Some people just have to have an optic on every gun they own. If it doesn’t have rails, it just won’t work for them. But some people don’t want that sort of limitation. Scopes break and the batteries run down in red dot sights, it’s good to have something to fall back on for your Ruger 10/22. Besides, the old sights were good enough for grandad and he probably bagged more game year after year than anyone else I know.
Iron sights are durable and dependable. I won’t claim you can’t break them but it’s really hard to do! If they do get broken, replacement is cheap and generally easy to do. If you get a decent sight to start off with, the point of aim shouldn’t change a whole lot over time. They also have no batteries and few, if any, moving parts to deal with. Iron sights are one of those things that every gun should have available, you don’t know when it might come down to those or nothing.
Source: tech-sights.com
Shooting with iron sights will also make you a better shooter. Lack of marksmanship fundamentals has a much greater impact with iron sights than they will with a red dot sight. If you are teaching someone to shoot or just trying to nail down your own issues, get a pair of iron sights to tighten things up.
As with everything in shooting, which type of sight you choose, and its features should be governed by your needs and the purpose you have in mind for the rifle. Read on and explore some of the better options.
Best Ruger 10/22 Sights Comparison Table
| Image | Description | Manufacturer | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Tech Sight's TSR100 Adjustable Aperture Sight ** Editor's Choice - Best Ruger 10/22 Sights ** | Tech Sight | 9.5 | |
 | Tech Sight's TSR200 Adjustable Aperture Sight | Tech Sight | 9.1 | |
 | Fire Sights Ruger 10 / 22 | FIRESIGHTS | 7.8 | |
 | TRUGLO Rimfire Fiber Optic Sight ** Best Budget Ruger 10/22 Sights ** | TRUGLO | 8.2 | |
 | Hi-Viz HIVIZ RG1022 Front and Rear Combo Pack | Hi-Viz | 8.0 | |
 | Williams Gun Sight Firesights - Ruger 22 | Williams | 7.6 |
1. Tech Sight’s TSR100 Adjustable Aperture Sight
** Editor’s Choice – Best Ruger 10/22 Sights **
What if a fiber optic sight isn’t what is called for? What if you want accuracy over visibility? Maybe you are looking for a good cheap alternative to the AR15 platform for practice or plinking? If so, the Tech Sight will serve you as well as it serves so many in the Appleseed program.
Rather than attaching to the rear dovetail, the TSR100 attached straight to the scope mounting holes. This gives you a very secure connection and extends the sight radius of the rifle. The front sight attaches to the front dovetail much like the sights above. The whole process is fairly simple.
The TSR100 has no elevation adjustment. Instead, there is a 6 MOA difference built into the two different sight apertures. The large aperture is sighted for 50 yards while the small is sighted at 100. This allows to easily select between close and long-range shooting in a snap! Having a sight on a rifle as cheap to shoot as a 10/22 with AR15 style sights makes an invaluable training tool!
2. Tech Sight’s TSR200 Adjustable Aperture Sight
If you like the peep sights for all they do but you are set on being able to fine tune elevation adjustments, the TSR200 is likely the better choice. While it lacks the traditional flip-up apertures of the AR15 style sight, this will still make a fine training sight and is capable of somewhat improved accuracy.
Like the TSR100 the 200 model attaches at the scope mount and front dovetail. Most of the adjustments are tool-less but Tech Sight does make several tools to make adjustments easier. This site is another favorite of the Appleseed Project.
3. Fire Sights Ruger 10 / 22
Sights are generally a pretty budget upgrade for your rifle. Fire Sights are the budget of budget offerings. Made of aircraft aluminum and featuring hi-viz fiber optic with steel front bead for added strength, the quality of these sights appears far from budget though not as durable as other offerings!
These sights are a basic and simple site replacement for the factory sights. The rear sight slots into the rear dovetail with optional screw mountings should your rifle have tapped sight holes. The front sight is a simple dovetail fixture that is pretty much universal with front sight replacements. Fire Sights are bi-color green/red to easily distinguish front from rear sights if shooting in less than optimum lighting conditions.
These sights to sit low so take your shooting style into consideration. It will also be impossible to use with any rail attachments as the low rear sight will not be visible over the rail. The bonus of such a low-profile sight is that it will rarely snag on anything. There is very little adjustment to this sight which may be a huge setback.
4. TRUGLO Rimfire Fiber Optic Sight
** Best Budget Ruger 10/22 Sights **
If quality counts and you are willing to spend a little more, TRUGLO’s hi-viz sights are probably a better option. TRUGLO has been making fiber optic sites for decades now and they have always been fine quality. CNC machined to exacting tolerances, these fiber optics are made for precision.
Featuring the same dovetail fitting and green/red bi-color sights, the TRUGLO installs easy and should have you back on target in short order. These sights do weigh slightly more than the Fire Sights, not that that really matters, but are more durable and more visible. Everything feels tight and secure. These are sights that last.
The TRUGLO sights do sit higher and will allow you to see them over a rear rail. They are also fully adjustable for windage and elevation. The sight picture is more like the sights that come on the 10/22 if that is your preference.
5. Hi-Viz HIVIZ RG1022 Front and Rear Combo Pack
The above two sights are fixed, what if you like the folding sight that comes standard on the 10/22 but you want the hi-viz option? Of course, you can do that! Offered in a variety of colors, including the preferred green/red of the sights above, the Hi-Viz is likely the truest to factory option.
A simple attachment to the existing dovetails and a little tinkering with alignment should get you on target. You can also switch out colors with additional fiber optic which also means you could replace any that were damaged should that happen.
Much like the factory sight, the Hi-Viz sight can fold flat and be used with optics if they have see through bases. The sight picture is nearly identical to the standard 10/22 sight. Hi-Viz sights are adjustable but the adjustment on them is a little finicky to get right.
6. Williams Gun Sight Firesights – Ruger 22
There is a point in between for those who feel like they need the visibility of fiber but in a peep sight design, Williams Gun Sight does offer their Fire Sights with a traditional peep sight. This is not the GI style sights of Tech Sight but a true competition style aperture sight.
Mounting is identical to the Tech Sights above but slightly more care will need to be taken as this peep sight has no built-in adjustment. Instead, the rear sight has its own dovetail that serves as the only adjustment point.
The Fire Sight Peep Sight is capable of being plenty accurate as long as you are willing to fiddle with the setup to get it right! The red front sight is easily visible, bright, and feels sturdy. For the peep sight purist, this would be the best choice.
WHICH SIGHTS ARE BEST FOR YOU
What sight works best for a person is dependent on a number of factors. Not only preferences and need but also a person’s vision and eye dominance can play factors as well. One thing that won’t be an issue is cost. These sights range from approximately $20 to less than $80. That’s dirt cheap for just about any firearm accessory.
- For a person with poor vision, any of the high vis sights are going to work well but peep sights may cause some issues, especially in less than perfect light. It’s just one of those things you will have to assess for yourself and see what works best. The same is true of people with cross eye dominance who may trouble with small aperture peep sights. Still, with so many great hi-viz options, there are plenty of choices that should greatly improve your rifle.
- If a cheap alternative to training with your AR platform is your goal, either of the TSR sights would suit you very well. But if money is tight, don’t rule out the Williams Gun Sights with the rear peep. It may not be perfect but it is a pretty close approximation.
Source:tech-sights.com
- If you are looking to use your rifle for more than just a range toy and training gun, the hi-vis options are a fine choice. Improving your sight visibility and low light capabilities will round out your gun far better than the AR style sights or a regular peep sight. With practice, they are plenty accurate. They are also more like the traditional sights on a factory rifle which makes them great for teaching fledgling shooters.
- For a competition rifle, I would choose a peep sight every time with a preference to the more purist model offered by Williams Gun Sights. There is simply no competition when it comes to accuracy. Dead set against that, I would probably take the TSR200 which is close to a true peep sight.
- The particular 10/22 you have will also bear consideration. Not all these sights will fit every rifle. If you have a bull barrel 10/22, the only options above that will fit your rifle are the Tech Sights and only then with an adapter, sold separately of course. If you have a carbine, the TRUGLO is not compatible. Any of the above sights will fit the standard model 10/22.
- The one thing we haven’t addressed is durability. I have a 10/22 takedown that I use on long backpacking trips. It gets shoved in a bag and beat around for mile after mile. The same may be true of the rifle kept in a truck or used in a lot of backwoods hunting. The Firesights models are not known for their ruggedness. If TRUGLO fits your rifle, they are known to be durable. The same goes for the Tech Sights models. They should easily take a beating.
Recommendations
This is the part I truly enjoy. What would I get and why? Let’s start with what I wouldn’t get: Firesights. Unless I was on a tight budget, they would be my last choice. This is mostly due to a less than rugged construction. I am rough on a gun sometimes and I need it to stand up to whatever happens.
In the market for a hi-viz style sight, I would choose the TRUGLO every time. If I could that is. They won’t fit a 10/22 Takedown. I would still feel fine picking the Hi-Viz RG10/22 and, in fact, have picked that sight and love it. The fact that it folds flat is just extra protection against damage in a pack.
I have no interest in a peep sight for competition, but I do like a good aperture sight for training. For that, it’s the TSR100. I would pick this because it function is very close to the AR sights. They are also a very fun sight to shoot.
I hope this helps you find the sights you need for your plinker, range gun, varminter, or training weapon. Remember, “Aim small, miss small.”
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