My First Rifle (Ruger 10/22) Could Use Your Help

S

samefly

New member
Will be picking up a Ruger 10/22. It's going to be my first rifle so I could use any words of wisdom and advice from you more experienced members out there. I'm choosing the 22LR as a cheap way to learn to shoot and have as a survival weapon should the need ever be (small game and whatnot). Choosing the Ruger for its price and reputation.

Scope and Rings?
Trying to keep it inexpensive (so I can save $ for a .308 and higher end scope down the line) but I'd still like something worth keeping and does the job. 2-7x? 3-9x?

Bulk Ammo?
What do you recommend? I'd hate for every other shot to be a FTF


Any Other Tips or How To's?
 
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I would not get a scope just yet. See how it goes.

I prefer open sights. Had a scope and traded for these,
http://www.tech-sights.com/

Ammo; I use Blazer bulk. Works well enough. After about 8ish bricks no FTF $18 per 500 where I am.
 
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I wouldn't purchase a scope yet. Learn to shoot with the iron sights and become very proficient with them. I have a 10/22 that is scopeless. I do have a ghost ring rear sight on it though but that's it. Its my quick target acquisition rifle. A scope limits your field of view and unless you're very proficient with a rifle a scope can get in your way when you're trying to shoot quickly.

Aside from that I'd suggest getting folding stock for the rifle (simply for the ability to fold and stow) since you mentioned possibly using the rifle as a survival rifle. Its not a necessity but my truck 10/22 has a side folding stock and its really useful to be able to fold up the stock and stick it in one of the rear compartments of my suburban. That rifle has a red dot on it btw.

As for ammo all of my plinking and varminting (up to but not always coyote) is done with Federal HP bulk. $22 for a 550rd brick is easy on the wallet and I haven't had a dud yet in over 10k rounds. Pretty freaking reliable for a rimfire huh?
 
I have ghost rings on my shotgun and love them. Are there any other ghost ring options? Here and on another forum it's been suggested to start off with iron sights. I'll start off with that and learn some fundamentals but I'd also like to learn to shoot with scope since I'll be purchasing a higher powered rifle down the line.

As far folding stocks, does anyone have experience with the ATI Strikeforce? I also heard good things about the Hogue Overmolded Stock (even though it's not a folding).
 
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if you want to replace the sights, I would recomend tech sights. While you are buying sights, pick up a set of 1 1/4" sling swivels and studs, and a G.I. web sling. Check out www.appleseedinfo.org find a shoot near you, let us teach you to shoot.
 
I agree on skipping the scope for now. It is good to get used to using the rifle without additions first... you never know, you may enjoy it enough that you won't want a scope.
Also, just to play Devil's advocate, are you completely sold on the 10/22? You mentioned that money is a concern, and that whatever you can save here will go toward a .308 later. There are plenty of great .22s out there that cost less than the Ruger. The Marlin 795, for example, is around $150 at the most, and can often be found much cheaper (I got mine for $100 in December). Just a thought.
 
Peep and receiver sights = waste of money unless for some odd reason you just like to use them. But if you're gonna spend money on an upgrade then for Lord's sake get an upgrade and get a frikin scope. While learning iron sights is a fine idea and everyone should know how to use them a scope trumps em everyday and twice on Sunday. And yes that includes the infamous tech sights and other receiver mounted peeps.

For starters a simple 4X Simmons 22mag will do and last for years. Great? Heck no. Servicable? Heck yes. And you can't complain for $30 or $40.

In general I avoid scopes priced in between the dirt cheap entry level ones (like the Simmons 22mag) and better scopes priced in the $125-$175 range. IME you don't gain anything but unneeded bells and whistles with the $75-$100 scopes and they ain't as good as the scopes in that $125-$175 range I mentioned. Exceptions? Of coarse. Speakin in generalities only.

LK
 
+1 on the tech sights. There's also some value in learning to shoot with the buckhorns first. If you can get good with those, it just gets easier.
 
Another vote for Tech Sights, I just put them on a 10/22 and love them. If you do decide to go the scope route, I would look at Nikon Prostaff, and some decent aluminum rings and scope base (the factory base is crap.)
 
I agree......The 10-22's shoot great with the factory sights that come on it.....I have one my Father passed down to me,the thing has thousands of rounds through it and still shoots as good as when it was new...~Just my two cents,but a cheap Crossman pellet/bb rifle scope will work great on that gun and you can snag one at Wally World for $30-$40,they should also have a cheap mount to go along with it that will fit that Ruger....Let me know how you make out....I am just cutting my teeth on bolt actions,but I know a fair amount about semi-auto's.....If you want to go a little further in price,grab a Smith and Wesson MP-15/22.....They are a awesome little gun,and they come stock with a match grade barrel..!
 
you made a great first choice! I love mine, only complaints are the capacity ofr the stock 10rd bag, the trigers a little heavy, and the stock sites are terrible. But all these things can be fixed cheaply and its fun to upgrade your rifle... I Have a bushnell trs-25 for a site which is awesome, bought s couple of bx-25 rd ruger mags which are more reliable for me then the 10 rder, and im going to upgrade my trigger and get an auto bolt release next.
Again great choice and have fun! Also I find for cheap bulk ammo the federal shoots the most reliably.
 
Captains do you have the older 10/22? Because ive been using the scope base that mine came with for my 10/22 I bought around xmas and its has been rock solid with my trs-25
 
I'd recommend a trigger job in general and peep sights, after that, spare magazines. The advice about sling swivels and a sling is spot on.
Best,
Rob
 
Also use tech sites and I am very happy with them.
Have a butler creek folding stock. It is on my rifle now. It is hard to get a good cheek weld with it. To learn to shoot I recommend having another stock(the stock ones aren't bad, the hogue overmold ones are usually considered the best at a reasonable price).
I use a Marlin 981TS with a Williams peep sight to practice shooting though. A few others here have them or the blued 981T and like them.

Federal bulk all the way. Red box, blue box Champion, or target all run fine for me.

Don't clean it. Ever. :)
 
Regarding ammo, I just took my new stainless steel 10/22 out for the first time last weekend, and had really good results with Winchester bulk. I usually buy Federal but Wally World was out of it one day so I picked up a brick of the Winchester instead. Got consistent quarter size groups at 25 yards using Tech Sights.
 
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