weren't, I would definitely go for the Mini. But with the price mags and ammo (and not quite so much the gun), I'm in a little bit of a crunch. Here, good ammo is $15-$20 for a pack of 40-50.(not really too bad, I guess, but the gun is semi auto) And mags are about $40 for a 20-rounder, and $20 for a 5-rounder. Granted, I won't be shooting every day, in fact, not more than once or twice at a month or two, tops. Once again, if money were no object -- definitely the Mini. Has the accuracy improved at all? I would only need moderate accuracy. And are the sights any good?

Now, that's only half. I would like the 1022 because of cheap ammo and, compared to the Mini, cheap mags. Butler Creek 25 rounders are only $20. And ammo is so darn cheap. But I'm not so sure about the action. How reliable is the 1022? The Mini is quite reliable, I've heard. I've handled both, and I truly love the feel and action of the Mini. But if I buy a 1022, I could get 10 extra 25 round mags, a decent scope, and I already have 800 rounds of 'inherited' .22LR all for the price of the Mini alone. Once again, though, I won't be shooting very often. I also like the ability to customize the 1022. Please any extra facts that would be good to know on any of these rifles would be great. I am just looking to get a semi auto rifle, and those are my top two picks.

Thanks!

UPDATE: I have a friend who could reload my fired .223s and just keep a couple for compensation. That might help.
 
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Go ahead and get the 10/22 since your a little cash strapped. Its cheaper to shoot. Save up for the mini and still have something to have fun with. I have both and both are great guns.
 
No idea of your background in shooting, but a .22 rimfire is the best learning tool there is. The least-cost way up the learning curve.

My only real objection to a semi-auto for a newbie or relative-newbie is that it's too easy to get into the bangity-bangity thing, which mostly is just turning money into noise. But, it's not my money. :)

In general, the Mini-14 isn't all that great for tight groups from a benchrest, but they work very well for hunters and as a truck gun. And, for general plinking. I've had several, over the years, and they've done well for me on jackrabbits, coyotes and tin cans. Definitely reliable.

Just some thoughts...
 
This is just my opinion, no better or worse than anyone else.

First - the 10/22 is an excelent choice in 22LR rifles, very reliable and works well with most ammo, but mine likes Federal 22LR HP in the bulk packs best.

Second - the prices of Mini-14's have gone way up in the last few years, so unless you are talking about buying a used Mini-14, I would suggest you look at getting a M&P 15 AR rifle on sale for around $600 to $700 dollars.

Shooting 22 LR and 223 Rem are two different worlds. I would suggest you start with the 10/22 and progress as you go along. Less startup cost and definitely cheaper ammo. Great for squirrels, rabbits and beer cans. The add on's are also cheaper. And you can dress it up any way you want.

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Yes, that is a 10/22 but it just doesn't look like one. I use mine for pratice at the 100 yard range without any problems at all. It also makes a good pratice rifle and can be used in 22lr competitions.

If budget is a concern then it is a good way to start.
Good Luck
Jim

If you go 223, it will be much more costly. This is a budget AR that cost me $599.00 and with everything on it about $730.00

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I'll throw in my 2 cents. The 10/22 action is extremely reliable. The finest 22 I ever shot belonged to a friend. It was a 10/22. He made the improvements as money allowed.

First was a trigger job. About 2.5 lbs. with no creep or overtravel. Then a Butler Creek stock, then a heavy barrel. He did the whole job himself with the exception of the trigger. He mounted a 1" diameter 4X Leupold scope that came off of a hunting rifle.

We shot 22 empty cases placed on weeds at various distances. It was very accurate, and no malfunctions.
 
Are you only looking for a Ruger semi-auto rifle thats currently in production? Because there is always the PC9 and PC40, not too mention the 10/44.
 
The 10/22 is far less expensive to own and operate than the Mini-14. Consider:

-MSRP on the cheapest Mini-14 is $881, while on a 10/22 it's $277. Not sure what the current street price is for a Mini-14, but I paid $200 for my plain-Jane 10/22 last fall.

-shooting centerfire is a lot more expensive than shooting rimfire. .223 ammo goes for 45 to 50 cents a round. .22LR goes for about 3 cents a round. Mine loves the cheap Federal bulk packs.

You can start with a bare bones 10/22 and customize it to your heart's content as funds permit, and you'll end up with a very nice rifle for a fraction of the cost of a Mini-14 even before you start shooting it. You might find one of the local stores running a sale on scoped 10/22s, as I did (although I bought mine without. Might scope it someday. Might not.) And there is, as has been observed, a vast difference in the cost of .223 ammo vice .22LR. I like shooting centerfire but when I go to the range with a .22 I usually shoot 300 rounds and spend ten bucks on ammo. If I had a .223 that money would buy me 20 rounds.

On magazines - I wouldn't bother buying a bunch of big magazines. I bought a couple of spare Ruger 10-round magazines for mine; my fiancée shoots them as fast as I can load them, but that's okay.

As for reliability - the 10/22 action is dead simple and it's been around forever. I've been getting some stovepipes lately though - maybe I ought to break down and clean it for the first time. Maybe not yet - it's only had 2500 rounds through it so far.

The .22 rifle is the greatest plinker ever devised, and the Ruger 10/22 might be the greatest .22 semiauto rifle ever built. Everybody should have one.

Now you've got me wanting to go punch some .22 holes in those soda bottles I have stashed away...
 
Thanks

Thank you all so much for your input. This is truly helpful! I think I will go for the 10/22. Thanks for the suggestions!
 
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