is leading the problem?

[ebonitekid767]

i recently took in a 5.5" bull barreled MKII on a trade and have a few questions regarding its accuracy, or lack there of. The gentleman i received the gun from is a target shooter and nothing else, and for that guns whole life it has had nothing but CCI standard lead rounds through it. The guy doesnt shoot a whole lot and when he does tends to use another .22. My problem is I want to use it to hunt with and when I fire any sort of hunting round in it at 50 feet i get about a 6" group that never stays in one area. Iv tried adjusting the sights  but they are just still all over. Do you think this could be from all the lead bullets that have gone down it and filled in the rifling? A rabbits head is alot smaller than 6" so I am concerned.

[shot1]

Clean it and see. Check the crown to see if it has been ruined. Improper cleaning with a cleaning rod rubbing on the crown and wearing it has ruined more guns. I don't mean it to sound wrong but are you a competent pistol shot? I have seen a lot of so call "un-accurate" weapons down through the years turn into tack drivers with the right person shooting them. If there is any doubt get someone that you know can really shoot to try it out.

One other thing that I just thought of to check. Check the screw the holds the front sight on. They some times get loose and that will cause it to move a little and cause you to be shooting all over the place. I put blue locktight on mine and no more coming loose.

[Luckyducker]

My S-I-L has a Rem Nylon66 22RF that wouldn't hold any semblance of a group and didn't know what to do with it.  One day I was at their home and he got the 66 out and we used something, (can't remember what) and removed a sleeve of lead from near the breach about 3" long.  We took the rifle out and shot it and though it wasn't the most accurate 22 I have ever shot, it would hold a decent group at 50 yds; certainly good enough to hunt with.  Maybe we used an over-sized bore brush or something to remove the lead.  Wish I could be more helpful.

[Graybeard]

Contrary to popular belief rimfire rounds don't lead the barrel. I seldom ever clean a rimfire barrel and once I know how it shoots don't touch it again until accuracy drops off. Even then it's not cuz of lead. So no I don't think it is leaded but since it is new to you I'd clean it once but might never again.

I'd suspect a crown problem, loose front or rear sight or a shooter error but not a leading issue. Rimfires are notoriously dirty at the chamber end and you might find an accumulation of unburned powder residue there and if so cleaning that away could very well help. It's not likely to turn a 4" at 50' gun into a good shooter tho.

Even tho I'm really not a Ruger fan I must admit that the Ruger Semiautos are very accurate guns in the hands of a good shooter.

[gcrank1]

A thourough cleaning isnt going to make it worse.......
FWIW, it is not unusual for a 22 to build up a 'crud' ring from the mouth of the chamber forward a bit. This forces the bullet to go through a reduced dia. hole that isnt really what the critical throat and origin of rifling is supposed to be. A well worn and somewhat loose .22brush (or even a 17 cal. brush) wrapped with some real copper wool or 'scrubbie' shards will easily remove it, but more bullets wont.
Adjusting sights is a waste of time if a gun isnt grouping.

[Steve P]

5.5" barrel and hunting ammo caught my eye.  What is hunting ammo?
 
I have several .22 handguns....well, ok, a LOT.  I rarely clean them unless they are malfunctioning or dirty.  Most of the time it is lube build up in chamber area.  In case of auto loader, this is usually at chamber mouth/feed ramp. 
 
Most of my guns take about 10 shots to "sweeten" the barrel after a cleaning.  If I change ammo in a couple of my competition guns, I am looking at closer to 25 rounds before they really start grouping well.
 
Short barrel and high velocity ammo = need for good trigger, good squeeze, good follow-through and good all around shooting habits.  Poor grip, poor consistency, and rotten trigger will open up groups.
 
Clean the gun well, and shoot one brand of ammo.  When you get down to 3" or under at 50 yards, you are getting there.  If you do not get below 3" at 50, then start checking out other brands of ammo, problems with the crown, or have another experience shooter give it a try.  Big groups with Ruger .22s are usually NOT the gun.
 
Steve  

[butchen]

I started watching this thread because I have an old Ruger .22 6" stander barrel, made before it was even called a MK1. And it was a grouper!!!! I have been using it for squirrels and rabbits for 32 years (don't even own a shotgun now for small animals) and all at once she did the same thing you are having happen. So yesterday I took her and striped her down. Sure enough there was that 'crud' ring that gcrank1 said just past the crown. I took a .30cal brush and really worked that over till it was gone. Took her out today and she was back down to under an inch, sit shotgun shells up and never missed one even the 410's. (not bad for a 33year old gun that has tons of rounds though it. When I got her I would buy and shoot a brick a weekend. Did that for 7years. So no telling how much ammo has been in that gun.)

They're right about cleaning too, it was the first time I had her apart in 25 years (back then it was to put a comp trigger in) and there was very little unburnt powder in there. The parts were very tight no slack, little to no ware and it was just the blue wore off. Some don't like a Ruger but they're best 22 on the market, well I will say the best gun on the market of any type. I am so happy to have my girl back. THANKS GUYS

I started to take picks to post on here but thought the thread was dead. Wish I had now.

[gcrank1]

 

[rio grande]

Leading CAN be a problem in .22rf.  I had a Single-Six which leaded badly w/ every brand of ammo I shot in it.
Ditto a Blackhawk .41, w/ various hardnesses of lead bullets and light to heavy loads.
Ruger revolvers (not all) are known for constrictions in the barrel internal diameter where it screws into the frame.  Fire-lapping is done a lot to remedy this.
Had an AR-7 which did like the Nylon 66 above, strips of lead came out of the barrel.

[ratdog]

i got a mk 2 that i target shoot with bought it from a pawn shop was pretty loose the frame that is .took it to a smith sqouse the the main body of the gun now its nice no wobble i found that it likes a particular brand of ammo better than others.this the best 22 pistol i have ever shot. it is a lot more accurate than my single six .have not noticed any leading. i don't shoot any remmington thunder bolt in my 22's  had some stick in the barrel even on my rifle.