Ruger 10/22 for SHTF rifle?

im in the process of collecting a few firearms for myself and my fiance. we just want to be ready when SHTF, not if but WHEN. however i am kind of screwed with my options because i reside in commie-fornia.

anyway, i already own a Winchester 1200 12 ga chambered in 2 3/4" and 3", smoothbore 18" barrel. great home security weapon and slugs serve plenty of knockdown power... PLENTY. that being said, i would like to get something a little more wallet friendly but still capable of incapacitating a man sized critter ICOE.

choices - .223 savage edge a little pricey for my wallet right now, but a very fast and lethal round, ammo is afirly priced, but can be cumbersome along with 12ga ammo (especially when walking/hiking long distances).

.308 savage edge - ammo is expensive and heavy, lots of knockdown power but if i shot a squirrel out of hunger there would only be a little meat left, just a little.

ruger 10/22 - auto loading .22lr, semi-effective against man sized critters, upgrades are almost limitless - 100rd. drum mags, pistol grips, folding stocks, muzzle flash suppressors, you name it they make it for the 10/22. ammo is dirt cheap, and it wouldnt tear a squirrel into 73 pieces, i can also legally upgrade as much as i want.

so for an all around bug out RIFLE what would you guys get? being you already had a larger sized rifle/shotgun.

reply to post by WJjeeper


I currently own a Mossberg 500 Persuader 12ga. and i too am looking into a good SHTF rifle. after doing a fair bit of research im coming to basically the same conclusion as you; Ruger 10/22 with some crazy upgrades. it might not have great stopping power but with a decent sized mag you can lay down some serious hurt relatively fast. .22 is also very inexpensive when it comes to ammo. i can get 1000 rounds at basspro for ~$40 and im sure thats not the best deal out there. ive also seen a conversion kit that takes 2 ruger 10/22's and makes them into a mini gatling gun for the lulz.

A bolt 22 would be more versatile in that you'd be able to use subsonics. Plus with a bolt there is less that could go wrong.

A lever as well for that matter.

The 22 is a great little round. It'll put food on the table for you and with the subsonics it won't draw any unwanted attention. Use them all the time to get squirrels from the yard in densely populated areas. Quieter than a BB gun.

Also keep in mind unless you're really small that 10/22 is going to need a new adult sized stock. I don't think I've ever seen an off the shelf 10/22 in an adult size. Doesn't mean they don't exist though.

I have one I've accurized pretty well into a nice silhouette gun. Still I'd grab any one of my old bolt 22's for hunting or SHTF type scenario if I grabbed a 22 at all.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

reply to post by WJjeeper


Well .223 is probably the best round to be carrying for several reasons, its small yet very lethal and effective, light weight for a more practical carry weight, also its one of the more commonly used NATO/police/swat rounds as well as civilian rounds all together and applicable on a multitude of different rifles...commonly used round for hunting antelope/deer as well...

shotgun rounds can be pretty cumbersome in and of themselves as they are just simply larger. Shotgun and rounds wouldn't necessarily be something to be toting around hiking or traversing terrain as much as at-site protection or hunting purposes...

for price you can get a pretty decent AR-15 for around $800+

If you are honestly looking to survive an urban SHTF scenario you will probably want nothing less then semi-auto rifles. A shotgun would be nice for many situations but you might find yourself running out of ammo pretty damn quick...

Personally, I have a Beretta 45 pistol
Remington 12 gauge

I want to get either an ACR or an AR15 and I should be set

Originally posted by WJjeeper
im in the process of collecting a few firearms for myself and my fiance. we just want to be ready when SHTF, not if but WHEN. however i am kind of screwed with my options because i reside in commie-fornia.

anyway, i already own a Winchester 1200 12 ga chambered in 2 3/4" and 3", smoothbore 18" barrel. great home security weapon and slugs serve plenty of knockdown power... PLENTY. that being said, i would like to get something a little more wallet friendly but still capable of incapacitating a man sized critter ICOE.

choices - .223 savage edge a little pricey for my wallet right now, but a very fast and lethal round, ammo is afirly priced, but can be cumbersome along with 12ga ammo (especially when walking/hiking long distances).

.308 savage edge - ammo is expensive and heavy, lots of knockdown power but if i shot a squirrel out of hunger there would only be a little meat left, just a little.

ruger 10/22 - auto loading .22lr, semi-effective against man sized critters, upgrades are almost limitless - 100rd. drum mags, pistol grips, folding stocks, muzzle flash suppressors, you name it they make it for the 10/22. ammo is dirt cheap, and it wouldnt tear a squirrel into 73 pieces, i can also legally upgrade as much as i want.

so for an all around bug out RIFLE what would you guys get? being you already had a larger sized rifle/shotgun.

The 10/22 is an excellent choice to put food on the table, and both inexpensive and accurate. It's also dependable.

As others have said, .22 is cheap and readily available almost anywhere if you had to scrounge for ammo. It's light, so if you have to bug out you can carry a couple of thousand rounds pretty easily. It's not as "sexy" as bigger bore ammo, so there should be more of it around in stores than any other caliber.

If you have to abandon your position or bugout location for some reason, you'll probably be most interested in evading other armed groups, and not going into a fire fight, so I wouldn't worry about the small caliber. And even a .22 can kill a man, especially when fired from a rifle.

You might keep one mag with ordinary .22 for shooting game, and another with higher-powered rounds just in case.

Like I said though, in my opinion if you have run you'll be wanting to avoid any conflicts with other groups; just living through such a serious situation that requires you to go to survival mode is going to take all you've got, without having to shoot it out with someone else. The 10/22 should serve you well.

reply to post by theUndecided


There are a wide range of 22lr rounds available that can accommodate just about any hunting situation in a survival scenario. Although the knock down power in the 22lr isn't that great it still penetrates rather well with the right rounds. For general small game I use the federal standard value pack full metal jacketed hollow point. I have used the CCI velocitor for varmint hunting, and it performed really well. You can also use subsonic ammo which eliminates the sonic crack of the round breaking the sound barrier too for quieter hunting at closer ranges.

If the 22 is all you can afford it is definitely better than having nothing at all, but down the road I would look into something with a little more stopping power. The current bang for your buck stopping power/defense gun is the WASR 10 63 AK. You can pick one up for around $400 and they come with 2 30rd mags and is just as versatile as the other AK47 copies. I have had no issues with mine. The AK47 isn't my favorite weapon of choice, but as far as a fail proof firearm that would be your best bet for low cost ammunition and little to no maintenance.

Originally posted by Sly1one
reply to post by WJjeeper

 

you can get a pretty decent AR-15 for around $800+

that price and the fact that decent .223 ammo is about $15 for 20 rounds is why we were talking about 10/22's but yes in a survival situation a .223 anything is probably your best bet because you will most likely be looting the ammo and not paying for it. if your looking at spending alot of money a SIG 556 would do nicely in most any situation

reply to post by WJjeeper


Damn..I had a nice little 22 Ruger till our cruddy Government took all our guns..
I don't know much about guns as they have been banned since I was pretty young but mine had a rotary type mag..

reply to post by WJjeeper


If I were in your state and looking for a good "all-around" rifle...I'd opt for a Lever action in 357 or 44mag. The choices in ammo are plentiful though it may be a tad high priced. With a lever action you have no box magazine issues, you can reload easily, can take most game with the right ammo and makes an excellent defensive arm. One of the draw-backs is that they are more difficult to cycle in the prone position (you loose your point of aim when operating the lever). In today's "tacti-cool" environment, the time tested lever gun is overlooked but just as practical if not more-so if limited in firearms choices.

reply to post by backinblack


i fear we might be coming close to this but like most Americans will tell you... when they come for my guns, they'll take my bullets first.

Get a Springfield .308 Scout Squad. It's Pelosi approved.
However, I'm not sure about this modification.


shortrifles.com...
This is a BullDog 308 by Short Rifle Stock Systems, out of California.

A 10/22 is an excellent choice for a "shtf weapon."

I love the 10/22. My main one is a stainless with a grey and black laminated stock. I have NEVER cleaned it, but it works without fail. They are accurate, virtually indestructible, simple to operate, easy to clean and to get parts for - factory and aftermarket. You can put cheap optics on them, use some aftermarket peep sights, red dot sights, or upgrade and stick some high-dollar Leupold glass on them. Or just use the factory flip-down leaf sight. Either way, they are damn accurate.

Magazines are cheap and plentiful.

Other benefits: They are cheap, lightweight, and chambered for the .22 LR cartridge. Folks, the .22 LR is a magnificent invention. You can buy 550 rounds at wal-mart for about 20 bucks. A .50 cal belted ammo can will securely hold 5000 rounds, if they are bricked.

Folks will argue all day an night about this, but you can use .22 bb caps, cb caps, shorts, longs and long rifles in a 10/22. It works...you just have to finger feed them and manually cycle the bolt. Your .22 cb caps are as quiet (if not quieter than) a suppressed .22 LR, and they hit hard enough to kill a man at 25 - 30 yards.

Another benefit of the 10/22 concept in an emergency situation: you can very easily make large groups of "zombies" go in the opposite direction. A .22 LR solid hits HARD. A couple into the torso is an extremely effective fight/riot/looting party stopper. Load up come Remington Yellow Jackets or CCI Stingers, and you have a very effective assault weapon.

If you have the range, go shoot steel gongs at 200 or 300 yards with a 10/22. You can dope the elevation very easily with even a cheap scope, and consistently ring a 20 x 12 steel plate at those distances with noteworthy authority. Also, you don't have to pull the rifle down out of recoil to see where the bullets strike...you just walk them onto where you want them to go.

I've killed lots of big south Georgia whitetail deer during night culls with a 10/22 with Rem Yellow Jackets. You shoot them in the eye sockets or low in the chest, they either drop like they have had their legs cut out from under them or they run a little bit, drop and die.

Another benefit is that you can get the lighter bolt and spring, with the .17 caliber barrel from midwayusa.com and shoot the tiny little .17 hornady cartridge. It could give you more velocity and longer range in the same rifle without much labor.

Good luck, be careful and have fun.

Very nice rifle, as i have 1.. for SHTF weapon... not enough stopping power... you must consider where your'e at, or where you could be? city? woods? high terrain?.. good enough for small game.. not good for larger game.. what if you get attacked by a bear or mountain lion or gator or any aggresive large animal wherver you may be...pretty sure a .22 wont remove the situation.. or even other peoples attacking you and your loved ones.. i would recommend a .223 , way more power, enough to put down deer (if theres a need) a bear? prolly if you pump 5/6 to its cranium, ... accessorize with a M-79 launcher,hunting scope, a red dot scope, bi-pod, light/laser. i chose a ruger mini 14... over any of the ar 15s ... not banging on AR's, they're awesome, but in my exp., minis are better for a few reasons... and there you go.. a hunting/sniper/assult rifle all in 1...

For a truly practical shtf firearm the 10/22 is a very good choice. First off,we have to be realistic and try to remove the fantasy bullcrap. Chances are you'll never need it for a SHTF situation but it is a great little rifle to have around for general practice and plinking. Should things ever get really bad, you'll have confidence in your firearm and your abilities with it because of all the cheap practice you got. There is nothing else close when it comes to cheap plinking and you can never have to much practice.
Many others have mentioned how many options you have with ammo as well as aftermarket parts for this rifle. The 10/22 is a very reliable and practical gun right out of the box. You don't need to change the stock,trigger,barrel or sights to be ready to go. However,if you have a few extra bucks you could add a scope(get a solid mount and rings!) which will help you to be more accurate at longer ranges.
As far as self defence goes, you already got some good info. At close range your shotgun is far superior and will likley be your go-to gun. Like someone else said though, in a truly dire SHTF situation, avoiding conflicts/gunfights at all costs is crucial. Even if your better armed and better prepared, one lucky or stray round will spell the end for you. Even if you take a .22 or .25 round in the leg or arm,how will you get effective treatment? Observe animals in the wild; they are the true survival experts and you'll notice they avoid real fighting as much as possible. They'll threaten and posture and bluff as much as they can but will rarely get into a real honest fight. Why is that? They understand that even a relatively slight injury can be a death sentence. Preparing to be ready for the gunfight at the OK corral is foolish and ill-advised. Preparing to evade and survive is a much better idea,and for that the 10/22 is superb. For hunting it is great,as you will be shooting far more small game than big game. Even then, deer size critters will fall to the .22 with proper shot placement,as was previously stated. If you do need to defend yourself, nobody wants to be shot,even with a .22. If people are surviving,the won't think that a .22 wound is no big deal. Most times,just having a firearm visible is a huge deterent to most people. The likelyhood of having to do any sniping or that sort of thing is remote. As someone else already said, youcan easily hit someone at 200yds with a .22. It likely won't drop them,but it will ruin their whole day!
All in all,the light,compact nature of the gun, cheap,light and diverse ammo selection and ruggedness of the 10/22 make it a winner. You have chosen well!

well, the general concensus is the 10/22 is the way to go... seeing as i already have my boomstick. i can confidently plant a .69 caliber slug into the "torso" area of a man sized target at about 180yds maybe a little further. the 10/22 would be for hunting small game and back-up self defense for my girl.

and somebody mentioned buying a carbine style rifle- in the great state of california you have to be 21 to purchase handgun ammo, im almost 20. a carbine would have been my first choice.

dont have enough money for any fancy nice AR models, so the 10/22 seems to be dandy! has anyone had any jamming issues or other issues with mechanical parts on the 10/22?

reply to post by WJjeeper


I have had no issues with jamming or any other malfunctions with either of my 10/22's. If however I use super cheap ammo every once in a while I will get a stove pipe, which is where the casing doesn't completely eject and the bolt closes on it causing it to look like a stove pipe sticking out. If you do decide to get aftermarket mags just be sure to get ones with metal feed lips. I have had issues with the plastic feed lips eroding and allowing the shells to stand straight up and jam.

I bought the stainless/synthetic 10/22 basically because I owned a ton of .22 rounds and had no gun to shoot them. Plus, Ruger's reputation for making solid firearms.

It it fun to shoot, but a word of caution on at least some of the accessorries. I bought the drum magazine at a gun show and it wouldn't even feed 2 rounds in a row. Tried contacting the manufacturer, and never even got a response. No problems with the Butler Creek 25 round mags, though. So, IMO aside from maybe upgrading the sights, I think I'd just leave the rifle pretty close to stock.

Also, if you don't have the $ for an AR-15, check out the Ruger Ranch Rifle in .223. Another solid, and accurate rifle, with plenty of after market large capacity mags available (outside of CA of course )

I'd recommend an AR15.

The .223 round is effective against all sorts of targets, it's common and reasonably priced. The AR15 itself can be outfitted with all kinds of different equipment really easily to make it fill a variety of roles.

You can also have different upper's for AR15's if you'd wish, for example you can have it shoot everything from 9mm, to 7.62mm to .50 cal... all swappable with eachother without the need of tools or re-zeroing sights.

I'd just make sure it has the picatinny rail so you can fit different optics on it and a vertical grip if it matches your shooting style. Some people prefer them, some people don't. I personally like to shoot without, but a grip may help in weapon retention and you can store things in it like a extra bolt or a few batteries.

For an ideal SHTF weapon I'd have a AR15 with a Eotech optic + 3x flip to side magnficiation on the top rail. Then maybe a vertical grip with an extra bolt in there, and Magpul MIAD pistol grip with extra batteries in that. That setup should have you ready for pretty much anything that comes your way.

reply to post by ayoss


What would that outfit cost,the way you described it? If i recall correctly the OP stated he didn't have a bunch of money to burn on this,which is why he is considering this particular firearm. Now if he said he had $2000 plus to spend on a firearm,then we could recommend all manner of fine weapons and their various accessories. However,for a tight budget and a truly practical weapon,I believe he has chosen well with the Ruger 10/22.

rugers are excellent guns but what you want is a ruger mark 3 hunter 22 pistol with a dot scope.

then you can carry your 308 or AR for your main assault/survival weapon.

that way you're giving up nothing