Buying a Ruger .22 LR rifle: Bolt-action or semi-auto?

Chris

Chris

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Recently I've decided to pick-up a .22 LR rifle. The ammo is cheap, the rifles are inexpensive, and I'm thinking I can have a lot of fun without having to always be thinking about how much each of my .44 Magnum or .308 rounds costs.

Anyhow, I think I've narrowed it down to these two:

https://ruger.com/products/1022Carbine/specSheets/31115.html
https://ruger.com/products/americanRimfire/specSheets/8351.html
So one of them is the beloved Ruger 10/22, while the other is a Ruger American Rimfire Standard.

Both pretty identical in terms of specs, with the exception being that one is a semi-auto, and the other is bolt-action.

The rifle will be used almost exclusively for plinking and target practice. I'll probably teach my daughters how to shoot with it as well.

I plan to mount a Vortex Crossfire scope to the rifle also.

Anyways, I guess what it comes down to is semi-auto vs. bolt-action (unless I'm missing something).

I don't own any bolt-action rifles, and it's been a long, long time since I've fired one.

Just curious to hear any input from some of you guys who are way more knowledgeable about guns than I am.
 
I own the 10/22 and my buddy has the bolt action. The bolt action is more accurate out of the box.

A 10/22 is just like a jeep. They make every conceivable part for it and it's really easy to get carried away. I myself did this and now I have a 10/22 with a 8x scope, new barrel, stock, and internals that shoots so accurately its not really as fun as it once was. I solved this issue by buying a marlin 60 and vowing never to touch anything on it. The 10/22 often gets left at home while the marlin comes out to play.

Which leads me to this. If you're going to buy a .22 for fun don't touch the way it comes out of the box. It sounds like you have a .308 for trying to stack some dimes in the middle of a target with.
 
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Alex01 said:
Which leads me to this. If you're going to buy a .22 for fun don't touch the way it comes out of the box. It sounds like you have a .308 for trying to stack some dimes in the middle of a target with.
Click to expand...

Yes, the .22 would be merely for fun, nothing more. All I had intended to do was add a scope and that's it.

I guess I didn't realize there was that much more you could do to them, sounds like a big can of worms (like a Jeep!).
 
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If you will be teaching young children, the bolt action is a pretty good idea. You can't blast through ammo as fast. The thing with 22lr magazines, is they are a PITA to load, especially the longer mags like 25-30 rounds. The factory 10 rounder is a lot easier. With the 10/22, it is very fun to shoot, but obviously it goes through ammo quicker, and you'll be loading it more than shooting it. Magazines aren't all that cheap, but having a number of them would be nice.

But, you know the real answer is: Get both!
 
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I have about 4 10/22's
Semi Auto's sure are fun, you can really put some round through them fast.
But when I send my boys out to shoot (11 and 13 years old) with a rifle they take the bolt action
 
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Part of me things the bolt action will be more of my thing, sort of like how I have a hard-on for single-action revolvers. Something about the noise they make is just very satisfying.
 
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If you really want to have fun sending them down range a .17HMR is a neat little round. Might defeat your purpose of cheap ammo, but neat none the less.
 
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I have a 10/22 and a 1/22 breakdown, I highly recommend them! as for semi auto or bolt? it is all a matter of personal preference!
 
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Chris said:
Recently I've decided to pick-up a .22 LR rifle. The ammo is cheap, the rifles are inexpensive, and I'm thinking I can have a lot of fun without having to always be thinking about how much each of my .44 Magnum or .308 rounds costs.

Anyhow, I think I've narrowed it down to these two:

https://ruger.com/products/1022Carbine/specSheets/31115.html
https://ruger.com/products/americanRimfire/specSheets/8351.html
So one of them is the beloved Ruger 10/22, while the other is a Ruger American Rimfire Standard.

Both pretty identical in terms of specs, with the exception being that one is a semi-auto, and the other is bolt-action.

The rifle will be used almost exclusively for plinking and target practice. I'll probably teach my daughters how to shoot with it as well.

I plan to mount a Vortex Crossfire scope to the rifle also.

Anyways, I guess what it comes down to is semi-auto vs. bolt-action (unless I'm missing something).

I don't own any bolt-action rifles, and it's been a long, long time since I've fired one.

Just curious to hear any input from some of you guys who are way more knowledgeable about guns than I am.
Click to expand...
My boys have the 10/22. Great rifle. Never jams, tack driver. I have an old savage bolt action single shot that I love. I’d get the 10/22 to teach them
 
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22s are my thing. I have had a lot of different rifles and pistols. I believe that many of the accuracy stories you hear about 22s are like the one where people win in Vegas. 22 ammunition can be very finicky. You have to spend the money to get the good stuff. The primer is something explosive dropped into the bottom of the case and then spun into the place. The nature of the process breeds inconsistency. Slight variations in bullet weight, how deeply the bullet is seated, and bullet size make a significant difference too. The good guys spend more than 10 dollars a box, then weigh their bullets to cull the ones out of spec (they shoot the culls in practice). My experience with stock cheap ammunition has been that I can shoot good groups at 25 yards and disappointing groups at 50 yards. I think a bolt action rifle is a good way to go if the kids are going to learn to shoot with it. All the 22 semi-automatics I have had need regular cleaning to maintain accuracy and function. The most accurate 22 semi-auto I have had was a Thompson/Center R55. In my experience the best bolt action 22 for the money has been the CZ 455. My favorite 22 rifle is a Anschutz 1415/1416. It is a very light rifle with a 4 power scope. It is a great squirrel gun.

I know - all of this is answers to questions you didn't ask. Let me see if I can get on subject. I haven't had a Ruger rifle in a long time. The most recent semi-auto factory rifles I looked at were not well made. Especially, some of the bolts were poorly made. There is a reason that the after market for Ruger semi-autos is so big. Ruger sells some stuff that suxs. I haven't seen their new bolt action 22, but Ruger generally does bolt action rifles very well. The old Ruger 77/22 has a very good reputation.

FWIW, I generally do my shopping on Gunbroker or Guns America. You have to be careful where you meet people, and know something about what you are buying. I haven't had a bad experience. I have bought some stuff from online shops. Whittaker Guns is a great place to buy from ( https://www.whittakerguns.com/ ). Your state laws may not allow you the same buying opportunities I have. Good luck with your purchase.

Thompson/Center R55
90082


CZ 455
90083



Anschutz 1415/1416
90084


Squirrel Dog
90085
 
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I hold an FFL. If your using it just to teach your kids I'd say the bolt action for sure. Simple, single shot, safe, easy to teach on. But if it's for you I'd recommend the 10/22 semi. Much more flexible rifle. And if your gonna backpack or carry in your jeep I'd get the break down model.

10/22's are easy to outfit with anything you want. From expensive parts to cheap good quality parts. Like stocks, sling attachments, scope mounts etc. etc.

Either will work for hunting. But the 10/22 does not require the bolt action every time you shoot. So there's that. I'd go with the bolt action. It's probably more accurate and better to teach your kids how to shoot on.
 
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The ruger 1022 was my 1st firearm about 35 years ago. I still have the 1st one. I've used 2 dozen different kind of magazines in it over the years and put many thousands of rounds through it. I find it to be reliable and accurate, great for teaching kids with and while the simplicity of the bolt action is very nice, the 1022 is a little bit more fun for me. I have had both. If you get a few of the factory 10 round magazines, whoever's waiting to shoot next can have one loaded and ready to go. I found the higher capacity magazines more tedious to load and made it too easy to waste ammo.
 
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I've been around guns pretty much my whole life. For teaching your kids to shot...the bolt action is way safer around them and learning to shot and where that muzzle is pointing. Bolt action, you have to load another round in it yourself to shoot. The semi, it's ALWAYS ready to go off again right after pulling the trigger. Not as safe around a child learning to shoot.
I have both...I love my 10-22. The only thing I have done to it is finally putting a scope on it.
My vote is the bolt action for teaching your children. That's what I started out with many years ago.
 
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lowranger said:
I've been around guns pretty much my whole life. For teaching your kids to shot...the bolt action is way safer around them and learning to shot and where that muzzle is pointing. Bolt action, you have to load another round in it yourself to shoot. The semi, it's ALWAYS ready to go off again right after pulling the trigger. Not as safe around a child learning to shoot.
I have both...I love my 10-22. The only thing I have done to it is finally putting a scope on it.
My vote is the bolt action for teaching your children. That's what I started out with many years ago.
Click to expand...

Good point. And for that reason I think the bolt action is the way to go here. I definitely don’t think it’s a good idea for them to be learning to shoot with a semi-auto.
 
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