A lot of so-called gun experts, and dipshits working for gun magazines who have never actually fired a rifle in their lives, try to dismiss the effectiveness of adding the Ruger 10/22 to your survival stockpile of weaponry. Don’t listen to them; they are in most cases liberal journalists hired to pose as gun people – they don’t have the first clue about firearms or shooting, and they’re even stupider when it comes to survival.
Sure they know how to spin a fancy article, especially when they steal their facts and figures from sites like this, but make no mistake, they are clueless!
Is the Ruger 10/22 one of the Best Survival Rifles you can Own?
What’s the best rifle for survival?
This is a highly debated question and one that usually stirs up some heated debate. I’m not going to sit here and debate whether the Ruger 10/22 is the best rifle for survival, but I will try to make a case why it should be part of any survival-related stockpile of firearms.
While there’s no “perfect” survival rifle, I think the .22 rifle is probably one of the best survival guns that you can own. Now I know I’m going to get some comments that totally disagree with what I’m about to say, but there are a number of reasons that a .22 should be at the top of your list of survival guns.
Affordability and Aftermarket Accessories
To begin with, the .22LR Rifle is one of the most affordable and versatile firearms in the world. For me, it’s all about getting the biggest bang for your buck; the .22 allows you to do just that. If you’re on a strict budget, the ability to buy multiple rifles, instead of one that might fail with time, just makes more sense.
When it comes to the Ruger 10/22, you will not find another .22 caliber firearm that is more affordable, reliable and has the ability to take on so many aftermarket accessories. You can find 25, 30, 50, and even 110-round magazines just about anywhere for these, and besides the AR15, there is no other firearm that you can customize the Ruger 10/22 rifle.
The Ammo is Still Dirt Cheap
.22 Long Rifle ammo is the most common type of ammunition in the world. It’s super cheap, widely available, and can be used in both rifles and pistols. If you’re low on cash and need to stock up on ammo, this is a good type of rifle to start out with.
If you’re out in the field, you can carry thousands of rounds of .22 caliber ammo; try to do that with any other caliber.
When the SHIT hits the Fan, you want a common rifle and a common caliber.
Since this is an article about survival applications of a firearm, we are going to touch on something that most so-called experts fail to cover: the ability to find supplies during a long-term survival situation.
With over 7 million Ruger 10/22s being sold to the public, there is a good chance that even during a long-term disaster you are going to be able to find supplies for your Ruger. Add to that the fact that the .22 is most sold caliber of bullets in the world and you have yourself one more reason to stockpile some 10/22 rifles.
Hunting and Self-Defense
The 10/22 is often thought of as nothing more than a target gun, but the .22 LR is great for hunting small to mid-size game, and with the right shot you can take down just about anything. In fact, it’s a very popular firearm with poachers who routinely use it to take down large game.
I know a ton of people who use a .22 bolt action rifle as their main hunting weapon. Many of them, because they have the skills to do so, routinely take down big game with it.
Here is a great little video from the Traditional Bowhunting And Wilderness Podcast talking about why everyone should own a Ruger 10/22
Which .22 Rifle Should you Buy?
There are a lot of really good rifles out there, but if I could only choose one, it would be the Ruger 10/22 and here’s why:
- The Ruger 10/22 is probably the most popular rifle on the market. If the SHTF, having this gun could come in handy if you have to barter for parts. It’s going to be a lot easier to find parts for guns that are popular.
- It’s also an easy gun to work on. If your gun breaks, you not only want one that is easy to find parts for but one that will be easy to put back together.
- There Cheap. For under $200 you can buy a brand new Ruger. I suggest buying a couple, that way you can swap parts in an emergency.
- Because of their popularity, there’s a huge aftermarket. It’s very easy to find extra magazines, add-ons, and scopes specifically made for the Ruger. One Caveat here is that some of the aftermarket magazines are complete garbage and made with crappy plastic parts so make sure you do your research.
I live in the UK and am restricted in terms of firearms. However I do own a 10/22 with a sound moderator and would regard it as ideal for use where noise was a problem – I often shoot crows at distances of 100yds and people 20yds in the other direction hear nothing. As a former soldier I have seen moderated 22 calibre weapons used in the field but it would not be my first choice, unless noise was an issue. My Mossberg 500 (7+1) would be my choice for close action, my 357 Marlin for intermediate and my 303 Enfield for distance. Guess what I am trying to say is there is no ideal weapon and that is reflected in the range of calibres and action types available. If I could only have one and just the ammo I could grab, it probably would be my moderated 10/22.
I own two 10-22’s, one of them being a take-down. But I would never choose a 10-22 or any other .22 as my only choice if I had another choice. Here’s why: I live in the Northern Adirondacks and have hunted both small game (squirrels, snowshoe hares, grouse) and large game (whitetail deer). From my small game hunting experience, hunting small game in a survival situation here is not worth the time, effort and in particular, caloric expenditure. Hunting small game here is great for recreation, but they’re far too elusive, hard to find, and small in numbers to be worth the effort. I wouldn’t waste my time hunting small game. I’d be fishing instead. So as far as hunting small game, any .22 is of minimal value to me. As far as whitetail, you could jacklight effectively with a .22. But there are many other hunters here. In a short time, the easy does and spikes will be shot off and the remaining will become so skittish and change their patterns so as not to be worth the effort. In short, I wouldn’t choose any firearm on it’s basis to hunt with. The ability to carry thousands of rounds is meaningless to me because I would have no chance of ever using them all. My goal in a SHTF situation would be to never have to fire a shot at anyone and have no one fire a shot at me. I would run, hide and use deception to the maximum extent possible. But if I was cornered, I would not want to put my life at risk with a marginal defensive round. I would also not plan on bartering anything with anyone. If I do, I’m letting someone know that I have something they want and they may just decide to take it by force. But let’s say I have a high value item and plenty of it to barter with. What I would do is use deception and try to barter something else have for the item I already have. Plan here is to give the impression that I don’t have a high value item someone wants. In my case, the advantages a .22 does have is not worth giving up a reasonable defense capability. Everything is a trade-off. There is no one firearm that is ideal for all situations. But in SHTF, defensive capability is the most important factor for me.
If I did go with a 10-22, it would be the take-down. I have both the conventional and the take-down. The conventional has a Williams 5D mounted far back on the receiver. A gunsmith had to drill and tap the mounting holes. He told me he broke two carbide drills in the process. The conventional 10-22 is a tack-driver. I haven’t shot the take-down enough to directly compare it’s accuracy to the conventional but the accuracy is good enough. I have Tech Sights on the take-down which appear to be robust with protective dog ears on the front and wings on the rear. I also like the choice of two apertures but leave it on the larger aperture. I’ve always hunted small game with iron sights. The do the job. One thing I would never do is put a permanently mounted scope on any SHTF rifle. It’s a good way to get myself killed in a hurry. Can’t pick up anyone close who’s bobbing, weaving, ducking, etc. I’ll be dead before I can get the cross hairs on, if at all. Good peripheral vision with iron sights. I’m told reflex sights (Aimpoint or EOtec) are faster than irons for close range but I’ve got astigmatism and see a blurred dot with both. Reason for the take-down over the conventional is that there may be a need for concealment or ease of carry in certain cases. Otherwise, there would be no need for the take-down for me.
My personal favorite is the Ruger 10 22 because I just love how it feels and shoots and I dont think anything compares to it.
Only 22 you ever shot right!!
Blah Blah Blah I own 63 rifles and shotguns including the Ruger 10/22 And their are several I would rather have in an all out survival scenario.As far as a 22 I would take the light weight Remmington nylon 66 it weighs about as much as a bb gun and set several accuracy and reliabilty records such as shooting 10,004 hand thrown 2.5 inche wood blocks out of 10,010 with out a malfunction!This sight is for Ruer Homies!!!
The 552 speed master will shoot any 22 ammo short long and long rifle and you can load them any way they come out of your pocket
I have one of them also but their kinda heavy thats why I would go nylon 66 just as reliable and a lot lighter being able to load any 22 ammo any way you want is nice thoughif you find a 22 shell you’re shooting
Just check out some ballistic gel shooting videos on you tube to see how .22lr loads do.Be prepared and ready. Keep your powder dry.
Also, packing a 10/22 with a Promag folding stock ,in a ghb , .22lr is a good round and I would not want to be shot with one.BPaR, KYPD
if you “think” you wont need a silenced autoloader, night sights, night vision, concealed armor, you’re out of your mind! There’s going to be millions of depserate, armed people and the animals will all be gone in a couple of months. A silenced shorty AR-15 with a $160 CMMG .22lr conversion unit is FAR better than any rifle that is noisy, offers no rapidfire, wont take 223 or .22lr, wont take down and conceal in your pack, wont pierce soft armor or cars, wont snipe effectively to 1/4 mile.
Lol. “I’m an engineer, everyone else is wrong.”
I am not an expert in anything concerning firearms, self-defense and survival. When I read the posts by those who are apparently more versed in these matters, I must confess, that the issue of survival and self defense, seems to get lost in the arguments of what is proper survival protocol, rather than the harsh reality of actually having to fend for oneself and or family. We can argue the pros or cons of being hit by a .22..I personally think that most of the time, it would mean a bad day for the target..Most of us are not going to have the latest or best of anything when it comes to firearms or ammo…So we will do with what we have…and not get too concerned about the particulars of ballistics…shot gun…whatever. It’s easy to project the best case scenario while you sit at your computer…and yes….I respect the experts….but I believe that no matter how much you prepare…the real thing will be more about our witt’s and our ability to adapt…and one other thing…If you think that your going to be walking around the wood’s shooting squirels, or deer whatever….They won’t be there….cuz 5,000 other guys have hunted the same wood’s….