22 lr rifle accurcy

[BruM]

I’m looking at an old 22 blot rifle I have and considering as a project, and wondering what are the primary factors that affect accuracy of 22s. Barrel length, chamber design or other factors.

 

[MachIVshooter]

can you be more specific? What do you plan to do with this thing? What kind of accuracy are you looking for?

 

[BruM]

really an educational question. What could I do if I wanted to improve accuracy of an old rifle? More theoretical than any specific plans but when I look at this old rifle, Sears version of a Marlin 80 I get to wondering if I should just give it away or play with it.

Of course I first would have to measure its absolute accuracy but that is another thread.

 

[22-rimfire]

Same things affect 22LR accuracy as in other rifles. They include trigger weight, barrel, barrel bedding, crown, and chamber tightness. The shooter has a great deal to do with how well a 22 shoots. Enjoy your project.

 

[dougw47]

.22's

I love old .22 rifles, buy and sell or trade and play with them.

I picked up a Sears J.C Higgins 2200 semi-auto that the crown was messed up on...it functions slick, I think it is a Mossberg.

I believe I will spend the $$ to put a target crown on it, that is another project gun for me. It is fun.

 

[birdshot8's]

i have always been told to season the barrel by shooting 10-20 rounds before accessing your 22 rimfires accuracy. the theory was the bullet lube and lead fouling would fill out the barrels imperfections. i have never tested this advise but have always followed it after i cleaned a rifle. i seldom clean a 22 LR barrel, but every now and then will swab it out, especially after getting caught in the rain.

 

[OHtard]

ammo seems to be one of the big factors in my rifle. its an anshutz 64 mpr, it shoots amazingly well with wolf, eley, or sk if i put any federal, remington ect. in it the groups more than double at 50, and even worse at 100..

 

[Swiftman]

Not all 22 have the same chamber length , my 541s rem. engraves the bullet in the rifling when loaded not all do this some 541T's did not have target chambers cut into them and can effect accuracy,
the constancy of the ammo you fire probably has as much to do with accuracy as anything.
The old guns can very in barrel diameter also, but shooting several brands of ammo though one will find out if it will shoot or not and is just plain fun to do.
Or you can buy a CZ 452 or 455 and quit looking for accuracy, you will have all you need. My buddy has 2, 452's in 22 rimfire that will shoot 1.5 inch or less groups at 150 yards they will shoot as good or better than my 541S Rem

 

[jester_s1]

It's mostly the bore, crown, and trigger in .22's. I can't tell that bedding and barrel weight affect them as much as in centerfire rifles.

 

[richkratz]

My Remington model 5 is very accurate out to 100 yrds, after that you have to adjust to conditions.

 

[navyretired 1]

I've a 10-22 Ruger that I pimped up from hitting what I was shooting at to hitting the same hole. spent about $600 + the used gun and did all the mods myself, nothing custom but stainless barrel, Boyd's stock, and really good 1"scope, Opps make that $800spent. Now I can shoot the eye from a squirel instead of just shooting the squirel. Love that gun though.

 

[vaupet]

very nice on how to accurize a rifle

http://www.chuckhawks.com/affordable_accuracy.htm

greetz

peter

 

[madcratebuilder]

Chamber size has a major effect on accuracy. I can rechamber a 10/22 barrel and go from 3moa to 1moa @50yds. The ammo you use has a major effect. Then things like bedding, lighter trigger pull, sights, all have an effect. If you do not have a stabilized bullet when it leaves the barrel your fighting a loosing battle.

 

[22-rimfire]

I have always been told to season the barrel by shooting 10-20 rounds before accessing your 22 rimfires accuracy.

That too. Many will shoot 10-20 rounds to season the barrel when you switch ammo before shooting for best accuracy with that particular ammo.

 

[briang2ad]

Think about...

... an old Glenfield 20 or 25. It will need a trigger job, but it will be accurate. I have one that must have an 8 LB pull but wants t0 shoot 3/8" at 10 yards all the time. I have an old Bushell .22 scope, and the rig is about $100. Just needs a trigger job, and I'll bet it will shoot with the best.

 

[bhk]

Chamber, bore quality, and bedding all effect .22 accuracy. Most, if not all, target .22s have tight, short chambers that engrave the bullet when seated. Weight of the rifle can effect shooting stability. Quality of ammo is extremely important, and as the above poster mentioned Wolf, Ely, SK, and Lapua are all brands to try. None are cheap, but Wolf and SK may have the best accuracy/price ratio in most target guns. A good, light trigger aids in actual shooting. No matter how 'accurate' a rifle is, if you can't shoot it acccurately it doesn't matter. This is the function of a great trigger (and LOTS of practice).

When I retired a few years ago, I built a 'project' gun for backyard benchrest. I started with a Sako Finnfire action, and then put a Lilja barrel and a Jewell 2 oz. trigger on it (yes, the pull is 2 oz.!). With a 20 power Leupold scope, it shoots .25 inch groups (and often better) at 50 yards. Fun gun.

 

[ms6852]

There are many factors that also affect accuracy that it not related to the rifle itself. Point of Aim, sight picture , trigger control , breathold, shooting between your heart beat, etc. Many times when shooting at targets and your bullet holes are all over the place the reasons mentioned above were not duplicated. For example, your point of aim was not exactly the same as the first shot taken. You may have pointed at the center of the target but did you notice where your sight picture was in relation to your point of aim. Such as were your cross hairs exactly at the center of the target or a little left or right or maybe just a hair up or down. It is all about repeating everything exactly the same. When you finally squeezed the trigger was your follow through complete. In other words once you have fired did your cross hairs remain in the center of the target. If not where they were aiming is usually where the point of impact will occur. When you squeeze the trigger you may move the barrel of the rifle just before the bullet exits. That is why follow through is important in making sure you still have a good sight picture. Shooting 22lr is the best way to practice your marksman because it amplifies your mistakes. Good ammos helps. I like to use bulk ammo because it is cheap but remember that it is not reliable, but it helps in practicing breathing, trigger control, and follow through. When you are finally ready to shoot groups than practice with premium ammo.

 

[Ky Larry]

The main factor that affects accuracy with mt T/C Classic is ammo. Trash ammo(Win Wilcat, Rem Golden, etc) will give trash results. Good ammo (Ely, CCI Green Tag, CCI Comp) will give good results. YMMV.

 

[rangerruck]

agree with some of the other dudes; you can literally have a piece of crap 22, but find the right ammo for it, and WOW!!!! It'll shoot lights out... usually with only 1 or if lucky 2 diff ammos.
Find a good 22 , with a great trigger, great chamber, and great bbl, and it will be super accurate, with a wide variety of ammo's.

 

[Owen]

before you change the barrel, i'd give it a good cleaning and see what it will do.

 

[cornman]

What is a target crown?

 

[WNTFW]

Cornman,
Target crown pics:
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=target+crown&gbv=2&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

 

[Independent]

The theory behind a "target crown" is that the expanding propellant gases need a way to escape that does not upset the heel of the bullet as it exits the barrel. The two main types of target crown are a recessed crown, (often seen in bull or fluted barrels) and the chamfered crown, usually about an 11* radius. Either method works, but may or may not serve to actually tighten groups significantly. Generally, I start with bedding the action, improving the trigger and improving the sights or scope mount and working from there. With .22LRs the ammo is the most common critical link. Figuring out exactly which target rounds your particular arm favors is probably the best first step prior to any other accurizing work. That said, it's nearly impossible to group well with a crappy mass produced trigger or with a barrel that doesn't consistantly lie in the stock the exact same way.

 

[22 lover]

have found that measuring rim thickness on rimfire rounds and sorting into batches of within 1 thou improves groups,by giving you less flyers wish i could afford my own measuring thing my mate took his with him when he moved.