The Ruger 10/22 is, without a doubt, the most popular rimfire rifle platform on the planet. This gun has been produced to the tune of seven million units. It’s the AR-15 of rimfire rifles. The Ruger 10/22 has likely trained more new shooters than any other platform on the market. It’s a great rifle, and everyone should have one. These guns are super easy to customize, and their popularity has ensured there are tons of Ruger 10/22 accessories available.
You might ask, do I need to upgrade my Ruger 10/22? In reality, you don’t have to. Ruger sends it with decent sights and a reliable magazine so right out of the box, it’s ready to hit the range. Add ammo, and you’re good to go. Why would you upgrade your gun? That’s the golden question.
While the rifle is fine out of the box, it can most certainly be improved like any other platform. The Ruger 10/22 is very easy to accessorize, and its popularity has ensured a great aftermarket to support it. With that in mind, what accessories will allow you to make the most of your rifle? We’ll let’s dig in.
Timney Calvin Elite Ruger 10/22 Trigger
The trigger on the Ruger 10/22 is already fairly lightweight and crisp, but it could be better. If you want to squeeze out the most performance possible, then Timney has a trigger for you. The Timney Calvin Elite Ruger 10/22 is a total trigger package that drops into your rifle and provides you with an instantly awesome option for getting your 10/22 on target.
This drops the weight down to about 1.5 pounds and provides an adjustable trigger shoe to meet your finger right where you want it. The trigger is remarkably smooth and very crisp. On top of that, we get Timney’s extended magazine release which makes it way easier to swap mags when need be. The entire trigger assembly drops right in with ease, and you can do it at home with ease.
Ruger BX 25 Magazines
It’s really amazing that it took us so many years to get a proper extended Ruger 10/22 magazine. Plenty of companies have tried, but they rarely provide long-term reliability. Ruger’s own BX-25 series changed all that. The BX-25 magazines hold an unsurprising 25 rounds of ammunition. These metal-feed lip-equipped magazines are mostly made from polymer and feed with ease.
There are no issues with the rim of the cartridge causing malfunctions. They can get extremely dirty and still function flawlessly. They are dependable, long-lasting, and perfect if 10 rounds just aren’t enough.
Maglula Ruger 10/22 Loader
Metal feed lips are a great thing to have in magazines, but they are poorly suited for your fingers. After lots and lots of loading of those BX-25 magazines, your thumbs might get a little sore. More importantly, if you are teaching new shooters, the last thing you want them to do is worry about their thumbs.
The Maglula Ruger 10/22 loader saves your thumbs and provides you with a quick way to supercharge your loading capabilities. It’s spring-loaded, easy to use, and works well with all your BX-25 magazines and every other magazine in the 10/22 category.
Midwest Industries 10/22 Scope Mount
The Ruger often comes with a scope mount. It’s a simple weaver scope mount that attaches to the top, and it’s fine. However, the market for weaver scope rings isn’t huge. Most red dots and similar topics aren’t necessarily Weaver-compatible. With that in mind, the Midwest Industries 10/22 Scope mount is a very simple way to open up your Ruger 10/22 to the entire optics world. It attaches across the top with ease, and you have an all-metal, in-spec optic rail that makes optically inclined life much easier.
Holosun HS403B Red Dot Sight
You have a rail mount for an optic, so you need an optic, right? Of course, we don’t want to spend a fortune on a rimfire gun because we simply don’t need to. In this day and age of optics, the Holosun 403B offers an affordable red dot that is highly functional and delivers excellent functionality. The Holosun comes with both a low and high mount for practical use and mounts easily on your new Midwest Industries scope mount.
Red dots are perfect for the Ruger. It’s no long-range rifle, so a red dot makes for a very practical and logical choice. The HS403B gives you a precise and crisp 2 MOA dot that lasts up to 50,000 hours on a single CR2032 battery. The little optic packs 10 daylight settings and two night vision settings. It’s very simple but also tough, clear, and practical.
Magpul Hunter or Backpacker Stock
The Ruger 10/22 has been around since 1964, and in that time, Ruger has released a few variants of their gun. This includes your standard rifle, your carbine, and even a takedown model. If you want to replace your stock, then Magpul has you covered, regardless of which variant you have.
The Hunter stock fits all your favorite standard Ruger rifles. It takes the ergonomics of your rifle to a new level. The Hunter stock takes the profile from the SGA stock. It is halfway between a standard stock and a pistol grip design. The stock has plenty of sling points, and you can adjust the length of pull with a series of spacers. Up front, we even have a few M-LOK slots for accessories. It’s all polymer, lightweight, very ergonomic, and even comes in four different colors.
If you have a takedown variant of the Ruger 10/22, then the Hunter isn’t for you. The Magpul X-22 Bakcpacker is more your speed. This allows you to have a lightweight, minimalist stock option that retains the ability to take the rifle apart. The X-22 Backpacker allows you to carry the barrel and action together in one compact package. The X-22 provides an affordable stock option that retains your gun’s ability to be taken down.
Truglo Tac-Pod Pivot Bipod
Finally, the Ruger 10/22 is one of the best tools to train new shooters. With that in mind, one of the best ways to teach new shooters is to eliminate the obstacles that can make shooting difficult. Learning to stabilize a rifle is tricky, so a bipod can be a great addition to your rifle setup. We don’t need anything crazy for the Ruger 10/22, so the Truglo Tac-Pod is a great way to go.
It’s affordable, lightweight, and can attach to either a Picatinny rail or a sling swivel. The Tac-Pod Pivot Bipod is adjustable from nine to 13 inches, and the legs can even be adjusted independently. It’s smooth and easy to use. While the Tac-Pod isn’t the toughest bipod, it’s perfect for the rimfire 10/22.
Throwing Lead
The Ruger 10/22 is a fantastic rifle. I have no idea how long I’ve owned mine. It’s been with me for at least two decades. It’s lightweight, handy, and easy to shoot. To this day, it still brings me joy. The Ruger 10/22 is a ton of fun to shoot, and it’s also a fun gun to accessorize. There are lots and lots of options out there, and hopefully, we’ve made it a little easier for you to make your Ruger 10/22 the gun you want it to be.
