Friday, April 27, 2012

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Ruger 10/22 Takedown

There are few rifles more ubiquitous than the Ruger 10/22.  I've owned a number of them over the years but never held onto them for very long for one reason or another.  They are endlessly customizable which adds to the fun and can lead to impressive accuracy.

The new Ruger 10/22 Takedown intrigued me enough to throw down the credit card and take one home.  So far I'm impressed.  The takedown system is the easiest to use of any I've come across - no tools required.  The lock up is solid and the rifle functions reliably and in my limited testing the zero has held after several dis- and re-assemblies.

I will be installing a peep sight and I will test the repeatability of the zero when the rear and front sights are on different halves.

Ruger 10/22 TD and the Marlin 39 Century Limited




Accuracy is about the same as every other 10/22 I've owned - good, not great.  The trigger is rather heavy and I've only tried the cheap bulk pack ammo through it which is unlikely to produce stellar accuracy, though it has performed reliably through the rifle.

I'm not a big fan of synthetic stocks but the 10/22 TD's stock is better than most I've come across.  It has a nice heft and looks like it would handle rough conditions well.  It also makes sense on a rifle that is likely to be stowed in a vehicle and/or neglected until needed.

The niche I see for this rifle is as a "truck gun."  It's inexpensive, low maintenance, reliable, compact and versatile.  The 22 is a notorious overachiever and when pressed can handle big jobs.  It can easily be customized to suit the user and his needs.  Ammo is inexpensive and easily carried.

I expect this 10/22 is one I'll keep.  Nice going Ruger (again).