Author Topic: Ruger 10/22 accuracy (Read 2100 times)

AtlLaw · « **on:** February 02, 2012, 01:31:03 PM »

Years ago I bought a standard Ruger 10/22. I have always had visions of putting a heavy barrel and a new stock on it, but just never did it.

Well this year, after feeding corn to the neighborhood squirrels around my deer stand all season long, I figure it's about time they pay the price! So Saturday is squirrel day!

I broke out the Ruger, mounted a low end 3x9 scope on it and fired a bunch of PMC target rounds that I had. Let me tell you, I was impressed at the accuracy of this rifle at 50 yards!

So I picked up some CCI small game hollowpoints (1400 fps) and some varmint hollow points (1600 fps) and tried them out.

Again, accuracy was outstanding! A little better with the small game rounds, so those are what I'll use this weekend. Head shots only of course; more meat for the dumplings!

After shooting this little rifle a bit I have abandoned all thought of trying to turn it into something else. I always thought the word was that these things weren't really accurate out of the box?

STUMPJMPR · « **Reply #1 on:** February 02, 2012, 01:42:09 PM »

All depends on the gun. My stock ruger shoots 1.5" at 50 yards with most ammo. My Green Mountain barrel will do .5-.75.

bilmac · « **Reply #2 on:** February 02, 2012, 03:02:14 PM »

I think you are a lucky guy Atl. My stock 10 22 does about 1 1/2" at 50 and the one with a heavy barrel does little better. I suppose the one with the fat barrel would do better with target ammo, but I'm not going to shoot hundreds of expensive bullets a day at prairie dogs.

tacklebury · « **Reply #3 on:** February 02, 2012, 03:44:32 PM »

My buddies, could never hit an egg at 50 consistently. We used to line up a dozen and see who could hit their 6 quickest.

Guess who's Model 60 won it, every time...

Thebear_78 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 02, 2012, 03:55:03 PM »

My 10/22 compact will easy do under an inch at 50 yards all day long. I have had 3 10/22s and they all would shoot very well. The biggest thing about getting a 10/22 to shoot well is to fix the trigger. Its relatively in expensive to put a volquartzen hammer and spring kit in the ruger trigger and have a nice trigger pull in your 10/22.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #5 on:** February 02, 2012, 04:15:13 PM »

Quote from: Thebear_78 on February 02, 2012, 03:55:03 PM

The biggest thing about getting a 10/22 to shoot well is to fix the trigger.

Good point! I noticed the trigger was a tad heavy; all my hunting rifles are set at 3 lbs. I guess I just never expected much from a 22 trigger... $:-\$

oldandslow · « **Reply #6 on:** February 03, 2012, 04:19:56 AM »

My experience with the 10/22 (only two of them) hasn't been that good by a long shot. Both were so bad at 25 yards that I never even shot them to see how they would group at 50 yards until doing extensive modifications to them. The 10/22 is able to be turned into a very accurate little rifle with digging deep into your billfold.

Either one will do .5" groups a lot of the time at 50 yards now with Golden Bullets and Mini-Mags.

Ron 1 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 04, 2012, 02:46:01 AM »

at fifty yrds i can get 1/2 - 3/4 in.10 shot group with mine and it has had thousands of rounds thru it.
as a kid i would fire 3 or 4 bricks of shells every weekend. i did that for 6-8 years. it is by far the most reliable semi .22 i have had
the marlin mo.60 would gum up after a brick or two. just my experience.
rw

ironglow · « **Reply #8 on:** February 04, 2012, 02:59:15 AM »

In recent years I think accurate stock 10/22s are "the luck of the draw". I have a 1st year model 10/22 which has always been very accurate, but I understand the first couple years the barrels for 10/22s were made by a custom barrel maker, plus my original had a decent trigger (for an auto) to start. Later ones I have shot, range from very good to rather "scattergunny"

.
I do believe that both bore and trigger improve with useage.

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #9 on:** February 04, 2012, 04:03:20 AM »

I think a lot of the reason you see them wrenched on so much is because you can do it yourself so guys tend to get carried away. I got sucked in myself but it will shoot .5 groups at fifty yards with cheap remington thunderbolts if I'm having a good day.
I bought mine with the intention of building it up. It was just something I wanted to do. I never even fired it while it was stock. There is nothing stock left.on it as I modified the only two parts left, the reciever and the bolt.
I agree with reworking the trigger, I put a volquartsen trigger group that was reworked by Hornet if I remember right. No overtravel and it breaks like glass.

If your's shoots well and you don't have the "I want to try being a gunsmith" bug, leave it alone. Or if you want to trade out the trigger group it is very easy to do yourself.

Here she is after many hours of work and probably too much money.

This is a ten shot group at fifty yards with thunderbolts.

oldandslow · « **Reply #10 on:** February 04, 2012, 04:14:16 AM »

22 rifmfire guns are strange critters. As I mentioned both of mine do very good with golden bullets, thunderbolts-not so good. I have a Savage Mk II that likes thunderbolts pretty well but not quite as good as dynapoints. On the other hand all three do very good with Wolf target when I want to splurge on ammo a little.

skarke · « **Reply #11 on:** February 04, 2012, 02:41:37 PM »

Ammo is a critical factor in my 10 22s. I've only had two over the years because, as a lefty, those hot little cases always end up in my shirt sleeve

I've always had pretty good luck with the mini mags, the cci green box shoot even better.

As with any gun, a good, crisp trigger always helps me shoot my best. It might provide the best ROI if you have a pretty good factory barrel.

ratdog · « **Reply #12 on:** February 04, 2012, 07:13:07 PM »

years ago i shot federal ammo in my winchester auto gummed it up with wax same with marlin 60 switched to cci's. remingtons thunder bolts were crap had a few of those get stuck in the barrel, my winchester blew the bolt out the side bought a ruger 10-22 30 years ago never a problem. use good ammo and clean the once in a while they will do you the job.

smokehouserex · « **Reply #13 on:** February 04, 2012, 08:09:56 PM »

Hey GRIMJIM:

All I can say about your rifle is WOW!!!!!!!! That is a real eyecatcher and I see it shoots good also. Good..

Has anyone ever heard that the 10-22's from Wally World are like factory seconds? I have heard that at a gun shop, I didn't argue because I don't know.
thanks
HM

oldandslow · « **Reply #14 on:** February 05, 2012, 04:12:32 AM »

I think that was just gunshop hot air to get you to buy his. I bought my second one at Wally World. Both of mine have been worked on seriously and I could find no difference inside or out. The only thing I noticed is that the Wally World gun was slightly less inaccurate than the other when still stock.

wyohandi · « **Reply #15 on:** February 05, 2012, 08:01:04 AM »

I took mine out yesterday and I have to say I was dissapointed, 1.5-2" with ammo I had on hand.
Both my $100 savage bolt and a Marlin 60 that is actually parts from 3 other wore out guns shot
3/4" or better with the same ammo. Guess its time to work on the 10/22.

Ok took it apart sanded out the barrel channel on the very end to relieve pressure, now the barrel band
sits a whisker from touching the barrel and all is well shooting nice round groups under an inch no wild
flyers much better.

ironglow · « **Reply #16 on:** February 05, 2012, 12:43:54 PM »

Grimjim;
Nice looking rifle...and it backs itself up at the range..
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Smokehouse;
I don't believe the Wally-World rifles are any lesser quality than those from a gunshop. Naturally, a gunshop employee might claim such, but I guess that's 'job security'.
In fact, I have heard only good things concerning accuracy, with the SS Wally-World specials, with the 22" ss barrel..

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #17 on:** February 05, 2012, 01:59:44 PM »

Thanks for the compliments guys.

I started with a walmart rifle. In hindsight I wish I would have shot it first just to have a comparison.

smokehouserex · « **Reply #18 on:** February 05, 2012, 02:00:45 PM »

Thanks Everyone for the replys. I usually do not try to stir up a fuss with gun store people unless they are just plain STUPID, as they sometimes have something that I may want to "deal" with them on. LOL.
thanks again
HM

simplicity · « **Reply #19 on:** February 08, 2012, 12:42:58 PM »

Well I guess i have a phenominal 10/22. I have one that I built up with a green mountain 18" in a $40 butler creek stock ( that I have to use a small rubber mallet to get the action into the stock tight fit) with a lymann 10x target scope. I did all my trigger work myself, it breaks at a consistant 2.5 lbs. Usually with remington golden bullet I can cover 10shots with a nickel at 100 yards. I never have tryed it with match ammo. I primarily built it and use it for dispatching crows, and woodchucks.

ratdog · « **Reply #20 on:** February 10, 2012, 11:54:55 PM »

atlaw im with you i have had mine for 35 years shoots straight would not waist the money on all that new crap they say improves performance. just a bunch of hype.don't need to make it complicated.

gendoc · « **Reply #21 on:** February 11, 2012, 01:25:45 PM »

i have raised a son and 4 grandyung'uns on building 10/22's..... we have several, 6 or 8
i think

. all are different from the first one i got, the first year they made the 3 digit prefix serial# (1970) $77

to the latest design hammer forged heavy barrel. even a couple 22wmr's which are priceless today. most needed help in the accuracy dept but i remember some would not hit tha water if ya aimed at tha pond !!!! but them problems are way behind now.
as most of you should know.... no 2 rifles will be identicle twins in performance. at least if you don't know that, you should now.

i have a small fortune in all of them which is worth all tha smiles, happiness and memories
these shooters have made.

and i'll do it all again if i wanted too...................

ironglow · « **Reply #22 on:** February 26, 2012, 02:12:22 AM »

In reply #8 I spoke of the "first year" 10/22 I bought in 1965, while I was stationed in Germany.
I bought a cheap little Weaver C4 scope (for about $10) to go with it. I went to the local German range with it and after some of the locals sneered at the "automatisch" .22, I sat down at the 50 meter range to sight it in. After sight-in, I moved down on the 50 meter nearer them to fire for group.
When the targets were pulled and I showed them a 10 shot group which I covered with a dime...their sneering slowed down.
I had actually outshot their very expensive German single shots. Of course, I did not choose to "rub it in", as no words were necessary.
Incidently, I have not found a stock..(and only some modified) 10/22s which could equal it since..That's why I still have it.

ironglow · « **Reply #23 on:** February 26, 2012, 02:18:06 AM »

Quote from: bilmac on February 02, 2012, 03:02:14 PM

I think you are a lucky guy Atl. My stock 10 22 does about 1 1/2" at 50 and the one with a heavy barrel does little better. I suppose the one with the fat barrel would do better with target ammo, but I'm not going to shoot hundreds of expensive bullets a day at prairie dogs.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

bilmac;
What I am saying may be redundant for you, but have you tried CCI standards ? I have found them to be very nearly comparable to many target rounds, and at reasonable cost..

ELMO · « **Reply #24 on:** February 29, 2012, 06:33:21 AM »

I just did some shooting today and was using CCI SV for ammo. I mainly just use the 10/22 for plinking at short ranges with all kinds of rimfire ammo. So today I mounted an older 4x nikon buckmaster scope I had on a slug gun. After some adjustments the last 10 rounds went into one ragged hole at 25 yards. I only shot about 30 rounds today and will see later how the little rifle does at 40 to 50 yards. This rifle is around 25 years old and maybe now I'll be a little more serious towards its accuracy. The CCI SV shoot real well out of this rifle....

Bugflipper · « **Reply #25 on:** February 29, 2012, 07:17:24 AM »

Richard I think the key thing may be years ago you bought it. Ruger doesn't mind kicking a dead horse as long as profits keep rolling in. Their barrel tooling was said to go down hill after 1994. Today it's kind of a crap shoot with a factory barrel. Some folks do alright, but the majority throw a little bigger group than one would want for head shots on squirrel. The barrel weight doesn't seem to matter much. I have sporter weight barrels with bentz chambers and good crowns that print really good. If that barrel is doing good, you may want to look into a target hammer. Getting a good trigger on one can extend the minute of squirrel head a fair distance.

jpshaw · « **Reply #26 on:** March 15, 2012, 03:43:16 AM »

I finally took the 2 - 7 - 32 scope off of mine. The only trigger work was a Volquartzen hammer and now I shoot it with the iron sights. The CZ with the bigger scope is used for that precision stuff. Killed squirrels with the iron sights too. I shoot for the ribs mostly since there's no meat on them anyway. Mine has that funny polymer stock that is sunken in the center.

ironglow · « **Reply #27 on:** March 15, 2012, 03:51:07 AM »

Talked to my grandson yesterday. He has a job much like the guys on "Sons of Guns" TV show, so you may hear me mentioning some things I learn from him and his fellow gunsmiths.
Anyway, he has a 10/22 which I originally built up. It has an aftermarket trigger kit, a popular brand bull barrel and a Hogue overmolded gunstock.
He just decided to start doing more accurizing on that particular gun..which gave some really good groups to start with.
Checking the head space he found it a bit too deep..he turned the barrel down, taking off about 13 thousandths. With Eleys, he started shooting one-holers @ 50 yards. Just another possibility...

r29l20 · « **Reply #28 on:** March 15, 2012, 06:31:42 AM »

Ruger 10/22 accuracy
They don't belong in the same sentance.

Keith L · « **Reply #29 on:** March 15, 2012, 12:53:31 PM »

I disagree with you on that point, and also have to say that just making a statement like that looks like you are trying to start a fight which isn't done here on GBO. If you have had troubles with a 10/22 then say what the troubles were and prepare to get advice on how to fix it.