Is the ruger 10/22 a good first rifle pick? I have heard its customizable so it can grow with the user. But I have also heard .22 ammo is next to impossible to find haha. Just looking for advice before I hop on the Black Friday deal I saw
First rifle-
- Thread starter broadleaf
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I guess it depends on the purpose. If it's just for range fun and learning, a .22 is an excellent starting point.
I'll take the unpopular stance here and steer you away from the 10/22. Their quality has gone way downhill from what they once were with no reduction in price. I would look at the CZ 455 for a .22 rifle; it is exquisite.
My buddy bought a Henry lever action .22 last year on black Friday. It seems well made and is a lot of fun to shoot.
What do you intend on using it for? .22 gets old very quickly no matter how much you can customize it.
Before you dump a boatload of money into customizing a .22, consider what range you will be going to and the distances that range is set up for. Most tend to find longer ranges to be enjoyable but the further you go out the more you invest into ammo and optics.
My local range has 25 & 50yds, and 100 & 200yds adjacent to it. With that type of variety, I prefer the 200 followed by 100. I cringe at the thought of .22 at the 25 & 50yds but that is only because I prefer a larger caliber.
Before you dump a boatload of money into customizing a .22, consider what range you will be going to and the distances that range is set up for. Most tend to find longer ranges to be enjoyable but the further you go out the more you invest into ammo and optics.
My local range has 25 & 50yds, and 100 & 200yds adjacent to it. With that type of variety, I prefer the 200 followed by 100. I cringe at the thought of .22 at the 25 & 50yds but that is only because I prefer a larger caliber.
.22LR is a fun "plinker" firearm to own. I'd love to throw one in my collection one of these days. Here in NY it's very hard to find .22LR ammo and IF it's in stock, keyword "IF" there's always that only 1 or 2 box maximum purchase per person per day or something depending on where you go for it.
I personally, started with a 12ga shotgun to shoot skeet and trap with some friends, then got the rifle bug (enabled by another friend) and nabbed a sale last year or so ago on a Savage Arms 111 Trophy Hunter XP in 30-06.
Either way, you have to start out somewhere. Look to the bright side too, you can always trade in for new or something different down the road too. Although, I'd never give up my very first firearm ever.
I personally, started with a 12ga shotgun to shoot skeet and trap with some friends, then got the rifle bug (enabled by another friend) and nabbed a sale last year or so ago on a Savage Arms 111 Trophy Hunter XP in 30-06.
Either way, you have to start out somewhere. Look to the bright side too, you can always trade in for new or something different down the road too. Although, I'd never give up my very first firearm ever.
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I'm going to say "yes", the 10/22 is a great first gun. Here's why:
A few other thoughts -
The old saying that "your gun is only as good as the magazine that feeds it" - the 10/22 factory mag is reliable, affordable, and readily available. Lots of aftermarket mags, too.
There are a lot of places where it's perfectly safe to shoot .22's (and maybe handguns and shotguns) all day long, but where a more powerful rifle might not be prudent because of the potential range of the projectile. Depends on your locale and what safe shooting areas you have available to you.
On the one hand, I say don't let the customization factor influence your decision - save that for later down the road when you're buying a gun for the "platform" that you intend to build around, rather than a complete package - otherwise, you could end up dumping a bunch of money into it and not really experiencing the results you wanted. On the other hand, if you're going to experiment with a gun to see what differences your alterations make, the 10/22 is just as cheap and easy to do this with as anything else. So this might be the most efficient way to figure out what you're looking for in your next gun. Of course, you can make the decision to upgrade via customization or by buying something different later down the road, after you've got a feel for it.
The lowly .22 is still a lethal weapon. It might not stop a crazed meth head or a suicide bomber in his tracks, but if you put a couple rounds in someone's chest, it doesn't matter how big the slugs are, you're going to get their attention - and in most situations, that will be sufficient. That said, the brothers here with military and/or police experience will likely disagree very much on this point, but again, I'm talking about most everyday "civilian" situations.
And finally, if you ever find yourself fighting for survival in a post-apocalyptic Mad Max world, you can scavenge or barter for ammo, mags, and parts more easily than you can with most other guns. Or use it to obtain a more powerful weapon, like they make you do in video games.
But yeah, I vote for the 10/22. There are better guns out there, and you will soon find yourself wanting more out of it, but the 10/22 is a great place to start.
Agree 100% with this. Ammo is cheap and recoil is nil, so you can focus on shooting and improving your skills.
This is a very good point - but, the 10/22 being as popular as it is, lots of manufacturers out there make replacement parts that are much better than the originals. So you can wear it out, and then improve it with better parts - or upgrade with aftermarket parts, and save the originals for spares. A bit more money spent in the long run perhaps, but you get the fun and learning experience of working on it yourself. Doing this might also give you a feel for what's important to you with future purchases. More on that below.
I agree that at some point, he's going to want something bigger - but a decent .22 is still a basic staple of most shooters' collections. And since firearms are generally a sound "investment", as long as you take care of it, you can get almost what you paid for it (or maybe more, depending) and put the money toward something else.
A few other thoughts -
The old saying that "your gun is only as good as the magazine that feeds it" - the 10/22 factory mag is reliable, affordable, and readily available. Lots of aftermarket mags, too.
There are a lot of places where it's perfectly safe to shoot .22's (and maybe handguns and shotguns) all day long, but where a more powerful rifle might not be prudent because of the potential range of the projectile. Depends on your locale and what safe shooting areas you have available to you.
On the one hand, I say don't let the customization factor influence your decision - save that for later down the road when you're buying a gun for the "platform" that you intend to build around, rather than a complete package - otherwise, you could end up dumping a bunch of money into it and not really experiencing the results you wanted. On the other hand, if you're going to experiment with a gun to see what differences your alterations make, the 10/22 is just as cheap and easy to do this with as anything else. So this might be the most efficient way to figure out what you're looking for in your next gun. Of course, you can make the decision to upgrade via customization or by buying something different later down the road, after you've got a feel for it.
The lowly .22 is still a lethal weapon. It might not stop a crazed meth head or a suicide bomber in his tracks, but if you put a couple rounds in someone's chest, it doesn't matter how big the slugs are, you're going to get their attention - and in most situations, that will be sufficient. That said, the brothers here with military and/or police experience will likely disagree very much on this point, but again, I'm talking about most everyday "civilian" situations.
And finally, if you ever find yourself fighting for survival in a post-apocalyptic Mad Max world, you can scavenge or barter for ammo, mags, and parts more easily than you can with most other guns. Or use it to obtain a more powerful weapon, like they make you do in video games.
But yeah, I vote for the 10/22. There are better guns out there, and you will soon find yourself wanting more out of it, but the 10/22 is a great place to start.
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I think when a gun's claim to fame is that it's great for upgrading, that's a big red flag that it's really not good. Why would you want a gun to just dump a bunch of money into to get it to the same performance as its competitors?
I can buy a CZ 455 for $375 that will perform very well out of the box, or I can spend a little over $400 for an upgraded 10/22 that *might* should equally well assuming I got one with a good action.
Is it an abysmal gun? No. But it got to ride the wave of its own popularity into a lesser quality product. It continues to be backed because of the emotional attachment surrounding the gun since it was many people's first firearm.
Learning what goes into a good firearm is certainly valuable, and you make good points about the 10/22 accomplishing that. But then the gun should be priced significantly lower.
I can buy a CZ 455 for $375 that will perform very well out of the box, or I can spend a little over $400 for an upgraded 10/22 that *might* should equally well assuming I got one with a good action.
Is it an abysmal gun? No. But it got to ride the wave of its own popularity into a lesser quality product. It continues to be backed because of the emotional attachment surrounding the gun since it was many people's first firearm.
Learning what goes into a good firearm is certainly valuable, and you make good points about the 10/22 accomplishing that. But then the gun should be priced significantly lower.
A bolt action .22 is what I prefer. Simplicity of cleaning it by removing the bolt and running a rod through it is great. Of all the years of owning rifles the 10/22 is my least favorite to clean.
And I'll agree above that the .22 is a staple for any gun owner. For anyone with ammo problems .22 is easily accessible online. I haven't had any issues stocking up periodically.
And I'll agree above that the .22 is a staple for any gun owner. For anyone with ammo problems .22 is easily accessible online. I haven't had any issues stocking up periodically.
You can't go wrong with a 10/22 broadleaf. As you can see there are differing opinions but the most common one is the .22 is a great first rifle. Whether you opt for a 10/22 or a CZ which is a beautiful rifle, or any other .22, they will all serve you well and past generations.
Go to a shop and handle several. You will find the right one for you.
Go to a shop and handle several. You will find the right one for you.
Great post, I was just looking for a plinker or light hunting rifle. I use to go to the range a lot. M1 carbine was my favorite, I think it shot a .223 though. I also looked at a savage arms XP bolt, but it's a lot louder and packs a hell of a punch. For beginner and plinking purposes I was thinking the 10/22 because it would be easier to get use to..... I am back and forth though.I'm going to say "yes", the 10/22 is a great first gun. Here's why:
Agree 100% with this. Ammo is cheap and recoil is nil, so you can focus on shooting and improving your skills.
This is a very good point - but, the 10/22 being as popular as it is, lots of manufacturers out there make replacement parts that are much better than the originals. So you can wear it out, and then improve it with better parts - or upgrade with aftermarket parts, and save the originals for spares. A bit more money spent in the long run perhaps, but you get the fun and learning experience of working on it yourself. Doing this might also give you a feel for what's important to you with future purchases. More on that below.
I agree that at some point, he's going to want something bigger - but a decent .22 is still a basic staple of most shooters' collections. And since firearms are generally a sound "investment", as long as you take care of it, you can get almost what you paid for it (or maybe more, depending) and put the money toward something else.
A few other thoughts -
The old saying that "your gun is only as good as the magazine that feeds it" - the 10/22 factory mag is reliable, affordable, and readily available. Lots of aftermarket mags, too.
There are a lot of places where it's perfectly safe to shoot .22's (and maybe handguns and shotguns) all day long, but where a more powerful rifle might not be prudent because of the potential range of the projectile. Depends on your locale and what safe shooting areas you have available to you.
On the one hand, I say don't let the customization factor influence your decision - save that for later down the road when you're buying a gun for the "platform" that you intend to build around, rather than a complete package - otherwise, you could end up dumping a bunch of money into it and not really experiencing the results you wanted. On the other hand, if you're going to experiment with a gun to see what differences your alterations make, the 10/22 is just as cheap and easy to do this with as anything else. So this might be the most efficient way to figure out what you're looking for in your next gun. Of course, you can make the decision to upgrade via customization or by buying something different later down the road, after you've got a feel for it.
The lowly .22 is still a lethal weapon. It might not stop a crazed meth head or a suicide bomber in his tracks, but if you put a couple rounds in someone's chest, it doesn't matter how big the slugs are, you're going to get their attention - and in most situations, that will be sufficient. That said, the brothers here with military and/or police experience will likely disagree very much on this point, but again, I'm talking about most everyday "civilian" situations.
And finally, if you ever find yourself fighting for survival in a post-apocalyptic Mad Max world, you can scavenge or barter for ammo, mags, and parts more easily than you can with most other guns. Or use it to obtain a more powerful weapon, like they make you do in video games.
But yeah, I vote for the 10/22. There are better guns out there, and you will soon find yourself wanting more out of it, but the 10/22 is a great place to start.
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I've always loved the M1 carbine - what a blast to shoot! For .22's, my favorite the past few years is the Marlin 39A lever action. Just a fantastic little rifle - I imagine the Henrys are just as good, if it's a lever gun you're looking for, but I digress...
As @mwlabel stated above, there are "better" guns out of the box. I agree with that. But I think the 10/22's reputation is NOT from the fact that it's great for upgrading, or from personal attachments - rather, I think that the upgrades and popularity are so great, because it's a such a great platform to begin with.
And FWIW, the 10/22 holds it's own in the record books. From Wikipedia, under "exhibition shooting":
John Huffer
In 1987, at the age of 50, John "Chief AJ" Huffer shot 40,060 consecutive 2½ inch square pine blocks over a period of 8 days without a single miss, shooting blocks he himself tossed into the air, for 14 hours a day. Huffer accomplished this using 18 .22 Long Rifle Ruger 10/22 rifles, which he cycled through as assistants loaded them for him.
Obviously, no amount of money spent on the "best" gun or the most upgrades, will enable any of us to match that record. So just like the newest fanciest hockey stick won't make me a better hockey player, the most expensive gun out there (or any of the priciest upgrades) won't make you a better shot. But the 10/22 is perfectly capable in the right hands - you just have to be proficient with it. And to that end, I still say that the 10/22 is a great place to start.
As @mwlabel stated above, there are "better" guns out of the box. I agree with that. But I think the 10/22's reputation is NOT from the fact that it's great for upgrading, or from personal attachments - rather, I think that the upgrades and popularity are so great, because it's a such a great platform to begin with.
And FWIW, the 10/22 holds it's own in the record books. From Wikipedia, under "exhibition shooting":
John Huffer
In 1987, at the age of 50, John "Chief AJ" Huffer shot 40,060 consecutive 2½ inch square pine blocks over a period of 8 days without a single miss, shooting blocks he himself tossed into the air, for 14 hours a day. Huffer accomplished this using 18 .22 Long Rifle Ruger 10/22 rifles, which he cycled through as assistants loaded them for him.
Obviously, no amount of money spent on the "best" gun or the most upgrades, will enable any of us to match that record. So just like the newest fanciest hockey stick won't make me a better hockey player, the most expensive gun out there (or any of the priciest upgrades) won't make you a better shot. But the 10/22 is perfectly capable in the right hands - you just have to be proficient with it. And to that end, I still say that the 10/22 is a great place to start.
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On a side note, M1 carbine chambered in .223 - mini 14 perhaps? The action is essentially a copy of the M1...
I fell into the same "trap." I started with a 12 ga, and "graduated" to a 10/22. Where do you go to shoot trap/skeet around these parts? I try to make it out to Ridge/Calverton monthly.
I haven't been in a long time. But I'm usually at Calverton or Brookhaven (or Ridge). If I want to do strictly skeet and/or trap I'm in Yaphank on Gerard Ave.
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