Sparrow on the way, 10/22 barrel 1 in 16 or 1 in 9?

[wally]

BATFE has my paperwork and check, now the wait begins.

In the meantime I'm thinking about a threaded barrel for my 10/22. Seems the 1 in 9 would be better for the 60 gr sub-sonic ammo, but how well does it shoot with standard ammo?

How does the sub-sonic ammo shoot in a "standard" 1 in 16 barrel?

At the end of the day I'll mostly be shooting cheap bulk pack ammo, but I'd like to be able to impress my friends with some accurate shooting using sub-sonic ammo for maximum quiet, although I'm thinking the new Savage SR (suppressor ready) bolt gun would likely be better for this, although its a good bit more expensive than a threaded barrel for my 10/22 and I've never been all that fond of bolt actions.

I'd like to hear your experiences with the sub-sonic ammo in 1 in 16 standard barrels and with standard ammo in the 1 in 9 barrels.

My 1 in 16 aftermarket bull barell 10/22 will shoot 10 rounds into a dime sized groups at 50 yards off sandbags with Wolf Match ammo. First on the list would be to find some of the 60 gr sub-sonic ammo and give it a try, but didn't find any at todays gun show. So I fugured I ask about others experience while waiting for my web order to arrive.

 

[thezoltar]

I shoot a .22lr Savage bolt gun and any ammunition less than about 1070fps is sub-sonic. The box doesn't have to say sub sonic on it. In fact the CCI I use is standard velocity and very quiet through my suppressor. Try several different brands and speeds of ammo and you'll gain a great deal of knowledge about what is quiet and what is accurate. Wolf and CCI work best for me for accuracy.

 

[Mike1234567]

You'll need the faster 1:9 twist rifling for the "longer" 60gr bullets.

 

[LiquidTension]

That Wolf Match will probably stay subsonic in your rifle. It stays subsonic out of my suppressed Savage MkII and is my ammo of choice for target shooting regardless of whether or not I'm using the can.

 

[wally]

I should have been more clear in that when I said sub-sonic I was thinking of the Aguila 60 gr ammo. So I'd need the 1 in 9 barrel for it, is that correct?

How does standard .22lr ammo shoot in the 1 in 9 barrels?

Perhaps its best to stay with 1 in 16 and forget about the 60 gr stuff. I've got a few months to work things out.

 

[MasterSergeantA]

If you are going to mostly shoot the Aguila heavy bullets, the 1 in 9 is your best choice. It will not stabilize the lighter bullets quite as well, but the 1 in 16 will not do well at all with the heavier bullets. If you want the best of both worlds, just get a spare barrel and switch them as necessary. Again, if you will only be shooting the "other" bullets infrequently, set it up for your predominant load. I have eight 10/22s and one is dedicated to the Aguila round using an older Maxim style can. Very quiet and hell on the local rodentia.

Spare barrels are not very expensive (in the greater cost of things these days) and getting a few other extras like an aftermarket block and screws from Power Custom, can making changing things a breeze and keep it all aligned.

FWIW

 

[mongo4567]

You will need 1 in 9 twist to stabilize the 60 grain. I would question if it is a good idea without a bolt lock though. I have one set up this way, I get a lot of noise out the side of the rifle due to the slower bullet travel and early ejection. I've bounced around the idea of trying to replicate a bolt lock that I've seen drawings of or trying to find a very heavy bolt spring. I haven't been able to find a commercial bolt lock available now that I like; only one I've seen lately is a magnet plate that attaches to the bolt.

I'll sell you a lightly used Tactical Innovations barrel for $110 shipped.

 

[LiquidTension]

I've done side by side testing with the Wolf, Aguila and Remington subsonic loads, and about a dozen other loads and the Wolf is the quietest in all platforms I tried (GSG 1911 .22, Ruger MkII, and Savage MkII). The only other load that is as quiet is the Eley Tenex which is super expensive. Unless you just really want to shoot a 60gr bullet you'll probably be happier with the Wolf. If you do want to shoot the 60s regularly then yeah, you'll need the 1:9. YMMV of course, as every can sounds a little different.