One more thing as an extension to the ammo question, haha

I don't understand the different velocities. I thought I read that high velocity isn't good for the gun. So what should I use for the basic shoot at the range type stuff?

Does anyone put self defense rounds in these?

 

Just a small piece of advice for you.
It will take some time to find the type of ammo that It Likes and shoots the most accurately.
Try not to stock up with large quantities until you find this out.
This is the Fun part of getting something New.
Practice, Clean, Practice, Clean and so on.
Best of luck with it.

 

Most all semi-auto's , 10/22's included , have their favorite load or two .
Before you go to swapping out parts , shoot it stock mode to get it broken in and shoot as many different brands of amm in it...keeping a record of group sizes, I keep the targets.
My 10/22 likes Federal AutoMatch and CCI Mini-Mag and a couple others.
You will never know what it will like so try as many as you can get .
Once you have your 10/22 broke in and have found ammunition it likes then start you modifications, but do only one thing at a time..sometimes a modification isn't an improvement and you want to know if said mod is good or bad !

Back in the 1970's I had Clark Custom Guns do a trigger job , no DIY drop in kits back then...best modification you can make to a 10/22 is a good trigger !
Gary

 

SerenityIV, The origional 22 LR cartridge had a 40 grain solid bullet and a velocity of 1050~1080 fps from a 24" rifle barrel. This load is now called "Standard Velocity" and is also used with match grade 22 LRs. It normally has a naked solid lead bullet.

Next comes "High Velocity" 22 LR ammo, which is the most common. It can be loaded with bullets as light as 32gr and as heavy as 40gr with velocities from 1200 fps with heavier bullets. up to 1350 fps with lighter bullets (from a 24" rifle barrel). High velocity cartridges normally have a plated or "copper washed" bullets to help prevent bore fouling. High Velocity 22 LRs are available with hollow point bullets or solid bullets.

The fastest are "Hyper Velocity" 22 LRs. These cartridges have lighter bullets, usually about 32 gr or less (hollow points) and produce velocities up to 1600 fps. These cartridges are intended for closed action rifles like a bolt, pump, or lever action rifle or revolvers, but not semi-autos due to much higher bolt thrust. Hyper velocity bullets need to be plated or they will produce bad lead bore fouling.

There are also a variety of other cartridges that can be fired in a 22 rifle or revolver, but not semi-autos due to very low bolt thrust. These include CB caps that are propelled by priming compound … no powder, low velocity. There are also 22 "Shorts" that typically have a 29gr bullet and a velocity of about 1100 fps from a rifle barrel. 22 "Longs" also have a 29 gr bullet but travel at about 1200~1250 fps from a rifle barrel. CCI now makes "Quiet 22s", which use a reduced powder charge at much slower velocities.

A 10/22 with a 18.5" barrel will reduce the above velocities …. but not by a huge amount, maybe 25 fps. Handguns, especially revolvers produce the slowest velocities due to shorter barrels and pressure losses from the barrel/cylinder gap. As an example, a high velocity 22 LR rated at 1200 fps from a rifle, will produce about 850 fps from a revolver with a 4" barrel or about 900 fps from a 4" semi-auto.

Most 10/22s cycle the best with High Velocity ammo …. 36gr hollow points or 40gr solids. Standard velocity ammo may not feed well due to less bolt thrust. Avoid hyper velocity ammo in your 10/22. 22 Shorts, Longs, CB caps and "Quiet" ammo won't cycle the action in a 10/22.

 

Change one or two parts at a time until you have two rifles. Good luck have fun 10/22s are a blast.

 

Well, you won't be buying your 9 mm ammunition at Walmart any longer it that is a factor.

I have a set of Tech sights on one 10/22. The Tech Sights for the 10/22 all use an AR type front sight post that screws into the sight body. The front post included is an A1 style post with 5 detent notches on the flange of the front post, but the diameter and pitch of the threads is the same as for A2 front sight posts (which have four detent notches on the flange), so you can swap out the front post for any A2 front sight post. The post that comes with the Tech Sight front sight is basic black, but you can find A2 front sight posts with fiberoptic inserts pretty easily, and you could use those with the front Tech Sight.

Although I have never used them, a lot of people seem to like the Williams sights for 10/22. The Ace in the Hole set includes a fiberoptic front sight blade with an aperture type rear peep sight mounted at the rear of a Picatinny rail.

https://williamsgunsight.com/product/ruger-1022-with-fiber-optic-front-sight-ace-in-the-hole/

The Tech Sight TSR 100 and 200 rear sights mount in the rear holes tapped on the top of the 10/22 receiver for the accessory rail. If you mount one of them, you will likely have difficulty mounting a scope rail. Tech Sights does sell a TSR 200 RL rail-mounted rear sight that will mount on the central 3/8" dovetail portion of the Ruger accessory rail and can be easily removed. The TSR 200 RL will not mount on a Weaver or Picatinny rail, however, so you would be stuck with the Ruger accessory combo Weaver/dovetail rail or a 3/8" tip off rail if you decided you wanted to mount a scope.

The idea of mounting a scope while still allowing use of iron sights sounds better than it usually works out. The rear sight often gets in the way of the ocular bell of a rifle scope unless very high rings are used. There are see-through rings that theoretically allow you to get a sight picture with your iron sights below the scope. But the scope usually winds up being mounted so high you can't get a decent cheek weld. And if you pad the butt stock to raise the comb height you can no longer get your head low enough to use the iron sights.

Also scope rails that end at the forward end of the receiver, like the Ruger accessory rail, may not allow you to get some scopes mounted far enough forward for proper eye relief if you want to shoot in a prone position.

As for ammo, different rifles seem to like different ammunition and you may need to experiment. But stock Ruger barrels generally seem to do well with various types of CCI 22lr ammunition. CCI Standard Velocity is very popular and I would certainly try it. CCI Mini-mags are higher velocity but also quite popular. CCI Green Tag is a bit more expensive and some have observed slightly better accuracy. I have had good luck with Aguila Super Extra High Velocity although others favor the Aguila Standard Velocity. Another variety that gets a fair bit of lip service is Blazer. There are more expensive types of "match ammo" but unless your barrel has a match chamber (it does not) you may not buy any greater accuracy for your money.

If you buy the loose packed bricks of 22lr ammo you can generally expect not only less accuracy but also at least a few misfires per brick. But for casual plinking such ammo might be "good enough". I have had a little better luck with Federal Auto-Match than I have had with Remington Thunderbolts or Golden Bullets.

Projectiles can theoretically lose stability and accuracy when they pass through the sonic barrier dropping below the speed of sound which is typically around 1125 fps at sea level. 22lr projectiles loose velocity pretty quickly and a projectile like the CCI Mini-mag that leaves the barrel at around 1235 fps will have slowed to below the speed of sound before it goes 50 yards. The idea behind a standard velocity cartridge is that it starts out below the Mach 1 so it never goes through the transition. But I am unsure as to how real this effect is. I know of people who have very good results using CCI Mini-mags at 50 yards and beyond. I have three Ruger 10/22s and they all cycle standard velocity 22lr ammunition fine. Your results might vary but you will surely know by the time you shoot 100 rounds.

The "high velocity" ammunition will not damage your rifle. I would probably avoid the very light "hypervelocity" ammo because there is no reason to use it for your purposes. As for self defense, I would only use a 22lr chambered weapon as a last option, but if I did I would use high velocity round nose ammunition.

The Volquartsen Exact Edge extractor will not hurt your rifle or cause accelerated wear. Many people use them including me. It is the claw of the extractor that grabs the rim of the cartridge case that has a "sharp" edge.

 

Awesome information!! Super helpful and informative. So one guy says high velocity is most common (standard won't cycle well) and last poster says standard is most liked and common. At this point, I want to just ensure I'm using proper velocity. And yeah, likely I'll be getting ammo from gun shops now that Walmart wants to bow out. Thanks for the reassurance on the extractor. I definitely plan to shoot it as is before I change anything so that I have the stock feel. Will definitely cycle through some different brands of ammo, bit I'd rather make sure I'm using the right velocity without damaging anything or getting the best out of the gun.

 

There is only one way to find out if any given ammunition will cycle your 10/22 and that is to try it. Here is what I can tell you from experience.

I participate in Project Appleseed events on a regular basis as a participant and a volunteer. You might want to look into this. Project Applseed holds one day and weekend events in which basic rifle marksmanship in three positon shooting (standing, sitting (or kneeling), and prone) combined with the presentation of some history of the events that led up to and began the Revolutionary War.

Most Project Appleseed events are two day affairs shot at 25 meter range using target silhouettes modeled after the US Army "D" silhouette target but scaled to represent what they would look like at 100, 200, 300, and 400 yards. This allows the use of rimfire rifles and shorter ranges.

Some people bring center fire rifles to these events, but the vast majority of rifles seen are 22lr semi-automatics and of those the Ruger 10/22 is far and away the most popular. I was at an event this weekend where everyone had a 10/22. Second most popular are the tube fed Marlin 60 and the box magazine fed Marlin 795, also semi-automatics. For those shooting semi-auto 22lr rifles, one of the most popular ammunition choices is CCI Standard Velocity and I would say on average that half of the shooters are using this.

I discussed 22lr ammunition with one of the Project Appleseed instructors who teaches at shoots all over in several states. He said that CCI Standard is what he will usually recommend to Ruger 10/22 shooters as a first choice to try, but he has been finding Aguila .22lr 40 gr Super Extra Standard Velocity for around $6 less per brick of 500, so he has been shooting a good bit of that recently. He said the accuracy has been slightly less than for CCI Standard in his 10/22 but the reliability has been just as good.

I also participate in the Rimfire central forum and there is also a project Appleseed forum in which ammunition choices for semi-auto 22lrs is discussed frequently. Once again, CCI Standard Velocity is one of the favored non-match brands.

That is not to say that it is not possible that CCI Standard Velocity won't cycle your 10/22 but it is pretty good evidence it works fine in many of them, including all three of mine as I said earlier.

There are also options for changing the recoil spring in your rifle to a different strength spring if you are having trouble cycling the ammunition you wish to use.

Buy a few 50 round boxes of several different varieties. I would suggest starting out with CCI 40 grain Mini-mag high velocity, CCI 40 grain Standard Velocity, Aguila Super Extra 40 grain high velocity, Aguila Super Extra 40 grain standard velocity, and if you can find it some Blazer 40 grain, which is also slightly supersonic. Try them all to test reliability in your rifle and see which one it likes best.

As for damaging your rifle here is a paragraph taken directly from the Ruger 10/22 owner's manual:

"The RUGER®10/22®CARBINE and10/22®Rifles are chambered for,and designed to properly function with, only the 22 caliber Long Rifle rimfirecartridge, standard, high velocity, or hyper-velocity, manufactured to U.S.industry standards."

They do put in a cautionary note about not using CCI Stinger ammunition in the 10/22 target or tactical models, the barrels of which have somewhat tighter chambers. CCI Stingers are lightweight (32 grain) hypervelocity 22lr cartridges and the cases are slightly longer than other 22lr ammunition and could stick in those chambers resulting in a portion of the case unsupported by the chamber and a case rupture upon ignition. But I do agree that hypervelocity ammunition will generate more blowback stress on your action and could lead to greater wear on your receiver over time. A few rounds now and again would probably not be a big deal (I do know individuals who have shot CCI Stingers with Ruger 10/22 carbines) but there is really no advantage to that type of ammunition for the type of shooting you describe. You should be fine with any "high velocity" or "standard velocity" 22 long rifle ammunition that works reliably in your rifle.

 

If you want to travel down the rabbit hole, join the Rimfire Central forum. The have a major section devoted entirely to the 10/22. Don't say that I didn't warn you, though! For a lot of people, 10/22s multiply as fast as AR-15s do.

https://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/index.php

 

SerenityIV, Just a few points …. I didn't say your 10/22 wouldn't cycle with Standard velocity ammo …. I said it might not. This is especially true with new 10/22s. After a brick or so has been fired, the recoil spring will weaken slightly and allow Standard velocity ammo to work just fine. Standard velocity ammo produces about 85% as much bolt thrust as High velocity, which may be just enough difference to prevent the gun from cycling when new.

From pblanc's post above:

Projectiles can theoretically lose stability and accuracy when they pass through the sonic barrier dropping below the speed of sound which is typically around 1125 fps at sea level. 22lr projectiles loose velocity pretty quickly and a projectile like the CCI Mini-mag that leaves the barrel at around 1235 fps will have slowed to below the speed of sound before it goes 50 yards. The idea behind a standard velocity cartridge is that it starts out below the Mach 1 so it never goes through the transition.

I cringe when I read Internet rumors like this because it makes you think High Velocity ammo is not accurate. Here's some facts: a CCI Mini-Mag 22 LR High Velocity cartridge with a 36gr hollow point bullet is rated at 1260 fps from a 18.5" barrel. It goes through sonic transition at 32 yards +or- a few yards depending on altitude. I think we all know some 22 LR rifles like my CZ 452 can print sub inch groups at 100 yards with this same High Velocity ammo so that should tell you something about the effects of sonic transition. The primary reason why Standard velocity ammo may be more accurate is because they typically have better quality bullets and more uniform powder and primer compound. In other words, Standard Velocity ammo will chronograph with a tighter max velocity spread than high velocity ammo. I'm not saying sonic transition has no affect but I am saying it would take a very expensive match grade rifle to detect any minute change in group size between the two. A 10/22 is just not accurate enough to see a difference. As noted by other posters, different brands of ammo will have different results so try several brands and go with the one that functions the best and produces the best accuracy. I would start with CCI Mini-Mags then try some CCI Standard Velocity.

Most factory 10/22s shoot pretty decent out to 50~60 yards …. usually 2" groups or better, which is great for plinking beer cans. However after 60 yards, groups tend to spread out so at 100 yards, 6" groups would be considered good for a 10/22. Why? In a word …. barrel. Factory 10/22 barrels are not known for precision bores and rifling plus chambers are intentionally loose so ammo will feed better. Also, headspace is always generous to prevent slam fires and the thin barrels are subject to barrel harmonics. These attributes add up and do make a notable difference. A match grade .920" bull barrel with a Bentz chamber with reduced headspace is about the only way to get match grade accuracy out of a 10/22. Sights or scopes may help you squeeze out as much accuracy as possible but they can't make the gun more accurate than it is physically capable of.

After you get 10 posts or more, you can access the Forum E-Library where I posted an article titled "22 Long Rifle Ammo and Accuracy". Here's a link: https://rugerforum.net/e-library/106039-22-long-rifle-ammo-accuracy.html

 

I cannot thank you all enough for the excellent responses! I'm learning a TON, which is half the fun for me. I will try several out and stick to low and high velocities as directed. Lowegan, I will definitely read that article! After spending an insane amount of time learning about my handguns, I'm excited to head on into rifles. Thank you all for being respectful and helpful to this rookie rifle shooter.

 

SerenityIV , After reading my above post, it make it sound like 10/22s are no good. Fact is they are very fun guns and have a ton of aftermarket parts to choose from …. the "Burger King" concept of "have it your way".

I currently own 4 - 10/22s. My first one was made in 1974 and is still pretty much box stock (improved trigger pull). It has a walnut stock, metal butt plate, barrel band, and trigger group. I have shot the snot out of this gun …. many bricks of various 22 LR HV ammo. It is not a target rifle and was never intended to be …. but it is fun and my grandson thinks so too.

My second 10/22 started out as a conventional carbine that I bought used at a gun show. I decided to turn it into a precision target rifle. I installed a .920" Green Mountain barrel (Bentz chamber) then adjusted headspace for a safe minimum. Trigger pull is a very crisp 2.5 lbs, the stock is a Fajen bench rest target model made out of polymer. I installed a 3~10X scope with a side dial for parallax adjustment. This gun is a real tack driver with Wolf Target Match ammo but it is very heavy (about 12 lbs) so it only gets used from a bench rest.

My third 10/22 is a box stock stainless model with a walnut Manlicher stock. It's not very accurate but it sure does look nice,

My fourth 10/22 is a TD model with a 4X32 scope. Nothing remarkable about it but like my other 10/22s, it's fun to shoot.

 

A question you asked that wasn't addressed in the above hail of info about ammunition; will the Volquartsen extractor damage your rifle? No it won't. The "sharp edge" they claim is the "beak" that grabs the case rim more securely than the factory extractor and provides more reliable cycling. It does not touch any other part of the rifle and won't hurt anything.

BTW, the "auto release", available from Volquartsen and several other suppliers, is a huge convenience. Well worth its low cost.

 

I don't really buy the Mach 1 transition theory either, but you will hear it repeated over and over again, so you might as well hear it now.

I do know a fair number of Appleseed shooters using Ruger 10/22s who used to shoot CCI Mini-mags exclusively who have now gone to CCI standard velocity because it is somewhat cheaper, has proved just as reliable in their rifles, and is just as accurate, if not more accurate than the Minis.

Here is a test of many different types of 22LR ammunition. Understand, this was not done with a semi-automatic Ruger 10/22 with a stock barrel. The rifle used was a high dollar bolt action Swiss Bleiker with a two-stage trigger and a barrel tuner. So the tests are more an indication of the potential accuracy of the ammunition itself, at least in that particular rifle. But the results are interesting:

https://www.accurateshooter.com/guns-of-week/22lr-rimfire-ammo-comparison-test/

In that particular rifle with that particular barrel, CCI Standard Velocity did somewhat better than CCI Mini-mags at 50, 75, and 100 yards, and actually beat out some pretty high zoot ammo types. CCI Standard produced 5 shot groups that averaged sub-MOA at 100 yards, a pretty impressive performance for any 22LR ammunition.

 

Here is a video that you can watch that might demonstrate a few points. The shooter is using a stock, scoped Ruger 10/22 target model with the heavy target barrel, not the taper carbine barrel. He shoots with bag support off the bench at 50 and 100 yards testing different types of CCI 22LR ammo. Obviously, the results with a different Ruger 10/22 could have been much different. Nonetheless, there are a few interesting results.

The ammo types tested at 50 yards were CCI Select 40 grain, CCI Mini-mags 36 grain, CCI standard velocity 40 grain, CCI Stingers 32 grain hypervelocity. I guess he didn't read his user manual to find out that Stingers were not recommended to be used in the 10/22 Target. Nonetheless, he did not blow up his rifle.

Here are the interesting points:

The lowest velocity CCI subsonic did not cycle his bolt reliably. He had several stovepipes in the 20 rounds fired. Not too surprising.

The CCI Standard Velocity cycled his rifle fine in the 20 shots fired in this video and the 20 shots fires in his other video testing CCI ammo types at 100 yards. No surprise to me.

The video also nicely demonstrates the marked shift in POI with the same scope zero as he went from standard velocity ammo to the hypervelocity 32 grain Stingers. Again, no surprise but the shift in POI is pretty dramatic.

The accuracy of the CCI Mini-mags was terrible in his rifle, disgustingly bad, the worst of the bunch. This is rather surprising since CCI Mini-mags have traditionally been pretty well thought of by Ruger 10/22 shooters. The results were also terrible in his 100 meter test of the same ammo.

Of all of the types tested, the CCI Standard Velocity 40 grain gave the best accuracy results both at 50 yards, and in his second video testing accuracy at 100 yards. The CCI Standard did better than both the CCI Select 40 grain and the CCI Green Tag 40 grain (in the second video) both of which are more expensive than CCI SV.

Again, a good demonstration of how an ammunition that might work great in your friend's rifle might be absolutely terrible in yours.

 

pblanc, Thanks for the link, it was interesting and fully supports my concepts about sonic transition. Many people think just because a bullet goes through sonic transition, it will go totally out of control when indeed it makes very little difference, if at all. A few comments …. as we all know, some ammo is more accurate than other brands/types in a specific gun, which is also pointed out in the reference. Even in the same brand and model rifle, one gun might prefer brand/type X over brand/type Y. As such, it's not surprising that some guns shoot CCI Standard velocity better than CCI High Velocity. As I noted above, Standard Velocity 22 LRs tends to chronograph with tighter velocity spreads than High Velocity, which can definitely affect accuracy. Another factor is barrel harmonics, the trend is …. higher velocity means more rigorous harmonics, thus less accuracy. A rifle with better harmonic dampening could easily reverse the results.

If you look at the 100 yard test results in your reference, CCI Standard velocity printed at .939" and CCI Mini-Mags printed at 1.1". That a whopping .161" difference (less than 1 bullet diameter). Even if all that difference came from sonic transition, it sure isn't as bad as most people make it sound. Further, a different gun could easily change the order and group size for all the ammo tested.

If you read my article on 22 LR Ammo and Accuracy, you will see I tested several different brands of ammo …. not nearly as many as in your reference but I used several different rifles, revolvers and pistols. My conclusions definitely supports the concept of accuracy may favor different ammo in different guns. In my own tests, my most accurate / least fussy rifle was a CZ 452E2 bolt gun … it shot everything well but preferred Wolf. It will shoot inch groups all day long at 100 yards … providing there is no wind. My least accurate rifle was my 10/22 Carbine with all brands of ammo. If I conducted the same tests today with current lots of ammo, I can assure you my results would be different.

Serious 22 LR competition shooters spend a bunch of money on ammo. It is quite common for them to buy different lots of the same brand then test each lot to find the best accuracy. This "cherry picking" concept can make the difference in winning or losing a match when groups are measured with a micrometer. Taking a lesson from "cherry picking", obviously some lots of ammo may be more accurate than others in the same gun, which is why the test results in your reference article is not very realistic for different guns, different brands/types of ammo, and different lots of the same ammo. In other words, there are just too many variables to draw a conclusion, especially between just the super sonic / sub-sonic issue. If you look at the lists of ammo/groups size, you will see some High Velocity ammo out performed some Standard velocity ammo.

It looks like I don't care for CCI Standard Velocity ammo but that is not true. If it performed better in my gun, I would certainly recommend it. A few other "missing links" are …. wind has a more dramatic affect on slower velocity bullets because they take more time to reach the target … more time, more variance. Also, standard velocity bullets will drop considerably more at longer distances for the same reason …. more time to target, more effect from gravity. Generally I prefer High Velocity ammo in rifles for these reasons and might have to deal with a slight loss of accuracy. I really like a good accurate rifle but I'm no precision competitor where a fraction of an inch difference in group size is going to cause me to lose sleep.

After I posted, I see you changed references????

 

The video that I referenced in the post preceding yours shows an example of one Ruger 10/22, a stock target model with a heavy target barrel, demonstrated dramatically worse accuracy with CCI 36 grain Mini-mags than with CCI 40 gr SV.

An unusual case, perhaps resulting from a bad lot of CCI Mini-mags?, although CCI quality control has generally been relatively decent. But in that test of many different varieties of CCI 22 LR shot by one shooter, one rifle, off the bench at 50 and 100 yards, the CCI SV gave the best results, a little better than both CCI 40 grain Select and 40 grain Green Tag which are more expensive. In his rifle, the Mini-mags happened to give far and away the worst accuracy results.

A fluke, perhaps. Or a dramatic demonstration of how a given ammo might perform very well in one rifle, and poorly in another very similar rifle. No, I am not attributing the difference in accuracy to sonic transition.

 

pblanc, I think the thing everyone should take home out of this is …. group size only counts when shooting your own rifle, never mind how someone's gun shoots with different brands, types, and lots of ammo.

 

Congratulations have fun with the rifle and don’t over think it. Great advice on not changing too many things at once. The is no factory default settings button like there is on a TV.

Iowegan as always hit the nail on the head, in the end it is what feels right and works best for you.

 

As a relatively new member (back for the first time in some years), I just found this thread today from the forum's weekly round up email newsletter. (Wow; that's a stellar feature!) Haven't read it all yet -- didn't get to it until after dinner -- but will read and follow. From what I've read so far, there's some great advice here for new owners.

I'm soon going to buy my first 10/22 also. Color me excited. Will start a thread about the project, I think even before I get it (still at least a couple of weeks off) to discuss what I think I want to do in upgrades (for me, mostly stock and sights for now).

So, I'll read here with interest.

 

I got a 10/22 Target earlier this year. Lots of shooting fun. I did mount a scope as the Target does not come with sights. All of my shooting has been on an indoor range of about 30 yards. It's way too hot in the summer here for outdoor shooting when the alternate is an a/c indoor facility.

I experimented with ammo the last two sessions at the range. I narrowed down the better performers and last session I shot just Federal match and CCI mini mag.

Given my ability, the Federal match had consistently tighter groups than the CCI. Federal is a bit less costly and readily available in bulk packs. I have a couple of speed loaders and I find the bulk pack easier to use.

Hoping to get to outdoor range soon. Anxious to see how this rifle will do at longer distance.

 

You just don't know until you try.

There are a couple of youtube videos from a fellow who calls himself TheGoatMumbler who tried shooting a bunch of different types of 22LR with his Ruger 10/22 with KIDD 16.5" lightweight fluted barrel.

At both 50 and 100 yards, Federal Auto-Match had the tightest groups beating CCI Green Tag, CCI Tactical, CCI Mini-mag, CCI Standard Velocity, Norma Match, SK Match, and Federal Gold Medal.

But that is not the common result. Keep in mind that Federal Auto Match may yield good groups at 30 yards, but open up considerably at longer distances.

Federal Auto Match works fair-to-middling in my 10/22s. One rifle stovepipes with it with some regularity. I expect about 1-2% misfires with it, regardless of rifle, although often a misfired round will ignite if reinserted in the magazine and and the rifle is allowed another whack at the primer. The worst thing about it for me is a significantly higher percentage of "fliers". Eight or nine rounds out of a 10 round group will be pretty tight, and one or two will be way out in left or right field, which is discouraging when target shooting.

 

good thread here! part of the fun of shooting my Rugers (10/22, Chargers, and rimfire wheelguns) is trying out different brands and types of ammo... some of ammo i have on hand (not counting .22WMR):

Aguila Colibri
Aguila Super Extra LRN
CCI .22Short CB
CCI .22LR Quiet
CCI SV LRN
CCI Mini-mag HP and RN
CCI Velocitors
CCI Stingers
Fiocchi CPSV (HVCRN)
Remington Subsonic HP
Remingont Golden HP
Winchester M-22

i have had some really enjoyable range sessions with my Rugers and learn something new every time i go to my indoor or outdoor range

i use red dots, scopes, and iron sights... lately i've been challenging myself with a new Shopkeeper, which slows down the entire process of loading, shooting, and unloading - quite restful but also exciting when some accuracy is achieved!

willie
on the Gulf of Mexico

 

Never have understood why anyone would spend 12 bucks on an extractor before you break one. I have numerous (double digits) 10-22's and have broken exactly 0 extractors. This after firing literally 10's of 1000's of rounds. I did buy an extra years ago but have never needed it. So if you think you need one, spend the money so you will have a spare. I believe Ruger has built over 4 million 10-22's and I have heard very little about everyone breaking the extractors. If/when you have a minor issue with it extracting a spent round, it is usually nothing that you can't fix yourself in 5 minutes with a small, fine file.

 

what i like about the 10/22 extractor is that it is a match for the MK-series pistols too (and vice versa) - very nice to have a spare part that can do double duty!

willie
on the Gulf of Mexico

 

ajgunner, Factory extractors very rarely break, however because they are a "stamped part", it is not unusual to get a new gun that doesn't want to cycle properly or an older gun where the sharp claw has worn. Stovepipes are a clue the extractor isn't doing its job. In semi-autos, extractors only "extract" when the bolt is manually operated. When the gun is fired, chamber pressure will thrust the spent case back and push the bolt back with it. The extractor's job is to hold the case rim tight against the bolt face until the case head contacts the ejector and flings the spent case out of the receiver. If the extractor lets go too soon, the spent case will literally fall out and might remain in the receiver. When the bolt moves forward, it will pick up a fresh cartridge and try to chamber it but the spent case gets in the way and results in a stovepipe.

I don't know what the statistics are (failures per 1000) but I used to keep a dozen 10/22 / MK Series extractors in stock (same exact part) in my shop and always had to order another dozen each month. Most of the replacements went into new or near new guns. I highly recommend either Power Custom or Volquartsen aftermarket extractors if your 10/22 or MK series pistols has stovepipes. Sometimes defective extractors can also cause feeding problems. You may have noticed …. none of these issues involve broken extractors.

 

Here's an excerpt from above with addition from me of bold font and an emoticon.

I don't know what the statistics are (failures per 1000) but I used to keep a dozen 10/22 / MK Series extractors in stock (same exact part) in my shop and always had to order another dozen each month. [ ] Most of the replacements went into new or near new guns. I highly recommend either Power Custom or Volquartsen aftermarket extractors if your 10/22 or MK series pistols has stovepipes. Sometimes defective extractors can also cause feeding problems. You may have noticed …. none of these issues involve broken extractors.

As a soon-to-be new 10/22 owner, I can see it's going to cost a few more $ than I'd planned (rifle, stock, sights, now extractor).

Learning lots here. Thanks, all. :thumbsup: