The Best 10/22 Upgrades: Stocks, Triggers, Optics and More

Timney Ruger 10/22 2-Stage Trigger

First up on our list is the best trigger to upgrade with and is manufactured by Timney. The Timney 2-stage trigger provides a lightweight trigger pull and multiple customization options. The length of pull and height can be adjusted to suit your preferences and maximize positive contact on the trigger.

→ FULL REVIEW: best 10/22 trigger upgrades 

You may be asking yourself what a 2-stage trigger is and why it benefits you. A traditional or single-stage trigger offers a consistent, smooth trigger pull with a clean break. The resistance level of the trigger should be the same throughout the pull on a traditional trigger. A 2-stage trigger has two stages that generally vary in resistance level.

The Timney 2-stage’s first stage is 8 ounces and the second stage is 1 pound. The first stage is generally referred to as the “take-up” and the second stage is referred to as the “wall”. The advantage of this style of trigger is that you will know exactly when the gun is going to fire. The first stage will be longer and you will notice a distinct increase in resistance. The second stage is extremely short and has almost no slack.

The Timney 2-stage trigger is easy to install in your Ruger 10/22 and will immediately improve your shooting experience. Timney also provides a great warranty and has a long history of producing quality triggers that will last. The Ruger 10/22 is a good option for your first 2-stage trigger due to its manageable recoil. This product is currently out of stock.

Magpul Hunter X-22 Full-featured Stock For Ruger 10/22

The quickest way to change the look and functionality of your weapon is with a new stock, so your first customization step should be to find one of the best 10/22 stocks for what you want to achieve. The six most common stock styles are: Classic, Match, Tactical, Folding, Bullpup and Thumbhole.

→ We reviewed the Best Ruger 10/22 Stock Upgrades

The MAGPUL Ruger 10/22 Takedown Hunter X-22 stock. The MAGPUL Hunter stock is made of polymer and is extremely lightweight. It is compatible with a wide variety of accessories and jam-packed with features. The Hunter X-22 is compatible with all

This is a great upgrade stock and serves as a replacement for your existing stock. All you need to do when transitioning from your existing stock to the MAGPUL Hunter stock is to remove your receiver, trigger assembly, and barrel and install them in the MAGPUL stock.

This stock is compatible with both the standard Ruger 10/22 barrel and various aftermarket barrels just in case you have already started upgrading your Ruger 10/22

It is compatible with quick-detach style slings and has several options that include sling mount kits. The Hunter X-22 stock even has cheek riser kits in three different increments to accommodate shooters of different sizes and body types. It is available in one of four color options: black, flat dark earth, gray, and O.D. green.

The MAGPUL Hunter X-22 stock carries on MAGPUL’s track record of producing durable and functional equipment to meet the need of any shooter. They also offer a few additional variations of this stock for your Ruger 10/22, such as the X-22 Backpacker stock. The X-22 Backpacker is designed to meet the needs of the outdoorsman and can easily be broken down to fit inside your backpack or camping bag.

The only downside to changing out stocks is that it is a slightly more involved process than some other upgrades. However, the Ruger 10/22 has a simple design and Magpul provides clear instructions for completing the swap, allowing you to have your new stock in place in no time.

Volquartsen Ruger 10/22 LR barrel

For our third pick, we will turn our attention to the business end of your rifle. The Volquartsen Ruger 10/22 LR barrel is a carbon fiber competition quality barrel with a stainless steel liner. This barrel is available in two lengths, 16.5″ and 18.5″ and features a heavy contour.

The Volquartsen barrel can be installed in minutes and is a great upgrade option if your goal is achieving optimal accuracy while keeping weight to a minimum. The 18.5″ option a multi-port compensator, which reduces the already minimal recoil of the .22 LR round. The goal of the compensator is to allow you to produce faster follow-up shots with maximum accuracy.

This barrel will allow a skilled shooter to achieve consistent groupings of less than 1″ at 100 yards. The Volquartsen Ruger 10/22 barrel provides flawless performance during every shot. When paired with good ammunition and a quality optic, this barrel is a game-changer.

The Volquartsen barrel will even give your Ruger 10/22 a new look to match the stellar performance. The black carbon fiber exterior features a distinct weaved pattern on the outer layer of this barrel. It is bookended by polished aluminum which serves to provide increased axial tension for increased durability and function.

So what’s so great about a carbon fiber barrel? For starters, a carbon fiber barrel such as this one is stiffer than steel, providing less warping and vibration. On top of the accuracy and durability, carbon fiber barrels will not rust and cool much more efficiently than their steel counterparts. All of these features make the Volquartsen Ruger 10/22 barrel tough to pass up when overhauling your rifle. 

Vortex Optics Crossfire Red Dot Sight

All the performance upgrades in the world won’t help a bit if you cannot efficiently acquire your target and get rounds downrange. That’s where our fourth pick comes in. The Vortex Optics Crossfire red dot sight is an effective and best optics for your Ruger 10/22.

→ FULL REVIEW: best ruger 10/22 sights

The Crossfire red dot sight makes quick target acquisition a breeze. The Crossfire has a 2 MOA red dot and can last up to 50,000 hours on a single set of batteries. It also has two brightness settings to accommodate night time and day time shooting. This sight is even waterproof in case you get caught in some rough weather out at the range or on the trails.

For those of you that are new to the world of optics, MOA simply means Minute of Angle and is 1/60th of a degree. I know, enough with the geometry. All you really want to know about MOA is how it affects your shooting experience. Essentially, 1 MOA means that your optic will have a grouping of approximately 1″ at 100 yards so 100 yards multiplied by the number of MOA will give you your projected spread.

The Vortex Crossfire will consistently allow you to achieve a 2″ spread at 100 yards since it is a 2 MOA red dot. This is a great performance for an unmagnified optic at that distance. I have personally taken Vortex 2 MOA optics out to 300 yards with no accuracy issues on a silhouette sized target. The optics performed great at this distance and provided consistent groupings within the projected threshold.

The only real drawback of this optic is that it does not offer any magnification, which can be problematic for longer range shooting. Whether or not this optic is a good fit for you depends largely on your intended application. If you primarily shoot from short to intermediate distances and are looking for a reliable optic that aids in quick target acquisition, then the Vortex Crossfire is a great choice.

Blue Force Gear AR-15/M16 Vickers Combat Applications Sling

While the Ruger 10/22 is a lightweight and versatile rifle, carrying it on long hikes or during extended range trips can cause fatigue and affect your shooting performance. That’s why the next item on our list of the Best 10/22 Upgrades  is the Blue Force Gear Vickers Combat Applications Sling. This two-point sling was designed for use with the AR-15 platform but is compatible with sling swivels and functions great with the Ruger 10/22.

This Blue Force Gear sling is available in both black and coyote (tan), as well as some custom color options. However, the black sling is currently out of stock. This two-point sling has sliding adjustment buckles which make it easy to adjust the sling without taking it off. This may come into play when transitioning between a prone or kneeling shooting stance back to a standing position.

In addition to bearing most of the weight of your rifle, it can also provide added shooting stability. This is accomplished by wrapping your support arm under and around the sling near the front sling mount. By doing this, it drives the stock of the rifle into your strong side shoulder and makes it easier to take accurate shots while standing or kneeling.

If your current stock does not have a place to attach sling mounts, then you will need to replace your stock with one that accommodates sling mounts, such as the Magpul stock featured above. If it does, then I recommend a QD (quick-detach) style swivel mount. These types of mounts have a button to quickly release them from your rifle in the rare case that this sling tangles or if you want to use it on multiple rifles.

This is a durable and well-made two-point sling. It is user friendly and not prone to tangles or snagging. On top of all of this, Blue Force Gear offers a variety of customization options so that you can really make this sling your own.

Superior Concepts Ruger 10/22 charging handle

Our final entry is the Superior Concepts Ruger 10/22 charging handle. This is an oversized charging handle for your Ruger 10/22 that allows for faster positive contact. This charging handle is generally available in both a stainless steel or a blued finish, but is currently out of stock.

The Superior Concepts charging handle is well-built and extremely durable. The handle is 1″ long, making it extremely easy to develop positive contact for both charging and clearing any malfunctions. This oversized charging handle is especially useful in high-stress situations because adrenaline negatively affects your fine motor skills. Having a larger contact area increases the success rate and efficiency of engaging the charging handle during these times.

The primary downside to this charging handle is that it does require some fitting and is not a true “drop-in” part with all Ruger 10/22 rifles. According to Superior Concepts, the part may require minor fitting. However, some users report having to file down portions of their stock to achieve a proper fit. As a result, your skill level in installing and customizing firearms is an important consideration for this charging handle.

In addition, this charging handle is roughly 50% heavier than a stock Ruger 10/22 charging handles. The added weight is barely noticeable when handling your rifle, but can cause failure to eject malfunctions with some lower velocity .22 ammunition. This may be because the heavier charging handle requires more force to properly cycle.