Holy crap this thing is light. I mean surprisingly lightweight. More so than I expected.
When Ruger first announced their 10/22 Carbon Fiber rimfire rifle back in December the first thing that caught my attention was the 3.5 lbs overall weight of this latest addition to the venerable 10/22 line.
The Ruger 10/22 Carbon Fiber looks heavier than it really is. Photo courtesy of Ruger
I don’t think anybody ever complained about the 10/22 being a heavy rifle. The heaviest 10/22 models come in at about 6 lbs and those have features like a laminated stock or bull barrel that adds weight.
The gold standard of rimfire rifles, the 10/22 Carbine with its ‘hardwood’ brown stock, only weighs 5 lbs and has probably been the first rifle for more young shooters than anything else. So much so that if somebody mentions their first rifle you just assume they’re talking about this particular Ruger 10/22.
Ruger’s synthetic stocked version of this model drops down to 4.4 lbs while the same rifle outfitted with the Magpul MOE X-22 stock shaves another 0.2 lbs. to tip the scales at a scant 4.2 lbs.
So, weight was never really an issue with the 10/22 platform. But, this new Carbon Fiber model makes all the others seem like a trip to the gym is in order.
When I got the newest 10/22 and pulled it from the box I immediately felt not just how lightweight it is but also how nicely balanced it sits in the hands. I think that what tricks your brain into being surprised about its lightweight feel is the fact that the barrel presents as a heavy bull barrel and the stock isn’t some skeletonized minimalist deal.
The barrel is where the rifle derives its Carbon Fiber moniker and is cold hammer-forged stainless steel tensioned barrel with a carbon fiber sleeve. The 16.12” length barrel has a 1:16″ right-hand twist and features a 1/2″-28 threaded muzzle that just begs to be outfitted with a lightweight suppressor.
Carbon fiber barrels certainly aren’t new but they always seem deceptively light due to the outside diameter. I’ve always liked the aesthetic of a bull barrel, but not so much the added weight or how it impacts the balance of the firearm. Carbon fiber wrapped stainless barrels give you all the cool look and feel but without any of the weight or balance issues of the traditional bull barrel design.
The lightweight Magpul MOE X-22 Stock has a somewhat minimalist appearance, especially when compared to the standard, or traditional, stock design. Though slightly shorter than Ruger’s synthetic stock, it does not at all feel minimalist in the hands, only lighter.
In the hands you notice Magpul’s TSP texture on the pistol grip of the stock, which isn’t overly aggressive so that you’d notice it. You get a solid and comfortable gripping surface, without distraction, leaving all your attention for your sighting system and trigger pull.
Virdian’s RFX44 is the green dot closed emitter optic you’ve been looking for. This 5 MOA green dot reticle offers a handful of mounting options, including both a high and low Picatinny mount. It’s instant-on activation and auto shut-off help get you to a 30K hour battery life. Photo: P. Erhardt
The rifle does not come with sights but is outfitted with a scope rail topping the receiver. Since I needed something to use for sighting, I decided to go with a dot sight. The decision was based on wanting to keep the rifle as light as possible, and that’s best done with some sort of red dot sight. So, naturally I chose a green one.
Viridian sent me one of their RFX44 Closed Emitter Green Dot sights, complete with a low mount Picatinny adapter. I got to test-drive both the RFX44 and the slightly larger RFX45 a year ago during a range day Viridian held the weekend after the Sports Inc. show here in Phoenix.
The RFX44 measures just 1.59” (L) x 1.02” (W) x 1.15” (H) and weighs only 1.59 oz., add in the low mount and the total additional weight is approximately 3.00 oz. That brings the gun to a total weight of 3 lbs 11 oz.
I finally got out to the range this past Friday to see how it shoots. And how does the 10/22 Carbon Fiber shoot? It shoots exactly like you think a Ruger 10/22 shoots – flawlessly.
Ruger’s been making variations of the 10/22 rifle since 1964, and with 60 years under their belt, they kinda have this rimfire rifle thing mastered.
Sighting in the RFX44 was easy with the optic’s tactile audible controls. Once dialed in, getting a decent group was just a matter of doing my part. At 25 yards I recommend dialing down the brightness on the dot for better targeting. Photo: P. Erhardt
What I wanted to see was how well I shot the rifle at 25 yards. I sighted in the RFX44 and once I had it hitting point of aim, point of impact, I shot it for a group. Not so much to determine the rifle’s accuracy, but to determine my accuracy.
Shooting from a cement range bench, without the aid of a Ransom Rest, or even a simple bag, just resting my elbows on the bench, I was able to shoot a 10-round group of 1.232” (my best) then another 1.625” group.
Considering I was basically rapid firing the gun through the entire 10-round magazine, I was pretty happy with this group. Going to a standard 5-shot group, or maybe just taking my time, might have shown better results. Photo: P. Erhardt
OK, I get it. Those aren’t groups that are going to win any championships, but keep in mind that this is with a dot sight with zero magnification. And, what I was putting down range was just good old Remington 22 Thunderbolt 40gr. bulk pack ammo.
All in all I’m good with putting 10 rounds into a 1.2” group at 25 yards the first time running the gun. And if I actually took my time and didn’t rush the shooting, I probably could have gotten that group under and inch.
But where’s the fun in shooting slow with a gun like this?
My grouping enlarged just s bit to 2.789” when I shot another 10-round group without the aid of the bench, shooting instead off-hand from a standing position. This is when I noticed two things. First, 3 lbs 11 oz really is light, and second, I probably need to put a decent sling on the gun if I want to shoot with greater accuracy.
I’ll definitely take this for an off hand grouping, especially since I was again shooting rapid fire style. I definitely need a good sling for this gun if I’m going to shoot from the standing position. Photo: P. Erhardt
With it being so light, and not firmly locked into my shoulder as it would have been with a proper sling, I noticed both the wall and the trigger break, at least probably more than I should have. The trigger in the 10/22 Carbon Fiber is Ruger’s BX-Trigger, and while I didn’t measure it, the pull weight should range between 2.5 to 3 pounds.
It’s a solid trigger, for sure. But, a 3 pound trigger in a 3.7 pound gun, when shot off hand, stands out a bit, especially when you’re not bearing down on your hold of the gun – like I wasn’t. But that’s easily overcome by one of two ways.
The first is called practice. Spending a little more time with the gun than just running 12 magazines through it could probably improve my performance. The second avenue to improvement is the tired and true shortcut approach…and my favorite.
On Saturday I reached out to Bryan Haaker, president and co-founder of TANDEMKROSS. They design and manufacture a lot of aftermarket parts and upgrades for the 10/22, and I wanted to get his feedback on what I might do to the 10/22 Carbon Fiber without increasing the weight.
Bryan explained there were several products TANDEMKROSS offers to make this or any other 10/22 your own custom gun. But specifically on the issue of the trigger, he recommended their Ultimate Trigger Kit which reduces the trigger pull to just above or just below 2 lbs.
Plus it has a flat-faced trigger body that is available in red. Yes, I am a sucker for bright shiny objects.
After talking to Bryan it was clear that turning this particular 10/22 into a project build is now permanently embedded in the back of my mind. But, truth is, in its stock form the 10/22 Carbon Fiber is an absolute standout rimfire rifle. It’s a whole lot of fun to shoot, and for me it now ranks high on my personal and unofficial ranking of all 10/22 models.
– Paul Erhardt, Managing Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network