By R.K. Campbell | Contributing Editor
I have a long history with the Ruger 10/22.
I own more of these than any other single rifle, and each has a certain role to fill. Plinking and informal target shooting are included in these roles, but also tactical training and even simulated sniper roles. Suffice to say that whatever a .22 LR can do, the 10/22 excels at it!
Ruger’s classic rimfire rifle is simple enough that it always works and it is remarkably easy to upgrade, as rimfire afficionados have learned over the years.
There is also a serious side to the Ruger 10/22. A series of these rifles were modified for area defense in the Philippines in order to give citizens a fighting chance against communist insurgents, and with a minimum of training these reliable smallbore rifles gave a degree of short range security.
The 10/22 has famously been evident in the hands of Israeli security forces of late. A step above non-lethal projectiles the 10/22 allows precision placement of small bullets into leg bones or lungs. The person hit isn’t killed immediately, the wound may not be even life threatening, but they quickly realize the need to stop what they are doing and find medical help.
The Plan
First, why modify a good reliable rifle at all? It depends.
If the standard plastic or wood stock Ruger does all you ask of it there is little incentive. Knocking a squirrel out of a tree isn’t that difficult and neither is bouncing tin cans at a few yards. But let’s look at the rifle.
Testing a safe full of Ruger 10/22 rifles a few months ago proved the trigger action of the rifles broke at 5 to 6 pounds on average. There is some trigger take up and over travel. This action is fine for most uses. At 50 yards with a good optic, Ruger’s iconic rimfire rifle with its 10-roiund rotary magazine will put five shots into 2.5 inches with quality ammunition. This is from a braced firing position. That is pretty decent- but not all the rifle can be.
The interface between the rifle and the shooter could stand improvement. To improve ergonomics I added the Keystone Tundra stock. Be certain to look over the many choices in colors, and another Keystone stock may suit your needs better, as they offer a wide range of stocks for many firearms. The ability to order exactly what you want is a nice experience.
I think at a quick glance there were a dozen offerings for the 10/22 including take down rifle versions. I chose the Tundra because I have always liked the looks and feel of a classic thumbhole rifle stock. This stock is smooth and highly polished; no need for a pebble grain. The thumbhole makes for good control and leads the cheek and eye into a proper firing position. The Tundra stock features a rubber recoil pad, which adds to stability in firing and is comfortable in extended sessions. The fold over style cheek rest aligns my eye with the scope in a natural manner. I am very pleased with the quality.
I had on hand a Simmons 3-9X optic and used it during initial testing. While Simmons wasn’t a primo brand, the old glass has been around for a couple of decades and has given good service.
Next I considered the trigger. I chose a proven option the TG200 from Volquartsen (www.Volquartsen.com). The TG200 is a drop in trigger. To install, simply remove two pins from the Ruger’s receiver and install the unit. Simple as that. There are several choices including an extended magazine release and optional color schemes.
The TG200 is nicely machined aluminum billet. The trigger action breaks at a superb 2.25 pounds. Trigger pull weight isn’t adjustable, but pretravel and overtravel adjustment are. Reset is as important as trigger compression in rapid fire, and with this particular replacement trigger, reset is sharp. This was a significant upgrade.
With the trigger optics and stock set up, I carefully sighted the rifle in for a few chosen loads using 40- grain bullets for the most part. I set the rifle in a solid bench rest and fired for accuracy at a long 50 yards. My results are included in the following table.
The Ruger 10/22 is a good rifle and with a few upgrades may be a great rifle. The optic is okay, and the stock is wonderful for all types of shooting. Remember a thumbhole may slow you down with a bolt action but not a self-loader, and the trigger is excellent. I was able to fire several groups far better than the norm for a Ruger 10/22 rifle.
It isn’t terribly expensive to set up a Ruger 10/22 to personal perfection and enjoy making a good rifle even better.
Accuracy results Five shot groups 50 yards
Federal Hunter Match 1.2 in.
CCI Mini Mag 1.4 in.
Remington Golden Bullet 2.0 in.
Ruger.com
Volqaurtsen.com
Keystonesportingarms.com
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