The Ruger 10/22 rifle is a popular favorite among Pew Pew Tactical staff, especially for upgrading.
You may have picked up on that from the various posts we’ve done on 10/22 upgrades:
- Best 10/22 Upgrades: Stocks, Triggers, & More
- Best Ruger 10/22 Scopes
- Best 10/22 Trigger Kits
- Best Aftermarket 10/22 Receivers
Even with those posts (and others still to come), one thing we get asked about but haven’t really touched on yet are replacement 10/22 magazines, so I’ve taken the initiative to give you the down-low on what your options are.
Ruger magazines are pretty much universally considered the best because they’re more reliable than other 10/22 mags, so I’m going to tell you about their options first.
Next, I’ll go over a few third party mags for those of you who absolutely must have a different brand. Finally, I’ll finish up with a few mag upgrades to take your magazines, regardless of manufacturer, to the next level.
THE QUICK LIST
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Most Reliable
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Easiest to Load
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HIghest Capacity
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Best Third Party Option
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Best Drum Mag
Best Ruger 10/22 Magazines
While there are plenty of manufacturers that make killer 10/22 upgrades, Ruger really is the master when it comes to magazines. Here’s the run-down on a few of their best.
Note that Ruger also makes single-round and five-round magazines, but since there’s little demand for these capacities, I’m not going into detail about them here. Just know that they exist if you want them.
1. Ruger BX-1 .22 LR 10-Round Magazine
This is the same continuously reliable 10-round rotary magazine that comes with all non-distributor exclusive Ruger 10/22s, including the ever-popular Carbine and Takedown models.
I guess technically that means it’s not an upgrade, but having more mags never hurt anyone. Plus, the 10/22 is fun enough to shoot that you’ll want several magazines pre-loaded so you can keep shooting with minimal downtime.
And the 10-round capacity means this mag is legal in all states, which is, unfortunately, more than I can say about these next few magazines.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
The BX-1 is available in black and clear, and you can often find it in packs of three for about the same price as you’d pay for two of these magazines sold individually.
2. Ruger BX-15 .22 LR 15-Round Magazine
Ramp up your capacity a bit with this 15-round magazine. It’s easy to load and just like other Ruger magazines, it’s incredibly reliable.
This magazine isn’t as popular as some of Ruger’s others, so it only comes in black.
After all, if the law in your area permits it, why not spend a few extra bucks for this next magazine?
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
3. Ruger BX-25 .22 LR 25-Round Magazine
At 25 rounds, the BX-25 is the highest capacity magazine that Ruger offers for the 10/22.
Rather than freely sliding out when the mag release is pressed like the Ruger BX-1, this magazine rocks in and out, more like an AK magazine, but the length makes it easy to do this with one hand.
The BX-25 is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, magazine that Ruger makes for the 10/22, so it has a few different variations available.
The standard version is black polymer and it can be found with relative ease in both single and double packs. Like with the BX-1, buying in multiples is a lot easier on your wallet and more magazines just mean more fun, right?
Another way you can get two magazines in one is with the BX-25X2 variant. It’s basically two BX-25 magazines attached head to tail at the side for a total 50 round capacity.
You stick one end in, shoot ‘til it’s empty, pull the mag out, flip it over, stick the other end in, and keep on shooting. Yes, it’s exactly as much fun as it sounds.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
Finally, there’s also a clear-sided version of the BX-25 that allows you to monitor how full your magazine is while you shoot and see which mags on the range table are full without having to pick them up. Only one side is clear, though, so make sure that side is up on your table.
What’s your take on the BX-25?
Third-Party Magazines
As I said, Ruger magazines are widely agreed to be the way to go for the 10/22, but if for whatever reason you insist on going with a third-party magazine for your 10/22, here are a couple that will serve you just fine:
4. Champion Range & Target 25-Rrd Magazine with Metal Head
This magazine from Champion is a solid enough third-party competitor to the Ruger BX-25 magazine. It’s made of durable, lightweight clear polymer, which is even more convenient for monitoring your available rounds than the clear-sided BX-25 since you can see how full it is from either side.
This magazine has a metal head, but Champion also makes a version with a plastic one. The plastic head version is a few bucks cheaper, but the feed lips wear out much faster, leading it to feed less reliably.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
To really get the most from this magazine, go ahead and get the Champion 25-round Magazine with Metal Head and Magazine Loader Combo. The loader is a dream. All you have to do is give it a couple shakes and it orients more than 50 rounds for quick and easy feeding.
And just like the magazine, the loader is also made of clear polymer so you can see how full it is as well.
5. ATI German Sports Rotary Magazine
One thing Ruger doesn’t offer in their line of 10/22 magazines is an ultra high capacity option. How they managed to drop the ball by overlooking this necessity, I can’t say.
Okay, so you probably don’t exactly need a drum style magazine and if you’re looking for something as reliable as possible, this ain’t it, but damn are drum magazines fun or what?
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
And sometimes “fun” is a good enough reason to get something.
This one from ATI German has a 110 round capacity and a built-in loading lever to keep you shooting, not loading your magazine, as long as possible.
It also has a bolt hold-open feature to allow you to easily check your chamber. It’s made from black polymer and has steel lips for durability.
And One More Thing
Maglula Ruger 10/22 Mag Loader & Unloader Set
So now you know your options for switching out your magazines quickly, but what about loading them in the first place?
Loaders and unloaders like this set from Maglula make loading easier for you and gentler on your magazines, extending their life.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
This set is made out of lightweight and durable polymer and is small enough to easily fit in your pocket. The loader can be used on any BX 10/22 mags and the unloader can be used for any 10/22 .22LR magazines.
Conclusion
So there are a few options for switching out and getting the most from your Ruger 10/22 magazine. For other ways to enhance or even custom build your own Ruger 10/22, check out our other 10/22 posts:
- Best 10/22 Upgrades: Stocks, Triggers, & More
- Best Ruger 10/22 Scopes
- Best 10/22 Trigger Kits
- Best Aftermarket 10/22 Receivers
So which magazine or magazines do you use for your 10/22? Drop us a comment below.
10 Leave a Reply
I have a BX-15 and BX25 double( 50 round) neither work reliably in my 10-22. The magazines are loose when installed causing the bolt to drag on the magazine. I read about others having problems and trying to fix the magazines, with some success. I tried some of the fixes, but theydid not work for me. I guess I will use 10 round BX-1 magazines as they work well.
As for LOADERS, I agree that the Maglula is the only way to go. I’ve tried the Butler Creek and other brand rotary style loaders. They work OK, but if you aren’t keeping track of how many rounds you’ve loaded, you’ll end up denting the cases of the last few rounds as the rims will dig into each other.
I use High Tower Armory 25-round mags (HTA-25) that are reliable, built like a tank and can be configured in one of two ways:
#1 with a clear narrow window in the middle of both sides, or
#2 with loader tabs replacing the two windows in the middle.
These loader tabs function like the tabs on .22LR pistols; that is, pulling down on them lowers the stack of rounds so you can easily load another round until the mag is full. I went with the twin tab configuration and it took about 30 seconds to fully loaded the mag.
Try hcmags the world isn't just BX25
I like the Champion magazines. However, they don't work well with the Maglula loader. The plunger will not go all the way down and thus it isn't worth using. I guess Champion wants you to buy the Champion loader as well.
I have found that the BX1 10 round is the only reliable option. The BX 15 is ok, the BX 25 is terrible. I dont understand why the manufacture cannot make original magazines to fit their product? The BX 15 and BX 25 do not fit properly, they do not seat into the receiver properly, rocking loosely, causing malfunctions. If you compare the dimensions of the BX 15 and BX 25 to the BX1, the 15 round and 25 round version magazines are shorter where they seat into the pins.
Sorry that you're having problem using them in your 10/22 but it seems like your experience may be the exception to the rule. I've owned four 10/22's made in different years (1967, 1983, 2009 and 2015) different configurations (my first one was a regular carbine model with a walnut stock and an 18.5" barrel; the second one was a carbine with a 16" barrel and a birch stock; the third one was a carbine made in 2009 but the prior owner put it in a Hogue rubber stock that I replaced with a synthetic stock, and the fourth one was a takedown model with a stainless steel receiver and barrel in a synthetic stock. I've used BX-25 mags in all four of them without any issues.
I sold that takedown model a year ago and bought a Rossi RS22 (the Mossberg 702's twin brother by another mother) because it was all I could afford after buying an AR pistol and two handguns. It turned out to be a pretty good rifle except when it came to high capacity magazines: there is only one on the market that fits it (a 25 round POS made by Mossberg) and it was always out-of-stock, too.
I started looking to get another 10/22 but the current prices are ridiculous even for used ones. So, what I decided to do for my next 10/22 is to buy a rifle that's not a 10/22 but one that accepts all mags made for the 10/22: the Winchester Wildcat. So far, it's works flawlessly with Ruger BX-25, Butler Creek Steel Lips, Champion, Eagle Brand and also Pro-Mags (although the Pro-Mags don't load as easily as the others do). I will get the High Tower Armory mags when they are back in stock as well as another GSG-110 round drum that ran like a champ in my 10/22 takedown.
The BX-25's suck, I had 2 and tried filing them down after they didn't work and then eventually just threw them away. Think I wasted like $50 on them.
Very nice, thanks to Megan
Hi, Which is the most reliable loader for the Ruger 10/22 rotary magazine?