Stock 10/22.....Where do you go from here?

Shoot it first, as a baseline.

Ruger bx trigger and a in-lbs Torque wrench, half decent scope.

I am currently here, but it will likely evolve more.


There are so many after market parts you can go lots of directions depending on your use.

The best bang for your buck barrels were green mountain, don't know if there making many these days tho.

amd6547 said:

Shoot it first, as a baseline.

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^^^^ this!

I am biased to a trigger first. I like Kidd, but expensive….https://www.coolguyguns.com/TRIGGERS_c_7.html

A lot of people get great results doing the work themselves, or getting their trigger reworked…I have read good things about https://brimstonegunsmithing.com/shop/ruger-10-22/ruger-10-22/

Before you do anything, decide what you want to end up with. Mine went from a handy small game hunting and woods-walking carbine to a heavy-barreled, silhouette stocked "target" rifle that never gets carried in the field. I'm itching to buy another one that I can leave in stock form.

Depends on the type of shooting you most enjoy. There is no one modification that fits everyone's goals.

My 10/22 is a stainless 22" barreled full length stock rifle with Tech-Sights and a Volquartsen trigger. It does everything I want it to do and I enjoy punching paper, plinking cans and ringing steel out to 100 yards with it. It is by no means a benchrest rifle. It's not the lightest, most handy field carbine either. But it still puts a smile on my face every time I take it out of the closet.

desmobob said:

Before you do anything, decide what you want to end up with. Mine went from a handy small game hunting and woods-walking carbine to a heavy-barreled, silhouette stocked "target" rifle that never gets carried in the field. I'm itching to buy another one that I can leave in stock form.

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Good luck with only one more

This may sound crazy but a super accurate 10/22 can get boring, I've built the last 4 I've had now I'd just like to keep one original.

Trigger job and a scope and call it done. If I was inclined to do more than that I would get a Kidd ultralight barrel and probably a boyds pro varmint stock

I've had mine for years .... It's still all original and gets shot often.
Very few of my guns get "upgrades".
Even my 1911's .... Maybe a grip change and replacement of worn parts

Volquartsen Target Hammer for about $45, CPC bolt rework is about $50, then find someone to rework the factory barrel's chamber and call it good. I would guess you should be under $200 total.
I went down the rabbit hole and am sitting at just a tick under $1000 total cost (original 10/22 included) and it shoots no better than my $250 Savage FV-SR. Live and learn.

A new 10/22 is definitely a deep rabbit hole. I like my stock carbines for truck/desert beater guns. They are more than accurate for jack rabbits and general plinking. For hunting I like my 10/22 with a Magpul stock, Kidd lightweight bull barrel and Volquartsen target hammer. I also have a few other role specific builds. I would think about what you want to end up with and then go in that direction.

Edit to add that I do all the work myself.

I would set a goal first. What is your accuracy/performance goal? If it meets that out of the box spend the $1000 bucks on ammo.

“10 shots inside 1/2 @ 50 yards.” Will have different requirements than “10 shots inside 1 1/2” @ 50 yards.

That said, having one of both the above would be cheaper than “Most accurate”. That’s a never ending expense. Sometimes setting a goal isn’t as much about reaching the achievement as it is knowing when to stop.

Brownells used to have nice aftermarket 10/22 action, they looked nice. Think they had machined in rails to. I remember thinking next custom 10/22 I do I'll use one of those actions.

T/CR-22, $330. Maybe the PC model for $440. Extra magazines (3) $90. Done. Total cost $530 and it’s already in a Magpul stock with a good trigger.

Ok, ok, fine. Stock Compact model. I’d lighten the bolt to cycle with SV ammo. Cost: sandpaper for the belt sander and a few sheets from 120-400 grit, $10. I’d cut the bolt stop plate for auto release. Cost: hobby file set, $10. I’d re-cut the hammer hooks from positive to neutral. Cost: $0, you already have a set of small files and sand paper. Polish contact surfaces. $0. EGW 1913 rail for scope mounting. $36 on Amazon. Burris Signature rings. $35 on Amazon.

That’s $91 plus the rifle, which on Black Friday should be available in some guise for $200-$250 somewhere. A scope within budget. Eventually a Feddersen 18” contoured profile barrel, $195. $286 + rifle.

I didn’t find that much needed improving on the stock configuration, but all I use mine for is punching paper at the range. Since my eyesight is starting to suck, I tend to focus (see what I did there?) on sighting enhancements. At the moment I have a Lasermax barrel band and a cheap 3-9x scope. Recently added a cheap bipod so I don’t have to lug a shooting rest along. Nifty little rifle!

The stock on the standard carbine does not fit me at all. Especially for scope use so I'd either buy the sporter version to begin with or replace the stock. If you like the standard stock it works, it just doesn't fit me.

The trigger needs to be better, I've never seen a factory trigger I could live with. If you have access to a gunsmith who will work on it the factory trigger can be pretty good after some work. If not the Ruger BX trigger is good enough for me at around $90. You can spend more, and I'm sure they can be adjusted lighter, but I can live with the BX trigger. Ruger should make that trigger standard. I currently have 3 Ruger 10/22's. One had the factory trigger worked over, 2 have the BX trigger.

Barrels... that would depend on how lucky you are and your accuracy requirements. Some factory barrels seem to be just fine, some are unacceptable to me. You just have to shoot and see what you think.

If you have an older rifle I'd replace the mag release with an extended version. It is a cheap and easy modification. Newer rifles come with it.

Years ago I took a standard SS 10/22 and added an18" bull barrel bought from Cabelas. It was their store brand at the time but I think it was made by Green mountain. I had a smith work over the trigger and put it in a Hogue stock. It is still my most accurate 10/22. Top rifle



The 2nd one is stock other than the BX trigger. It is one of the now discontinued LVT models. It has a sporter barrel with a medium contour 20" clean barrel barrel.





The 3rd is one I bought cheap that I intended to keep stock and use as a truck gun. But accuracy was truly awful. The worst of any 10/22 I've ever owned. I found a standard contour replacement barrel from Midway for $100 and added a BX trigger. Later a Hogue stock. Even with a 1-4X scope on it this one now rivals the bull barreled one for accuracy.

E. R. Shaw Barrel Ruger 10/22 22 Long Rifle Sporter Contour 1 16 Twist (midwayusa.com)

This is what i did with the 10/22 i built for my daughter to use.

- Learn to do your own trigger work. This is a great place to start.
- Learn to glass bed the action into the stock, and free float the barrel (bed the first 3-4").
- Bed the barrel into the receiver with a wrap of aluminum foil.
- Try a couple brands of ammo, but start with Blazer 50gr lead RN.

After all that, if you're still bored, fire up the parts cannon and play swaptronics.

I haven't done a whole lot to mine. I put on a Hogue overmolded stock, and a Ruger BX trigger. I also have some 25 round mags for it. That's about all honestly - they're fun guns but if I'm going to trick out a gun it ain't gonna be a .22.

I trick out the .22s because I shoot them most often.