Ruger 10/22 rail / scope / ammo question

shawnzie101 · Dec 12, 2012

Hello everyone! I just found out my parents are getting me a 10/22 Ruger® 10/22® Carbine Autoloading Rifle Model 1256 for christmas. They wanted to know what else I'd like with the gun. Obviously the Ruger BX-25 magazines are a must, however, I'm a pistol guy and have very little idea on what to look for in a rail and scope.

Normally I'd do my own research to at least narrow it down to a focused question but I'm currently mid finals week and shouldn't even be typing this up, but my parents would like to order everything before the end of the week.

Anyway, Suggestions for a quality rail and scope? I've read the 10/22 has a max flat trajectory of about 125 yards so I obviously don't need something more powerful than that. I think something that would work well between the 25-100 or 50-125 yard distances would be the most preferable (if scopes even function within those ranges). I'd prefer something quality between the $100 and $250 price point.

Finally, ammo types. What would be the best ammo to get for general plinking that has a decent quality/price trade off and what's the most lethal ammo I could shoot out of this little guy?

Again apologies for asking questions I could answer on my own but time and work constraints leave me in your capable hands! Thanks in advance!

Jleepga · Dec 12, 2012

As far as scopes go, the mueller apv get great reviews. I have a Bushnell on mine that works just fine. For mounts I use the stock mount that comes with the firearm and just added appriate sized rings.

For ammo you can't go wrong with cci mini mag, but I shoot federal bulk through mine without issue.

Enjoy your 10/22 they are a blast.

BigDaddyDMD · Dec 12, 2012

CCI mini mag is great ammo for the 10/22. For the bulk boxes you need to try various ones to find the one your 10/22 likes to eat best. They seem to vary widely. Mine likes the Federal bulk 36g copper hollow point which is nice since it pairs well with the CCI 36 gr copper hollow point. Accuracy is less, but the trajectories are very similiar. I went thru a few scopes and set ups and finally settled on a Nikon prostaff rimfire 3X9 150 BDC. Love that scope. The holdovers are accurate for the CCI ammo and it works very well with the 10/22.

shawnzie101 · Dec 12, 2012

That Nikon seems to have pretty excellent reviews on amazon. Any suggestions for Rails/Rings?

BigDaddyDMD · Dec 12, 2012

I mounted mine in a Leupold STD one piece base and rings, but that is what I had laying around. A bit of overkill for a 10/22, but I never worry about knocking my zero off. Most will mount a 20 MOA rail. Various manufacturers are out there. Someone else may chime in with some personal experience with the rails. If you mount a 20 MOA rail make sure it seats flush. Sometimes there are casting bumps on the top of the receiver that need to be smoothed off to make sure a rail fits appropriately.

mr.revolverguy · Dec 12, 2012

Ammo is going to be critical to accuracy, I just finished an ammo review with 3 different platforms here
50Yards
Day1 22LR Accuracy Test: Ultimate Kidd 10/22 Build – CZ452 Varmint | Day At The Range
100Yards
http://www.dayattherange.com/?p=2554

Hopefully this helps

Otter · Dec 12, 2012

The Ruger 10-22 comes with a rail to mount rings to. If I remember right, they are designed so you can attach Weaver or dovetail style rings to them. Don't bother with a 20MOA rail...those are for long range 600-1000+ yard rifles where you have to compensate for so much bullet drop the scope doesn't have enough elevation to dial it in. I highly suggest Weaver style rings over the dovetail, but avoid Weaver brand rings that hook on one side and have two screws on the other. They cant the scope when you tighten them up. My favorite high quality inexpensive rings are Warne and they will set you back around $30.

As for a scope I like a ballistic plex reticle with a rimfire. The Nikon BDC is a good choice, but I don't like the circles. I favor the hash mark style reticle on the Burris Fullfield II scope. A 3-9x Burris will cost you under $200 and will often be packaged with a low power spotter or 8x binos.

I've never found a factory 10-22 that is really accurate, so I only buy inexpensive bulk ammo for them. My last 10-22 did pretty good with bulk Federal and Remington Golden Bullet ammo. But you really need to try all the brands to find out what your rifle will like. And yes, get some 25 round capacity magazines.