Ruger 10-22 vs American Rimfire

[Carolina Kalash]

I gotta ask why do you shoot the 10/22 over the Remington?

Maybe the same reason I would, just cause it's a good ole American classic.

 

[d2wing]

I have both but my 10/22 is rebarreled and my RAR is a magnum. Both are very accurate and shoot nice. I haven't shot them side by side but they are close. My best .22lr is a CZ452.
In a recent match on one relay I was tied for first in my relay by a guy shooting an older stock SS 10/22. No one else was close and several Marlins were there. Some 10/22's like some other brands shoot really well and some not so well. But the 10/22 is the easiest 22lr to upgrade. That said I like my CZ's and my RAR too.

 

[Wolfman Zack]

Thanks for all the replies, great info from all of you.

Leaning towards the 10-22 at the moment, with the intent of posibly buying a better target .22 down the line if I get real serious about compitition.

Now I just have to decide between the standard and take-down.

 

[Cee Zee]

Maybe the same reason I would, just cause it's a good ole American classic.

And the Remington isn't?

 

[Carolina Kalash]

And the Remington isn't?

It is, but I would say the 10/22 is probably a little more well known

 

[Fiv3r]

You really probably can't go wrong with either. Personally I would go with RAR but that's because I already have a 795 and a Marlin 60, so I'm set on semi auto .22 rifles.
I might pick up an American in .22 someday, but I bet I snag one 1 those new .300blk first.

 

[powwowell]

From MCgunner . . . "Is there an aftermaket solution for the crappy trigger on the Marlin?"

There is a spring kit that is being sold, to improve the trigger pull. The real solution to lighten the trigger pull on a Marlin 60, is the stoning of the sear, change the angle. There is lots of metal there. Stoning the trigger decreases the creep, but I've gotten in trouble there once. More detailed instructions are in a Sticky, on the Malin part of the Rimfire Central forum.

 

[Skylerbone]

Diversified Innovative Products also sells a drop-in trigger to eliminate trigger creep (but not pull weight). Powwowell is correct, a bit of sear touch-up will do wonders for a Marlin and RFC is an amazing resource for those looking at DIY solutions. The gunsmith is the other option, one I have availed myself of many times.

Shot an older Model 60 this weekend, one I inherited from an uncle, which I gifted back to his eldest son. While the trigger in no way compared to my 452's it was reminiscent of my 10/22's factory trigger. Amazing how accurate that thing was after more than a decade if sitting. At 25 yds. with a cheap Bushnell, his 14 shot groups were all touching and he had never shouldered a rifle before.

 

[Cee Zee]

It is, but I would say the 10/22 is probably a little more well known

I'm sure it is but I don't understand how that makes it better to shoot than a more accurate Remington. I don't always shoot my most accurate .22 rifle. I don't want to wear it out or beat it up and it really isn't suited for many of the things I want to do. It's got a scope on it for target shooting and it has a thumbhole stock which is not at all good for hunting squirrels in trees. But having 2 rifles that are nearly identical in form and function and always shooting the one less accurate as was said well that just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. The fact that the rifle is more well known doesn't explain this to me. It's not like the Remington is not well known. If the Remington is clearly more accurate I really don't get always using the Ruger. I don't care what others do. I like Ruger stuff although I'm not big on the 10/22 because of those round mags but to each his own. I was just curious why someone would choose a rifle that didn't shoot as well as another rifle. Saying it's more well known isn't something that makes me understand why. Oh well. Have fun with it. I don't have to understand of course.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

If my only choice was between a RAR and a 10/22, I would have to try the RAR. I have never been impressed with any out of the box 10/22.

 

[JTHunter]

Zack - I have a 10/22 as well as a Marlin 881 bolt-action. The Marlin seems to be very accurate with whatever ammo I feed it. I CAN'T say the same with the 10/22. Maybe it is the inherent differences between a semi-automatic and a bolt-action but the 10/22 just is NOT as accurate, no matter what ammo I use.

 

[MCgunner]

There is a spring kit that is being sold, to improve the trigger pull. The real solution to lighten the trigger pull on a Marlin 60, is the stoning of the sear, change the angle. There is lots of metal there. Stoning the trigger decreases the creep, but I've gotten in trouble there once. More detailed instructions are in a Sticky, on the Malin part of the Rimfire Central forum.

Well, all I did was drop a Volquatsen hammer into my 10/22. I had to keep the stock trigger return spring in it as the Volquartsen supplied one wouldn't let the trigger reset. But, just like with my 597 Remington, the hammer alone made a HUGE improvement.

See, as many Marlins as have been sold, WHY isn't there an aftermarket for 'em? Even the 597 Remington has an aftermarket. I don't get it. Marlins are good guns, just find this a weak point of 'em. I've cleaned a lot of Marlin clocks, though, at club competitions with my 53 year old Remington 512 bolt gun. The trigger is stiff on that one, but crisp. No fix for it, of course. Ain't like I can't shoot it so long as the trigger is crisp.

I just bought a Chiappa M1-22 and it has a stiff, but crisp trigger, does seem to be getting a little lighter with use. I've been shooting it so much, picked up my 10/22 and the thing went off as I was loading the trigger. Ooops, LOL! Man, gave me a new appreciation for Volquartsen. I doubt they'll ever make a sear for the M1-22, but that ain't why I bought the gun in the first place. It's just a way fun plinker.

 

[MCgunner]

Zack - I have a 10/22 as well as a Marlin 881 bolt-action. The Marlin seems to be very accurate with whatever ammo I feed it. I CAN'T say the same with the 10/22. Maybe it is the inherent differences between a semi-automatic and a bolt-action but the 10/22 just is NOT as accurate, no matter what ammo I use.

10/22s are about 1.5" at 50 yards accurate if you take the barrel band off. Mine shot about 2' at 50 with the barrel band on it, replaced the stock with a Hogue overmolded stock. I did the trigger, that's it. It's minute of squirrel.

My 597 and my old 512 will shoot any old bulk ammo into 1.5" at 100 yards on a windless day. With RWS Target, the 512 will produce one ragged hole at 50 yards. I got that gun for my 9th birthday 53 years ago this Sunday. It shoots as good as it ever did and I killed a lot of squirrel with that rifle when I was a kid. In my experience, Remingtons will shoot with about anything of equal intent, plinker vs plinker.

It's all good, though. I don't think I've found the rimfire I couldn't like. That 10/22 is fun, have a scope on it, but thinkin' of putting an aperture on it. My old eyes have hell with those stock open sights. I seem to do okay with an aperture, though.

 

[LS240]

Personally I own two 10/22s and an American Rimfire. I love the 10/22s, and there are certainly far more options for customizing them to your heart's content, but for me, I would choose the RAR without a second thought. I find myself taking it to the range far more than both 10/22s combined. In fact, since I bought it early this year, it hasn't been left behind even once on a range trip.

The RAR has a much better trigger from the factory and is more accurate as well, but really what it comes down to for me is feel and fun factor. The American Rimfire for me is a perfect fit that points naturally, and the irons work so well I feel no need to install a scope on the rifle. Then again I tend to enjoy bolt actions more than semi-autos anyways. It's kind of like the whole manual car vs automatic car thing. Sure the auto is easier and more efficient and fast, but the involvement in the process from changing gears on my own is more than worth it. Using up hard to find .22 at a slower rate is a nice bonus as well. It's easier to clean too.

Long story short, if you want to customize, buy a 10/22. If you want a terrific plinker right out of the box, buy the American Rimfire. And no matter which one you buy, save up some more money and buy the other as well.

 

[Cee Zee]

I think a key thing no one has even mentioned is that there are reasons to own a semi-auto. They don't come up often but it does happen. If you have a pack of feral dogs in your yard trust me you'll want a semi-auto over a bolt action. For most things a bolt action is fine and it's true the trigger is much better on the American. But if I didn't own a semi-auto I'd want one before I got a bolt action. That's just me and it's based on the area I live in. I live in rural America. I'm not talking suburbs either. I'm talking actual rural America where the houses are a quarter of a mile apart in a couple of directions and 2 miles apart in other directions. If I shot straight out my front door or my back door I wouldn't hit another house unless my bullet traveled at least 2 miles. And packs of feral dogs can become a problem in areas like this. It isn't common but when it does come up I want to be ready and yes I've had to deal with that situation before.

For the vast majority of things a bolt action is plenty good. But not all situations. There's also a chance I could have a pack of coyotes in my yard after my pets. Not likely either but possible.

 

[MCgunner]

For the vast majority of things a bolt action is plenty good. But not all situations. There's also a chance I could have a pack of coyotes in my yard after my pets. Not likely either but possible.

They do love to eat chickens. Never got to shoot the sorry beggar, though. Danged dog chased it off before I could get to the back door. I keep a shotgun handy, 20 gauge coach gun with 3 buck in it and 2 slugs and 3 buckshot on the butt cuff. Shot a big sow hog out of my back yard one evening. Took forever to find my .308 ammo. My .308 is a bolt gun, though. But, after that, I set up the shotgun in the bedroom and it's my go to. It's only 50 yards across my back yard to the woods. A slug will stop a hog and buckshot is devastating on song dogs.

 

[Strange Bob]

Very interesting thread, as usual!

I have 2 10/22's and then the short barrel version of the RAR in .22WMR. I carry the RAR out in the field around the house here all the time. I have all the usual critters found in Texas ... hogs, 'yotes, stray dawgs, and the bad snakes. Partly though this is because of my fondness of the .22WMR.

The RAR is very accurate and very light. All that one could want in a carry around/hunter/plinker.

 

[Wolfman Zack]

Good point Cee Zee, the 10-22 with a couple BX-25's would be a much better option for defense than a bolt action.

Not sure that that is a real factor for my needs, but it is an important consideration in some cases.

 

[CajunBass]

I've owned a bunch of 22 rifles over the years but none I have enjoyed as much as I have my 10/22's. They might not be the most accurate rifle in the world, but they're accurate enough for me to hit tin cans, pine cones and squirrels with. That's good enough. They're handy and light. If the trigger bothers you, you can either get it worked for not a lot of money, or you can work them yourself if you're so inclined.

I've owned a half dozen, but only have two now.

 

[MCgunner]

I gotta ask why do you shoot the 10/22 over the Remington?

Because it's fun and it's accurate enough. I like whacking multiple targets without having to take the time to work the bolt. And, it's a handy little rifle. And, yeah, it's an American classic. Mainly, though, I just like it.