How accurate is your 10/22

[fpgt72]

Me too. But not just with Ruger. My most accurate 22 mag was a marlin 25. My least accurate one was another marlin 25, roughly the same year of manufacture although the better shooter had a nicer stock but the barrel appeared to be the same. I wonder what the difference in group sizes is with each model 10-22 or if it truly is random. My target model is terrible (hardwood stock, long stainless barrel, no band) . But a friend bought my great uncles standard early model 10-22 many years back and it was better. Looks like hell but clearly shoots better.

Here is another thing we are not talking about.....the gun itself.

Can we really "blame" Ruger, Marlin, Savage.....whoever for a "used" gun. This is something I go off on with surplus stuff.....you can't say that X or Y is garbage after it has been pulled out of a warehouse in who knows where smothered in cosmo, then you come along 70 years later.....shoot it and say, well these are all garbage and can't shoot for anything. People that do this are fools......the same goes with a "lowly" 22....the gun that is usually someones first gun....and the Ruger 10-22 is really the first "real" rifle many people get. How well do they take care of it.....are they putting the steel cleaning brush in a drill and running it up and down the barrel for 20 min at a wack.....then wondering why it does not shoot well and passing it off to someone else that will put a new carbon fiber wizz bang barrel on it......we don't know how it was taken care of.

In commenting on how something shoots I will always state if I am owner #1....fresh out of the box, new in box....whatever.

You can't gripe about how accurate a used gun is with any validity.....it says nothing about the initial product as you don't have the initial product.

 

[bassjam]

I've got a stainless model I bought new in 2003. My best group was 3/4" at 50 yards, of all things with Golden Bullets. But for the most part it's a 2 MOA gun. The only work was some very minor trigger tuning, for the most part it's stock. I bought a blued version around 2008, it was a 3 MOA gun out of the box. But I bought it as a project gun and put a .17 HM2 barrel and heavy bolt, also with some minor trigger work. It turned into a 3/4" MOA gun.

I've got a few buddies that have 10/22's, they are all bone stock and like mine are 2-3 MOA guns. These are all the regular carbine versions.

In my experience, the 10/22 needs some work to even reach the accuracy of a Marlin Model 60, which from the ones I've seen and shot I'd call a solid 1.5-2 MOA gun.

 

[crestoncowboy]

You can't gripe about how accurate a used gun is with any validity

In my case I bought the target model new. One of my first guns and during the AWB when all the good guns were banned or made less fun. And the old one that shoots good (better at least) is a warn out ugly abused gun. Also the Marlin that shot terrible was bought new by me and the one that shot great was used but not very much at all, looked new. I agree though a worn out gun will usually shoot terrible.

Ive not seen anyone use a drill and a brush although I'm sure it happens. Ive definitely seen people smack the crown repeatedly with the cleaning handle.

I'd say more 22s shoot terrible due to improper cleaning than barrel wear though honestly.

 

[crestoncowboy]

mutual swap?

I bet I have a stainless one somewhere I'd give away. Couldn't cost much to ship

 

[MihiT]

. I had a Ruger Target a few years ago that shot great except the first shot out of the magazine would be 1/4" to 3/8" out of the group...a couple points in our 50 meter matches. I had to load six, fire the first into the berm and then go for score. I refuse to single load an autoloader.

Quite a common scenario, the first round doesn't feed the same (Slide is hand released rather than inertia fed), what exact impact this has (bullet tip deformation?) I couldn't rightly say, but particularly on more accurate guns, will show up on the target.

 

[MihiT]

.

You can't gripe about how accurate a used gun is with any validity.....it says nothing about the initial product as you don't have the initial product.

I's say that it all averages out, for every gun kept in the boot of a car and never cleaned there'll be one that was cleaned every 50 shots and kept in a climate controlled gun room.
Given just how many are out there an average should show up.
But if you like, start a poll/thread asking about factory accuracy, that would be equally interesting but from what's even here, I'd say you can expect a factory 10/22 to be a 3+ minute gun, and it's your lucky day if you find 2 minute one.

 

[Tentwing]

MihiT, Your right....I meant to type 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch groups at 50. ..... I probably should refrain from posting when loaded up on antihistamines ... Damn pollen

 

[d2wing]

I have one I bought in the late 80's. It was more accurate than the US 44 Mossberg target rifle I had then. It always shot well. I put a heavy barrel, and Butler Creek stock on it over 25 years ago. It also wears a cheap Bushnell 4x scope I put on it then I always hit what I am aiming at. It has shot 1/4 inch at 25 yards with good ammo. Tested against my CZ's they shoot just a little better. A few years ago a guy tied me with a stock stainless steel 10/22 against my CZ American for first. I won the tie breaker but that was a darn accurate 10/22. I have heard that more modern versions aren't as reliably accurate. I don't know if it is true or not.

 

[fpgt72]

In my case I bought the target model new. One of my first guns and during the AWB when all the good guns were banned or made less fun. And the old one that shoots good (better at least) is a warn out ugly abused gun. Also the Marlin that shot terrible was bought new by me and the one that shot great was used but not very much at all, looked new. I agree though a worn out gun will usually shoot terrible.

Ive not seen anyone use a drill and a brush although I'm sure it happens. Ive definitely seen people smack the crown repeatedly with the cleaning handle.

I'd say more 22s shoot terrible due to improper cleaning than barrel wear though honestly.

I did not intend to single you out with my comment.....it just made me remember another general point.

IMHO we really can't gripe about used guns and go back to who made them, or even their general design......Now we all know that some designs should have NEVER been made....6.5 Vetterli conversion comes to mind.....but you can't say that Ruger makes a crappy 10-22 if the only examples you have based that statement on are used ones.

 

[crestoncowboy]

I did not intend to single you out with my comment....

I know. I was agreeing with you. I restore old vehicles in my down time and see it a lot there too. A hardcore chevy guy had one ford (or vice versa) with 300k on it and complains about how bad all fords ride or steer. Never mentioning the wear on everything.

 

[Thomas Mayberry]

My mid 80's 10-22 will consistently shoot into an inch at 50 yards with it's preferred ammo. That's good enough for me as it's a squirrel rifle. The only modifications I made to it is a Volquartsen hammer and a Burris 3-9 compact scope when I first bought it.

 

[Picher]

If a 10-22 bolt face is milled to rim thickness, it self-headspaces on each round, so sorting on rim thickness is unnecessary. Even rounds with extra rim thickness won't fire prematurely. (That's my 10-22 tip of the day.) I did mine on my belt sander...verrrry carefully!

 

[wanderinwalker]

Ah, a good 10/22 accuracy discussion!

My stock 10/22 Carbine is a 3-MOA gun, reliably, and sometimes it'll go to 2-MOA. Those are 10-shot groups fed from the magazine at 50 yards. It's an adequate plinker, but when put next to something like any of my CZ-452s, it's rather ho-hum. I keep tip-toeing into making the 10/22 more like what I *want* it to be, but I've resisted going whole-hog to date. So far it's in a Hogue Overmold stock, as the Ruger Carbine stock is a wee-bit on the short side for my preference. The magazine release is now an extended model, I installed a VQ automatic bolt release to ease handling when reloading, and a VQ hammer was adequate to improve the trigger pull enough to no longer be a hindrance.

The next piece I keep considering is a 20" Green Mountain sporter-profile barrel. Every time I tip-toe to the edge of the precipice, I manage to talk myself back by saying "it's just a plinker, leave it be." And every few months, that Siren starts calling again, and I have to repeat the process all over.

 

[alsaqr]

Presently i own three 10/.22 rifles. One is tricked out with a "match barrel", expensive aftermarket trigger and hammer, etc: It has never shot better than the early model with walnut stock bought for $100 in 1985. The only modifications i made to the latter rifle were:

1. Installation of trigger stop screw.

2. Installation of a lock washer between the prongs of the barrel band. This allows the band to be tightened the same every time.

That old rifle wears a 2.5 power Weaver scope: It consistently shoots 1/2-5/8 inch five shot groups at 50 yards when i'm having a good day. It likes Federal Auto Match and the old W-W Target ammo.

 

[Hookeye]

SK match and a GM Heavy Taper 19".
.4" C2C at 50 yards.

Had a '67 Sporter that put CCI Blazer into .75" at 50 yards. All it had was a Volq hammer.

Had a '67 standard that was Improved Cylinder. Old Overton stock not inlet right. Bad from the start.
Sanded where it needed to be, helped a ton.

Was an OK plinker after that.

Had a DSP that shot OK bone stock. But group would shift. Never messed with bedding it.
Missed a whopper chuck twice (first notice of shift).....and it honked me off so much I sold it.

 

[Hookeye]

Stock bolt, no headspace change or firing pin work.
Off bipod. 50 yards.
Going to range in a few, after I Ice my wrist.
Def .22 rf day and no .35 rem Contender LOL

Taking CZ455 and a 71 Fingergroove to zero.

View attachment 839930

 

[Hookeye]

View attachment 839931
Bbl has maybe 350 shots total through it.
Dunno if it will improve or other match ammo do better.
Or if bolt work will help.

Its at my :LGS now w no scope.......as I can't tolerate a vertical grip on a hunting rifle.
Bench it's OK..........but kills me carrying/hunting.
Just don't like.
The Titan stock was great other than that grip angle.
Shoot w my thumb around the wrist, not off to side.
Too late to change now.

I shoot fine that way so see no reason change (outshot a guy w his own BR rig yrs ago........did .5" at 225 yards).
That's plenty good enough for me.

Think the ideal 10/22 might be the old fingergroove w a 20" GM sporter bbl.

 

[Hookeye]

Wonder if folks know that the better group now and then might be due to lot variance.
When WW SuperX was good, we bought it by the case.
Still got burned once in a while.........cost me a steel ram more than once LOL

 

[Hookeye]

Guy gave me box of SK match to try in my GM bbl 10/22.
It did not do well w CCI standard V or HV, or Blazer.
But the match ammo did sub .5 at 50 yards, repeatably (five shots).

 

[Hookeye]

If one is getting sub .75" at 50 yards from a stock or mostly stock 10/22............IMHO you have a good hunter and proly ought to be happy and stop there.
I wanted sub .5 on a budget, and got it.
Big whoop dee doo.
Boring.
Gun's stock doesn't feel right for me in the grip and the overall package just a little heavier than wanted.
Away she goes.

A synth remake of the fingergroove w a 20:" sporter bbl proly my ideal 10/22.
And why I bought the beater FG I did, but am too old and cranky to do wood work.
See how she shoots in a few, 2-7X VX1, can't focus above 6X at 50 yards.

 

[Hookeye]

Took my latest fingergroove to the range today, zero.
CCI Xmas stuff, CCI standard V, SK rifler match and Federal HV HP.
Groups for 10 shots, around an inch...........at 25 yards off front bag.
I sometimes had three or four in a ragged hole but then one off the mark.
Then another. Random.
Was NOT me.
Also noticed first shot fliers......usually high.

Best group was w standard V and maybe .75"
Nothing great.

Wonder if I should put a GM 20" sporter on it.
Beater '70 or '71............can't remember.
Bought at gunshow a while back, first time shooting it today.

View attachment 840121

 

[Keyfer 55]

I have a stock 10/22 with a 3 lbs trigger.
My best groups with cci standard velocity,
federal match I get penny size hole at 50 yrds.

 

[Hookeye]

Sporters don't have the bbl band.
The action inlet on the beater fingergroove is tight.
BBl and action tightened to spec.
Might just be a crap barrel.
I have another pre warning bbl laying around I could swap in, or send to CPC and have tuned up.
Checked Rimfire Sports and Custom..............out of GM blued sporter bbls.

 

[Hookeye]

I've had two other fingergroove 1022's that were better shooters than this one.
One was beat to heck, the other factory checkered (not mint but too nice to risk further dinging up afield).
The feel of the old sporter stock..............for me, totally changes the gun.

I cannot stand the "standard" carbine stock.

Great shooting 10/22s from the factory proly does happen.
Those folks IMHO are like Powerball winners.

 

[Hookeye]

I did get some OK groups yesterday............w SK match in my CZ455.