Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
The Ruger 10/22 Target is built for Steel Challenge competition shooting. The stock, trigger, and barrel all work together to provide a competitor with a serious match rifle at a less-than-serious price. While some manufacturers have a base cost of about $1,000, the 10/22 Target comes in at about $600. That doesn’t mean you must be a Steel Challenge competitor to want the 10/22 Target. The Target holds its own in small game hunting, informal precision shooting, or plinking aluminum soda cans.
Table of contents
The Ruger 10/22 action is a benchmark design for 22 LR semi-auto rifles. That’s why other manufacturers like Begara, Volquartsen, Tactical Solutions, Magnum Research, and others produce 10/22 knock-offs. We all have a lot of 10/22 trigger time under our belt. I immediately noticed the 10/22 Target’s barrel, stock, and trigger.
Lightweight Bull Barrel
The first four inches of the barrel is a full 0.9 inches in diameter. A typical bull barrel offers rigidity for better accuracy. From that point on, Ruger machined the barrel until it was pencil thin and slipped an aluminum sleeve over it keeping the 0.9-inch barrel diameter. A special nut is tightened against the sleeve to create tension at the muzzle. This configuration provides the rigidity of a full steel barrel without the weight. The rifle weighs five pounds without an optic. The muzzle is threaded for a device of your choosing. Next, the stock.
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Laminated Thumbhole Stock
The thumbhole stock is made from gray/black laminated wood. It is ambidextrous and very comfortable to shoot. The ventilated forend is equipped with five slots on both sides that create a gripping surface and allow the barrel to cool. The bottom of the forend is flat for added stability when using a rest. Sling swivel studs are included and the front one can double as a bipod attachment. The pistol grip is smooth and contoured so it fits your hand with a slight palm swell. The comb is smooth for a comfortable cheek weld. The toe is flat making it easier to use a toe bag.
The butt pad is rubber with large rounded edges that allow smooth, fast shouldering. It is also serrated so it sticks to your shoulder. LOP can be adjusted via the use of spacers. The pistol grip has a slight rearward sweep that is comfortable when seated at a bench, prone shooting off a bipod or shooting off-hand. Though the stock is smooth the shape of the stock provides comfortable and secure gripping areas. Shooting off-hand, the Target is very fast on target. It balances just forward of your shooting hand so the barrel feels lively and moves quickly.
Ruger BX Trigger
Finally the BX trigger. The Ruger BX trigger can’t be adjusted but has a 3.2-pound pull weight. It is serrated so your finger stays in place when shooting fast. There is about a .25-inch take-up before you hit the wall and the trigger breaks. It resets in about .25 inches. It is a nice trigger and it shows in the accuracy data I collected.
Either a scope or a red dot is a good option for the Target depending on what your end game is. I wanted a setup that would offer fast shooting, so I opted for a red dot. I had an Aimpoint ARCO P-2 on hand that I’ve used on AR15s and semi-automatic handguns. Why not use it on the Target? It was a good choice offering fast target acquisition. I shoot with both eye open and the 3.5 MOA red dot is easy to pick up. The Ruger came with a base and the ARCO QD mount clamped on with no issues.
Running The 10/22 Target
Ammunition consisted of a mix of inexpensive, target and hunting rounds. On the low-price range of the spectrum was the CCI Blazer with a 38-grain LRN bullet and 1,240 fps average muzzle velocity. The target ammo was Federal Auto Match with a 40-grain Solid bullet and 1,143 fps muzzle velocity. For hunting, I used hot CCI Stangers with a 32-grain copper-plated HP that averaged 1,523 fps. The smallest 5-shot group measured 0.49 inches with Federal Auto Match ammo. A close second was the economy CCI Blazer load which measured 0.55 inches. The CCI Stangers averaged 0.84 inches.
The Target feeds from the classic Ruger rotary magazine and uses the same size magazine release as most Ruger 10/22 rifles so it is not so small that’s is difficult to operate and not so big that it gets in the way.
Press the mag release forward with the thumb of your support and mags drop free. The magazine is also easy to insert. I’ve found with some 10/22 knockoffs the magazine doesn’t have a lot of tolerance when inserting them.
Familiar Controls
The familiar 10/22 controls on the Target are the same as the manual cross-bolt safety located in the front of the trigger guard, and the flat blade charging handle. The flat blade is easy to operate and manipulate, but rounded charging handles are more comfortable to run. The bolt does not remain open after the last shot, and like all 10/22 guns, it needs to be disassembled for a thorough cleaning.
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The trigger is clean and crisp. And when shooting for speed on 8-inch paper plates at different ranges the Target allowed me to shoot fast and transition quickly. I needed a screwdriver to remove the silly grin I had on my face after running the Target. It is a lot of fun to shoot.
Is The Ruger 10/22 Target Worth It?
The Target is lightweight and made to be shot offhand. Shooting off the bench was comfortable, too. The Target is accurate. If you want a dedicated .22 LR to use on steel plates, this rifle is affordable at a street price of $600 since the 10/22 Target lets you compete against the high-priced custom guns without any compromise. But that hasn’t stopped me from plinking or small game hunting with it.
SPECIFICATIONS: Ruger 10/22 Target
- Action Type: Semi-Automatic, blowback
- Overall Length: 35.2 in.
- Barrel Length: 16.1 in.
- Muzzle Device: None, threaded barrel
- Sights: None, Weaver-style scope base adapter
- Weight Unloaded: 5.0 lbs.
- Capacity: 10
- Stock: Laminated thumbhole
- LOP: Adjustable, 14-14.5 in.
- Buttplate: Rubber
- Action Finish: Matte black
- Barrel Finish: Matte black
- Magazine Type: Detachable, plastic, 10-rnd. rotary box
- Trigger Pull Weight: 3.2 lbs.
- Safety: Manual trigger block
- MSRP: $799.00
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This article opened more questions than it answered.
Rather disappointed by this review. Accuracy testing a “Competition Ready” rifle with a red dot is not rally testing at all.
We are never told the distance the rifle was fired just group sizes. Why? Any RF rifle or pistol advertised as a “Target” model should tested
at 50 yds ,especially rifles. The RF rifles Badgersmith builds are shot at 100yds as customers demand to know that performance.Many are considering serious PRS-RF matches when they research for a new or improved rifle.
So, what was the distance please? Did you verify velocity claims? Please also tell us what method of rests were used.
Thanks for your time and consideration, David Badgersmith Gunworks Inc.
At what distance are you getting your groups with your red dot?