Ruger 10-22

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Allen in MT

Allen in MT

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Looking at getting a bull barrel for the 10-22 and have a couple of questions
What is the optimum barrel length? I see they go from 16" to 20".

who do you consider the best barrel manufacture for accuracy?
Is it really worth it to change barrels for accuracy or is more of a looks thing?
thanks
 
16"-18" for a .22LR. I went with an 18" bull barrel for my 10/22 project.

20" does nothing for .22LR.
 
I think I recall seeing somewhere that 16" (or right around there) provided the maximum velocity for most .22 rounds. You dont lose much (anything noticeable, really) by going longer though.

I have Green Mountain barrel. Its not super top end. Kidd has an outstanding reputation but would have cost 2-3x what my GM did. A lot of guys change barrels for looks, a lot do it for the added accuracy. I'd ask what you want to do with it - do you want a bench gun where weight isnt a factor and you want to shoot little bitty groups? Then a bull barrel is probably for you. If, on the other hand, you want an accurate little squirrel shooter, sending your factory barrel off to Que or CPC to have them improve the chamber is probably all you need (about $40 by the time you pay shipping) to get the accuracy you want.
 
I say anything longer than 16" is just adding weight. You might want that if you're building a bench gun but not so much for any other reason.

Kidd barrels (coolguyguns.com) are consistently rated pretty high with 10/22 folks. Lilja and Shillen usually get highest marks along with their higher price tags. Fedderson barrels are fairly new to the scene and seem to be performing well. I don't know much about VQ and Clark offerings.

It depends how bad your factory barrel is as to wether or not it's worth replacing. Some are pretty lousy, some ain't so bad. Quality control on such a massively produced gun just isn't that tight.

Your accuracy would likely be more affected by working on things like the trigger, bolt, and bedding assuming your barrel isn't too bad.

ETA: I've got a 16" Kidd bull barrel, a 16" fluted tapered Green Mountain, and a Que reworked factory barrel. I can't tell the difference in accuracy if shooting them offhand. Shooting off the bench the Kidd really shines.

Just for another Kidd fanboy comment- Kidd's barrels are often touted as shooting "any" ammo well. Not needing to buy super duper match grade ammo while chasing small groups is a good thing.
 
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20" does nothing for .22LR.
Click to expand...

Well, it does a lot more than 16" if you're using iron sights... and it's a bit quieter to boot.

That being said, OP, go for a 10/22 barrel with the 16.5" - with longer you might notice a decrease in velocity. of course, the twist rate matters too. If you're shooting mainly HV ammo, then 1:16 but if you only shoot subsonics, go 1:9. And as you can guess, a 20" 1:16 vs a 16.5" 1:9 will get you disparate results, so thinking about you're intended use and intended ammo helps, but once you buy it and install it, you'll have to try it with any and every brand and type of .22lr ammo you can find to get best results.
 
Well, it does a lot more than 16" if you're using iron sights... and it's a bit quieter to boot.
Click to expand...

A 20" bull barrel for a 10/22 is not going to have iron sights (at least I have never seen a 10/22 bull barrel with a front sight).
 
Tech Sights sells a slip/loctite-on dove tail adaptor for bull barrels. I've actually got one sitting around here somewhere if anyone needs one.
 
benatilstate said:
If, on the other hand, you want an accurate little squirrel shooter, sending your factory barrel off to Que or CPC to have them improve the chamber is probably all you need (about $40 by the time you pay shipping) to get the accuracy you want.
Click to expand...
It's going to cost more than $40 from Que and CPC, but keep on telling people that...not to mention Que isn't even taking on any new work.
 
As I recall, the charge is spent by 16 inches; so that is all you would need for a full pop. 18 or 20 inches may balance better if you're looking to use the rifle for off hand and were not going max fat on the barrel. I have a prone 22 LR with a 26 inch 7/8 full lenght tube; great shooter with peep sights, but a hand full to off hand.

The advantages to a full size barrel are they have a long distance between front and rear sights, and they are rock steady in a prone/bench rest position-your pulse with a shooting coat/glove/sling is not going to move the point of impact/aim without you seeing it.

Scoping a with a long target scope followed that same thinking. Shorter barrels and modern target scopes get away from that school of thought by being easier to hold in the off hand steady and balance better.

In a sense, there is no free lunch and there are trade offs for going down your path for you as the shooter, and what you are trying to accomplish.

Chuck
 
Thanks for the replies, mainly looking to build a good accurate critter gun, something up to the 100+ yards for both off hand and from a bagged rest. Should be able to hit a nickle size target consistantly at 50 yards if thats possible.
 
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I would look at the Kidd 16" Lightweight barrel. I buddy just put one on his 10/22 and it will shoot nickles at 50 yards all day long.
 
Looking at getting a bull barrel for the 10-22 and have a couple of questions
What is the optimum barrel length? I see they go from 16" to 20".

who do you consider the best barrel manufacture for accuracy?
Is it really worth it to change barrels for accuracy or is more of a looks thing?
thanks
Click to expand...
You might also want to take a look through RimfireCentral.com . They have a whole forum dedicated to just 10/22 aftermarket barrels. ;)
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by benatilstate
If, on the other hand, you want an accurate little squirrel shooter, sending your factory barrel off to Que or CPC to have them improve the chamber is probably all you need (about $40 by the time you pay shipping) to get the accuracy you want.

It's going to cost more than $40 from Que and CPC, but keep on telling people that...not to mention Que isn't even taking on any new work.
Click to expand...

I stand corrected, Que is $55 to rechamber. He is not taking work due to a family situation. I have not checked on CPC's price but I suspect it is in the same ball park.

In the future, responses with corrected info, rather than merrily pointing out that another member is wrong, are much more useful to the OP.
 
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