Posted on 08/11/2016 5:56:15 AM PDT by w1n1
I'm convinced that the Ruger 10/22 is the most popular .22 rifle of all time. Not only is it a great little rifle right out of the box, but there are probably a million aftermarket items available that enhance its functionality even further, making it the most “trick-out-able” gun on the market.
Not bad for a rifle that first hit the market in 1964.
The 10/22 became my go-to rifle pretty quickly. How could I not love it? It’s extremely dependable, accurate and, as I mentioned, you can trick it out as much as you want. But it was my quest to hunt the elusive whistle pig (which in southern Idaho, where I shoot, refers to a Townsend’s ground squirrel) that led me to desire a higher level of accuracy, which in turn led to this article.
I love hunting varmints in the spring, and on good days I’ll shoot 400 to 500 rounds at these ornery targets. But if you’re like me when shooting hundreds of rounds using a gun with a small capacity clip, you’ll get frustrated, and I mean fast. In fact, it’s easy enough to get frustrated if you don’t have two or three fully stocked 25-shot banana clips on hand.
As my experience progressed, it got to be fun to see how far out I could hit whistle pigs. I hit one a year or so ago at 197 yards, and then another at 207 yards. If they hold still and let you get three shots to zero in, you can hit them out there. Of course, the gale-like winds we encounter regularly out on the high plains here in Idaho don’t help with long-range shooting. Read the rest of the story here.
My point is that both have their good points. You for instance say “it can be modified so many ways...”......and I have a Marlin 60 that I really didn’t need to modify because it was all it needed to be.
I’m not dissing 10/22s, but the number sold between the two is not a contest. Marlin beat Ruger by twice. There’s a reason for that.
I think the appealing thing about my stainless 10/22 tricked out is that it is darned near tactical and is far above the 60 on that account. But that wasn’t why I bought the 60 in the first place.
I bought my Marlin because my Brother in Law asked me to see if I could find a mag tube insert for it. His son had had it over 20 years and was out in the woods and lost it.
NEVER cleaned once. Always worked....dumbass nephew just never knew what cleaning was. When I was finished with it (new insert, cleaning, etc.) I decided I had to get one of my own. $150 for one just like his. Can’t beat that.
Ping
Moon clips
Seriously. This is one rifle I have been talking about getting for years but still haven’t.
To be smart ass technical, the Garand uses an en bloc clip, and the 45 Army Revolver uses Moon clips BTW the Army revolver can shoot 45 Auto Rim without any sort of clip. :0)
That is the success of the Henry Golden Boy
20 octagon barrel
I have a Squires Bingham .22 M16 lookalike and this picture makes me sad
Cartridges for the Enfield No. 1, Enfield No. 4, SKS, Mosin-Nagant and even AR15/M16/M4 are frequently packaged in clips as well.
And why not? They aren’t that expensive.
US Army Model of 1917, a 45 Colt revolver. I have an original and a S$W reissue of same......
I have exactly this. One original and one a S&W reissue....IIRC it’s a model 22.....
There are even 2 round moon clips.
I understood your post. I was gently poking fun at the 10/22 obsession that ALWAYS takes over any thread where .22 caliber is being discussed. (Yes, I realize that the 10/22 is the actual topic of this thread).
Any question from a FReeper, or almost anywhere else, ends up flooded with “If you don’t already have a 10/22, go buy one”.
I have one. I like mine. It’s a pretty reliable design, but it’s important to understand that the major advantage of a Ruger 10/22 over any other .22 caliber rifle is the plethora of modifications available for it. There are other less-expensive rifles available that rival the 10/22 in out-of-the-box performance... Some, like the Marlin model 60 or 795 that will beat it hands-down (in un-modified condition)
That’s why I threw the barb in at the end, about being as accurate and reliable as the 552 Speedmaster.. You know, spending MANY 10’s of hours and 100’s of dollars to bring a $200.00 rifle up to the performance of a $600.00 rifle.
Aw, Geeze. It’s not funny if you have to explain it.
Just picked up a Ruger LCP 380 for $200 @ Cabela’s. That my budget for the time being.
Okay....I’ve been hearing Ruger, Ruger, Ruger forever and I have one and it was exactly like you say. Just didn’t get you were poking fun.
The point is it takes lotsa bucks to bring a Ruger 22 basic up to a tactical you should have in 5.56 or 308 anyway when you wanted the cheep-cheep ammo standard to start with.
ping
My wife carries an LCP. She loves it because it is light and compact.
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