Max effort 10/22 accuracy build.

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R.W.Dale

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You know over the past 20 years of being an avid shooter, reloading, Ar building, wildcatting and even bullet casting one gun I’ve never remotely been interested in owning was a 10/22

But now I have the itch to build a max accuracy effort 10/22 for our local rimfire benchrest matches.

First I would love to hear about your accuracy builds and how well they do or don’t shoot.

Second: Do you suggest even buying a Ruger to begin with or building a completely aftermarket rifle like you would an AR15?
 
The only remaining part left on my '80s era 10/22 is the receiver. As these things go, it's an easy build. It's been a few years since I rebuilt it so I don't remember every detail

McMillian Anshutz style stock let in for bull barrel.
ER Shaw target crown bull barrel
Volquartsen bolt, trigger, v-block, and rail
Poly recoil dampner

Will fire 10 rounds through the same-ish hole at 25yards from a sled. That said, it was close to $1000 in parts. Might be better off just buying a Anshutz target rifle.

.40
 
Wow! What timing? Yesterday I shot my 10-22 "build", 30 years in the making. Standard 10-22, birch stock bought on closeout from a closing sports store. I did a few things, V hammer, fiber buffer, barrel block. No biggies. At the same time I had two different Ruger target models which left me wanting. A good friend offered me a Jard trigger group for a nice price (bought it,) and a year ago gave me a Ruger laminated target stock, free floated. I bought a Shaw bull barrel with Bentz chamber. Put it all together and added a 6-24X Bushnell scope with fine cross hairs and mil-dots. Total outlay, $500. Yesterday I took it and my 1926 Win 52 for a trial. 52 was a disappointment but Ruger, 42 year old Eley Club, several five shot groups under 1/2" at 50 yards. Fed automatch, 3/4". CCI green tag, sorted by weight and rim thickness, waste of time. CCI std vel, no better. Got done shooting groups and started popping clay bird fragments on the hillside at 110-140 yards from the bags. 4/5 per magazine using the third mildot down. Next, the local club 50 meter match. Still going to try some other match ammo. Forgot, Wolff match extra, five in 3/8".
 
I grew up shooting a 10/22 and several years ago, wife bought me a 10/22 Take Down for Christmas.

When I was doing accuracy comparison with 20+ 22LR ammo at 25/50 yards, I found no matter how much I tightened the barrel ring, any pressure on the forearm affected groups at 50 yards.

So I bought a 10/22 Collector #3 with synthetic stock and free-floated the barrel to capture every 10 shot group out of the box and documented almost 3000 rounds to show effects of trigger break-in and rifling wear - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...lector-3-break-in.859106/page-2#post-11351163

And after capturing smallest average 50 yard 10 shot group size of sub 1"; instead of accurizing the 10/22, I decided to buy Thompson Center T/CR22 that is already accurized in all aspect with last round bolt hold open magazine for less than the price of upgrade parts (I think $279?) - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...50-yard-22lr-ammo-comparison-break-in.864241/

I have taken a break from shooting during pandemic (Mostly to help out my aging parents in another state) but my initial testing with T/CR22 produced smaller groups than 10/22 with broken-in trigger and free-floated barrel.

So take a look at T/CR22 as another option to start off with (It will take all standard 10/22 parts) as I am hoping for around 0.5" groups at 50 yards with more accurate ammo (I now have 25+ to choose from).
Second: Do you suggest even buying a Ruger to begin with
You can even buy Performance Center T/CR22 that produced .22" group at 50 yards out of the box (I know you want to "build" but how about starting out with a rifle that is already accurate? ;)) - https://www.gunsandammo.com/editorial/performance-center-tcr22-review/365444

"Range Performance - The best five-shot group of the day at 50 yards came with Eley ammunition and measured .22 inch. The average five-shot group with that ammunition measured .38 inch. Such accuracy is unusual for any production rifle"​
 
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Nothing fancy or expensive, but I've replaced barrels on a couple and went to the BX trigger on one. The other I had a gunsmith smooth up. I've been able to do pretty well as far as 250 yards. All of the rifles below will shoot MOA at 100 yards. I usually shoot 36 gr CCI Mini Mags. I get ever so slightly better accuracy at 50 yards with target ammo. But when I start shooting beyond 100 yards the trajectory becomes too much of a handicap.



IMG_1575.JPG

The above was 6 hits out of 8 shots at 250 yards with the rifle on the top. The 7th, and largest hit was 223 from my AR. That is a Cabela's branded barrel I bought years ago for $100 along with a 6X SWFA scope and Hogue stock. This is the one with the trigger worked on by a smith. But the $400 Tikka below it out shoots every 22 I own.

IMG_1571.JPG

The factory VTR, (now discontinued, top rifle) is almost as accurate. More so than the CZ in the photo. No mods to this one, but it is also a shooter.

IMG_1572.JPG

I bought this one as a cheap truck gun, $180 for the rifle. But accuracy was truly bad and I couldn't live with it as is so I put a Ruger BX trigger in it. ( about $90). Still not accurate enough so I bought a standard profile ER Shaw barrel from Midway @ $100. So now I'm at almost $400, but it does shoot much better now.

The 1-4X scope is a bit of a handicap, but I can get 2-3 hits per mag on clay targets sitting on the ground at 250 yards with it once I get the hold over figured out.

IMG_1584.JPG
 
You'll be wanting a 2 groove Benchmark barrel fitted, a Kidd 3oz/3ounce two stage trigger and a Kidd bolt to start the build. Everything else is just window dressing. A Kidd heavy barrel will be close to a Benchmark, but if you want the absolute best ... autobenchrestassociation.com is one group you can compete in.
 
I grew up shooting a 10/22 and several years ago, wife bought me a 10/22 Take Down for Christmas.

When I was doing accuracy comparison with 20+ 22LR ammo at 25/50 yards, I found no matter how much I tightened the barrel ring, any pressure on the forearm affected groups at 50 yards.

So I bought a 10/22 Collector #3 with synthetic stock and free-floated the barrel to capture every 10 shot group out of the box and documented almost 3000 rounds to show effects of trigger break-in and rifling wear - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...lector-3-break-in.859106/page-2#post-11351163

And after capturing smallest average 50 yard 10 shot group size of sub 1"; instead of accurizing the 10/22, I decided to buy Thompson Center T/CR22 that is already accurized in all aspect with last round bolt hold open magazine for less than the price of upgrade parts (I think $279?) - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...50-yard-22lr-ammo-comparison-break-in.864241/

I have taken a break from shooting during pandemic (Mostly to help out my aging parents in another state) but my initial testing with T/CR22 produced smaller groups than 10/22 with broken-in trigger and free-floated barrel.

So take a look at T/CR22 as another option to start off with (It will take all standard 10/22 parts) as I am hoping for around 0.5" groups at 50 yards with more accurate ammo (I now have 25+ to choose from).

You can even buy Performance Center T/CR22 that produced .22" group at 50 yards out of the box (I know you want to "build" but how about starting out with a rifle that is already accurate? ;)) - https://www.gunsandammo.com/editorial/performance-center-tcr22-review/365444

"Range Performance - The best five-shot group of the day at 50 yards came with Eley ammunition and measured .22 inch. The average five-shot group with that ammunition measured .38 inch. Such accuracy is unusual for any production rifle"​
Ditto...
I also bought the t/c performance rifle rather than a target 10-22
 

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There was a Clark custom 10/22 on the prize table one year at Louisiana State championship, it has a Lothar Walther barrel on it, laminated wood stock and I put a pride Fowler 3-9 on it. It will put 5 shots into .275” at 60 yards.
 
Second:

I would buy a Remington 40x action or a 40x clone and build a bolt gun from there if I were shooting rimfire benchrest matches.
 
As I said earlier, I've had two factory 10-22 target guns, one blue, one stainless. Both liked to throw the first shot from a magazine out from 1/4 to 3/8". I won't waste match ammo by shooting the first one into the berm. I built another target gun using a Midway kit of stock and barrel. Not much better than a stock 10-22. I'm convinced the trick that worked for me is the good Shaw barrel, Bentz chamber, and Jard trigger. Have a bunch more ammo to try yet.
This thing might be as good as my CZ 455 and better than the old Savage-Anschutz 141.
 
I like to keep my guns stock... at most change grip panels on my revolvers. My 1977 10/22 is same as it left the factory. But then again, am not a competition shooter, just a plinker.
View attachment 954259

Sand that terrible finish off the walnut stock and refinish it... You'll be glad you did

Heres a 71 or 72 10/22 I just refinished and fitted with a standard taper helical flute shaw barrel.

index.php
 
If you need a semi-auto for shooting in certain matches, it's difficult and could be expensive to get one to shoot under 1/2" at 50 yards. If rapid fire is not part of the matches, it would be best to find a good bolt-action and have a great match barrel, including match-quality chamber, installed.

My 10-22 has an aluminum receiver, which is quite flexible, so I bedded the barrel and receiver, applying about 7 lbs of barrel uplift at the end of the factory Sporter stock. There are other mods to trigger, firing pin, operating handle mods to prevent binding the firing pin (infamous first-shot flyer elimination), and stock-stiffening bedding that needs to be done. A fat match-quality barrel is needed also. After all that, if it shoots sub-half inch at 50 yards, you might win some semi-auto matches, but it's on you.

One of several bolt-action alternatives: A Tikka 455 with a .22LR heavy/fluted barrel, pillar-bedded action, floated barrel, adjusted (or replaced) trigger will probably shoot as well as you need and shouldn't be as fussy about ammo as a semi-auto.

Another option would be an Anschutz or other quality target rifle. Tight chamber, corrected firing pin nose, and smoothing to eliminate firing pin drag are important. There are some good tips on RimfireBenchrest.com Tips and Tricks forum.

Another option might be to buy a used target rifle and have the barrel cut off and re-chambered, or replaced.
JP
 
For 10/22 hard to argue with KIDD.

I personally, like their receivers with the keyed attachment point on the back of the receiver for more stable mounting into a stock and provides another area of bedding.
 
There is no sense in "rebuilding a $200 10/22. When all is said and done, you will have replaced everything. Kinda like building a car from parts

Go over to Rim Fire Central and see the insanity of what guys do to a 10/22!!

But then I do not see the reason being building a AR either, I like them and just spent little more money to buy a good enough one that was less then me fiddling around with parts.

As mentioned do you need semi auto? If not there are many factory (expensive bolt action tack drivers) Heck a CZ bolt is more accurate than most people can shoot and "cheap"

Some ideas

https://shootersden2.com/post/best-22-lr-semi-automatic-performance-rifles-2020

https://shootersden2.com/post/most-accurate-22-rifle-out-of-the-box
 
It's on it third handle and second head but it has been a good old axe... :D

iJFfJsP.jpg
My ~39 year old 10/22. The only thing original is the receiver, bolt (all bolt internals replaced) and the trigger housing and magazine latch parts. The fire control has been upgraded and so has the barrel. This is probably not a Maximum effort build but it is ramping up this past year as I am using this old 10/22 for NRL22 matches that I have been shooting for the past few months.

Assuming I remember all the parts correctly:
-Clerke Custom Bull Barrel 20-inch
-Volquartsen HP Action Kit but I replace the hammer spring with a Wolf extra power.
-Volquartsen extractor and extractor spring
-Volquartsen titanium firing pin
-The stock is an old Butler Creek but I am shopping for an upgrade (https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/looking-for-a-prs-chassis-stock-for-a-10-22.880515/)
-Athlon Talos BTR 4-14x44 scope, currently on an old flat hybrid Weaver & 3/8 dovetail Rail and Weaver 4-hole Rings but if UPS comes through I will be moving it to a longer EGW 20-MOA Picatinny Rail and Vortex Pro rings later today.
-Cadwell Sling stud to Picatinny adapter (slick gadget for the price, https://www.caldwellshooting.com/rests/bipods/pic-rail-adaptor-plate/156716.html) to allow me to mount my Atlas PSR bipod and still have a sling point.

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It shoots OK :D, 5-shot 50-yard group.
 
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Rhetoric to the contrary aside, there is a lot of merit in building off a complete rifle. You may not want to do it all at one time but incrementally, depending on results. However, if you mission from the start is accuracy, you might as well start with an aftermarket receiver. Due more to the fact that you'll want an aftermarket trigger assembly and match bolt, rather than anything inherently wrong with the Ruger receiver. An aftermarket receiver will be better machined and finished but I have yet to see any comprehensive test showing better accuracy over a Ruger receiver. The main thing is not to go cheap on the barrel. Everything begins and ends with the barrel. A $100 barrel will likely hardly shoot better than the factory barrel. A good barrel $200 and up for a Clark, KIDD, Shilen, Lilja, etc., is the place to start. There's a lot to say for a one stop shop like KIDD for a receiver, barrel, bolt and trigger. Or even their chassis as well.
 
Kidd, victor company titan, or maybe a krg 10/22 bravo stock. But good gear first, then spend time buying good ammo,
 
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