I don’t know a single person who doesn’t love to have a fun afternoon of plinking targets. My Ruger 10/22 Charger Pistol is probably my favorite plinking companion firearm. I have shot the 10/22 in many different configurations over the years, but I have never attempted to shoot one in what I would consider being the “original” style of the 10/22 charger. By this, I mean with a mounted optic, no brace, and equipped with a bipod. Boyds Gunstocks recently gave me an opportunity to try this particular style out and graciously sent out one of their Laminate 10/22 Charger pistol grips for me to try out. Today we’ll go over what I’ve learned and what I think of this particular style of shooting.
AllOutdoor Review: Boyds Gunstocks Ruger 10/22 Charger Pistol Grip
The Ruger 10/22 Charger was released in 2007 and for quite a while it remained a fair niche firearm. Using the same alloy receiver and action, the 10/22 charger pistol was small enough to fit in a backpack or field pack and transported to the range, shot from a bench, or even used as a hunting pistol. For the time, this made the 10/22 charger a sort of jack-of-all-trades for the 10/22 community as it did so many things well while being a compact package.
I had always used the 10/22 as a plinker, hunting, and target shooting rifle, but I had never caught the bug to fit out one of these pistols with what Boyds Gunstocks sent me. With this stock, I planned on seeing what difference it really made switching from an arm brace to a laminate pistol grip only.
The Pistol Grip – Quality?
For those not in the know, Boyds makes some of the finest looking gunstocks in the industry for 10/22 pistols and rifles. You’ve probably seen Boyds’ work before on the range, their stocks and grips usually feature wild and interesting color combinations and can even come with a high gloss finish referred to by Boyds as their 90 Degree Finish. The grip I received was in their black/red Applejack Laminate – I think it looks pretty rad.
Each of Boyds’ laminate products is well made and upon the first examination of the grip, I found that the finish was very uniform all over and the 90 Degree Finish was seriously reflective. The finish even extended into the interior of the grip save for one side where the magazine would be inserted. I suppose this area of the grip was left free of finish due to the expectation of magazines constantly rubbing up against it. The grip also features the standard brass insert for the attachment screw and sling stud.
As a side note, I do not know for certain if the Charger pistol grips are made from a single piece or if they are in fact made from two mated pieces. Close examination of the rear of the receiver area will allow you to see a square-head screw that looks like it extends into the grip. Whether this is to strengthen the pistol grip or perhaps mate two pieces together during assembly I do not know – I just found it interesting. Overall, the wood and finish quality seems to be top tier and I think the grip is rather beautiful from a purely aesthetic perspective.
Shooting the 10/22 with a Pistol Grip Only
There are some pros and cons to shooting with a pistol grip only and right off the bat one of the biggest pros I discovered was the savings in weight. The Laminate grip by itself is right around half of what a polymer charger grip with a pistol brace attached would weigh. If you’re planning on doing shooting standing I could see how the attachment of a brace would help, but if you shoot off of a stump, table, or tree limb you can easily get away with using the pistol grip only.
I was able to run through the woods for a bit to get the feel of using the bipod that is included with every Ruger 10/22 Charger. It did take a bit of practice to get the muscle memory down for the right type of grip, but once I practiced it a few times, getting on target quickly from behind the Boyds grip was an easy task. I probably could have made this easier on myself by going with a different type of optic with a longer eye relief, but the Trijicon TA47-2 was all I had available at the moment.
The only major con I can see of foregoing the use of an arm brace is that free-standing shots become a chore. As good as the shape of the Boyds Charger pistol grip is, the 10/22 is so heavy that one-handed shots without a brace are difficult, to say the least. Another small negative is that the fitment of the grip itself wasn’t 100%. Since the Ruger 10/22 relies on only one point of contact between its stock/grip and the receiver, there is quite a bit of wobble from the Boyds grip. I assume this can be eliminated with a few shims and since the grip is free-floated from the grip I didn’t find it to cause any accuracy issues – it was just that I noticed the wobble and would personally choose to get a tighter fit for the two pieces.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I found the new shooting experience with Boyds 10/22 Charger Pistol grip to be a pleasant learning experience. Shaving off an entire 14 oz of weight is a big deal if you would consider taking the 10/22 charger along with you for a long hike. Aside from a few minor nitpicks about the fitment that is easily solvable, I think I can wholeheartedly recommend Boyds if you’re looking for a Charger pistol grip or even one of their carbine stocks.
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