By R.K. Campbell | Contributing Editor
When the subject of the Ruger 10/22 comes up it seems everyone in the shop or deacon’s meeting has one.
All shotgunners don’t have an AR and all pistol shooters don’t have a shotgun but it seems everyone has a Ruger 10/22. The humble 10/22 is used for recreation more than any other task but has taken plenty of small game and even defended the homestead on many occasions.
There are other good rifles but I find the Ruger 10/22 among the most reliable .22 Long Rifle firearms ever designed and built. It is a great plinker, trainer, small game and pest gun, and one of most versatile firearms any of us will ever own. It is accurate and fast into action. The ten round magazine supplied with the rifle never gives trouble. The Ruger X magazine in 15, 20 and 25 round versions provides an even greater edge for personal defense and more fun for plinking.
The one drawback of the 10/22 system for defense use is the power of the cartridge and perhaps the cartridge itself as the .22 Long Rifle’s design is dated. The .22 rimfire features a heel based bullet. This is a cartridge with a heel at the base that is pressed into the cartridge case rather than crimped. Occasionally a bullet may twist and turn during the feed cycle tying the gun up. The .22’s rimfire ignition is more prone to misfire than centerfire ammunition. About the longest stretch I have gone without a single feed failure or failure to fire with the .22 Long Rifle is 2,200 cartridges. That is a lot without a misfire, I have also gone through a 500 round brick and experienced a half dozen failures to fire. So while the cartridge is better than ever it isn’t as reliable as a center 9mm or .223 as an example.
The .22 has been used for personal defense because it happened to be on hand. In one case of mistaken identity an innocent man was attacked by three older men. He grabbed his .22 rifle as he ran for the back door. Trapped, he fired a single round each into two assailants. One dropped like a rock, the other ran and made it to the ER quickly enough to save his life. The third man, unwounded, ran to the vehicle and left his friends to their fate- the hospital and jail time.
In two similar instances a young person in the home was surprised by burglars. In each case a pre-teen and a teenager fired a single shot each into two home invaders. All four were dead on the scene.
In my time as a peace officer there were at least three incidents with the .22-caliber handgun as the defensive firearm. I don’t recall a single one-shot stop with any .22 handgun. I recall an incident in which a female defender peppered a fellow who had shot her husband during a break in, severely wounding him, and she also wounded another robber with her Ruger Standard Model .22. Both crooks were able to flee the scene.
The secret is shot placement. While the .22 caliber rifle has greater velocity and penetration than a handgun it is also much easier to shoot accurately. The three points of contact with both arms and the cheek add up to easy accuracy and good handling. The .22-caliber rifle is a reasonable choice for personal defense for those on a strict budget. Quite a few of us own a rifle for small game hunting. It isn’t unreasonable to press this rifle into service for personal defense. After all we will have a great deal of familiarity with the rifle. And that may prove superior to the larger caliber rifle we have hardly fired.
All firearms have tradeoffs in handling, accuracy, and reliability. The 10 22 rifle has virtually no drawbacks save the caliber- and then the rifle wasn’t designed for home defense but small game and target shooting. The 10 22 is a semi-automatic firing a shot with each pull of the trigger. It offers an instant second shot. Ten cartridges provide a lot of shots in a home defense situation but the rifle may also be deployed with a 25-round magazine.
The Ruger 10/22 is light and handy but its 16-inch barrel provides plenty of velocity. Like all long guns kept at home ready loaded for emergency the rifle should never be chamber loaded. Keep the chamber empty over a loaded magazine. It only takes a second to rack the bolt and make the rifle ready. Practice safely unloading the rifle as well. Remove the magazine and work the bolt to unload the rifle. The rifle is semi-automatic, remarkably easy to handle well, reliable, and not very powerful. That not very powerful thing keeps coming up. So- fire as accurately as possible in practice and be prepared to fire multiple shots.
There are dozens of stock sets, optics, and combat lights that may be adapted to the Ruger 10/22. The one option I recommend over all others is a Red Dot sight. The Bushnell mounted on my personal stainless steel take down Ruger isn’t expensive but it has given acceptable service for years. With the Red Dot practice quickly bringing it to eye level and looking through the optic with both eyes open. Speed is excellent. Field of view and hit probability are very good with the Bushnell.
I mentioned magazines earlier. They should be Ruger factory magazines. I have never used a competing brand that was reliable and I have tested quite a few. You should also have a good rifle sling. As a hunting rifle for small game and general field use you must have a sling. Of course I strongly prefer a good AR if I have warning of trouble. My home defense long gun is a shotgun. When hiking or camping I like to have a light, flat Trapper-style lever action handy, usually in .357 Magnum. Just the same, the Ruger 10/22 is a first line of defense in many homes. If the title wasn’t taken by the AR it would be America’s rifle!
How does the .22 Long Rifle perform in person defense? Penetration is most important! I did a few tests of popular loads firing into six-inch-wide water jugs. These are the results.
.22 Long Rifle load testing
Load Velocity Penetration Expansion
Fiocchi 38-gr. HP 1199 fps 16.5 in. .30
CCI Mini Mag 40 gr. 1208 fps 18 in. .32 .
CCI Velocitor 40 gr. 1355 fps 20 in. .35
CCI Stinger 32-grain 1478 fps 13 in. .30
I think the 38 to 40 grain loads would be the best trick! For popping pests, use the Stinger.
