Custom Squirrel Rifle

[eagle24]

I have two treeing feist pups that will be ready to go this squirrel season. I need some input on building a custom 10/22. My main 2 criteria are light weight and moa accuracy. I want a rifle that I can sling on my back and not know it's there until I need to knock a squirrel or coon out to the dogs. I'm leaning towards the Blackhawk Knoxx stock, standard ruger receiver, beyond that, I don't know much. I need rugged, but don't need a competition quality rifle. Probably a crisp 4-5 lb trigger will suffice. Give me some suggestions. I'm not really up to speed on all the available components.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Your on track and I would get a tactical light to use also. Rugers are the Caddies of customizable 22 rifles.

 

[Magoo]

How much of your money do we get to spend building this rifle?

 

[rcmodel]

I have a box stock 10/22 I bought in 1967 that will do all that with good ammo it likes.

If I was in the market today, I'd give some serious consideration to the new take-down model:

http://www.gunsandammo.com/reviews/ruger-1022-takedown-review/

http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-1022TD.htm

rc

 

[jmorris]

I need some input on building a custom 10/22. My main 2 criteria are light weight and moa accuracy. I want a rifle that I can sling on my back and not know it's there until I need to knock a squirrel or coon out to the dogs.

MOA at what distance? Every rifle made will do that if you put the target to the muzzle. If you want one that you can carry that you don't know is there the AR7 is super light and will do the job fine if your shooting stuff out of trees. For that matter a suppressed pistol is even better.

 

[CraigC]

You don't really need much to knock a coon out of a tree. Still hunting for squirrels is another matter entirely, depending on how much range you need. You don't really want it to be too light because then you lose a lot of off-hand stability. You absolutely do not want a steel heavy barrel on a walkabout rifle either. Green Mountain offers some very good sporter barrels at attractive prices. You can also have the factory barrel set back, rechambered and recrowned. Ruger does not make a bad barrel, they just cut sloppy chambers. You can also get a mid-weight barrel from Clark or Shilen. I have a Clark mid-weight on my last build but the rifle still goes just over 7lbs with iron sights. Have them cut it to 16.25" and it knocks that down to 6.5lbs. Your synthetic stock will probably cut that to 6lbs.

 

[davewil37]

"MOA at what distance? Every rifle made will do that if you put the target to the muzzle."

Minute of Angle does not depend on the distance. MOA is the same at 10 yards, 100 yards or 1000 yards, only the actual measurement changes with distance, ie, 1 MOA is approx 1.047 inches at 100 yards or 10.47 inches at 1000 yards but it would still be 1 MOA.

Dave

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

doesn't take a very nice or expensive rifle for squirrels. last year i mostly used a $100 Marlin 795 with a $30 Simmons 22mag scope and a Leapers one-piece mount.

even have proof. they were shot still hunting sitting on that bucket. the few that aren't headshots were shot running: http://www.thewolfweb.com/photos/00524387.jpg

i must say, i changed up to a CZ 455 American and prefer it over the 795.

 

[CraigC]

Minute of Angle does not depend on the distance.

Actually, in the context of a rifle's accuracy, it does. Because a rifle that shoots 1MOA at 100yds will not do so at 1000yds. Just as a .22LR that shoots MOA at 50yds will typically shoot 1.5MOA at 100yds. So the question was legitimate. For it is rather easy to get a 10/22 to shoot MOA at 50yds but to get one to do so at 100yds is a little more difficult. You typically need ½-¾MOA at 50yds to shoot MOA at 100yds. Same rifle will not shoot better than 2MOA at 200yds. Accuracy of the .22LR begins to fall apart somewhere around 75yds.

 

[Ky Larry]

When I used to hunt, and my eyesight was good, I carried a Remington Model-514 single shot for tree rats. It weighed very little and, with iron sights, was deadly out to 50 yrds. Why do you feel the need for a semiauto? Just curious.

 

[helotaxi]

"MOA at what distance? Every rifle made will do that if you put the target to the muzzle."

Minute of Angle does not depend on the distance. MOA is the same at 10 yards, 100 yards or 1000 yards, only the actual measurement changes with distance, ie, 1 MOA is approx 1.047 inches at 100 yards or 10.47 inches at 1000 yards but it would still be 1 MOA.

As purely a unit of measure you are correct. As a measure of rifle accuracy, not so much. My box-stock 10/22 is probably close to an MOA rifle at 50yds. I'm lucky if its a 5MOA rifle at 100yds. Ammo has a lot to do with that as I usually shoot the cheap stuff, but I have no illusions about what I can expect that rifle to do even with premium ammo. It isn't a 100yd MOA rifle.

A budget would be good to know. A Volquartsen tensioned barrel would be the pinnacle of light and accurate but it isn't the pinnacle of affordable. I would make sure to budget for good glass as well. Picking out a brown/grey squirrel off a brown/grey background in inconsistent lighting isn't easy and crappy optics can make it nigh impossible.

 

[R H Clark]

I've never been a fan of the 10/22.I would get an Anschutz,Sako or if on a budget a CZ 452.You can make a 10/22 shoot but you will have about the same money into it as a good Annie 1416.

I would also go much lighter on the trigger.My 1416 is set at 1.2 lbs.I do have experience with light triggers though.

I gave $600 for my 1416 without the leupold VXII 4-12


This is a 50 yard 5 shot group with Wolf MT (on a good day)

 

[eagle24]

Guys, I appreciate the replies. I know what is needed to hunt squirrels. Have several .22's that will do the task. I just have a hankering to build a light weight, short custom 10/22. My hunting is mostly about the dogs and sometimes carrying ANY rifle is my least favorite part of it. If I had my choice, I'd be carrying the Garmin to track the dogs and have a couple of youngsters along to tote guns and do the shooting when they tree. The guy I got one of my pups from carries a mag research with the axiom stock and light weight optics. I was impressed with the compact size and weight.

R.H. Clark are you a trad bow shooter? If so, we know each other.

 

[R H Clark]

Yes,I shoot trad.I remember you now. Good luck with your 10/22 my friend.I think the guy at the Russellville True Value has some experience with them.he might give you some info.

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

I just have a hankering to build a light weight, short custom 10/22.

well, why didn't you say so?

go start reading the 10/22 section on rimfire central. plenty of info there to get you up to speed on customizing the 10/22.

 

[GooseGestapo]

I too vote for getting a CZ-452. I've got one, and with select ammo and calm air, it will shoot MOA at 100yds.
Secondly, a T/C Contender with carbine stock and carbine bbl (mine is 21"); it too comes very close to the CZ for accuracy, but is a single shot. But too, I have a 7-30Waters barrel for it also.
It may cost $$$ to get the 10/22 to shoot like you "want".
I have a Remington 595 in a Boyds Pepper Laminate stock that will shoot under 1" at 50yds. I built a couple of 10/22's that wouldn't do that even with $$$ barrels...
If you just have to have an auto, get the Remington and stone the trigger as I did. I hear-tell some of the Marlins shoot well too.
My "favorite" .22 to take with the Feist is a Marlin Mod-39M. I like an exposed hammer and ability to leave a spent round in the chamber (or better yet an empty chamber) for safety..... With iron-sights, it shoots as well as I can see...

I also have Feist's. Wonderful little dogs. My current one will even retrieve ducks/doves and tracks wounded deer/game. She found two deer this past year that were hit well but would have been lost w/o her nose/ability to track game. (bleed outs that kept running...). Better hunting companion than any of my family!!! Then again, she IS one of the family....
My wife and I cried/grieved for 6mos after I lost the previous one in Dec. '06 to Parvo Virus, even though she'd been vacinated... (the dog, that is!)..
I revacinate every year now for Parvo!

 

[CraigC]

I have a Remington 595 in a Boyds Pepper Laminate stock that will shoot under 1" at 50yds. I built a couple of 10/22's that wouldn't do that even with $$$ barrels...

There's something wrong with a 10/22 that won't shoot 1" out of the box. There's something REALLY wrong with one that won't do it with any aftermarket barrel.

 

[gbran]

Nobody wants to lug a heavy rifle thru the woods, but there is a downside to the real lightweights. They are harder to stabilize aim than a heavier rifle, unless you can find a rest or something to lean against. You're shooting minute of squirrel, not hogs.

 

[eagle24]

Yep. I agree with the downside to lightweight, but 98% of the time I am carrying. I can find a good rest most times and just want to knock them out to the dogs. Carry = 99% for me. I want light weight most and by far.

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

the 10/22 is pretty light out of the box

 

[Eb1]

I don't know much about a 10/22 except that I don't care for them.

I shoot a Marlin Mod 60 that shoots MOA @ 100 yards, and have proven it with targets on the sight. It wears a $45 dollar 3x9x32, and it is dead on a sqack killer.
But I just bought my daughter a T/C Hot Shot. It weighs 3 lbs, and I will be taking it squak hunting this year, despite it being a single shooter. It has a 19" barrel, and is really accurate.

Good luck with your 10/22. Show pics when you get it.

 

[tc54]

as previously mentioned, go to rimfirecentral.com. you'll find everything you want to know about building a light 10/22. good luck with your soon-to-be squirrel rifle.

 

[Jubjub]

My squirrel gun. Volquartsen carbon fiber barrel, Weaver 6X scope, Fajen synthetic stock, trigger job. Weighs just under six pounds with scope and sling. Slung muzzle down, it's out of the way tucked in behind my arm, with the muzzle beside my knee.

Shoots well under 1/2" groups at 50 yards with my hunting ammo, Eley subsonic hollow points.

 

[hardluk1]

Maybe the lightest barrel out there that can still shoot under 3/8" groups at 50 yards is a Clark Customs 16.25" midweight at 29oz. Its lighter than most of the carbon barrels too. Great. If you want a normal looking stocks thats also real light Hogue over molded or the lighter yet plan molded stock. The overmolded stock still offers good grip in rainly weather with a pistol grip poaking at you. Trigger groups. Kidd has a under 2 lb trigger parts group now that would make for the best bang for the buck in triggers improvement if wanted. Guess you have your scope figured out.

 

[Magoo]

It seems like the last three posts have finally gotten down to the core of your question. You want a light, accurate 10/22. I still don't know your budget, but since a Kidd trigger was mentioned I'll go ahead and chime in.

When chasing accuracy from 10/22s most folks go in the order (0f importance) of:
1. trigger
2. barrel
3. bolt
4. bedding, pillaring, etc.

If a Kidd trigger is in the budget ($200+) absolutely buy one and you wont regret it. There are DIY kits (of highly varying quality- see RFC) and plenty of folks that will do a trigger job for less than $100. If you want a sub 2lb trigger go with Kidd. If you want a very nice 2-3 pound trigger send your pack out for work. If you want a decent 3-5 pound trigger buy a kit ( i.e. power custom).


2 and 3 often get swapped in order because it's ~$50 to get a bolt headspaced, radiused, pinned, and polished. You'll get better cycling reliability, more consistent ignition, and less "flyers".

You'll have to tell us more about your willingness to trade weight for accuracy. The better barrels are (often well) in excess of $150. A cheap, lightweight option would be to get your factory barrel rechambered and crowned (~$50). I doubt the accuracy of the best Clarks, Kidds, VQs, et al would be realized in a gun shot offhand.


Other than choice of barrel none of that has to do with wieght. The standard birch carbine stock isn't very heavy though .

I don't have anything useful to add about optics other than there are inexpensive alternatives to the lousy rail Ruger provides in the box.