Advice: Which 10/22 rifle should I buy?
Posted on October 30, 2012 by Natalie in Advice, Expert Advice
Angie, one of our readers, asked this question:
“We would like to purchase a .22LR. We are looking at both a Marlin and a Ruger. In your opinion, which one is better? Thanks for your help.”
Marlin:
These are some of the responses we heard from you. Chime in with more in the comments section below:
Jonathan Grim Ruger 10-22 Takedown model! Best thing to ever happen to a .22 rifle!
Tammy Timberlake Slone Ruger 10/22 are great lil guns..
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Jay Pearson I have had both and i would go with the Ruger.. Marlin is a great company , but the Rugers have many more options for aftermarket parts and accessories!Thomas Ward LaFrance Go Ruger 10-22 and never look back.Lamborghini Knizewski ruger 10/22Ashley Carlson If your looking for the actual rifle, the Marlin but if your looking at the .22LR pistol, I’d go Ruger… Both make excellent .22sVictoria Klink Casaray I love the Ruger! We have two! Don’t know about the Marlin, but like I said the Ruger is great!!William E. Shaw Ruger.Sarah Houser Rugar 22 pistol best gun!!Jess Umbaugh we have the Ruger and its amazing! super accurate, especially when you get that scope on there.Jeff Wertenberger Ruger 10/22 no questionAviana Knochel Ruger for sure.Bob Johnson both are good weapons – really depends on what they are used to and what they plan to do with itDouglas Cooper Ruger 1022.Kathrine Reid my hubby told me to do the ruger 10/22 as well, but he has a old henry .22 lever action rifle that is great and fun to shoot and less expensive.Alysse Zimmerman LOVE my Rugar!Melissa Robinson I just bought a Winchester 69A (22LR)Amy Bratcher MarlinFred Steel RugarJason Veraldi Both if you can afford it. Both great guns with their pluses. Ruger is a little better straight out of the box, but the Marlin is a steal for a .22.Charles Kyle i just got a Ruger 10/22 such a great firearm. Ruger all the wayDebbie Caruana RugerJulie Golob What are her goals and what does she plan to shoot? S&W M&P15-22 is SO much fun to shoot and is a great, inexpensive way to learn the AR platform as another option.Amber Gardepe Wright Love my ruger 10/22Amy Bratcher I’ve got one of each and I really like my Marlin. But the Ruger is nice as well. It’s a toss up. You gotta shoot both to be able to see which one you’d prefer!Andrew Tuohy My Marlin 22s are more accurate than my Ruger 22s. It’s easier to find aftermarket parts for, and easier to modify, the Rugers. The Marlins tend to be a bit less expensive. Some of the more recent production Marlins have exhibited a disappointing lack of quality control.Pete Kofod Ruger. Best after market.George Farr Ruger 10/22Michael Dennis Driscoll Both are notoriously reliable, I own a Marlin that I’ve had since I first started shooting in 1997. I put probably 10,000 rounds through it before I had to disassemble the action and detail clean it. The wood stock is scratched, beat up, and ugly after all this time, but the rounds still go right where you want them to. In short, Marlin makes a great .22. Best of luck with whatever you choose!Richard Dierker Got a Marlin bolt action that shoots dime size groups at 70 yards–got a 10/22 that wont !Daniel Coe Ruger 10/22MikeandShannon Slater Ruger for sure.George Farr marlin in that cal is junkStephanie Downey I absolutely love my Ruger. It never jams and it’s very accurate.
I can’t speak to the Marlin but I am a Ruger lover!Jonathan Huckabay Ruger Mark IIITrisha Bries Marlins are very accurate. I have shot both and found I prefer a marlin. Marlins usually only have a 7 round mag vs a ruger with a 10 round mag. Marlins arent as expensive either and you’ll get the same experience. Factory sights aren’t good on either so either get a scope or tech sights too.Susan Littleton Story I LOVE my 10/22! I tricked mine out with a scope and folding stock!Paul Taylor Go with the Ruger 10/22 and try to get one with a bull barrel. Very accurate.Richard Lawrence I have a couple of Ruger 10/22′s. One more than a decade old and one of the new “take down” models. I have never had an issue with either.. Highly recommended.Ellen R. Moberly Ruger is what we’ve always owned.Misty Ann Ring I had a Ruger Carbine 10/22 that was a lot of fun. Never tried the Marlin though.Treva Smith Ruger!Bob Westwood I have a Marlin. 22 w/scope and I bought my girlfriend a Mossberg. 22 in pink camo.Bob McPeak Ruger…mags are easier to find and easier to load…Evan Farley Either rifle is fine. The edge in accuracy goes to Marlin and the Ruger is hands down the most easily customizable shooter. Far more aftermarket parts and kits for the 10/22. That said I shoot tube fed Marlin .22 rifles and Ruger Mark series pistols. Can’t really go wrong with either.Bert Bond ruger is a nice gun fur rabbitEric Matthews Ruger hands downJustin Goad personally i vote for the Ruger. the amount of of aftermarket parts and even factory parts available, the sheer ease of cleaning, very accurate. the Marlin is also a good rifle. I personally have a Ruger 10/22 MAG. and i love it.Sara Nys Get a north american arms 22lr – you can hide that little baby anywhereLouise James Coulson Love my Ruger.Aidan O’brien Both guns score a solid 8 in my books but I prefer the marlin but that pretty much what it comes back too just your personal preferenceBeth Gillahan Absolutely would never trade my Ruger!!! So much fun and great quality!!Kevin Farrell Ruger 10/22Doraetta Hesse Both are great I have marlinLaura Clarke I have a nice Savage that I love. So another option for ya!
Once you decide what to get check out an Appleseed, it’s a great event that is found in every state, at least 1000 events a year throughout the nation. You get to learn your rifle really well bc you get to shoot about 500 rounds in one weekend and learn to shoot accurately out to 500yards. appleseedUSA.org
Neither gun is “better”. But the 10/22 is more popular and has a huge aftermarket for accessories and customization. I own both.
Ruger 10/22 was my first gun ever – and that was only three years ago, just before I turned 50! I really like it and feel very comfortable with it, especially as a newbie.
We’ve had a semi-auto Savage and a 10/22. The 10/22 has been a thousand times better.
Trick it out with some new sights and an aftermarket stock. Since it’s a 10/22 you’re never stuck with its original form since you can buy just about every piece of it in some custom configuration from someone other than Ruger if you wish.
You need to look at how you will be using your rifle, and what you expect out of it in performance. Ruger gives you several more options that Marlin, and has more room for customizing to fit your needs, but the Marlin costs less and has an excellent reputation for accuracy.
Look at both; see how they feel to you when you shoulder them, and figure out if you want to customize or shoot a totally stock gun. My mother (small frame, 100 lb.) bought a 10/22 compact. We put a scope on it, and a Volquartsen hammer kit. That makes this extra light rifle right for her. You have to figure out the right combination for yourself.
It depends entirely on your goal. What kind of environment will you operate in? I may have purchased my last blue steel firearm. The Marlin is all stainless, the Ruger 10/22 is an alloy receiver with easily detached barrel, if you want quality cleaning. The new takedown is even easier, but does not work with many of the aftermarket items. If you want Archangel, go 10/22. All stainless, Marlin. Easy take down, 10/22. Robust – Ruger 77-22. With all the input you’ve received, Angie, please let us know what you choose. Thanks.