Best Ruger 10/22 Magazines [Plus Loaders]

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 all the content we've created around the venerable shooter.

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. 

Best 10/22 Magazines Comparison Chart

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 - Most Reliable

Most Reliable

Ruger 10/22 BX-1 Magazine

$17

at The Mag Shack

Prices accurate at time of writing

$17 at The Mag Shack

Brownells (see price)

GunMag Warehouse (see price)

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.

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 - Easiest to load

Easiest to load

Ruger 10/22 BX-15 15-Round Magazine

$22

at The Mag Shack

Prices accurate at time of writing

$22 at The Mag Shack

GunMag Warehouse (see price)

Brownells (see price)

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. 

The BX-15 magazine represents a good compromise between size and capacity. It isn't enormous, yet still holds more than the standard 10.

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?

3. Ruger BX-25 .22 LR 25-Round Magazine - Highest Capacity from Ruger

Highest Capacity from Ruger

Ruger BX-25 Magazine

$25

at Palmetto State Armory

Prices accurate at time of writing

$25 at Palmetto State Armory

The Mag Shack (see price)

GunMag Warehouse (see price)

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.

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 - Best Third Party Option

Best Third Party Option

Champion Ruger 10/22 25-Round Magazine

$38

at GunMag Warehouse

Prices accurate at time of writing

$38 at GunMag Warehouse

Palmetto State Armory (see price)

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.

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 - Best Drum Magazine

Best Drum Magazine

GSG Ruger 10/22 SR-22 110-Round Drum Magazine

$68

at GunMag Warehouse

Prices accurate at time of writing

$68 at GunMag Warehouse

GrabAGun (see price)

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?

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

Maglula Ruger 10/22 Magloader

$31

at The Mag Shack

Prices accurate at time of writing

$31 at The Mag Shack

Brownells (see price)

Amazon (see price)

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. 

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.

Meet the Experts

This article builds on the original work of Megan Kriss, former PPT author and freelance editor. Megan is an avid recreational shooter and writer/editor. She has an extensive writing and linguistics background, which she uses to analyze and collect data on guns and turn them into articles.

Also contributing to this article is Pew Pew Tactical Content Producer Sean Curtis , who spent two decades in law enforcement. There, he became a POST-certified handgun instructor and NLEFIA Red Dot Instructor and received CLEFIA Advanced Firearms Instructor Training. He has also attended Tactical Performance Center Handgun Mastery. Sean has written for several gun publications, evaluating and testing guns and gear, and has written hundreds of articles.

Final Thoughts

We've covered a few different options that should get you up and running, or help you add on to your existing stash. Whether it's standard, extended, or ultimate capacity you want, we've got several for you to choose from.

Ruger has some of the best quality magazines out there, but they don't always have the most capacity or other features you may be looking for. With this lineup, we've got you covered no matter where your next shooting adventure takes you.

Picking up some new magazines? Let us know in the comments below. And for even more sweet 10/22 models, check out 8 Best Ruger 10/22 Models [Plinking, Hunting, Competition].